A/N: Keep tabs on the date and place. This is important. See you down.
DAY SEVEN
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." – Unknown
The heat wave had finally decided to break into astounding storms, making the skies shatter every few minutes when a thunder would split them in half. Kara liked the sunny days and she liked the rainy days. Kara liked everything that could prove her that she was alive. She had always loved watching the rain fall from the Tower. It was beautiful. All these parallel lines dropping from grey clouds. There was poetry in it. The rain was seen in numerous cultures as a presage, falling on the cities after a huge battle or a catastrophe, as if washing the buildings and the roads from the fear and the tension of its inhabitants. Kara loved to feel it on her skin. On Krypton, the last rains she had seen had been radioactive Kryptonite. It had been too dangerous for them to stay under it. Now, Kara rejoiced to be under the clouds, watching the rain gather in the cumulus until it was full and it finally released the overflow on the Earth. She loved flying through them, coming out all damp for a minute, feeling like she was wrapped in cotton candy. Kara loved the rain, and Earth, and everything it had to provide. She knew her parents would love to see this.
"That fucking rain!" Alex groaned as she shuffled her jacket and shirt, drops of water falling on the floor. Her hair was wet. The shirt underneath her jacket was sporting a huge damp mark on the shoulders. "It was sunny when I got out of the house! How is that possible?"
Kara turned around from her place on the balcony and watched as her sister enter her loft, Lena waiting patiently for her on the couch and Nia chuckling from her stool in the kitchen.
Lena looked sheepishly at Alex as the woman approached. "I may be responsible for that." All heads whipped towards her.
"You're kidding?" Alex asked, torn between laughter and disbelief.
"Just partly." Lena shrugged. "It tends to rain when I'm nervous."
Kara's heart thumped hard in her chest. Lena was nervous because that day was the day everything would be over. Alura and Zor-El were supposed to arrive in the morning, and with them, the memory player that should help them read the Platinum Kryptonite. Kara rubbed absentmindedly at the stone around her neck. She could not blame Lena, she was nervous too. The stakes were high. It was their last chance to know what had happened to Lena seven years ago. If the stone were to reveal nothing, Kara could not imagine in what state Lena would be.
Alex scoffed, a disbelieving smile spreading on her lips. "Fantastic. Remind me to call you for the next heat wave."
"I don't really control it." Lena replied matter-of-factly.
"Lena's not your personal humidifier, Alex." Kara interjected at the same time. Had her mind not be that preoccupied, she would have blushed at the wording.
"Fine. We won't play with your powers." Alex grumbled towards Lena.
She busied herself with gathering the supplies she needed to change Lena's bandages. The only sounds in the room were coming from the rain dropping on the balcony and the pages turning in between Nia's fingers. The woman was reading the prophecy in the grimoire, with Ambrose chewing a piece of apple happily on her lap. They were taking turns looking at it, as if it was so unbelievable that they had to see it with their own eyes. Brainy was on a mission with Kelly and Esme was at school. It only left Alex and Nia to support Kara and Lena as they welcomed Kara's parents.
As Alex sat down on the coffee table with one of Lena's feet in her lap, Liz came out of the hall in a haste.
"Mum! I can't find my gloves!"
Lena looked at Liz then her eyes searched Kara who was too behind her to be visible. "I'm a bit busy, here. Why don't you ask your mommy?"
Alex's eyebrows shot up but her eyes stayed on the burns and blisters she was covering with an ointment. "Mommy, uh? Was there any development one of you wants to share?"
"Not any that is your business." Kara said, coming into view with crossed arms, her pants covered in dots of water. She grimaced as she noticed the state of Lena's foot. The skin was bright red and wrinkled, with blisters as big as a phalanx ready to explode all over the sole of Lena's foot. Kara looked away, swallowing the lump of guilt in her throat. She could not protect everybody, she tried to tell herself, knowing it was as vain as trying to suppress her love for Lena. She just had to live with it. "I'll help you." She said to Liz as they both walked to Liz's bedroom.
"Someone's in a good mood." Alex grumbled ironically to Lena. The woman just shrugged but followed Kara with her eyes. They were all a bit tense that day. Liz had had several nightmares during the night, waking them twice until Kara decided to take her in the bed with them. Lena did not want to sleep with Kara at first, stating she could take one of the makeshift beds in the locker room. Kara had disagreed. Lena thought at first that it was to keep an eye on her, to be there in case Lena needed to move during the night, but then she had seen it in her eyes. Kara wanted to keep an eye on her because she was terrified that she would disappear once again. They had not talked about it, Lena simply felt it. It was in the movement of Kara's eyes, following her everywhere, to her constant need of being close, ready to help at any moment. They had not talked about it but it was implicit between them. So, she had accepted to appease her, keeping her distance as much as possible in the bed until Liz came in between them. And she had to admit that she had slept a bit better after that.
"Do you think that's why Lionel got closer to your mom?" Nia said from across the room. Lena's head whipped to her, confused before remembering her friend had been reading her mother's spell book.
She shrugged, quite bored of her family scheme already. "He wouldn't be the first Luthor to try and control one of the most powerful beings on Earth…"
Nia nodded thoughtfully, taking back a lock of her hair from her son's eager little hand before standing up. She closed the grimoire and placed Ambrose securely against her hip. "You know, I was thinking the other day. There's still the old Black Room in the satellite. Maybe we could find something to protect Liz in there." She said as she came closer to them. Alex gave her a quick look of acknowledgement before huffing in front of Lena's wounds on her other foot.
"Some blisters are pierced. You have to stop walking on them." She grumbled and Lena agreed, knowing too well she would not stop walking anyway. "Nia may be right." Alex added after a moment.
"What's the Black Room?" Lena asked. Apparently, there were many things that she still ignored from her friends' past adventures.
"It was a room secured by A.R.G.U.S. It was a secret governmental unit." Alex explained, focused on her task. "Their goal was to help the former Justice League providing them top secret information on their enemies and cleaning their mess after them, mostly. They collected mythical artifacts and gathered them in the room to prevent them from falling in bad hands. Wonder Woman helped them a lot until her partner got transformed into Cheetah. Cyborg got his hands on the room after Amanda Waller was killed by Killer Croc. He didn't want it to fall into oblivion and reappear in Joker's hands or worse."
"We can't let Kara in this room." Lena said while shaking her head.
"I heard that." The blonde said, coming back with Liz by her side, the girl's hands covered with gloves.
"You think we could find an artifact that could protect Liz from the Other?" Kara asked, her eyes watching Liz as she plunged into her book.
The day before, the girl had listened to her mothers talk about the prophecy without interrupting once. Lena had questioned her, wanting to know if she recalled anything but Liz was adamant. She did not know this story. Kara and Lena had decided that it would be best to explain to her that there was a person who wanted to hurt her but that they would not let anything happen to her. Liz had only asked if Lena would be safe. Kara had promised to protect them all. That had been all. Liz did not need to know more, apparently. She just wanted them to be safe.
Nia shrugged. "It's worth trying. This whole story is crazy."
"You could ask Wonder Woman if she knew anything beforehand." Lena addressed Kara with a shrug.
"Right. I should've already done that, actually. She's the best in her field." The blonde shook her head dismissively.
"What, fighting with a sword or flirting with Superman?" Nia said innocently.
Kara glared at her. "Archeology."
She saw Lena and Alex share a knowing look. Diana wasn't appreciated by everybody but Kara could not care less. Diana was good at her job and had always been loyal to her. She didn't need more than that.
The satellite was spacious, Lena knew that. But when Kara had told her that her parents would come, she hadn't thought about their ship entering completely in the satellite's boarding area. Their ship looked Kryptonian in a way that it looked like Kara's pod but bigger. So much bigger. It could have transported a hundred people easily. Maybe even the entirety of Argo City. Lena had heard Liz gasp when the ship had been secured by the two enormous electrical brackets. Liz had never seen a spaceship before. It was kind of funny and exhilarating to see her eyes fill up with wonder. They were waiting for Alura and Zor-El to come out of the ship with Alex and Nia. J'onn was securing their boarding on a control panel high above behind them. There was a lot of impressive pressure sounds. The air was quitting the tubes and engine of the ship, then depressurizing the ambient air in the ship to accommodate it for its passengers. And then the pressure around the ship door was expelled in deep white smoke as it eased itself down to reveal aluminum stairs.
Lena felt Liz circle her leg with her arms and tremble slightly. She was already gathering energy in her little hands, if the heat Lena could feel was any clue. Lena brushed a hand through her hair and mumbled, "It'll be okay. They're good people."
Kara heard that and her head snapped towards them. Their eyes met and Lena smiled sadly. The blonde got closer and crouched down next to Liz.
She placed a loose hand on Liz's back. "I promise you they won't do anything to you. They're very happy to meet you." She whispered. "Do you trust me?"
Lena met Nia's gaze above their heads. Liz looked at her sideways then nodded and removed a tight hand from Lena's leg to extend it to Kara. The blonde smiled and took it, straitening up. She kissed the little gloved hand and gave it a light caress before letting go. Her parents' figure could be seen from afar now. They were a good hundred feet away.
"I'll be back in a jiffy." Kara said before taking off towards them.
Alura and Zor-El weren't any different from the last time Lena had seen them, if only a bit older. They walked behind Kara with calm and serenity in their Kryptonian gowns, emblazoned with the House of El symbol. Lena remarked white strands of hair on Alura's head and some too in Zor-El's beard but otherwise, they looked as healthy and impressive as she remembered them. Lena hadn't expected to see Clark's head peeking from behind his uncle though.
Kara rushed to her and leaned towards her ear. "I didn't know he was coming, I swear."
"Don't worry." Lena whispered back quickly, knowing too well that Clark could hear them.
Her story with Clark Kent was born a long time ago, when the man decided to befriend her brother, sealing all their fates without knowing it. Clark was a good person, really friendly to her when they would cross path. He used to come to the manor to hang out with Lex, ask him for advice on his new article or supporting her brother for his freshly marketed innovation. Lex was always calm and kind to her when Clark was around so she got accustomed to his presence, craving it when Lex had his obsessive phases. And then, one day, Superman appeared in their skies and her whole world capsized.
Lex became bitter, obsessive – even more than he already was -, lost his nights in his lab, arranging old machines, trying to find a way to suppress the only alien known to Earth. Clark's visits became less and less frequent. Lena hadn't noticed the change in her brother's behavior at first. Lex had always been really good at hiding his plans. But it became clear he had changed when Lionel died. Lex hadn't bothered coming to his father's funerals. Lena knew then that something was wrong. Lex swore that he had too much work, that he was grieving in his own way but Lena knew otherwise.
She had access to the financial data base of LuthorCorp through her computer at work so she searched for it and did not have difficulty to find it. It being the proof than Lex was planning something. He was using the company's means to finance his own personal project and Lena feared that it had something to do with Superman. In her last attempt to save her brother, she had contacted Clark, thinking he would help resonate her brother. Clark only told her it was too late. Lex was too far gone. Two weeks later, she was tied up on a chair in Lex's office, her brother pointing a gun at her, watching the Sun turn red. The rest was history. She had not talked to Clark Kent since then. Not for personal circumstances. Only when he came in her office with a certain Kara Danvers to accuse her of attempting at hundreds of people's lives. By then, she already knew he was Superman. How she did not connect the dots concerning Kara was a mystery still to this day.
When Alura and Zor-El stopped in front of them, Clark's blue eyes met Lena's and he acknowledged her with a simple salute of his head. She gave him the same sympathy and watched as Kara took Liz's hand to introduce her to her parents.
The blonde crouched down to Liz's size. "This is your grandparents, bug. And this is my cousin, Kal." Kara pointed to the different person, never letting go of their daughter's hand. Liz smiled shyly to the adults.
Alura took a step forward and extended a hand. Lena did not know her as an emotional woman but she could see some tears in her eyes. Her smile was betraying the emotions that must have been whirling inside of her.
"It is really nice to meet you." Alura said to Liz with a little accent. Liz shook her hand and turned a huge smile towards Lena who nodded in approval. It made all their eyes shift to Lena. She felt exposed suddenly.
She flushed brightly, looking down. Facing Kara's family had always been impressive to her. They were all aware of what her brother had done to Clark, what she had done herself to Kara. She could not help the guilt and shame to resurface in these circumstances. Her being injured and in a wheelchair did not help making her feel confident either.
"It is nice to see you too, Lena." Alura said gently. Lena looked up, surprised at first, then smiled back. Alura had not made a move towards her but her expression seemed welcoming.
Kara cleared her throat on the side. She always sensed when Lena was not at ease. "Maybe we should move back inside. There are more comfortable rooms to talk than this one." She motioned around to the immensity of the room, her voice echoing on the steel pannels.
"I believe this is for you." Zor-El said, giving her a small device. It stopped Kara in her steps. She turned to take the device in her hands. It was completely transparent, all the components apparent. Kara gave it to Lena so that she could take a closer look. It was light, the material solid. It was not glass, nor plastic but a mix of both. Something close to Plexiglas but even lighter. Lena recognized some of the components inside, a driver, a processor, two convertors and something that looked like a USB key. It had a single rounded thin gem on the top that had to serve as a projector.
"This is the memory player. You have to link it to the Fortress if you want to use it. I do not think you have the technology here." Zor-El added with a motion of his hand, his accent thicker than Alura's.
Lena nodded, thanking him with a small smile. She felt Liz lean against the arm of her wheelchair so she passed an arm around her shoulders.
"Thank you for making the trip. It means a lot." She said solemnly, meeting both Alura's and Zor-El's gazes.
Alura shrugged and smiled. Her smile looked so much like Kara's that it took Lena aback. Zor-El stepped in to put a hand on Alura's shoulder, his eyes reflecting kindness and affection.
"We are happy to help. You did a lot for Argo. It was the least we could do." His eyes eased down on Liz and a proud expression crossed his face. "We also wanted to meet our granddaughter as soon as possible."
There were all stuck in an intense silence, all contemplating the weight of the situation, of what was transpiring between them. Clark had stayed silent the whole time, so silent in fact, that Lena had almost forgotten about him.
"So…" He cleared his throat, all eyes snapping on him. "Can we go… inside? I think we all have business to take care of."
It seemed to put Kara back in track. She shuffled on her place then took Liz under the arms and put her on Lena's lap.
"You're right. Come on." She said as she took the wheelchair handles to push Lena towards the exit.
Having Kryptonian powers had not really meant anything to Kara. Kryptonians did not have powers. On Krypton, she had not been strong or invincible. She had just been a little girl. Earth gave her these powers and with them, the ability to be part of two people at the same time. She was not really a Kryptonian anymore, but not really a human either. She was in between, stuck in a limbo with a sense of belonging close to the one you felt when people accepted you in their group, only to criticize the ones that looked just like you, right in front of you. Not that Kara's friends and family were like that. But she had felt the glances in the street and the fear that she instilled in the people she had saved. They respected her but they feared her too because she was too different.
Kara knew her parents felt abnormal when they were coming to Earth. They weren't born with powers either and had only the time to adjust to them before going back on Argo. Having powers was just Kara's reality and she had realized that not even her parents could understand what it felt to be in between. Not Liz either, who shared the same powers but was born on Earth and had only known a life with powers. Kara was truly, irrevocably, alone in this but it was fine. It was her burden. She had reconciled with this fact a long time ago.
Kal, on the other hand, always said that he felt out of society. An outcast. An alien. He grew up in America and developed his powers all along his teenage years so he kind of knew what it felt like to be powerless and then to be overwhelmed with powers. He did not know how it felt to be a real Kryptonian without power. He knew what it felt to be raised as a human, only to transform into an alien gradually. It was not entirely the same. Kara desperately wanted to be a Kryptonian again. Without power, without the double identity and the double culture. Kal wanted to be a human, without the burden of an unknown society he could not even recall. Kara could admit their curses were similar. They were both stuck between two worlds, never really fitting anywhere.
"How does it feel?" Kara asked in the air.
Kal was several feet away, floating above the city, observing the world under them. They had decided to answer to a mission together. It was an urgent one. An electrical fire had erupted in a school but the firefighters and the policemen weren't equipped to go inside and rescue the children. Kal had insisted, even if he knew that Kara didn't answer to these calls anymore. They were the only ones capable to walk in there and not be injured by the electrical jolts. Kara recognized that they made a good team. In less than five minutes, the children had been rescued and the fire had been extinguished. The firefighters had not even questioned their presence, too thankful for their help.
"Like I'm rediscovering my body." Kal answered without looking at her.
Kara could understand. He was living in Argo now. Not having powers was his natural setting, his normalcy. Kara envied him sometimes. She wished that she could give up her family and friends here, give up on her responsibilities – what was left of them – and join her parents on Argo. Create a new, normal life there. Bond with old friends. Work with the Science Guild like she wanted to do as a child. But she cherished her life on Earth too much for that. Her parents were almost unknown to her, compared to the Danvers. She liked her job, and she liked Earth's culture, and she liked that she was kind of useful here. She could not be sure of the same on Argo.
"What about you?" Kal asked, floating closer to her. "How does it feel to be a mother?"
She met his eyes. He was sporting a small smirk, a teasing one. She had expected his questions. It was inevitable. She knew about his history with the Luthors, of course, and she knew about his reluctance towards Lena and their friendship but his opinion had never been important to her. She had anticipated his judgement, though. Having a child, outside of marriage or any relationship, with a Luthor, could raise suspicion.
Kara shrugged dismissively. "As fun as it sounds." She chuckled a bit. "She's stubborn and incredible. I love her already."
Kal chuckled too and nodded enthusiastically. "Alura told me that she already had powers."
"Yes! You know Lena can use magic, right?" Kal hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, she's a mix of both. She developed Kryptonian powers only two months ago."
"That's early. At her age, I was strong and fast, but that was all. I couldn't fly until I was twenty."
Kara snorted, shaking her head at how ridiculous it sounded. The Man of Steel, the Big Blue, the Man of Tomorrow, forbidden to fly until he was of age.
"She didn't have this luck. All of them came out on her sixth birthday."
Kal winced loudly. "That's harsh."
Kara nodded with a serious expression. She actually knew how it felt because she had lived the same thing. It made her realize that Kal was the lucky one. He had time to adapt, to grow around his powers, to find his limits. She did not have that luxury and neither had Liz.
"It's overwhelming to her. That's why Lena came back."
Kara started to fly higher, slow enough for Kal to follow her. They had to go back to the satellite. They were all waiting for them and Kara was sure Lena was probably pacing – rolling – the whole satellite waiting for her to come back so they could use the memory player.
"I don't think that's the only reason."
Kara groaned. And here we go again. She turned around quickly, flying backward. "I don't think either. But she doesn't want to listen to me so I don't have anything more to talk about."
Kal laughed easily. "You're saying that as if you can't make her listen to you. You're the strongest woman on the planet. Use it." He then quickened his pace and flew past her.
Kara looked at him horrified and followed him quickly to stop him by the arm. They were now in the middle of the stratosphere, the satellite just a few miles away. "Are you suggesting I should manhandle her? Is it how you did it with Lois?"
Kal laughed louder. "Of course not! Can you see anyone manhandling Lois?" He laughed some more. It was hilarious apparently but Kara couldn't see it. "No. No. I mean you should use your arms the old way. It usually impresses everybody."
"Lena is not like everybody." Kara was fast to counter, not really considering what he had just said. It only served to amuse Kal even more.
"No, of course not. She's a Luthor." His laugh died down and his face became serious. "I'm sure you know she went through a lot. I'm not innocent in that either. I was there and I did nothing. So, I'm not surprised she has a hard time trusting people. Especially the ones in our family." He cleared his throat. "I made a huge mistake with Lex. He was my best friend and he just wanted me to prove him wrong, to show him he could trust me. Instead, I lied to him, I pushed him away. And then I didn't fight enough for him."
Kara was already opening her mouth to answer to that but Kal interrupted her with a risen hand.
"I know they're not the same but Lex was very sensitive too when he was younger. His father wasn't kind to him." He grimaced at the euphemism. Kara knew Lionel had been violent with Lex. Lena had told her so, always reassuring that he had never left a finger on her though.
"He had trust issues too." Kal looked around, putting his hands on his hips. He seemed to search for his next words, observing the stars and the numerous satellites as if they were holding the answers. His face was a mix of shame and anger.
Kara waited patiently, processing what he had just said. His friendship with Lex had never been a thing they could talk about. Kara always thought it was because Kal was too angry and felt guilty for the lives that were lost in the process. Now, she was slowly realizing that Kal's guilt was not only for the people Lex had hurt. He felt guilty and ashamed for not having been able to help his friend. He was mourning this friendship. That was why it was so hard for him to talk about it.
"I think, what I mean to say, is, you should fight for her." Kal said with renew passion. "I know she's not only your friend, like Lex was mine. She's more than that and now there is your daughter in this." He paused, looking Kara in the eyes. Kara felt strangely emotional, like this moment held more importance than it seemed. "You should fight for her." He repeated with conviction. "She'll push you away because that's what they've learned in this wacky family but Lena's worth it. She deserves to be happy, after everything, and I know you can give it to her."
Kara gasped. Not because she was surprised that Kal was giving her his approval but because she was starting to believe it too. Lena had had several relationships, friends and boyfriends altogether. She had always been betrayed or mistreated. She had seemed good with James, comfortable and listened to. But Kara knew now that James had never believed in her enough. He had never seen how strong Lena could love, never understood her motives. Kara understood why Lena was like that. Why she was distant and how she could take drastic actions to protect the people she loved. Her trust was not something she gave to anybody. It was something to cherish. To deserve. And now that Kal had said all the things Kara had secretly thought but never pronounced, she was starting to believe that he was right. They were meant to be. Nobody could love Lena like she wanted to.
"Are you ready to go back?" Kal asked, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. He seemed to understand her turmoil and did not push her to talk about it. She nodded, her eyes inhabited by all the memories of her discussions with Lena the past few days. She would fight for her. They both deserved it.
"So, how was it? Meeting the in-laws?" Alex said innocently, a smirk so huge on her face that Lena could not resent her for it. If the roles were reversed, she would tease her too.
"Alex." Kelly warned with a single finger. It made Nia chuckle behind her computer.
"What? Okay…" The redhead huffed and sighed like a petulant child. She went back to solder two connectors together on her new weapon, her plastic protective glasses brightening in shades of blue and orange.
They were in the lab in the satellite, waiting for Kara and Clark to come back. Alura and Zor-El had been accompanied to Alex's house to meet Eliza for brunch while Lena and Kara would go to the Fortress to use the memory player. It was without considering Clark's need to rescue a whole school of children in danger. Lena was not upset about it. She was not horrible to this point. Children needed to be saved and it was a mission for Superman and Supergirl. She suspected that it was Clark's way to discuss with Kara alone anyway. She just wished he would have waited for them to return from the Fortress to do that. She was eager to use the memory player and find out what it held.
She was thankful for the reprieve, though. She could finally talk to Kelly without Kara observing her every move. She looked around the room. Liz was playing with Ambrose and Snowflake, who had appeared out of thin air in the satellite. They had not seen the cat since the Purifiers' intrusion into Lena's apartment. Lena did not know the cat could travel through space but, apparently, she did not know everything about familiars. Since the kids were occupied, Lena took the opportunity and approached Kelly tentatively, careful not to hit the chair she was sitting on with her wheel.
"Kelly, about yesterday…"
Lena wished that she had prepared a speech. She didn't know how to apologize for her breakdown the day before. She felt ashamed and as if she had discharged all her problems on Kelly, using her kindness for her own profit. Sensing her discomfort, her friend looked at her curiously before realization crossed her face. Kelly turned on her stool and leaned forward.
"Don't worry, it's fine. You have nothing to explain." She smiled easily, her hands cupping Lena's face gently before leaning away. "How do you feel about testing the memory player?" She said while resuming typing on the computer, the matter already forgotten. Lena stayed speechless for a moment. Kelly was typing a report about her last mission, under Victor's command. The man was so procedural, it reminded Lena of one of her mentors at MIT.
Shaking herself, Lena shrugged. "Nervous. Excited. Both." She cleared her throat. "It's hard to say. I hope it has the answers I've been waiting for."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Nia asked in a soft tone. The brunette was always teasing and humoring her entourage but she could be sweet and understanding when she had to. Lena liked her for that. Her fresh view on the world. The years had not helped tampering her natural enthusiasm. Lena recognized some of it in Ambrose. The boy seemed full of joy and so ready to explore the world.
"I think we need to do it alone. We don't know what we'll find on the gem."
Nia nodded, accepting the explanation as it was. "You're right. Maybe we'll wait for you to come back at Alex's. Prepare a barbecue for tonight. And the scotch if the news isn't good."
"Nice to warn us, Nia. Glad you like our house." Alex quipped from across the room.
"I only like it for Kelly and Esme. Don't feel so full of yourself." Nia shot back.
Kelly and Lena chuckled earnestly. Their banter was always refreshing. Nia was the youngest while Alex was one of the oldest of the group, and was especially her mentor, the person who trained her to become Dreamer. It was always funny to see their relationship unfold.
"Nia's right. We could use a party. Kara's parents are here, and Eliza too. The group is almost reunited." Kelly said enthusiastically.
"Almost?" Lena asked while tilted her head.
Kelly looked at her and bit at her bottom lip, turning to share a look with her wife. Alex nodded lightly then pulled down her soldering iron and her glasses. She stood up from her stool to approach them.
"Since you've been gone, we haven't seen Sam or Andrea. They were always finding excuses. And then Kara pushed us away so the whole group kind of exploded, everyone going their separate ways. All four of us," She motioned between herself, Kelly and Nia, talking implicitly about Brainy. "Kept in touch with J'onn. James often visited. Winn stayed in the future. We don't talk about Mon-El and Imra or Maggie and her new girlfriend. Barry and Iris are living their happily ever after on the cost and we were never really close to Oliver. That's all. We haven't done a huge party in a long time."
Lena didn't know what to say. Sorry? Let's throw a party? I'll let you crucify me for disappearing all this time? No, they couldn't fix it. She could not fill the gap that time had formed between them all. They could only move forward.
"I guess I still can give Sam and Andrea a call. Andrea's still in the city at least." She shrugged. "I know this is my fault. I made them promise not to say anything. I think it was easier for them to do it while they were away."
"I think it's time we all reunite." Kelly agreed, smiling reassuringly. She would never blame Lena nor let her indulge in her self-flagellation. And thanks to her, the whole group had the habit to do the same.
"Yes!" Nia pumped her fists in the air excitedly. "I'll bring the snacks and tell Brainy to go buy some meat."
Alex and Kelly shared a knowing look. Kelly shrugged with a small loving smile on her face and placed a hand on her wife's back, a common gesture of affection between the two. Lena looked at them, all humble in their love and tenderness for each other. They really were a goal to achieve. Lena was not jealous of them, because it would have been hypocritical and ill. She knew that she could not wish for the same thing to happen to her when she was only pushing it away. Pushing Kara away. Without truly knowing why anymore. Arrogance, of thinking she was strong enough to live without that. Rancor, to all the people she had given her heart, only for it to be stamped on. Fright, mostly, of being proven right this time too. Fear of Kara renting the place in her heart, making her trust her again, only to hurt her so much she would be unusable, impossible to trust and to be trusted. Just like she had been when she had learned Kara was Supergirl. A true, unloved, villain.
Kara and Clark walked through the electronic door and with them, a deep scent of soot mixed with the smell of old paint and burnt wood. Seeing Kara walked in made Lena's invasive thoughts to vanish. Clark seemed thrilled, ecstatic to have rescued so many children and people. It had been a long time since Superman had not been seen in the skies. However, Kara looked pensive. She was not smiling and did not even reply to Alex when her sister suggested she should take a shower. The blonde just nodded absently, then said she was about to do just that before they could go to the Fortress, without once looking at Lena. It was disturbing. Lena wasn't used of being ignored by the blonde. Especially the last two days, with her injuries and constant need for help to do daily basis things like take a shower.
Lena was left wondering what was wrong. Clark talked with Kelly, Nia and Alex about the last news from Argo. Lois loved her new job as a teacher in the small school they had just built. Jon was growing well. He had just learned how to read and was bothering his parents reading everything he could around him. Lena realized then that Liz and Jon were approximately the same age. Liz may have been a year younger. Several months younger for sure. Hearing Clark talk about his son made Lena realize that her daughter may have missed more than she had anticipated. She could have grown next to her biological cousin, almost like two siblings. They could have formed a bond. But she had deprived Liz of that opportunity.
Clark cleared his throat in front of her. She startled. She had not seen him walk to her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said sheepishly. "Hum… I was wondering if I could…" He motioned messily towards the kids. Lena looked at them then back to Clark then back to the kids. Understanding crossed her face.
"Oh, you want to… Yes, go ahead." She motioned towards the kids the same way. "She's shy though."
Clark acknowledged the information with a nod of the head but it did not stop him from crouching down next to Liz and start speaking to her. From afar, Lena could only decipher her daughter's expression. Liz shot her an alarmed look at first, as if to make sure Lena was aware of what was happening. She could only smile reassuringly in response. Liz still had so many people to meet. Maybe with time, she would get accustomed to it and discover the world was not as scary as she thought it was.
Clark and Liz seemed deep in conversation when Kara walked back in, freshly showered, her hair damp and loose on her shoulders, her suit exchanged for a blue shirt and beige slacks. Lena saw immediately her eyes fall on their daughter. Kara had developed this habit of checking for Liz and Lena when she was entering the room, as if to make sure they were still there. The blonde's gaze then searched for hers, questions evident in her bright blue eyes. Lena just shrugged. What could she say? Clark wanted to know their daughter and she trusted him enough to be close to Liz. Kara walked to her.
"She seems to like him." She whispered to Lena, who looked at her confused. Clark Kent was easy to like, there was not any surprise to that.
"Did you think they wouldn't get along?" She asked curiously.
"No! Not like that. It's just…" Kare sighed heavily. "I'm still getting used to it. My worlds colliding. It feels good." She smiled shyly.
Lena softened, seeing the kind affection in Kara's eyes. "It definitely feels good." She agreed.
Kara seemed to remember why they were there. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, just let me change quickly in the locker room."
"Alright. I'll meet you there with Alex so she can open and close the gates for us."
Lena nodded and rolled around towards the locker room. Her heart was beating fast. It was really a good feeling to see everybody reunited. It was a better feeling to know that she was about to have the answers she had waited for for so long now.
Lena readjusted her suit and helmet before motioning with her arms that she was ready. They had agreed that she should wear one of Kara's Kryptosuit to protect her from the pressure in space while they traveled down back to Earth. It was also to fight the cold in the Fortress, since it was the warmest piece of clothes in their possession at the moment. Lena hadn't thought necessary to take a duffel coat in her luggage, for obvious reasons.
Kara shook her head. "You're not walking." That was not a question. More like an obligation. Lena looked at her blue booted feet. She had to admit she felt powerful in this.
"Yes, I am. The Fortress isn't designed for wheelchairs."
Kara rubbed at her neck. "Right." She looked thoughtful for a minute. "Can't you use crutches at least?"
"I don't think it'll be better." Lena looked at Alex for her opinion. The redhead shrugged with a devilish smirk on her lips.
"Kara could carry you."
Lena's glare was as heated as a heat vision shot. Kara chuckled but agreed. "I mean, if it's the only solution, I'm not opposed to that."
The charming smile on her face shouldn't have had that effect on Lena's heart but it did and Lena was sure Kare knew what she was doing. She rolled her eyes for effect but stepped slowly towards the blonde anyway.
"Of course, you're not, you sneaky superhero." She said while circling her arms around Kara's neck. The blonde grinned and squeezed her tighter against her before pushing on her heels to float. She winked at Alex before shooting off towards the exit, Alex closing the gate behind them.
Space was everything Lena had dreamed about. Wonderful. Magical. They had crossed the stars quickly at first, but then, Kara had slowed down, realizing it was Lena's first trip through space without any sort of ship to prevent her from admiring the view.
"It's so quiet here." She had whispered, enchanted. Kara had stopped right next to the satellite Calypso, which had been launched into orbit by the Lena Luthor Foundation just the year before.
Lena remembered seeing the launch on the news. How upset she had been not to be able to be there with her team. How frustrated it had been to see the work done from afar. The satellite had a specific goal. It was sending signals in different alien languages to warn other species of the presence of lost children on Earth. It was a long shot, Lena knew it, but she was proud of her foundation. Of the good it could bring to those children who had lost everything. If there was a small hope for them to find their family back, it was worth it.
"I want to show you something." Kara had told her before rounding the satellite and quickening towards the Moon.
It hadn't been their normal route. They were supposed to go on Earth and they were doing the contrary of that. But seeing the Moon this close was worth a thousand detour. The pressure had made Lena's ears pop but she couldn't care less. The craters on the Moon's ground were so apparent that Lena had thought she could touch them just by reaching out. And then, Kara had turned them towards the Earth and Lena had gasped. The blue and the green were so vivid. Their planet was gorgeous. Clouds were obstructing the view but Lena had recognized the shape of Africa.
"This is…" Lena had not been able to finish her sentence.
"I know." Kara had whispered back.
She had let her admire the view for more minutes before she had led them back towards Earth's South Pole. Suddenly, Lena had been thankful for her suit. The temperatures were much lower there. Now that they were approaching the Fortress' entrance, Lena realized she had never entered by the normal entrance yet. She had always used a portal watch. As Kara's feet tapped down on the ice, Lena grabbed at her tighter in an impulse.
"Sorry, I thought I was falling." She apologized sheepishly as she pushed a button on the suit to retract the helmet. The cold immediately hit her skin.
"No problem." The blonde grinned back.
She kept her arm around Lena, keeping her feet just an inch above the ground, as she pushed the crystal key in the lock. Huge blocks of ice started to move in impressive noises and, seconds later, a path was formed. Kara floated through the different corridors. The Fortress was complex, with its different alcoves and paths. Lena knew that there was a cavity somewhere filled by extinct alien species that Clark had collected throughout the years but she couldn't say she knew where exactly. The Fortress was too vast, it was too easy to be lost.
When they reached the center panel, Kara eased her down on her feet cautiously. "Are you good? Do you need a chair?" She asked eagerly.
"No, I'm fine. Those boots are really comfortable, actually." Lena said as she showed her shoe.
Kara snorted and shrugged. "It's your design." She said as if it was explanation enough.
Kelex greeted them and Kara made sure it would not be hostile towards Lena. She pushed several buttons on the center panel, entered codes in Kryptonese. She was still in a blue shirt and slacks, an outfit that would fit for a tourist in any cost city but they were in the South Pole where the temperatures were so low that Kara's breath was forming smoke in front of her mouth. She didn't have goosebumps on her arms nor red marks from the cold on her cheeks. It was a disturbing sight. Kara's biology was an enigma Lena had always wanted to learn more about but was too considering for asking. Now was not the time either.
Kara pushed away from the panel and shot a strange look at Lena. She then pulled the memory player out of her pocket and plugged it in the panel. The screen in front of them morphed into a warning pop-up.
HOUSE OF EL DNA REQUIRED
Kara gave a quick guilty look at Lena then turned around. She went to a corner of the room and opened a small chest kept on a shelf made of ice. The bright green glow that reverberated on Kara's face could not be mistaken. She came back with it in her hands.
"It's the only way to have my blood." She explained. Lena already knew that but she had not anticipated that Kara had to hurt herself to make this happen. She didn't have the time to question the gesture much though. Kara was already gliding the stone against her palm, cutting the skin like butter. She winced and Lena went immediately to her to cup her hand and observe the wound. Kara smiled to reassure her and put her hand above the memory player, letting drops of blood fall on the thin glass panel that Lena had thought was a projector. The screen morphed again in a green and white pop-up.
ACCESS AUTHORIZED
Kara sighed. "This is it."
Lena took a step towards her and cupped the hand that was holding the device. "I didn't thank you for all you've done for me and Liz since I came back. So…"
Kara shook her head vehemently, interrupting her. "You don't have to. Liz is my daughter and you are…" She sighed again and met Lena's eyes. The earnest love there was astonishing. Lena gave her a small smile and rose her other hand to grab at the Platinum Kryptonite gem around Kara's neck. With a shared, knowing look, Kara let her lift it above her head and remove it. She took Lena's hand before she could go too far and intertwine their fingers, the gem in her other hand. She prepared it in front of the slot in the memory player but hesitated.
Lena looked down at their joined hands and frowned. "Are you sweating?" She asked in disbelief. They were surrounded by ice. The room was freezing and uncomfortable. It could not be the heat.
Kara's eyes snapped to her guiltily. "I get nervous too, you know. Nothing weird." She moved her hand to take it back but Lena grabbed at it tightly.
"Okay. I can deal with that. You're nervous. I'm nervous. It gets a bit less terrifying then."
"Why?" Kara frowned.
"Because I'm not alone in this."
Kara softened and the side of her lips curved into a side smile. "No, you're not."
"El mayarah?"
"El mayarah."
Lena nodded determinedly and, together, they pushed the stone in the memory player. On the screen, several pop-ups appeared.
KARA ZOR-EL'S DNA REQUIRED
KARA ZOR-EL'S DNA DETECTED
ACCESS AUTHORIZED
After that, a list of entries appeared, all marked with dates and hours, in descending order. Some were dated in the future. Dated in the year 2039. Kara rose a hesitant, shaking hand. Her fingers hovered just above the first entry, the earliest one dated only a few months before Lena had woken up in the bunker. She searched Lena's gaze for approbation. After some hesitation, Lena swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, squeezing Kara's fingers in her own to find courage.
On the screen, a woman appeared. Her jet-black hair, sharp jaw and white scrub were filling the whole screen before she pulled away, leaning on her desk chair with her hands joined under her chin. Lena heard Kara gasp next to her without really registering what was happening. On the screen, right before their eyes, was herself with a dark expression on her slightly older face, her mind focused on the statistics she was stating while, in the corner of the screen, another Lena was lying unconscious on the same makeshift bed that Lena had woken up on seven years ago.
"No villain is a bigger villain than a good guy whose threshold has been crossed." - Unknown
LUTHOR
"Do you know the oldest lie in America, Senator? It's that power can be innocent." Lex Luthor – Batman vs Superman
DAY -2891 - EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2020 – December 23rd / EARTH 66 - YEAR 2038 – December 22nd
Lena dragged herself under a mound of debris that provided suitable shelter. The Other spewed his hellfire once again from behind her but all Lena could hear were humming noises. The fire was ravaging everything. The surrounding air felt like a mixture of dust, blood and fear. Cars had exploded under repeated attacks from the Other, causing damages all along the street, until the explosion of a diesel tank near the CatCo building made a hole on one of the first stories. Everything had collapsed after that. People had run away. Screaming. For the ones who had managed to escape. It was supposed to be cold in this late night of December but Lena felt hot and clammy. She had been thrown away against a burning car and had lost consciousness. Kara remained nowhere to be found, probably buried under the third building in a row that had collapsed.
The battle had been on for hours already and she had no idea where her friends were at. She raised a haphazard hand to her head. Her hands shook compulsively, terrified as she was to have seen her daughter and her wife being reduced to simple dolls that the Other had sent flying here and there. Lena closed her eyes, tried to push away those memories. She had to find them. Liz had fought bravely. She should not be that far. Lena nursed her leg with difficulty. Her hand came back red and slimy. She was bleeding.
Coughing heavily, her ears turned back on and the surrounding sounds came back to her. It was strangely calm. Dangerously so. She peeked above the concrete block she was using as a shelter and noticed the Other searching the debris on its left. Its back was to Lena. Across the street, she could see Liz's unconscious form on the ground, her suit burnt at several places on her body, revealing dark green veins and burns so deep it was possible to see bones. Lena swallowed the lump of worry and agony formed in her throat. Now was not the time to give up. She had to go to her. It was her only chance. If the Other saw her crossing, she would end up carbonizing before she could save her daughter. Liz was just a few steps away.
Gathering courage, Lena leaned on her good leg and prepared herself to run. She just had one chance. She would be dead the second the Other would see her. Peeking one last time, she saw the Other had not moved. She darted forward without delay and crossed the distance between Liz and her as quickly and silently as she could. She stumbled several times and barely caught herself just before reaching Liz. The little girl was in a bad state. The House El mark had been ripped from her chest. Fragments of green Kryptonite had replaced it. They were embedded so deeply that Lena would never have been able to remove them without doing more damage. She gathered her daughter in her arms, a whimper escaping her lips. Her poor little baby. The girl was only eight. She was not supposed to be engaged in battles. All of this had been so unfair.
The prophecy had fallen upon them without them being prepared for it. The Other had turned up in National City, ravaging everything in its path, announcing its name, calling on the Unique to fight against it to restore balance. At first, they had no idea what it was. Kara had tried to fight it, without success. She had only managed to get a one-way ticket to the satellite's medical wing. Then Liz had woken up the next day to visions and sentences spoken in Gaelic in her dreams. She had admitted that it wasn't the first time. The rest had been obvious. Their daughter had been chosen. But she was so young and untrained. Not ready to face a being who closely resembled a teenager with superhuman abilities. Breathing fire. Who had gathered a small army of beings like him around his values. No, Liz, at eight years old, had been too young to fight and save the world. That was why Lena was sobbing, hugging her tightly, her little body limp in her arms. Lena didn't feel any energy coming from her daughter. Nothing. It wasn't normal. But she couldn't bring herself to take her pulse. It was impossible. Unimaginable. She was terrified of what she would find.
Behind her, someone shouted an insult. It was probably Alex but Lena was too focused on her daughter to look in the direction of the sound. Then a blast of electric energy shot past her and to the middle of the Other's back. The boy – creature – turned around angrily, his teeth gritted to the extreme, his mouth already pulsing with the bright orange that usually announced a catastrophe.
"No!" Lena shouted but it was too late. Alex only had the time to scream, "Run!" before she was engulfed in fire.
Lena hid her face in Liz's chest, disgusted by the image of her sister-in-law dying in front of her eyes. "No, no, no, no." She kept repeating, praying for the whole situation to be a bad dream. She needed to wake up. By miracle, - really anything else, Lena did not care - Liz coughed in her arms, her eyes flickering open.
"Mom." She rasped out and coughed once again. Lena saw the Other advance towards them and knew already that they were done.
"Don't speak. It's okay. I'm here." Lena tried to reassure through a fresh round of tears. Liz looked tired and struggled to keep her eyes open.
"I love you." She said with difficulty. Lena saw the Other approach from aside but did not care. All her focus was on Liz.
"I'm almost gone." Liz said with sorry eyes. Lena exhaled a whimper, tears rolling down her cheeks. She could feel it too. She kissed her daughter on the forehead.
"It's okay. You were so brave, my love. I'm so proud of you."
Liz's lips spread into a small sad smile. Her eyes trailed on the side, towards the Other, then back to Lena. "You have to go." She croaked out.
Lena only shook her head violently. She won't leave Liz alone. Not like this. Not when it was her last moments.
"Mom, please!" Liz gritted out, taken by a new coughing fit. Lena was still shaking her head frantically.
"No way! I'm not leaving you!"
Liz sighed as much as she could then turned back towards the Other and rose a hand tentatively. The Other was just a few steps away, now. His fire could almost reach them.
"You leave me no choice." Liz said and Lena only had the time to scream before a huge blast of purple energy shot out of Liz's hand towards the Other. Lena had never seen this before. It was as if Liz had gathered all her lasting strength to protect her. The Other was thrown high away against a building by the blast and fell heavily on the ground, unconscious. Lena was sure he was not dead.
She looked down to Liz. The girl had her eyes closed, her mouth slightly ajar. Lena shook her without delicacy.
"Liz! Liz!"
But Liz was gone and, deep down, Lena already knew it. She kept shaking her, wanting so badly for Liz to open her eyes and scream, Got you! like she used to do so often. But she never did.
"No!" Lena screamed to the sky, her scream scratchy and heartbreaking. She touched her daughter's cheek, rubbed at it to wash it from dust and blood. Dark green blood vessels were now light green. The life was quitting her. Lena looked around her. It couldn't be. No. It was just a bad dream.
"Kara!" She screamed, calling her for help. "Kara, please!"
But Kara never came. She had probably succumbed to the same fate. Lena swallowed thickly. She threw a dark glare to the Other still lying on the ground. It was not over. She promised it to herself. She promised it over the bodies of her daughter and her entire family, even if revenge had to be her only motive.
"You see, in life, the road to darkness is a journey, not a light switch." Lex Luthor – Smallville
DAY -2742 – EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2021 - February 14th, 2021 / EARTH 66 – YEAR 2029 – February 16th
Two months ago, she had lost everything. But it was not irreversible. For her, it was, but not for every Lena Luthor across the Universe. Because now that she knew everything about the Other, she could warn all the Lena and Kara from other dimensions and make them realize they needed Liz sooner. But for that, she had to find the right universe. The right dimension in which all the conditions were reunited.
She found it on a winter night, two days after Valentine's Day. Actually, there were three dimensions where a Lena Luthor and a Kara Danvers were on Earth and in love and surrounded by Alex Danvers and all their friends. More importantly, those dimensions had known the colonization attempt by General Zod and so still had the ship he had come in to. In one of them, on Earth 64, Kara and Lena already had Liz, and two other children. It only left two dimensions. Two Earth on which Lena still could have an impact and prevent her other selves to experience mourning and annihilation.
So, she decided to build a portal. It was one thing to find the energy signature of herself and Kara over the Universes, it was another thing to travel to them. It took her two weeks – and it was still too long in her mind – to make the portal work. She had thrown an apple through ait nd found its signature back. Then sent a small white mouse but its body did not support the pressure while going through the portal so she had to make adjustment. Now, she was sure. Two mouses had gone through without a problem. It was her turn to travel through it and see if the dimension she landed in was the targeted one.
Inhaling deeply, Lena secured her backpack on her shoulders and did not even look behind before taking the few steps and walking through the portal. The trip was instantaneous. In a matter of seconds, she was on the other side. She looked at her watch. It was the date and hour she had anticipated. She ruffled through her backpack and pulled out her tablet. The algorithm showed the same signature as hers two oceans away. The signature of Zod's ship was three miles away, lost in a furnished jungle. She had done it. She was on Earth Prime. Now, it was time to work.
"Beauty may be dangerous but intelligence is deadly." Lena Luthor – Supergirl
DAY -2618 - EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2021 - June 20th
The first newborns had been a failure. There were physically abnormal or their brain cells did not form like they should have had. Then some came out perfectly healthy but it only lasted until the third months of pregnancy. When Lena would enter the genre genes, the Matrix would not agree with her algorithm and would cancel the pregnancy, emptying the chamber, making the fetus drowning into thin air. It was horrible to watch them die in agony. Lena tried to see them as experiments and not as human beings but she was a mother. No, she had been a mother. It did not matter. They were too young to know what was happening to them anyway. She needed results and the only way to do it was to go through these steps. Just like the first time she had tested the Harun El. The losses were necessary. Collateral damages.
And then she found it. It took her several attempts, but the moment she discovered it would work better if all the genes were in the fetus from the very beginning, she got results. The baby was in perfect shape and health. It grew perfectly into the curves, checked all the conditions. She could see the resemblance with the old ultrasound she kept on her desk. The baby looked like Liz. She was starting to take it too personally. It was personal, of course. She would not be doing this if she had not lost her family in the first place. But to succeed, she needed to keep her distances.
She made several other attempts. To make sure. Each time, she stopped the pregnancies just in the middle of the third trimester, when the fetus only had their lungs to form. It was heartbreaking, but she kept repeating to herself that it was necessary. It was worth it. She would save so many lives in compensation. She swore to do it. But to succeed, she had no choice. So, she asked the Matrix to empty the chamber on the seventh month. In the process, she had managed to convince herself that if they didn't breathe natural air, they couldn't be aware of what they were missing. It was a small consolation. The last condition to verify was to make sure it would work in a human.
According to her calculations, the baby had to be born around the summer solstice to fulfill the prophecy or else, the Unique would be another being in this universe and not Kara and Lena's daughter. She did not want that either. It could change the space-time continuum too much and have consequences even on her own dimension. So, it had to be a girl who was born on the end of June. And the pregnancy had to start in September, this year, to be on time with the prophecy. Lena did not want to make the same mistake twice. This time, when the Other would come in this world, Liz would be old enough to fight it.
"Unlike my brother, I'm going to do it for the good of the world." - Lena Luthor - Supergirl
DAY -2526 – EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2021 - August 18th
Her plan was perfect. It was the day. She had to enter Lena's house unnoticed, knock her out before she had time to protest, erase all the traces and go out. Simple. Straight forward. In and out.
But nothing went to plan.
The other Lena heard her enter. Or she felt her because they had the same magical energy. They fought. Hard. She thanked her anticipation for having cast a soundproofing spell around the apartment or the other Kara would have come too and she was not ready to face her wife's other self yet. A straight elbow in the nose sent the other Lena on the bed, her hands covering her bloody face. She cursed a lot and threw venomous glares to her but said nothing.
"I need you to follow me." She said evenly.
The other Lena nodded, only to protest when she tried to put a cloth soaked in ethanol on her face. They fought some more, devastating the bedroom, ripping the sheets. There was blood all over the white mattress, the cushions and the parqueted floor. After minutes of pointless punching and kicking, she won. This Lena was not as trained as her. She blocked Lena against her chest, her nails scrapping at her arms as she accompanied her to the floor, the cloth on her mouth and nose. In seconds, Lena was unconscious.
Now, she had to erase the whole room to avoid suspicion. No trace, no body, no crime. Rule number one. If there was nothing to find, there was nothing to search for. She sat Lena on the floor in a corner, her head rolling sideways. She had to make it quick. A charm would be enough. She rubbed her hands together then pronounced the Latin incantation. The bed disappeared, then the carpet under it, then the chest at the end of the bed, and finally the drawers. Everything directly sent to the Fifth dimension.
She cast a cleaning charm to erase the blood. The floor was pristine. She turned back to Lena and crouched down in front of her. She would have to erase her memory later but for now, it was enough. She took her back on her shoulder, balancing her cautiously, groaning under the weight. It was worth it, she repeated in herself. She looked back around the room to see if she had missed anything. All clear. Empty. Perfect.
Now, heading to the bunker. Phase 3, complete.
"Finally, I realized that some people are just bad. But you can learn to protect yourself." – Lena Luthor - Supergirl
DAY -2473 – EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2021 - November 20th
"Subject is accommodating well to the pregnancy. Her constants are stable. The induced coma doesn't seem to have an incidence on her brain for now. I'm confident. The fetus is growing as it should. Statistics show the gender will shown in thirty-six days. For now, its limbs are formed and the heart is beating healthily. Stop."
"End of recording." H.O.P.E.'s robotic voice resonated in the bunker.
Lena rubbed at her face. She had not slept in… She did not know how long. The procedure was going fine. The other Lena was adapting well to the life in a coma. She just hoped the shock would not be so bad when she would wake up and cause a miscarriage. But that was a problem for her older self. For now, eating, showering, sleeping a bit, then repeat.
She looked up to observe the only photo on her desk. Her drive, the force that she needed to do all this. She owned it to them. Her family, her lost ones. Alex and Kelly and Brainy and Nia. Kara and Liz. Her family who died under the attacks of the Other. And most of the people of National City, leaving the city deserted, only inhabited by this abomination. She now knew how Kara had felt when she had had her depressed moments. When grief had taken the best part of her and squeezed it in its grip, forcing her to remember the hurt, the agony of seeing everyone die around her. She knew how it felt. To be the last one. To wonder why she had survived when everyone else had died. She would not let that repeat itself. The other Lena might think she was crazy to do all this but she would understand at the end. She would thank her. She preferred to be seen as a lunatic than to let this happen to other people. And they could put it on her last name, she didn't care. Only a Luthor would have the guts to do this, anyway.
"I hope you know I do it for you." She whispered in the air, her eyes close, her mind trying to reminisce the last details of Kara's face that she could remember. It was fading with time and she hated it. She exhaled shakily. It was worth it, she repeated to herself as a lone tear slid on her pale hollow cheek. It was worth it. Lena won't suffer like I do.
"So, I'm a Luthor, after all." Lena Luthor – Supergirl
DAY SEVEN
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." – Albert Einstein
"There was never a genius without a tincture of madness." – Aristotle
It was like an out of body experiment. Lena was watching herself as she was watching her future-other-dimensional self talk about her own past self. And okay, she was intelligent but this shit was giving her a headache. Her stomach was flipping violently. A blank noise kept buzzing in her ears. She was going to be sick. Shooting out of the room, ignoring the pain in her feet, she went to the nearest cavity she could find and vomited the content of her breakfast. Spitting angrily, Lena wiped her lips with a tissue she had in her pocket and looked at her reflection in the crystal-like wall.
It was impossible. She couldn't be responsible for this. Why would she make herself suffer like that? Just thinking about it made her head spin. They had watched only three of the entry. They still had about to read. She would need time before accepting to go through it again. She would need time to understand everything. To make it have sense. She was crazy. Not her but her future self. Her other older self. She was totally batshit crazy. It was the only explanation Lena could find at the moment.
Steps echoed behind her. Lena already knew who it was but she did not want to look. She could not look at Kara, knowing she had done this to all of them.
"You missed her explanations."
Lena snorted and turned around. Kara was leaning on a stalagmite, her arms crossed. Her expression was serious, too serious.
"I'll pass. I'm sure it was really interesting and worth our time." Lena replied bitterly.
"It was. You were right. All along you've been right. Liz is in danger." Kara said, her voice stained with disbelief. She extended a bottle of water, which Lena took graciously, rinsing her mouth profusely.
"You all are. Because I exist."
"What? No! Lena, it's not you."
"It is me!" Lena hammered, furious.
"No! She's another you. Another Lena who's been drowning in grief and sadness. She's just hurt and so alone. She lost everything."
Why Kara had to always see the good in people? It was infuriating. Couldn't she be furious like she was? Was it so hard to see people just as they were, evil and ill?
"And the only solution she found was to kidnap me and put a baby in me. Her daughter."
Kara looked hurt. "Liz is our Liz, not hers. You know that."
Lena huffed and brushed a shaky hand in her hair. "I don't think I know anything anymore."
"Yes, you do." Kara determinedly walked to her and took her hand. "Come on. You know me and you know Liz. And you know you're a wonderful mom and a very good friend. And a very smart slash baddass scientist who's done incredible things for society."
A small impulsive smile grew on Lena's face. Kara made it look so easy.
"What did you mean? About what she said?" Lena asked timidly.
Kara sighed and threw a hand around. "It's long to explain, you should watch the-"
Lena shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to watch that crazy woman explain things about our daughter."
Kara looked torn but resumed explaining what she had learned anyway. She must have sensed that it was better if she was the one delivering the news.
"Well, apparently, Liz is the Unique but we already knew that."
"No shit." Lena commented. Her cynicism tended to come out in this kind of situations. Kara grimaced but didn't comment on it.
"She talked about the prophecy saying Liz is going to fight the darkest force of all time and has to beat it."
"Uhuh." Lena crossed her arms, exasperated. "And did she tell when? Because at the moment Liz can't even walk through a shop during sales without freaking out and cutting the whole thing in two with her laser eyes!"
Kara opened wide eyes, seemingly impressed of Liz's out of control behavior. Lena had not told her everything. Liz was much more dangerous that it appeared. Kara seemed to shake out her surprise and advanced towards Lena with appeasing hands.
"Lena, I know this is huge to take in but I'm not-" She started in a soft voice. It fueled Lena's fire even more.
"Oh, don't tell me how to feel! I faced worse than that."
"I know. Or not." She rubbed at her neck. "I mean, I don't know what could beat that situation." Kara admitted in a wince.
"You're right. You betraying me comes only second to that hell."
Lena hid her face in her hands. Her emotions were starting to take over. Her hands were shaking. She tried to calm them by brushing them in her hair but the waves of mixed emotions were too strong to control now.
"What the hell!" She shouted as she started to pace furiously. Her voice echoed loudly against the white transparent walls of the Fortress. She moaned through a sob, her mouth clacking in a last attempt of controlling herself. She looked up to Kara with pleading eyes. "What did I do? What's wrong with me?"
Kara looked like she didn't know what to do at first. She had lost the habit of seeing Lena this vulnerable. Worse than vulnerable. Lena was losing it. Kara took a step tentatively and put a hand on her shoulder.
"You did nothing wrong."
"How can you say that?!" Lena shouted through her sobs. Her water filled eyes were imploring Kara to give her an explanation. One that she could live with. Because right now, she was sure she was incapable of looking at herself in a mirror.
"I know you. I know you always have the best intentions in heart."
Lena seemed to break down even more and Kara couldn't contain herself anymore. She wrapped Lena in her arms and squeezed as gently as she could.
"I mean you don't always have the best ways to do what you want but you always want to help."
Lena snorted angrily. "I violated my own body, how fucked up is that?"
Kara pushed her away to keep her at arm's length. "You know, the future You said Liz would have existed anyway. She just happened to be born too late in her time. That's why she came here to make it happen earlier. So, Liz could save the world and you wouldn't have to mourn all this loss."
Kara could almost hear the wheels in Lena's mind working the information. Analyzing them. Dissecting them. It was just a question of time before Lena realized what it meant for them.
"You mean, we decided to…"
Disbelief, consternation, admission. Kara watched her eyes, the way they travel on her face. Lena didn't mean to finish her sentence.
Kara smiled at her with a light blush on her cheeks. "We would've decided to have her in the future. Two years from now, to be specific."
Lena opened up wide eyes and cleared her throat. She pulled away from Kara and wiped at her cheeks.
"Wow. She was just eight." Was the only thing that escaped her mouth. She paced in front of Kara with her hands on her hips. She seemed overwhelmed and overthinking.
Kara's eyes kept tracking her steps. "Yeah. I don't know what's the most disturbing in all of this, honestly."
"Yes, that's…" Lena snorted again. The situation was just too much. "That's… new, I guess."
"It's not like we don't know about that anyway." Kara mumbled innocently.
Lena stopped her pacing. Her eyes snapped up to her as she arched an eyebrow, her face showing no expression. "About what?"
Kara threw her hands in the air. It was her turn to pace now. "Oh come on, Lena! Aren't you sick of beating around the bush?"
Lena scoffed and crossed her arms in a protective manner. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about." She said with all the fake closed-off demeanor she could gather.
Kara sighed through her nose in frustration. She paced once, twice hastily then stopped in front of Lena and pinched her nose.
"Listen, I don't want to be one more person on the list of the ones who forced you into something. You've been forced enough to do things you didn't want to. So, I won't be like that. But at the same time, I don't see another way to make you realize this could be good for you. I'm almost sure I don't imagine the way you look at me. The same way you've looked at me all these years. I'm…" She huffed, fidgeted on her feet. When she finally looked up, her eyes locked with Lena's and she was hooked, drowning in those deep blue pools. "I felt it when we kissed, Lena. I'm sure you feel it too." She took Lena's hands in hers. "You want that too. And I want to prove you that I won't hurt you, that I love you, but I can't do it if you keep pushing me away. This is so… I'm lost."
She chuckled bitterly. Lena had just the time to realize she just wanted Kara to shut it before the blonde resumed her rambling.
"I don't know what to do anymore!" Kara groaned, rising her arms in the air once again. "So, I'll wait for you to decide." She pointed at Lena. "You want me to kiss you? Fine, I'll do it. You want me to hug you? I'll hug you. But, please, please, think about it. Consider how we could be together. How happy we could be. We'd be a family, even if it's weird at first. I promise to do my best to make it work. I promise to cherish you the way you deserve to be." She stopped to look deeply in Lena's eyes, her honesty so clear in her blue ocean ones. Lena was sure she was about to be sick again if Kara didn't stop talking. The truth in her words was opening too many wounds for her to stop the haemorrhage. "I want you to consider it. Because you deserve it and it makes me sick every time I see you avoid something you think you're not worth of. So, please, Lena, I'm begging you." She pleaded, squeezing the cold hands in hers at every word. "Give us a chance. I love you. Let me love you."
The voice in her mind echoed those last words endlessly in a ghostly manner. It was a memory of Jack's voice saying the same four words to her some days ago. Trust her. Let her love you. A chill ran down her spine. It felt like Jack was next to her. She wanted to indulge in the nostalgic feeling of his presence next to her. To feel his warmth one last time. But she couldn't. He was gone. And he was right. She knew he was right. She just wanted Kara to stop talking. To stop making that irresistible pout. To stop telling the truth, because it hurt too much. Her eyes traveled all over Kara's face, her mouth gasping like a fish searching for air.
And then, something incredible happened. Kara was just about to talk again, probably confused by Lena's silence. But Lena's impulse was faster. She closed the gap between them for the second time and kissed her fervently. Kara was all for it, at first. Her tongue licking Lena's invasive one. Their teeth clacking against each other. It was all fireworks and waves crashing against cliffs and butterflies flying in her stomach. She had goosebumps on her arms but she didn't know if it was from the cold in the Fortress or from the desire that was growing inside of her for the woman against her.
Another incredible thing happened. Kara took her firmly by the shoulders and pushed her slightly away. She kept her close. Their eyes met, all wild and intoxicated, as if they didn't believe it themselves. Lena felt her heart beat fast in her ribcage. Her ears were buzzing. Her breaths were short. A deep, tangled knot had formed right in the middle of her chest. She had done it again. Use Kara to drown her sorrow. Shame. Anger. Failure. She tried to step back, to escape Kara's embrace, to escape those too understanding prying eyes. But the blonde knew better. She had to have seen Lena's fright in her eyes, to have sensed the turmoil growing in her body like a devastating storm forming around a tornado. Because Kara gripped at her shoulders tighter. She entered her space. And then, she enveloped her in her arms. So close it was impossible for Lena to escape. So tight that Lena could swear the pieces of her heart had glued back together.
"It's okay. I've got you." Kara whispered against her cheek. Her voice was caring and so, so, loving. She left a kiss there and squeezed even tighter. Lena was wrapped in her warmth, safe in her strong arms. Her shoulders sagged. Jack was gone but Kara was there. He was right. Sam and Andrea and Alex were right too. Kara, even, was right. It was all she had needed this whole time. Not someone to criticize every one of her choices. Not someone to promise to believe in her. Not someone to give her false demonstrations of love just to use her. Only someone to be there. And to stay.
After that, a final incredible thing happened. Lena broke down for the second time that day, expelling years of loneliness and tension in her former best friend's arms. Usually, when Lena cried, it was silent tears on a stoic face. Always dignified and humble. But not this time. This time, she broke down. And what a beautiful expression it was. We only broke down either into laughter or into sobs. Because there were emotions that justified us to break into pieces. This time, her sobs reverberated throughout her body with each memory that resurfaced. All the times she had wondered if she had made the right choice to hide from her friends only to protect her daughter. All the times she had looked at the stars in her garden in Newfoundland, wondering if Kara was looking at them too. All the times she had pushed through one of Liz's tantrums, repeating to herself how worth it it was to do it alone. All the memories, the game nights, the girls' nights, the weddings, the birthday parties, the pregnancy and birth she had missed. All of Liz's first times she had lived alone. All the times Dick and Sam had pleaded her to tell everybody where she was. All of these times she had thought about Kara, thought about how great the blonde would be as a mother if only she knew. All the missed touches and missed opportunities. All the times she had wished she had leaned a bit more into Kara, stayed a bit longer against her chest. All the craving for love and affection. From Lionel and Lillian and Lex. From Jack and James and Andrea. And Kara. All the craving for Kara's love that she had denied herself because she was too terrified to accept it.
When all of this was out, Lena's shoulders felt lighter. Gone were the guilt and the shame. She had been right. All along, they had been in danger. She had not done all this for nought. She had truly protected Liz. She had fulfilled her duty. Her reason to sacrifice seven years of her life was valid.
Gone were the inhibitions too. Why would she stay away from Kara when she was the only good thing that had happened to her? When she was the rope tying the broken pieces of her heart together. No, she had been stubborn enough. Kara had a right to be happy too and Lena was just realizing that they could find the key to happiness and peace in each other. She didn't want to face the aftermath of their discoveries alone, anyway. She was ready to accept that she couldn't do everything alone. She wasn't brave enough to do so anymore.
She pulled away from Kara's shoulder, where she had left a disgusting stain of spit and tears on the fabric, to cup her face with both hands. The blonde had tears rolling down her cheeks, rattled by Lena's outburst of emotions.
"I trust you." Lena told her through a broken smile. Kara giggled wetly and kissed her quickly and messily several times. They were laughing and crying like hysterics. They had just learned that their daughter was doomed, that they mostly were all doomed, and that a Lena from another dimension had played with their lives, but they were in love and that was more important than anything else at the moment. For their love could fight anything and they were just about to realize it.
They walked in the satellite hand in hand. Every cell of Kara's body was screaming at how confident Lena was feeling. Something had happened. Several things mostly, but one in particular that could be seen in Lena's allure. A shift. She wasn't afraid anymore. Confused and maybe still a bit horrified at what they had just discovered, but mostly relieved. Her heartbeat sounded calm, an even rhythm against her ribcage. The closure Lena needed had finally come. And Kara could feel all that through the nerve endings of her fingers as they intertwined with Lena's soft ones.
When the electronic door slid open, all heads snapped to them. Kara pretended not to see Alex's and Nia's smirk. Liz ran immediately to them, followed by Ambrose who probably thought it was a game. Kara dropped Lena's hand to catch them both in her arms and lift them up.
"Hey, little ones!" She greeted them enthusiastically. Liz hid immediately in her neck. "Did you have a good time together?"
Liz nodded shyly. "Where were you?"
Kara shrunk her head between her shoulders and smiled conspiratorially. "In space." She whispered.
"Really?" Liz exclaimed. She looked behind Kara and opened wide eyes. "Mom! Your suit is beautiful!"
The girl's exclamation made all the adults laugh. Lena walked to the two of them in confident strides. "I know, right? I'll make you one, one day."
"Really?" Liz repeated, bouncing on Kara's forearm. Lena nodded.
"When you'll be able to fly." She winked. Liz frowned. She took her bottom lip in between her teeth and pouted in a perfect mix of Lena and Kara.
"That's in a long time."
Lena chuckled and kissed her cheek. "It'll be soon enough." She walked past them but stopped in her tracks.
"Andrea?" She said, just in front of Kara.
Kara's gaze traveled the room and fell on her former boss. Andrea was there, arms crossed, standing between Kelly and Brainy. She waved awkwardly to Lena as the brunette walked to her, still pressed in the Kryptosuit. They hugged a long time, the room silent around them as they let them have their reunion.
"I didn't know you were coming." Lena exhaled. "It's a pleasant surprise."
"I didn't know you were coming back." Andrea replied bitterly. Lena grimaced.
"I didn't want to worry you."
"Oh, that's your excuse?" Lena looked down guiltily. "Thankfully, Kelly still has my number. Something tells me I can be useful here."
Lena tilted her head, a smirk on her face. "I hope that's not the only reason why you came."
"No…" Andrea sighed, a small mischievous glint in her eyes. "I missed my friend."
Lena smiled and hugged her again. "I missed you too."
"Since we talked about it earlier, I thought Andrea could help us." Kelly explained.
"The more the merrier." Alex added, supporting her wife in her decision.
Lena accepted their explanation. Her face took a more serious expression as she turned around to meet Kara's eyes. "We'll need all the help possible." She agreed.
All shared strange worried looks. Kara saw the nervousness come back in Lena's body in full force. Her heartbeat had quickened. Her hands were shaking. She was avoiding eye contact. Kara felt a pang in her heart at the idea of Lena still feeling unsure of their friends' kindness. As if their soft words and support were just a mask. Now that they had discovered what had happened seven years ago, they had to tell them another Lena was a part of it. Kara recognized that it made too many terrible memories resurfacing but she knew already that Lena was not going to be pointed at for what the other Lena had done. Their friends and family knew better than that. She just wished Lena could see it too.
Kara stepped next to Lena and gave Ambrose back to Brainy. She rose a hand and gently put it on Lena's shoulder.
"They'll understand." She simply said with all the reassurance she could gather. Lena met her gaze with tormented eyes. She gave a small motion of her head and placed her hand on Kara's. The blonde knew Lena believed her just partly. It didn't stop her starting to explain what was on the Platinum Kryptonite though. And all the time, her hand stayed with Kara's as if she was drawing courage from the touch.
"So what do we do now?" Nia asked as she paced behind the group with Ambrose in her arms, trying to soothe him to nap, all in her Dreamer attire.
They were all gathered around the big white board in the lab. Some were sitting on stools, like Lena. Some were leaning against the bench-top or some pillars. Kal had kept his distance from Lena, Kara had remarked. On the contrary, Andrea had only showed support, making sure Lena was comfortable on her chair after she had changed back in casual clothes. They were all sporting grave faces. The situation was serious. The stakes were high.
"Well, Liz is in danger. The world is in danger. We have to find when and where." Alex summarized as she uncapped and recapped her marker pen compulsively. She wrote exactly what she had just said on the board and circled the words multiple times. When and Where. They had been gathering information on the board to have a clear vision of the situation, but the more words were written, the more questions they had.
"From what the other Lena said, it's in ten years. On a December 22nd." Kara said, gliding her hand up and down Lena's back to comfort her.
"Can we trust the data?" Brainy asked. "What if she had derailed the space time continuum? What if it happens sooner or later? I think we need to find who the Other is first to be sure."
"Brainy has a point." Lena agreed. "The prophecy says the battle is supposed to happen on the Other's fifteenth year. If we find the Other, we find the date."
"Okay, how do we do that? Do you have any information about this creature?" Kelly asked.
Lena shook her head. "Not yet. But we didn't watch all the entries on the gem. There must be more on it."
They all agreed and contemplated their solutions in silence. Nia was shushing Ambrose quietly. The boy didn't want to calm down and take a nap. He just wanted to play with Liz, who had passed out in her mother's lap. He had the endless energy of a toddler and Nia and Brainy struggled sometimes to make him slow down.
"Can't you just sleep, buddy?" Nia huffed. "Sometimes I wish I could enter your brain and shut the switch off."
Andrea gasped. "Nia!"
Nia's head whipped to her. All eyes were on the two of them. The young mother just chuckled. "I don't mean it seriously. Don't worry."
"No!" Andrea exclaimed. She walked in the middle of the circle and asked Alex for her pen. "The prophecy says Liz and the Other are linked, right?" She asked to her audience. Only Lena answered verbally as they all watched Andrea draw two human-like figures on the board. "And we know that prophecies tell exactly what it is. Right, Lena? Just like we thought Acrata's powers were a metaphor but it wasn't." She showed her pendant as a proof.
Lena frowned. "I don't think I'm following."
"Their link isn't just because they're born on the same day. They must share a spiritual link." Andrea explained as she linked the heads of the two figures on the board.
Lena stood up, excited. "You think we can tether the link."
"Better. I think that it's possible Liz can enter the Other's mind and find him." Andrea looked around with a big smile on her face.
J'onn walked next to Lena with his usual finger on his chin. "In theory, it can work. If we find him before the battle, we can prevent him from being a weapon."
"You think we could turn him into a good person?" Kara asked, full of hope. Since the beginning, she had a hard time thinking of any creature linked to her daughter that would be capable of the worst atrocities. It didn't work for her. There had to be a solution to avoid the confrontation between the two.
"In theory." J'onn insisted. "We still must find him first. Liz is only one who can do it. It could take years before she'll be able to use the link."
"It's worth trying." Kara said, looking down at Liz fondly as the girl was sleeping in her arms. "If anybody can do it, it's her. She's so strong already. She'll overtake us all in no time."
Lena walked to them and brushed Liz's hair tenderly. "We have other solutions to try first, anyway. We'll see what we find on the rest of the footage. And maybe we can use Liz's energy signature to find the Other. It must be similar."
As the silence enveloped them once again, the electronic door slid open. They all turned towards the new arrival. Wonder Woman stopped in her tracks, waved awkwardly.
"Sorry, I thought you needed me. I didn't want to interrupt."
She was about to turn around but Kara's voice interrupted her. "No! It's fine. We were waiting for you."
Diana approached, a bit unsure, and planted herself next to Kara, her arms crossed. Kara smiled up at her.
"Forgive me, I can't stand to hug you. Thank you for coming."
Diana smiled back and placed a strong hand on her shoulder. "No problem. I was hooked when you mentioned a prophecy. Can anybody help me to catch up?" She asked as her gaze traveled around the room. Kara saw the moment her eyes locked on Kal. Her smile broke into a surprised face. She should have told her.
"Clark." Diana saluted politely.
"Wonder Woman." Clark acknowledged her from across the room by a simple motion of his head, as if he didn't know her that well. As if he didn't almost give up on his life on Earth to go live with her on Themyscira.
The tension was palpable between the two. Kara ignored Nia's smirk and cleared her throat.
"Lena wanted to know if you knew anything about the Fingal's caves."
Dian looked at Lena, who just smiled sheepishly. She looked starstruck, Kara realized with her own little smirk spreading on her lips. She had to address this later.
"I do." Diana admitted, then chuckled. "It was a very long time ago. At the time, they weren't called like that. I battled a demon escaped from the Tartarus there."
"The Tartarus?" Andrea repeated thoughtfully. Her curiosity was piked. "Isn't it supposed to be kept on your island?"
"It is." Diana complied. "We are the guardians of one of the gates leading to the Tartarus. One of them was in the Fingal's caves. I sealed it after that. It was too much work to supervise and since I was alone to do it…"
The trouble on her face reminded Kara that this woman had lived multiple lives. She had lived through centuries, battled many creatures, worked a hundred jobs. Met too many people. Known too many heartbreaks. Not everybody knew Diana had lost part of her kingdom at one point. The Amazons had once been transformed into snakes by the goddess Hera after one of her jealous fits. Diana's mother, Queen Hippolyta, had herself been turned into a statue of sand. It was only after years of battles and after having won Hera's respect back that Diana had found her sisters and mother back. In between, she had kept Themyscira safe on her own.
"I'm sorry but what is the Tartarus? I only heard about it in the Sinbad animated movie." Nia asked sheepishly as she gave her son to his father.
"I've never heard about it either." Kelly added.
Diana smiled knowingly. "Of course, you don't. It was before what you know as the Antiquity period." She stepped in the middle of the circle to talk to everyone. "Tartarus was the first God of Hell. Before Zeus, Hades and Poseidon created Olympus, there were other gods. Tartarus was one of them. I won't go into details. Hades fought him to take his throne and kept him in a prison at the center of his kingdom called then the Pit of Tartarus. He, by the way, escaped from there when we entered the Gates with the League to find Jim Corrugan's soul." She said, motioning towards Kal who approved. "It took me two years to put him back down there, and I had Hera's armor."
"So, your mission is to keep the Gates close?" Nia asked.
Diana nodded. "Mostly, yes. The Amazons were created for many purposes, and keeping the Gates of Tartarus is one of them."
"The Fingal's caves aren't dangerous anymore if you sealed it." Kara said, almost asking for confirmation. Diana grimaced.
"There's always a risk. Tartarus had been kept in the prison for millenniums before he escaped. The creatures down there aren't close to anything you've already seen. If you go there, I'll go with you to make sure the Gates are still sealed."
Kara shrugged. "I didn't want to bother you into being involved but if you want to, you're welcome to join us."
"Thanks." Diana smiled easily. She then snapped her head to the right when Lena cleared her throat.
"We know you're an archeologist at heart. Did you know anything about the prophecy before Kara told you about it?"
Diana shook her head. "Strangely, I didn't. But I'm not that surprised. Witches tend to keep their secrets close to their hearts. I know about many legends around Chosen Ones. Some of them are real, some of them have been transformed along History, and some of them have been fabricated by the Human race. I searched about the Unique prophecy in my personal archives but it led nowhere." She smiled to Lena. "I guess your ancestors wanted to protect their knowledge. The witch hunters are a cruel reality."
Her eyes fell to Lena's feet. The brunette pinched her lips tightly. "Yes, I learned that the hard way." She crossed her arms. "Is there a chance you know about a weapon on an artifact that could defeat the Other?"
Diana grinned and rose her hand to grab at her sword. She pulled it out of its sheath slowly to balance it on her hands and present it to Lena. "If there's a weapon that can defeat the unbeatable, this is the one. The Sword of Athena forged by my brother, Hephaistos."
"It's said to break an atom in half, is it true?" Nia asked from behind them in a true fangirling way. Diana looked at her above her shoulder and just winked.
"It's true." Kal said while standing up. "It cut an atom and provoked a nuclear explosion, back when Zod was trying to invade Earth. It was necessary. We almost died that day."
"No way." Nia whispered in misplaced wonder.
Kara watched her cousin have a silent discussion with her Amazon friend. It was disturbing to see them in the same room again after all this time. She shot a desperate look to Alex who just shrugged and mouthed, "They're grown-ups."
"We can't use your sword." Lena's voice cut right through the tension between Superman and Wonder Woman. Diana snapped back to her.
"No, you won't. I'll be there. And if it's only Liz's fate to defeat the Other, then it'll be hers."
Kara gaped. She had asked multiple times to use Diana's sword, just to know how it felt, and never her friend had let her borrow it.
"Are you kidding?" She exclaimed. Diana shot her a falsely guilty look.
"If it's necessary. You playing with it was not necessary. You were just able to use a wooden sword."
Kara gasped and scowled. "Alright, you're lucky I respect you or it'll be a motive for war."
"War? You're saying that to an Amazon?"
They measured each other up. Kara was the first to break down in laughter. She extended her hand.
"Thank you for your help. It's good to have you around."
"It's fine. You know I like everything close to archeology."
A beeping sound coming from one of the 3D printers interrupted them. Brainy gave Ambrose quickly back to Nia, who huffed under the weight, and rushed to the printer.
"Lenaaa…" He sang. "It's done!"
Kara's head snapped back to Lena who grinned excitedly.
"Great! Thanks, Brainy."
"What's done?" Kara asked confused.
A minute later, Brainy was coming back on a floating chair. Lena rushed to him.
"I'm proud to present my new flying chair." She said as she sat down on the floating chair. It was grey and white. Sober in design, just like everything Lena engineered. The scientist was smiling from ear to ear, too excited to test her invention. Kara's stomach fluttered at the sight. Giving the circumstances, she would take Lena's smiles as much as she could.
Alex came next to Kara with her hands on her hips. "Oh, right. Because the wheels were too old school for you, uh. I feel insulted." She said crossing her arms, falsely upset.
Nia put her elbow on Alex's shoulder. "It took you two days. I'm impressed. I thought you'd find something sooner." She quipped, amused.
"I've been busy." Lena dismissed with a wink. "We were waiting for the new processor to be printed. Now I can go everywhere with you."
"Great! It doesn't give you the right to skip sleeping and eating normally." Alex pointed with warning at her. "I know you, Luthor."
Lena smiled charmingly. "Of course, Doctor Danvers. I wouldn't dream of it."
Alex rolled her eyes and cursed in a whisper. "Freaking scientists and their need to rebellion." She muttered under her breath. Kara was sure she was the only one to hear it. Or not, if Kal's smirk was anything to say about that.
"Since we're finished here, maybe we can finally move to our place and relax for the evening?" Kelly asked hopefully as Nia cheered and Alex groaned from relief.
Kara's grin spread wide on her lips as she watched her friends get excited over the evening they were going to spend together. She felt a loose hand on her shoulder.
"I'll let you all to it. See you tomorrow." Diana told her.
Kara jumped on her feet, keeping Liz close to her in the process. "Oh! You can come if you want to. My parents are here."
Diana shot a quick glance towards Kal. "No, thanks. I'll see you around. Tell me when you want to go to the caves."
"I'll do. Thank you, Diana."
Wonder Woman winked and walked out, unnoticed by her friends. Only Kal turned towards Kara to give her a scrunched up face. He had heard everything. He felt guilty but it was fine. They couldn't fix everything in one go. Kara watched Diana leave with fondness in her heart. This woman was always ready to help, always ready to give, knowing nobody could return the favor. And she had done it for almost a hundred years now. Diana was a force of humility.
Alex and Kelly's house was buzzing with music and laughter. It was a far cry from the atmosphere in the lab a couple hours ago. Kara was watching her friends enjoy the evening from her chair on the terrace, a beer in hand. Kal and her father were chatting about cellphones, apparently, as Kal was showing Zor-El how to take pictures. Brainy and J'onn were playing with the girls. Esme had decided to show Liz that she could shapeshift like J'onn when she was close to him. Brainy had immediately gotten involved in putting on a show, Ambrose on his shoulders as he ran and jumped in laps on the grass. The toddler's giggles could have warmed the coldest hearts. Kara's own heart swelled at the sight of all her friends and family reunited. She had been disappointed that Diana hadn't wanted to join them but she understood. Still, it was good to see everyone reunited like old time. It helped pushing the worry away. It helped her to hope for better days in the future.
Her gaze glided to Lena, who was discussing with Kelly and Andrea, a glass of wine in hand, next to the barbecue where Alex was cooking meat and vegetables with Eliza's help. She was on her feet, against Alex's advice but it didn't seem to bother her. Lena's smile was radiant. It was partly a real one, and partly an illusion, Kara noticed. Lena was truly enjoying the company, but when their friends were looking away, her eyes would slide to Liz and the concern would split her face. Their situation seemed to pollute her mind constantly, preventing her from enjoying the moment completely.
"She looks great, all things considered." Alura said as she sat next to her, her own glass of wine in hand. Kara smiled shyly at her. She had just been caught staring at Lena and she was entirely used to her mother knowing about her feelings for the brunette.
"She does. It's even more surprising when we know what happened two days ago."
Alura took a sip of her wine and put her glass back on the table. "Never underestimate the strength of a mother. She came a long way."
A long way, indeed. Kara couldn't measure the amount of struggles Lena had to face in her entire life. The loss of her mother, the adoption by the Luthors, Lex's bribes all along her childhood, the harassment at the boarding school, the loss of Andrea, then Lex and his craziness, then Jack. Kara understood grief to a level not a lot of people could but her struggles hadn't been similar to Lena's. She would never suppose that she knew what Lena was feeling, because she couldn't. Lena had to bear this alone. And until now, she had done it pretty well.
"I thought she would crumble after what we've learned today but she's there, still standing. She's amazing."
"Did you tell her?"
Kara side-eyed her mother with a small knowing smile. "That she's amazing?"
Alura snorted and gave her a slap with the back of her hand gently. "Don't play with me, young lady."
Kara laughed and kissed her mother's cheek in a rare gesture of affection. She took a sip of her beer and crossed her legs.
"I did. Multiple times."
"And?"
Kara tilted her head from right to left. "She didn't want to talk about it at first. She came around eventually. We just kissed earlier." She tried to hide her blush by rubbing her cheeks with her hands but it was to no avail. Across the garden, Lena met her gaze as if she knew they were talking about her. She blushed too and looked down. It was happening more often, the fact that they would look at each other at the same time. As if they were finally back on the same line.
Alura put her hand on Kara's to grab her attention. "You both look so in love. I'm truly happy for you, Kara. After everything, you deserve it." The affection in her eyes mixed with the gentleness of her voice were almost enough to make Kara tear up. "Do you plan on asking her to be your mate?"
Kara frowned and swallowed thickly. "Mate? What do you mean?"
On Krypton, they each had a match, who was the person the Matrix decided to be the one for you. Of course, it sounded a bit totalitarian on Earth, but it had worked on her former planet. It was just a different custom. Babies were made in chambers and marriages were arranged. But they had nothing such as a mate. It sounded animal. Kara sensed that it was more a problem of translation than anything.
"You know, I think Lena could be the…" Alura frowned too, searching the right expression. "The… The mate for your soul?" She asked, not sure of the wording.
Kara's face brightened. "My soulmate?"
"Yes!" Alura smiled too. "I think you fit together. You complete each other. She is ice and you are fire. You are strong and she is really…" She searched the right word once again, but Kara knew that, this time, it was to not upset her or insult Lena. "Strong too but also sensitive."
Kara nodded, her leg balancing on the other as she threw a glance to Lena and shot her a smile. "She learned to hide it but you're right."
Alura hummed. She was watching Lena too. "It still shows. Her family, these Luthors, they did horrible things to her."
"Yeah." Kara sighed. The time didn't help making this easier. She was still getting angry sometimes when she was thinking of what Lex and Lillian had done to Lena. How it had changed her, corrupted her in a way that she wouldn't even trust herself.
"I hope to change that. We've all been trying for many years now."
"And you are doing it. She trusts you." Alura squeezed her hand again.
"I wish she trusted me enough to tell me I have a daughter. She didn't have to do this alone. We missed so much time."
"The stars planned it that way." Alura replied cryptically. It didn't occur to Kara that they were both in the same situation.
Alura cleared her throat which made Kara looked at her. Her mother's face was suddenly solemn and serious. "If I may, from a mother, who missed a lot of things in her daughter's life, to another, I think I can tell you nothing is lost." Kara smiled affectionately at her. "You can learn the little things and be present now. She is six years old. She has so much to teach you still."
Her mother was right, Kara realized. What she was feeling towards Liz was exactly what her mother must have felt when they met on Argo the first time. The circumstances of their separation were different, of course, but Kara didn't resent her mother for that. Not like she thought Liz would resent her for not being present the first years of her life. Without meaning it, Alura had just helped her embrace her role more, leaving her worries behind. She hadn't been the mother she had wished for Liz for the past six years, but she could be now. With Lena on her side, she could move forward.
Lena kept tossing and turning in bed. With a huff, she looked at her right. Kara was sleeping peacefully with her arm around Liz, who had come to sleep with them after another nightmare. It was a miracle she hadn't woken them up already. She looked back at the ceiling, the cogs in her head turning wildly. She couldn't sleep. There was too much to consider.
Now that the euphoria of the moment had evaporated, her mind was full of doubt. How could Kara want her? She was damaged and traumatized and probably becoming a bit insane. Slowly but surely. And what about all the things they had discovered? Her father being linked to a cult. Their daughter being a chosen one. Her other dimensional self being crazy. Kara wouldn't possibly agree to this. Lena feared of not being enough. The three words Kara had told her were a conundrum to her. Scientists didn't believe in love. They believed in process, and chemical reactions, in biological settings. Love was just another strange enigma she couldn't solve. She had thought about it, reflected on the meaning of it. She knew that she had loved her mother dearly. And she had loved Jack, she was sure of it. Andrea, even. But she had never loved them like she loved Liz. She had tried to understand why. Why the difference? Why was Liz the unknown factor? The bio engineer in her had tried to materialize her thoughts into equations. Had tried to use formulas to explain it. To no avail. Was it an animal instinct, as though it was a primitive will to persevere in her body through a descendant? Did loving her child mean loving herself? Or was it the idea of continuing to exist through Liz after she had passed? To continue to live thanks to her? Lena was sure that it wasn't just that.
She was born, she had grown, she had worn masks. She was disillusioned by others, for works or for friends. She cheated a little, negotiating small deals with her consciousness. She didn't want to say No, so she said Yes. She lost herself on the way. Sometimes. Often. It came gradually, and, like the boiling frog, she didn't realize it. For sure, she even judged herself. Hated herself. She resented her own self. She finished by becoming all tiny in her head, all tiny behind her masks. And then, one day, a child had looked at her and her eyes had told her, You are important. I'm counting on you. I can only count on you. And she had felt something that she had forgotten a long time ago. Someone trusted her. Someone counted on her. It was even a question of life and death. Someone all bare, with no fur, no fangs, no claws. So, she loved her because it reminded her that, behind those masks, there had been someone real, a long time ago. Who didn't cheat. And that child saw her. She saw her without a mask on. Without the little deals, the little arrangements. She saw her, and, despite all that, she loved her.
Lena didn't dance with people. Because she didn't like her body enough or the way it moved. She hated herself so much sometimes. And yet, she could dance in front of Liz as her daughter jiggled too and that was it. There was no judgement. That was maybe the reason why she loved her so much. That was maybe why she loved, simply. Because children were telling us with their words and their ways that we didn't need a mask with them. That they didn't need someone with a mask. They just needed someone to count onto and that they needed to be sure this person could be trusted. So, what? Lena had told herself she was worthy of that? Of that trust placed in herself? Lena had two doctorates, had revolutionized bio-engineering multiple times, was speaking seven languages, had spoken in front of hundreds of people. However, she had never felt important. But when Liz had looked at her, she had felt important for the first time in her life.
She had for a long time felt guilty about not giving all the love her mother had given her back to her. This unconditional love. She had been tough on her sometimes, she was sure. And she knew there was an asymmetry between the love her mother had given her and the love Lena was feeling for her. Now, she was starting to understand. Her daughter would never love her like Lena loved her. The quest of finding why had found an answer. Because a parent's insane love for their child could only be given back to a child. Could only be transmitted. Without waiting anything in return. Just as her mother had never waited for Lena to give it back. She could only give it to Liz. Loving her like she had had the chance to be loved. This love wasn't hers, because love was something we couldn't own. We were just depositories for a time. It had to be given. Love. Always be given. To a being smaller than ourselves with big eyes which were screaming You're my big person. So, that was why Lena loved her. Before Liz, she had never felt big for anybody.
And now, there was Kara Danvers who was sending her seemingly the same message. Or something similar. Kara was not saying that Lena was her big person. Kara was telling her that they could be big persons together. And that was everything. Everything and nothing at once. Because Lena had never been a big person with anybody before. What if she wasn't cut for it? She had been a truly normal even person with Jack. A more or less good friend to Andrea. But Kara wanted more. She wanted trust and faith and loyalty. Lena only knew how to be a big person for Liz. She didn't know if she could be a big person with Kara. She only knew how to be trusted by her daughter. She would remain loyal and faithful to her, even after she would pass. But to Kara, she didn't know. She had done so many mistakes that she didn't trust herself with that power. Sure, she was loyal to Kara, now. After all they had been through. And she knew that Kara was too. She had promised her so. And more. Kara wanted them to form a family but it was another enigma Lena had never been able to solve.
Lena had almost no recollection of what her life with her mother had been like. It was just a general feeling of affection and warmth and love. And the Luthors had never been a real family. There was no love to share. Only money and houses to transmit. And that bloody company. Lena had learned what that family meant with Jack. Meeting his family. Being fed by his grandmother. Before that, family had always been a negative word to Lena. It was synonymous of betrayal, and plotting, and interest. Then came the Danvers and their friends. Lena had learned then that family didn't mean blood connection. It was just about what we were willing to promise to others and what they were willing to promise in exchange. A business deal. A love affair, sometimes. The line had always been blurry with Kara. Their friendship had always been an intertwine of incoherent signals and trust issues. But they had come out of it. And now, Kara had been clear as water. Her intentions had never been this forward. Lena didn't know what to do with all this trust. She only had to deal with Liz's trust. What if she wasn't worthy of it? What if she hurt her?
Huffing loudly, Lena pushed the sheets away and put her feet on the ground, preparing herself to stand. She didn't know what to do about Kara, not really. She could admit that she loved her, as intensely that she loved Liz, but differently still. But she didn't know if she was ready for the pressure to be with Kara. To give as much as she would receive. What she knew, though, was that there was still a lot of work waiting for her in the lab and that was more welcoming than any rumination she could have here.
Andrea had lost the habit of sleeping more than five hours per night a long time ago. It was probably around the time she had bought CatCo and had to manage two companies at the same time. Or was it just after she had betrayed Lena and stolen the medallion of Acrata? She couldn't recall. What was important was that she couldn't sleep.
She was pacing the Tower endlessly, remembering the last times she had been welcomed here. She avoided the main area, Kara's now apartment, where William's body had been discovered. The blood on her hands was still fresh to this day. Instead, she walked to the labs and med bay, only to discover that the lights were on. She crossed the hall discreetly. In the lab the furthest in the hall, Lena was watching a screen intensely. Behind her, the cork board was disappearing under post-its of questions and dates and names. It had been divided in two columns, one for Liz, the second for the Other.
Andrea pushed the glass door, which creaked awkwardly. "What are you doing? It's 2 a.m." She hissed.
Lena didn't even bother looking at her. She didn't seem surprised to see her there. "Replaying the whole footage and taking notes. I don't want to miss anything. And you?"
"Couldn't sleep." Andrea simply replied as she approached. She looked closely at the board. Lena's thick scribbles attracted her attention.
June 20th 2022 – Birth of Liz
June 20th ? – Birth of the Other
June 20th 2028 – Liz is 6 ; her powers appear
December 22nd 2038 – Battle with the Other?
"After all this time, you still can't write something readable." Andrea remarked playfully. Lena didn't acknowledge her joke, her eyes stayed focused on the screen as the other her was speaking about quantum entanglement and Schrödinger's theory. She didn't know how Lena had managed to bring out the footage from the Platinum Kryptonite and put it on a USB key but she recognized there the pragmatism of her friend.
Andrea had to admit it was weird to see another Lena on the screen, just like her best friend, babbling about science stuff like she had no heart in her ribcage, no feeling in her body. The Lena on the screen looked deranged and lost. She had huge shadows under her eyes and pale skin. She was speaking like a robot. She looked numb. Andrea remembered seeing Lena in that state when she was trying to bring Kara back from the Phantom Zone. A chill ran down her spine. She wished that she never had to come across that Lena again.
"Lena." Andrea called gently. The brunette only hummed, a hand rising dismissively. "You're doing it again." Andrea said louder.
"Doing what exactly?" Lena asked absentmindedly.
"Obsessing. Over this. Sam told me it would happen. This is not healthy, Lena. You have your answers. It's time to take a break."
Lena's head snapped around like she had just been insulted. "I can't, Andy! Everybody's in danger!"
Andrea softened. "I know but it won't happen tomorrow."
"What if it does?" Lena whispered, all her fears present in that exhale.
Andrea knew that Lena's investment in this was going further than just a want of finding the truth. Their lives were at stakes. Her daughter's life, most importantly. Andrea couldn't know how it felt to be in her shoes but she knew Lena long enough to see right through her obsessive behavior.
"Okay, what did she do?"
Lena opened wide eyes. "What?"
"What did Kara do that was so terrible that you can't sleep and instead, I find you here, working in the middle of the night?"
Lena seemed caught off guard. "I… She…" Lena stammered. Lena never stammered. Andrea's smile spread slowly on her face. "She told me she loves me." She finally sighed, throwing her pen on the keyboard in front of her.
Andrea tilted her head to meet her gaze. "And you're still here?"
Lena huffed and threw her hands in the air. "What do you want me to do?" If she wasn't injured, Andrea was sure Lena would be pacing right now. Her knees were jerking up and down though. Another uncommon thing for Lena, Andrea remarked. Kara was making the most confident woman she knew, nervous. It was a rare sight.
"Say the damn same thing! Kiss her! Jump her bones! I don't know! You've been in love with her for what, fifteen years? You didn't wait that long to tell me you were crushing on me."
Lena rolled her eyes and, okay, maybe Andrea didn't want her to live that down. "And who do you think I own it to? It took me a long time to trust people again after what you did."
Alright, Andrea would never live that one down herself either.
"It took me even more time to realize I was in love with her." Lena admitted in a barely-there whisper.
"But now you both know it's there. Give yourself some grace. You can't go back to Ireland anyway. Liz needs to stay here and be trained."
Lena gave her a pointed look. "She's six."
"She's a witch and a Super." Andrea counted on her fingers. "I think she can handle Alex Danvers kicking her ass."
"Ah, funny you're saying that. I don't think you'd say the same thing if it was your child." Lena quipped back as she shut off the computer. "By the way, you talk with Sam?"
A light blush crept on Andrea's cheeks. "We're the only two people you let in, what do you think?"
Lena was actually thinking that her two best friends were sleeping together but she wasn't in her right to say anything. She would be happy for them if it was the case.
"Stop looking at me like that." Lena coked an eyebrow. She suddenly looked like the cat that caught the canary. "You know I'm not like you." Andrea pleaded.
"Like me?" Lena inquired, advancing on Andrea like she was a prey.
Andrea looked everywhere, feeling exposed. "I'm not into women like you are."
"Uhuh. But I'm sure Sam made you reconsider."
Andrea huffed and crossed her arms. "She did." She admitted. "But that's not the point. Stop distracting me. You love Kara since you met her. It's in your eyes when you look at her or even when you talk about her. Sack up. I know you're braver than that. What's stopping you to get your girl? Is it fear? Because I can tell you you're capable of it. It's terrifying because it's unfamiliar, not because you don't know how to do it."
Lena looked at her, puzzled. Andrea only went into a rant when she was passionate about a subject. It meant the matter was important to her. That Lena's happiness was important to her. Now that her mind was free of her ruminations, Lena could think clearer. She pondered Andrea's reasoning. Gathered the factors of the equation, went through the whole demonstration. For the first time since she had come back, for all the times people had asked her that exact same question, this time, she couldn't find any answer. There was no reason for her not to enjoy her relationship with Kara like she had denied herself so. Nothing was stopping her, except the irrational fear that she would never be enough. But Andrea was right. Fear had always been just that. Fear. Lena had done so many things she had never believed she could do. Why could she do this one more thing? This tiny little… No, this huge important step for herself? The confidence she had felt while kissing Kara was coming back. Lena straightened up. She held her head high. Her shoulders were posed like she owned the place. Gone was the midnight philosopher. Entered the fearless businesswoman.
"Nothing." She complied with a truly scaring smile.
"Great." Andrea clapped her hands excitedly, not at all disturbed by Lena's lack of resistance. "So, what are we going to do about it?"
Lena tilted her head. She was looking at the photos of the Fingal's caves. When she looked up, the mischief in her eyes reminded Andrea of so many times they had gotten into troubles in boarding school.
"Go to Scotland."
Andrea gaped at her. "What?" Lena was already leaving the room. It was the middle of the night, where did she think she was going?
"Come on. You're coming. Wonder Woman will be there too." Lena shouted from the door, amused. Her voice reverberated against the concrete bare walls.
"What?" Andrea shrieked again. She followed her in a rush. She guessed she was going on in an adventure with Lena, like old times.
A/N: Now, it's out. I have to say, this is the most ambitious chapter so far. Almost 22K words... (22 789 words with this note because I can't shut it...) I'm really excited to share it and proud of how it turned out. I hope the culminate point of the plot is clear enough and give all the answers you needed. It's time for our favorite heroines to prepare now...
I could say a lot about this one. The inspirations are numerous, like Baptiste Beaulieu's philosophical rant about love on Instagram, or different quotes and poems and ideas I ran upon in comics or in your stories while I wrote this. Matt Haig's Midnight Library too, which helped me understand quantum entanglement a bit better and Schrodinger's theory... I wish I had this idea of quotes before this chapter, because there're so many I could use here. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, hope it was clear. If it wasn't, come tell me so in the comments.
Random Fact: The Fingal's caves do exist. Go check it out.
Also, yes, I have to admit I have a sweet spot for Wonder Woman, is it a crime?
We've reached the middle of this story, more or less, so... Are you eager for more? What do you feel about Villain!Lena? What about that Supercorp kiss? I want to know everything!
Thanks for reading, guys.
Take care.