Chapter Summary: Prompt by NinjaKunoichiReid: Can you do a chapter where Oliver fights a meta human with Kara and when they touched him there powers got switched? – I LOVE THIS SO MUCH
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61. Freaky Friday... ish - A Super Life
- Maybe it's easier for you, having powers and all.
Oliver closed his eyes, wishing he could go back in time and not say those words at all.
It all started when Obsidian Tech started to promote their VR lenses through the whole country. People were going nuts, forgetting to live their lives while bad guys took advantage of it to spread crime back in Star City. Crime rates went high in his city and team Arrow was having a bit of trouble to keep things calm.
Kara Danvers felt responsible for it somehow and offered to help control the criminal in his city, but things quickly went downhill. What it was supposed to be a team up ended up with Curtis sending Kara the wrong way, thanks to a trap that criminal planned to confuse her and Oliver was too late to stop a big robbery, that resulted in a shooting between cops and the criminals.
- I'm so sorry… - Curtis said, apologizing for the 100th time on comms – They hacked my system and gave you the wrong direction, I'm sorry, Supergirl…
- It's ok Curtis, it's not your fault…
- Was it my fault? – Oliver said as soon as he got to the bunker.
- No, I didn't say that… I just think you should have been there faster, Oliver…
- How could I? I don't have super speed like you, Kara.
- Guys please don't argue… - Curtis said.
- Excuse us for a minute, Curtis – Oliver said as he looked serious at him.
Curtis looked at Kara and Oliver and left the bunker, knowing those two would argue for hours if no one stopped them. It had been like that every time they met and he couldn't help but feeling some sort of tension growing between them.
- I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that… - Kara said – I just think that we should have done one thing at the time… There was no use in worrying about Vigilante 2.0 now…
- I had a lead on him, I had to follow.
- It could wait, Oliver.
- No it couldn't.
- Why are you so stubborn? – Kara crossed her arms on her chest
- And why can't you see there was a unique opportunity? Ever since Crisis, we are having a bunch of old foes appearing again as new people, I'm having a hard time keeping up with everything, I don't have an encyclopedia like Cisco does!
- Still, we were in the middle of a mission.
- Kara, I don't have super speed like you do, I could never get there in time, even if I didn't go after Vigilante 2.0.
- Yes, maybe you could.
- Maybe it's easier for you, having powers and all…
Kara and Oliver stared at each other and they both knew that arguing wouldn't get them anywhere. Kara felt really pissed at Oliver; he had no idea what she went through every day, even having powers. He thought it was easy, that everything was better for her, but it wasn't like that. She wanted to tell him all of that, but wasn't finding a good way to express it.
A noise came from the elevator and both Kara and Oliver looked there, ready to attack. There was a guy, staring at them with a funny face, with both his hands under his chin, making a weird pose as if he was trying to cheer a kid up.
- Long time no see, Supergirl!
- Who the hell are you? – Oliver asked, grabbing an arrow from his quiver and aiming at him while Kara prepared to attack with her fists.
- I'm Mxyzptlk.
- Mx WHAT? – Oliver said, knowing he would never be able to say that name out loud.
- No you're not him… - Kara said.
Mxyzptlk made a TV appear in the middle of the bunker and showed Kara and Oliver when he visited Kara the last time.
- I can't change my appearance anymore, so I'm stuck like this. I'm doomed to reach every single one I ever hurt to make amends, and well… You're the last one. – He said as Kara and Oliver watched the TV.
- There's no need… - Kara said.
- Yes, there is. I did a lot of damage in the past, and the only way I can be free and well, live my life is to do this. I've learned my lesson. It was wrong to force myself into you; I learned it the hard way. Here – He gave her something looking like a small recorder – You can play it backwards if I don't keep my word, and I'll be forever stuck in the 5th dimension. This is so you can believe me when I tell you, I changed.
- I don't know what the hell is going on here, but you need to leave – Oliver said aiming the arrow again
- I can't, Mr. Queen. By the way, you're involved in this.
- What?
Kara looked confused at Mxyzptlk. What could Oliver possible have to do with her past with him and him having to make amends with her? She asked herself.
- I can see potential here, but you two need a lesson, something to help you understand each other, so… That's why I'm here.
He snapped his fingers and both Kara and Oliver felt weird.
- What did you do? – Kara asked, afraid of what was going to happen
- You'll see… You have 48 hours to see each other's POV. I hope you learn to appreciate it. Now off you go! – He snapped his fingers again and Kara and Oliver disappeared, appearing in Kara's apartment.
Kara looked around and noticed Oliver didn't seem to be feeling well. She wondered what was going on. She tried to x ray him and see if he was hurt, but couldn't. Oliver looked confused at her.
- What?
- I can't… - She said, starting to feel weirder. – I can't use my x ray vision…
- How this happened?
- Somehow I think Mxyzptlk has something to do with it.
- Kara I… - Oliver was about to say something but stopped, feeling dizzy. He pressed his ears while hearing a bunch of voices and noises.
Kara walked towards him, looking worried.
- Oliver, what's happening?
- I'm… I'm feeling… I hear it all.
- What do you mean?
- Voices, noises…It's like I can hear the entire world!
Kara stopped abruptly and started to think. Mxyzptlk said something about them having to understand each other and she was starting to have an idea about what was happening.
- Oliver, I need you to look to that wall and focus on it.
- Why? – Oliver still covered his ears.
- Please, do it.
Oliver opened his eyes and focused on the wall. Suddenly, it was like he was looking to an x-ray exam, only he could see Kara's bedroom.
- Why am I seeing your bedroom through the wall?
- I have a theory… Lend me an arrow and your bow.
Oliver looked at Kara like she was insane, but gave her his stuff anyways. He stared while she walked to the balcony and aimed a small stain in the wall across the street. She shot the arrow and it hit right in the middle of the stain. Kara looked shocked at Oliver.
- Mxyzptlk switched our abilities!
Oliver walked from one side to the other of Kara's apartment while Kara tried to help him the best she could.
- When my powers started to manifest, I felt like I was going crazy. With time, I learned how to focus…
- Do you still hear all of that?
- Yes. But I focus on not letting it drive me insane. You have to learn to filter the noise, otherwise you'll go crazy. The same goes to the rest of the powers.
- My God… This is… Insane.
- Remember when Mxyzptlk said something about us learning to understand each other? I think everything will go back to normal once we do it.
- Well, things can go back to normal right now, I understand you…
- I don't think this works like that, Oliver…
- Damn it! – Oliver said taking a deep breath – Well, I guess is safer for us if we stay here until we do it.
- We can't. There are people who need our help out there… By the way… - Kara looked at her cell phone as it rang. – It's the DEO, we need to go.
Oliver was not a fan of that idea but went with Kara anyways. He tried using the super speed to bring them both there, but ended up hitting the wall across the street. He went back to the DEO while Kara explained Alex, Brainy and J'onn what was happening. Oliver had to learn how to control all those new powers in a short time since the city seemed like imploding that day. Kara grabbed Oliver's bike and found out she had the ability to drive it pretty well, and went to Star City to help team Arrow in his place.
Back in Kara's apartment that night, Kara found Oliver spread on her couch, looking at the ceiling. She approached him, with a worried look in her face.
- It's everything ok? – She asked, sitting by his side on the couch
- I don't know… - He said. – This was a though day. I… This power thing is new to me, I'm used to fight, punch, jump and run, not fly, use super speed and all…
- I know… I drove your bike today and I didn't even know I could.
Oliver looked surprised at her. She smiled at him.
- But team Arrow managed to save the day one more time. I had to hang the cape on the bunker because it kept standing in the way, but other than that, it all went well…
- Well, Brainy gave me a cape, a green one, he said it would help with flying… That was… something.
- And I missed it?
- Alex took a picture – He looked annoyed at Kara and they both laughed.
- I'm sure will see it later. – Kara laughed
- I'm so screwed!
- It's not that bad, c'mon… Only 24 hours more…
- And if we don't manage to? We don't know what will happen.
- We have to try… - She said. – I had an idea…
Kara and Oliver went to the DEO training room. The place was way less crowded than that afternoon and Kara closed the door behind her as soon as they got inside that huge room.
- I'll train you. And you'll get to practice and see it for yourself what is like. And then we can have a day on Oliver's life if you want.
- Are you sure you want this?
- Well, we don't have that much of a choice, so…
Oliver was used to training. He was really good at it, always, but that day, he felt like he sucked big time. He tried to learn cape tricks, flying tricks, tried to control the strength he had now not to break stuff, Kara let it clear to him how important was not to lose control or someone could end up killed and he thought it was the hardest thing ever, to hold back. They spent many hours training and he thought he was improving, even if it was just a bit.
- I feel my eyes burning… - Oliver said as he looked away, burning the wall.
- Gladly, the walls here are fire proof. – Kara smiled and approached Oliver. – Either you're really excited about something or you're really angry…
- I think it's both…
Oliver felt really beaten. He really thought super powers made life easier, but he was seeing it firsthand it wasn't like that. Kara on the other hand was dealing with his abilities pretty well, like she was used to it. He thought about it and remembered she was way more compassionate than he was, so maybe she could put herself in his shoes while for him, this was really hard.
Kara invited him to stay in her place, so they could work on the last hours of that nightmare and see what would happen if they didn't manage to learn anything together. Oliver was in her couch and Kara was in her bed, trying to get some sleep.
She felt dizzy, tired, she bled all over.
She was in the middle of a forest, by herself and running for her life. She found a guy that looked like being Russian and fought him hard. She managed to hit him in ways she never hit anyone before. Once she managed to put the guy down, she wasn't sure if he was alive or not, but she kept running and climbing and jumping, until she reached the beach. She acted fast and shot the bonfire, burning it. It didn't take long for a boat to find her. She was hurting and couldn't stop crying, remembering all horrible things she went through.
- NO! – She yelled and looked around her bedroom, scared.
Oliver was by her side, trying to calm her down.
- It was just a bad dream… - Kara said. – I was in the island you told me about…
- Lian Yu?
- Yes and…horrible things happened… I could feel it all. And… - She looked at her hands, noticing something that wasn't there before – Where did these scars came from?
- Kara, I guess you have my memories – He said, thinking about what she told him. He could notice she had a few scars in the same place he had on his shoulders. – If we switched, all I have been through, you have been through.
- I… For Rao… I… - Kara covered her mouth with her hands and looked at Oliver – How did you survive all of this?
- I had to somehow…
- Oliver… - She jumped towards him and hugged him hard.
She could see now how hard it was for him, to survive and go through all of that with no powers, only his skills. She thought about all the times he was alone, thinking about giving up and when he gathered strength to keep fighting. He was a true survivor and a hero who did the best he could to keep people safe.
- I'm sorry, I… I had no idea – Kara said
- I had no idea either… - Oliver said as he sat beside her in her bed – How you had to handle all the noise and the voices and learn to control it all. I always thought that having powers made people's lives easy but… I was wrong, Kara.
- All the loneliness you felt… - She said, caressing his face without thinking about what she was doing. She actually didn't care anymore. She needed to feel his cheeks, his skin.
- All the pain you feel each time you can't save someone – Oliver said, feeling his heart beating a bit faster.
Kara couldn't hold back anymore, reaching for his lips and giving him a soft kiss. She felt something inside of her she couldn't explain. Oliver responded to her kiss right away, not able to hide his feelings anymore. All of that tension happening between them were exploding right now. Deep down they both knew it was about to happen.
Somewhere in the bunker, Mxyzptlk smiled, deciding to bring everything back to normal later.