DAY 3962 – EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2039 June 20th
Birthdays
The sun was barely up when Lena heard Atlas babbling through the baby monitor. Kara started to shuffle but Lena spun in her arms and put an easy hand on her forearm to tell her to sleep some more.
"Lucy will come in early enough." Lena said while kissing Kara on the cheek softly. "Let me handle him."
Kara didn't object more and went back to sleep easily. It wasn't as if they didn't have their fair share of sleepless nights. Atlas slept conveniently, more than he used to but he was still waking up during the night several times. And Kara with her responsibilities and double jobs as editor in chief and Supergirl needed her sleep. She was usually the one waking up for Atlas at night anyway, since Lena, in all her human beauty, needed sleep even more than her.
Since Lena had taken her role back as CEO of the Foundation, she had promised not to spend awfully long hours at the office and since then, she had kept her promise. It didn't mean she had the impression to be there for her children, though. The contrary even. Kara was the one taking care of Lucy and Atlas after work, helping with homework and bath time, unless she was called for a Supergirl emergency. If she wasn't there, Liz was usually the one babysitting her siblings until Lena came home. And since they had a prophecy to resolve and an enemy to fight, Lena's time home was severely reduced, replaced instead by time in the labs at the Foundation or time in the labs in the satellite or time traveling with Andrea and Diana to find clues about the prophecy. So, she didn't spend her entire time at work, but she wasn't really home either.
That meant she really enjoyed spending time with her son, even if it was at the crack of dawn, on a Saturday. Even if it was on an already promising exhausting day, welcoming their whole family and friends to celebrate Liz's birthday, assuring that everything was at its right place, that everybody had what they needed. Lena would have preferred some more hours of sleep, because she knew the day would be long, but spending a quiet morning with her son was great too.
Liz was seventeen today. If Lena squinted a bit, she could still see the shy little girl with her pink backpack and Supergirl socks running in the Tower. It felt like yesterday and at the same time, so long ago. They had all learned to grow around each other again. Lena couldn't be more grateful for the welcome they had once they went back to National City. It felt a bit bitter too. They had all spent so many years enjoying the time spent together, celebrating birthdays, births, graduations, little and big steps in careers. But it could all come to an end in some months. Celebrating Liz's 17th birthday was one step closer to this potential end. Time was nothing but grains of sand in their hands, slipping through even if they tried to keep it locked. Lena knew she had to enjoy time with Atlas while she still could.
"Hey, sweet boy!" She cooed lowly, picking Atlas up from his crib. The little boy was already grabbing her hair, diving his nose in her neck. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, rubbing at her son's back affectionately.
Atlas only shuffled against her neck, cuddling more. "Ma!" He said enthusiastically.
"That's right, love. Let's go eat. You must be starving."
Lena switched off his night light and asked the domestic AI to open the shutters. Sweet daylight strove through the room. Atlas hid even more, avoiding the light like the plague. On their way down, Lena asked softly to the AI to put the kettle on. That way, she only had to mix some fruits for Atlas and toast some bread for herself. She put Atlas in the highchair attached to the kitchen island. He started to whine immediately.
"I know, love. I'm not going that far."
She rushed through the fridge and cabinets to make him a bottle then sat down immediately next to him once it was hot. Atlas took her fingers with his chubby hand and guided it to his cheek, leaning on her hand desperately. Lena smiled, absolutely melting under her son's adorable gestures.
"My sweet boy." She said, caressing his cheek with her thumb.
Atlas grew up so fast these past four months. He was growing faster than any human being, just like his sisters did. With his four teeth, light brown curls and already smart green eyes, he looked more like a seven-month baby than the four months old he actually was. He was curious about everything, analyzing the world around him. Kara bet it would become hectic when he'd start walking because he'd run around all the time. Lena wasn't so sure. Atlas was very close to them. He didn't like being left alone. She couldn't see him go on an adventure without them.
As she reclined gently to take her cup of coffee, Atlas whined once again, making grabbing gestures at her. Lena chuckled and came back to him, caressing his hair as he cuddled against her. No, Atlas was very much his mothers' son. It was probably a repercussion of the events preceding his birth.
Looking around, Lena sighed as she sat back on the kitchen stool. The room had been rebuilt from scratch. After her fight with her alter ego, the cabinets and most of the dishes were destroyed. They needed to change it anyway. It was becoming too small for a family of five – three half-Kryptonian and a whole Kryptonian among them.
It took them a month to agree on the type of kitchen they wanted and then another two for it to be changed. The island Atlas and her were actually sitting on was just three weeks old. They were still getting used to the place of things around the kitchen. Kara could usually be heard grumbling because she couldn't find her snacks. Lena secretly loved it.
As she watched Atlas eat his mashed banana with a spoon, his hand securely around two of her fingers, she realized his birth had brought new beginnings. Redecorating the kitchen was just the start. Atlas mostly meant strength in Ancient Greek. As she was caressing her son's little fingers, Lena hoped he would help them have some in the foreseeable future.
Kara found them an hour later, Lena swiping through emails and news on her tablet, drinking coffee from a Disney mug. Atlas playing with his nth metal cubes on the highchair as he was finishing what looked like mashed bananas.
"Good morning!" She said as she entered the kitchen with Lucy in her arms, stopping next to Atlas to give him a kiss on the head. "How did you both sleep?"
"Well enough." Lena replied, leaning away on her stool to welcome Kara's hug and long kiss. Lucy grumbled in her mother's arms. She extended her arms to Lena, who took her without complaint, too eager to have her dose of cuddles.
"My little squirrel." She sighed lovingly into her daughter's hair. "Did you wake Jeju up?"
Lucy only shrugged. Kara chuckled, putting orange juice and milk out of the fridge.
"She came in the room searching for you but you were already downstairs."
"Ha." Lena looked down on Lucy who was hiding in her chest. A small smirk grew on her face. "Is this right, Lucyboo? Did you miss me?" She said, tickling her daughter's ribs lightly. Lucy let out a squeal, keeping her mouth shut purposefully. "I can't hear anything." Lena said, laughing as she tickled her more.
"Yes! Yes! Stop!" Lucy finished by shouting, laughing so hard she was articulating herself in odd angles on Lena's lap.
"Now, it's better." Lena squeezed her tighter against her chest. "I missed you too. Always." She said more seriously, kissing her on the head.
Since Atlas was born, Lucy had gotten closer from both of her mothers. They thought it was probably because she wanted the same attention given to her little brother. When Kara had mentioned it, Lena had spiraled immediately, feeling guilty of not being there enough for Lucy. But it wasn't that, Kara had reassured her. They were doing everything it was needed for their children. Lucy just needed attention, it was normal. So, they tried to give her what she demanded.
Cuddles were given when she wanted cuddles. Games were played when she wanted to play. Alone time was spent with both of them when they could. When they couldn't, they made sure to catch up on it later. Lucy didn't seem to suffer from it for now. Kara and Lena had promised to each other to keep a look on her behavior though. Kelly had assured them that it was entirely normal for her to ask more from them and that it was normal for them not to be able to give her everything all the time too. They just had to find a balance, and for now, they could be proud to have found it.
"What's the matter?" Liz asked as she entered the kitchen still mostly asleep, her Celtics pajama shirt slipping off one shoulder, her feet bare.
"Hey, here's the birthday girl!" Kara exclaimed, taking her in her arms and squeezing her so tight her feet weren't touching the floor anymore. "Happy birthday my big baby!" Kara said, kissing her cheek soundly.
An easy smile grew on Liz's face. "Thanks!" She shut her eyes off as Kara kissed her everywhere on her face. "You can stop it now."
"No, one or two more." Kara whined. She did as she said then put Liz down. She was instantly assaulted by her little sister who was jumping up and down to hug her, chanting the Happy Birthday song. Liz took her in her arms and hugged her close. The two mothers watched happily as their two daughters hugged in a mess of blonde and dark brown hair.
"Thank you, Luce." Liz whispered as she kissed her sister's cheek then rounded the island to kiss Atlas on the head and finally approach Lena with Lucy still in her arms.
"Seventeen, uh?" Lena smirked. Liz only shrugged then grinned as Lena opened her arms wide. "Happy birthday, my love."
"Thanks, mom."
"One more year around the sun."
"Yeah." Liz whispered, knowing full well what it meant for all of them this year. This birthday wasn't just as normal as the others. It hit differently.
They pulled away and Liz let Lucy scrambled out of her arms to go back to her seat. She looked at her mothers expectantly.
"Since I'm seventeen now, can I have-"
"Nope." Kara interrupted at the same time Lena laughed. Liz's face fell on the same second she sat down heavily on a stool. It was the same ritual every year.
"Still no coffee for your Kryptonian body but well tried." Kara said, putting a glass of orange juice in front of her.
"You know I drink tea, it's basically the same." Liz shot back, drinking a sip of orange juice anyway.
"I know what my body does under coffee. Tea is enough for you."
"But-"
"But you can have a glass of champagne while we serve your birthday cake this evening." Lena interrupted this time with a raised eyebrow.
Liz's face split with a grin. "Really?"
"Only one!" Lena insisted. She shared a look with Kara. They weren't sure of the effects it would have on her but it was safe enough to try.
"Yes!" Liz pumped her fist in the air in victory.
"Can I have champagne too?" Lucy asked.
Kara laughed and put a bowl of cereals in front of her. "No, but don't worry, it's not even that good. You're not missing a lot." Lucy looked at her, puzzled. "I'm telling you," Kara said confidently. "Apple juice is better." She winked.
Lucy looked at her a bit longer then shrugged and plunged her spoon in her bowl. They ate breakfast quietly, discussing the plans for the day and what they still had to prepare. Their guests were arriving around noon for a barbecue in the backyard, it needed some preparation.
"So, who's going first in the shower?" Kara said innocently while taking a sip of orange juice, her eyes glued on the TV muted screen.
"Me!" Lucy said while rushing towards the stairs.
"Atlas was up first!" Liz said as she took her little brother in her arms and half ran behind her.
"Don't run in the stairs!" Lena shouted to them as Kara chuckled, enveloping her with her arms. She put her chin on Lena's shoulder.
"Do we let Liz prepare Atlas?" Lena wondered aloud.
"I mean, I'm not opposed to her sense of fashion."
Lena snorted. "Last time, she dressed him as Batman."
"He was so cute!" Kara cooed, diving into Lena's neck. She peppered kisses all over her jaw and pulse point. Lena melted against her. "Since we don't have a lot of time, we could," Kara whispered slowly, placing a kiss on Lena's ear shell. "Take a shower together."
Lena hummed against her, closed her eyes. Intoxicating images already forming in her mind. "It will certainly not save us time, you know?"
Kara chuckled lowly against her. She nipped at her neck with awfully slow teeth, kissing and licking the pain away lovingly. "It only depends on you." She whispered suggestively. Her hand slipped carefully under Lena's MIT shirt, ascending dangerously closer to a bare breast. "Do you think you'll be quick?"
Kara enveloped her breast with a warm hand, a finger circling her nipple with a feather-like touch. Lena shivered against her. She expelled a trembling sigh. It had been so long. "Alright, but just one round and then we really shower."
Kara barked a victorious laugh against her. "You'll never stop at one." She said cheekily while stepping away from Lena's anticipated slap.
"How dare you?" Lena exclaimed, falsely offended. Kara pulled her back in, snaking her arms around her. She approached her lips from hers slowly but never sealed them.
"Prove me wrong," The words brushed Lena's lips in a vibration. "Miss Luthor."
Another shiver. A smirk. A raised eyebrow. Then two hands linking as Lena pulled Kara towards their bedroom and the bathroom en-suite.
National City was calm in the morning. It had always been. Lena looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows with her arms crossed, observing the landscape. The Lena Luthor Foundation building was the tallest. Next to it was Catco Worldwide Media, and its strong but oh so loving Editor in Chief. Lena already missed the strong arms and the sunny disposition. She missed the familiar vibes and comfort in the Irish house. But it wasn't hers to begin with.
A cry erupted in the room. She turned around to watch her daughter scramble on her feet in her travel cot, hands motioning towards her, wanting to be held.
"It's okay, my love. Mom is here."
She took the baby in her arms and cuddled her closer. It was time for breakfast anyway. Scouring through her makeshift kitchen, Lena prepared a bottle, soothing her daughter in her arms, dancing a little on her feet as the milk was heating up.
Once the bottle was hot, she made sure it was okay for Lizzie then gave it to her. As the little girl drank her bottle, Lena walked slowly back to the desk supporting her trans-dimensional computer and its many screens. With the nanotechnology she had implemented on herself, she already could go anywhere she wanted. With the computer, she could have eyes everywhere, especially on the other Lena and her little family.
Smirking, she watched the screens as they displayed the other Lena celebrating her daughter's birthday. A pang of jealousy erupted in her chest. Her Liz could have had this too. Looking down on her baby, Lena realized it wasn't important anymore. It was only a matter of time.
"Don't worry, baby girl. In six months, all will be fixed." She whispered as her daughter listened to her with wide blue eyes. "I'll fix it myself."
She looked up and typed a code on the computer. The screens shifted to another family in another dimension. Celebrating the summer solstice with what seemed to be a coven, with Lena's parents around her.
Lena smiled bitterly. "And then I'll do it for others."
The backyard had never welcomed that many people. The whole Danvers-Olsen family was already here, with Nia, Brainy and Ambrose, and J'onn, M'gann and Michael, discussing animatedly. Kara's parents had made the trip to arrive right on time. Liz was currently talking with Zor-El as Alura was gushing over Lucy in her arms.
Lena watched Kara welcome Clark, Lois and their sons as she put drinks in the coolers. She hoped they had planned enough for everyone.
"There, she is!"
Lena turned around to see Andrea and Sam cross the bay windows with Olivio, their first son, carrying a huge package, and Jaime, the fourteen-year-old they had just adopted. Andrea took her in her arms affectionately. Sam waited her turn to squeeze her tight too.
"I'm so happy to be here. Ireland is so much cooler than National City at this period of year!" Sam commented.
Lena snorted, seeing the affronted look Andrea was sporting. "That'll be worse during your holidays in Argentina, you know?"
"Don't remind me!" Sam rolled her eyes playfully.
"Hey!" Andrea shoved her lightly. Sam just kissed her cheek.
"Drinks ladies?" Lena asked, already extending a beer to Sam. "Guys, help yourself. Eliott and Ambrose are playing soccer next to the pool." She winked at Olivio and Jaime.
"Do you have some wine?" Andrea asked as they watched her sons walking away with cans of coke in their hands.
"Yes! Inside. I'll be right back."
Lena walked quickly back into the house to get wine from the fridge. On her way back, with two bottles of white wine in hands, she came across Jason who was looking at pictures in the hallway.
"Oh."
Jason didn't budge. Lena approached him slowly. She wasn't used to seeing him outside of his prison cell, or outside of the satellite for the matter. His hands behind his back, he was looking at a family portrait she still had of her time in the Luthor mansion. None of them were smiling on it. It was only purely Luthor-like stoic and arrogant stature. Lionel had a slight smirk on. Lex was just his father's copy.
Lena had kept the portrait because, for once, this photo showed Lillian's strange love for her. Her mother wasn't looking at the camera but at an eight-year-old Lena biting her lip to avoid crying. Lena remembered that day well. She didn't want to take pictures so Lionel had slapped her right in the face – alcohol rage or not, she didn't remember – and asked her to stay on her best behavior for the rest of the day. Lillian, awfully affectionate that day, hadn't said a thing. But her hand on a little shaking shoulder had felt reassuring at the time.
Lena cleared her throat. This photo also showed all the things Jason had been deprived of. "You're here." She said evenly. Kara had told her it was a possibility but she hadn't thought he'd come.
"Your wife invited me." Jason shrugged, finally putting his green gaze on her. There was no animosity in there. "I supposed I could at least show up even if Liz isn't really fond of me."
Lena winced. They had met again in the satellite for practice. Liz didn't trust him yet. "She's still mad at you for what you did."
He agreed. "Rightfully so. I don't deserve her respect." His eyes went back to the pictures on the wall. Around the family portrait were photos of Lena younger, then Kara and Alex. Liz too when it was just the two of them. "You have a beautiful family."
His voice was deep, emotional even if he was trying to hide it. Lena softened and placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "Thank you for coming."
Jason only shrugged, a barely cocky smile on his face. "Your wife insisted." He said again.
Lena rose a single finger with an amused smile. "I didn't correct you earlier but Kara and I aren't married."
His face fell. "Oh."
"Yeah," Lena smiled sadly. "It's better that way."
He put two hands up. "I won't tell you otherwise. You're free to do whatever you want."
"Thanks, I guess." They smiled at each other. It was still complicated for them to be comfortable outside of the satellite. "Please, make yourself at home."
Jason finally smiled back. "Thanks. I will."
For once in his life, June wasn't prepared. He woke up early, scanned the Earth to see if other threats than him were present, took his breakfast while watching the Unique's family have breakfast, dressed himself for practice then started practicing. It wasn't supposed to be different than any other day.
Yes, it was his birthday. Yes, he was fifteen today. Yes, it meant the prophecy was finally coming to an end in six months but he didn't want to make it important. Because it wasn't. His goal hadn't changed. Kill the Unique and her team. Invade Earth. Kill Darkseid and everyone on Apokolips. Reign on Earth. End of deal.
But plans never went as smoothly as they were planned.
While he was training in the organic tank, his mind linked to the neural interrupters, the tank emptied itself. It had been programed to train him for two hours straight. It was too early. Something was wrong. June discovered how wrong it was when he opened his eyes and met the most hideous face he had seen. Katrach's face.
Katrach the engraver. Called the engraver because he marked his enemies. He lost his left hand in the arena and got it replaced by an automatic branding iron shaped into Darkseid's sigil, thanks to Granny Goodness and her experiments. He was also Granny's commander in chief. Seeing him was never good news.
With an evil smile, Katrach tapped on the tank with his iron hand. The pans of the tank glided open. June straightened himself to his entire height, not wanting to show any apprehension. His eyes were barely reaching Katrach's chin.
"Monster." The commander saluted through greenish teeth, his scarred face contorting into a pleased smile.
"Commander." June replied with the same tone, his voice never wavering. He stepped forward, asking implicitly for Katrach to back down. He didn't. He grabbed him by the neck instead. In an awfully strong grip. And pushed him against the tank glass.
"Don't play with me." Katrach whispered threateningly against June's face. His breath smelled like rotten human skin. "You and me will have a little conversation." He showed his iron fist turned red thanks to the technology implemented in his arms and almost shoved it in June's face, who reclined in fear. "You will tell me all you've been doing up here, all by yourself, and we'll see if you respected your orders."
Again, the evil smile, the green teeth. Katrach's grey face morphed into something lose to pleasure while June felt a pang of dread rise in his guts.
"First question, what do you know about the Unique?"
June kept his mouth closed. His eyes were looking straight into Katrach's black ones in defiance.
"I repeat, don't play with me, Monster."
"I don't take orders from you." June spit finally. His breath was quickening in anticipation but he kept his head high. This worm was nothing against him. He only had the chance June couldn't kill them all before killing the Unique.
Katrach squinted then smirked. "Alright. You asked for it."
Without any more questioning, the engraver burnt the first mark on June's ribs, the skin melting under the iron. June whined but didn't scream. Later, he would feel ashamed about it. For now, he was mostly proud. He had endured worse than that.
"What do you know about the Unique?" Katrach repeated. June smiled at him, cocky and bright. He wouldn't say anything. He wasn't stupid. Once they'd know what he knew, they would get rid of him.
"The next mark will be on your forehead."
"Go ahead." June smirked. "It'll heal anyway."
Katrach grunted but put his burning iron fist on June's forehead.
This time, June couldn't help but cry out. The next times either. And when Katrach injected the truth serum in his veins, a single tear rolled down his cheek. It felt as if Katrach was flaying the skin off his bones.
It was starting to be overwhelming. All the birthday wishes, the guests to welcome, the small talk to make. Liz wasn't used to being the center of attention. She didn't quite like it, to be honest. At school, she was discreet. In the satellite, she was discreet. But now, half of the Justice League was in her garden, mixing up with her family and friends, all here for her. It was overwhelming.
"Hey, that's where you're hiding."
Sydney. Because if one person could find her, it was her best friend.
"I'm not hiding!" Liz objected immediately, but grinned when Sydney snorted, not believing her in the slightest.
She wasn't hiding. She was still in the garden with everybody else. Just not very visible from a normal point of view.
"Does your mom know you're invaded the roof when you feel overwhelmed?" Sydney wondered as she pushed an empty can of soda and some packages of biscuits with her foot.
"Which one, the one who can fly or the one with social anxiety?"
Sydney snorted once again and sat down next to her, their legs dangling from the roof. She leaned her head on her shoulder. "I've never seen that many superheroes reunited on the same grounds."
"Yeah, Supergirl's quite popular."
"Supergirl is but they're all here for you." Sydney said, pointing to the piles of presents. Liz blushed lightly, looking away. "Your mom does seem to love gatherings though." Sydney added with a shove of elbow. She pointed to Kara playing table tennis with Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne, as Clark and Lois were watching. Liz barked out a laugh, as her mother was simply wearing a white T-shirt and cream trousers. Typical Kara Danvers attire. Only the glasses were missing. But the competitiveness on her face could clearly be attributed to Supergirl.
Around the garden, Liz recognized Victor Stone discussing bio-engineering with Eliza and Zor-El. There was also Barbara Gordon on the side of the tennis table, laughing with Esme about the lack of their boyfriends' competence in tennis. Nobody was wearing their superhero suits. Even Diana had given up on the Amazon armor. She was classy in her red cocktail dress and ponytail, drinking wine as she listened to Kelly and Lena's discussion with an easy smile.
It was ridiculous to see some of them without the whole attire that made them extraordinary usually. Liz loved it. Suddenly, the big dangerous guys were just wearing glasses and squared shirts. It was reassuring to know that all of them had a life and a personality outside of their superhero persona. Humbling too. Superman was there, the most powerful hero after Supergirl, but he was just a man enjoying a family party here. They were all smiling and discussing life and teasing each other. It was far from the dark faces they usually sported while on mission.
"I saw your mom talk with her brother earlier."
Only one of her mothers had a brother. Liz scrunched up her face as her eyes stopped on Jason below them, enjoying a beer with Brainy next to the barbecue. "Jeju invited him. She asked me if it was okay, I couldn't really say no. I don't trust him but he can't do much here with all the heroes in attendance."
Sydney chuckled. "Sure. That'd be a terrific battle." She cleared her throat. "But don't worry, he's fine. I think he'll be of huge help at the end of it all. I can sense it."
Liz cocked her head in her direction. The sun was cursing through her red curls, making them look like a sea of copper and gold. Her simple white dress was hugging her curves perfectly. She was sporting this knowing look on her face, as if she was seeing further than most of them. Liz had learned to trust Sydney's instinct. Just like Diana's, it was never wrong.
Lacing their fingers together, it was her turn to lean her head against her friend's shoulder. "I hope you're right."
"I'm always right." Sydney said, shoving her a bit.
"Hum, not when you say you're the best at basketball."
Sydney gasped, falsely offended. Then her face morphed into a challenge. "Wanna prove that?"
Liz chuckled. "Yes, come on!" She pulled her up, circling her arms gently around her. Their noses were suddenly very close, due to Liz wearing boots and Sydney wearing flat shoes, but Liz didn't stop to think about Sydney's calling lips nor about her intoxicating perfume or else she would only do that for the rest of the day. "Ready?"
Sydney blushed a bit, avoiding her gaze. With a simple nod, Liz pushed on her feet and flew them up to ease them on the side of the house. They had done this dozens of times. Sydney knew not to squeeze too tight. Liz knew how to ease down gently. But this time, it wasn't as gentle as predicted though. They fell heavily to the ground. It took several seconds for Sydney to realize Liz was crying out in pain. She pushed away from her and saw her body spasm, clawing at her hair and her skin forcefully.
"Get it out!" Liz cried. Tears ran down her face as her eyes flickered purple.
Sydney first scrambled away on her knees in fear. She heard people arriving behind her. Then Snowflake ran past her to Liz and took a fighting stance in front of her.
"What's happening?" Kara asked, running next to Sydney to help her stand up.
"I don't know! She was fine and-and then she wasn't!" Sydney answered, panicked.
Liz kept bending and turning on the ground, her nails scratching her skin in alarm. Lena stepped forward and pronounced uncoherent words, her hands bursting yellow energy. A sort of a shield spread around Liz. As she continued to approach Liz, the cat showed two ranges of sharpened teeth. She didn't seem to see him as she kept going forward but the cat took this as a threat. As a last warning, he growled loudly before spitting a gust of fire out of his mouth. Lena fell on her back, startled but unscathed. Her shield broke at the same time.
"What's wrong with you?!" She chastised the cat. He only growled back.
Liz continued to spasm in pain on the ground, her eyes shooting two specks of laser before flicking back to their natural blue color.
"We need to stop this." Kara said, jaw tight.
"Well, go ahead!" Lena grumbled, motioning Liz angrily. "The cat won't let us approach."
From afar, Kara tried her freeze breath to ease Liz's pain. It didn't even seem like Liz felt the difference. Kara looked at Lena with sorry eyes. A heavy quiet fell upon the assembly. With all the powers at their disposal, none of them knew what to do. They couldn't use their powers and risk hurting Liz. Sydney looked at all the frightened faces around them and huffed.
"I'll try." She said determinedly. "Can someone divert the cat?"
"I will." Esme said, stepping forward. With her ability to use the powers of others, and the time she spent with the Young Justice League, she shifted into a mouse in no time, using Beast Boy's capacity. She ran in front of the cat's nose, daring him to follow her. The cat hunted her some steps away until she shifted into an eagle and imprisoned him in her talons. They flew together in the sky. It was enough for Sydney to approach Liz.
On her knees to avoid being shot by laser vision, Sydney gathered all her courage to dare touch her friend. A hand on Liz's forearm first. Then another on her cheek. Liz whined, she fought back, scratching her skin as if it was burning.
"He's hurting! He's hurting!" She kept repeating.
"Liz! It's me! It's Sydney!"
It wasn't working. It wasn't Liz's pain. It couldn't work. Because it wasn't something Liz was in control of. They didn't have any other solution but to wait for it to stop. Liz kept tensing and turning, floating just above the ground. Sydney looked around desperately but only received tense glances. Then J'onn stepped in between Lena and Kara, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. Kara seemed to share a silent discussion with him then nodded.
J'onn walked to Sydney and Liz and crouched down in front of them. He placed his hands on his temples and focused his eyes on Liz. His gaze turned red but never faltered but his jaw tightened.
After minutes that seemed to last hours, Liz fell back in Sydney's arms limply, sobbing, clenching at her dress. Sydney looked around at the crowd of guests gathered next to the house. It was all confusion and fear. Lena frowned sadly at her, curling herself around Kara who rubbed her back reassuringly. Sydney looked back at J'onn who smiled lightly, guessing her question.
"I severed the link." He simply said.
Sydney gave him a nod and focused back on Liz who was heavily crying in her arms. She pushed dark locks away from her face and caressed her cheek.
"Hey, you're okay. It's finished."
Liz shook her head against her chest. "He's in so much pain, Syd. So much pain." She whined painfully.
Sydney's heart twisted in her chest. She tightened her arms around Liz, not knowing if she was giving comfort or taking it from her. She remembered their multiple discussions about Liz's dreams. About how she could feel her nemesis. How they were sharing everything. By the look of it, the Other had been hurting so much that he couldn't control their link anymore. Sydney didn't know what it meant. Sharing a look with Lena and Kara, she understood she wasn't the only one lost.
"I don't understand how we missed this!"
Lena winced as Kara hit another Nth metal block, sending it in a corner of the basement. After Liz's fall from the roof and the events that followed, some of their guests had chosen to leave them deal with the matter in family, promising to come back and help if it was needed. For now, it was only the closest friends and family in the basement with them. Lena was glad. She didn't need pitying eyes or judgemental looks.
"We knew they were linked." Nia said from aside, her arms crossed as she watched Kara prepare another block to hit.
"Yes, but we didn't know she was sharing his pains!" Kara shot back, hitting the block square in the middle.
"Kara, please." Lena hissed, squeezing the bridge of her nose frustratingly. "It's hard enough to stay cool headed. Can you at least try?"
"This is me trying!" Kara groaned back.
Alex put a hand on Lena's shoulder. "I got this."
Kara was never one to lose her temper but seeing Liz in this pain, watching her sobbing endlessly in Sydney's arms, had been enough. The frustration was enough. It had been contained for long exhausting years. Now Kara needed to express it a bit. Liz sharing the Other's feelings meant that she could be hurt without them knowing anything about the person hurting her. It was unbearable for a parent.
As Alex tried to calm Kara in hushed voices in a corner, Lena focused back on her notes and frowned. Nowhere in the prophecy it said the two beings were linked. But it wasn't that surprising. Prophecies were meant to be blurry. The link between the two beings was clear on the drawings in the cave though. Lena had never thought it could go as far as sharing thoughts and pains.
"Does it give you a way to beat him?"
Lena looked aside to see Alura and Eliza next to her. Their worried eyes were only matching hers, she was sure of it.
"No, not really. We know they're linked. The lines here show it." Lena traced the yellow lines on the drawings between the two beings, both purple. There was a line linking their heads, a line linking their hearts and a line linking their bellybuttons. "I guess this big circle around them means they're more linked than we think." She said, pointing to the circle surrounding the two beings in the pictures.
Eliza leaned on the drawings she had seen so many times before. They had all in turns looked at Lena's theory and given their points of view. Eliza and Alura were the most pragmatic ones. They believed in magic – Lena was proof enough – but they were scientists at heart. Just like Lena, they thought that it had to be a logic in all of this.
"What's interesting is that they look the same on the drawings. They have the same energy around them." Alura said while tracing the various vibrations of magic around the two drawn bodies.
"Can you tell me again why you think they're called the Unique and the Other?" Eliza asked with a finger on her chin.
Lena was about to answer when a deep smog appeared in front of her, followed by Florence's cough through it.
"Uh, sorry! This transportation spell needs more work." The old witch complained. She looked around once the fog had cleared. "Hello everyone." She saluted before walking directly to Lena. They all knew her already, but it was still surprising to see a witch appear in the middle of the room out of nowhere.
"I thought you didn't want to come." Lena smirked, knowing her mentor didn't like to go out of her cave.
"You called me so I'm here." Florence shrugged. "What's the matter? I felt an important gust of magic close to you but I thought you were just playing around."
"I wasn't." Lena stated with pinched lips before explaining the whole situation to Florence.
By the time she was finished, Kara was calm and back by her side as Alex rejoined Kelly. All their friends and family had formed a circle around Lena's desk. Nia and Brainy. Andrea and Sam. M'gann and J'onn. Dick and Barbara. Diana, Clark and Loïs. Eliza, Alura and Zor-El. And Florence. All of them, worried and confused, wondered what was happening to Liz and what it meant for the future battle against the Other.
"It's not coherent." Alex said after a while.
"What?" Kara frowned next to her.
"Their link." Alex pointed to the pictures. "If Liz can feel his pains, then if he hurts her, he hurts himself, and vice versa."
Frowns appeared in the circle. That was a good point. How were they supposed to beat him then?
"Magic doesn't work that way." Florence quickly said, her eyes glued to the drawings on the pictures with Lena's notes on them.
"They probably can hurt each other without feeling all of it. Or the prophecy would make no sense." Nia reasoned. Since she was used to this type of nonsense in the dream world, it made sense to her.
"No, it's not that. The prophecy says conquer or perish with the rest of humanity." Lena said, frantic as she searched through the pages of her notebook for the whole prophecy. She read it quickly. "What if they're supposed to both conquer or perish?"
Heavy silence. Lena was used to telling truths nobody wanted to hear but this time, she didn't like it either. Her heart was beating fast. Her mouth felt dry, her throat constricted. If she was right, it meant the only way to beat the Other was to kill Liz too. Again, unbearable.
"Impossible." Kara finally said through clenched teeth. "We must have another solution."
"Well, we still can follow the first plan." Dick remarked. "Confront him, guide him to a place where nobody can be hurt and try to imprison him."
"We don't even know if he has the same weaknesses as Liz." Kara frowned.
"If they're linked that way, I bet you two dragon tears that he's as responsive to Kryptonite as Liz is." Florence said confidently, taking an unopened letter from the bunch of documents on the table. "But it could hurt her too so it's not a very good solution. Plus, imprisoning him will be a real difficulty. Nothing can keep a Kryptonian locked up for a very long time." She said, while putting the letter out of its envelope and reading.
"What do you suggest then?" Lena asked, her arms crossed.
Florence looked back to Lena with a finger on her chin, the letter in hand and sighed. Her eyes rose back to Lena's piercing ones. "I need to question our ancestors. I have a lead but I don't want to tell you all and worry you if it's not accurate."
Lena nodded, frowning in question. Florence only winked at her and motioned for Lena to read the letter. Lena's eyes traveled the paper quickly before a smirk grew on her face. Florence might have found the solution or at least an explanation but wanted more details before sharing her thoughts. They were on the same line.
"I'll come back in no time." The old witch said before disappearing into a deep smog again.
They all coughed, Kara chasing the smog away with a bat of her hand. They all looked at each other, tired and a bit dazed.
"What now?" Nia asked.
"Coffee?" Kara proposed.
Alex looked at her watch and leaned on her toes to look at Lena above Kara's shoulder. They shared a look.
"More like bourbon." Lena said in a sigh, agreeing with Alex.
They all walked up the stairs as she stayed behind to gather her notes in a neat pile. She heard the door to the basement close and with the accompanying clap, her shoulders fell in relief. She loved her family and friends. She loved them with all her heart and was thankful for their support. But her daughter was facing a grave danger, her worry was at its peak and sometimes, she needed some alone time to swallow it all. Living life as if nothing was supposed to happen couldn't work forever.
Of course, there was only one person knowing she wouldn't follow them immediately. The door to the basement opened again. In a gust of wind, Kara was against her back, wrapping her tight in her loving arms. No words were exchanged. It wasn't needed. Kara was saying all she had to say through her gestures. Apologies. Comfort words. Love declarations.
Lena twined her hands with hers and leaned against her toned body, feeling her arms wrap her in a familiar warm blanket. Their heads met in the middle. And they stayed there, cheek against cheek, breathing in synchrony, thinking about what was happening. About what they were about to face. Again. Together.
Kara's warm body comforted her. Sometimes, Lena needed to be alone. Sometimes, she also forgot she didn't need to.
Katrach was gone. June could only breathe in relief. The interrogation lasted hours. He could still feel the truth serum burning his blood vessels. It would disappear. Like always. It would only take two days if he was lucky. It wasn't the first time June had to endure it. But this time, it wasn't deserved. He was the Other. He was Kalibak's killer. He was the Chosen One. He deserved respect. And Katrach being sent here wasn't a proof of respect.
Infuriated, June walked through the numerous halls of his ship to the bathroom-like area. He had planned this intervention though. Rule number one: never trust anyone but yourself. He retrieved the small emergency case he had hidden under the sink and opened it. It wasn't a lot. A just-in-case emergency box. It contained organic bandages, money from Thanagar, two folding knives made from Nth metal, an automatic tent contained in a micro pack for easy transport, and remedy shots against the truth serum.
Taking one of the shots in hands, June sat down against a steel wall. He pulled his tank top away from his shoulder with two trembling fingers and squeezed his eyes shut. There weren't a lot of things he feared. Needles were one. It became a fear after the second time they used truth serum to train him. He had only been five at the time.
With confidence, he exhaled heavily before pushing the button at the top of the shot and planting the needle right into his heart. He hissed in pain but let the needle inside long enough for it to spread its remedy. It was almost as painful as the serum but he knew relief would come right after the pain, once his blood system would have spread the remedy throughout his body.
After a minute, he took the needle out and let his hand fall on the floor. He looked at the ceiling, the white neon lights blearing in his eyes, forming blue dots in his vision. There, sat against his bathroom wall, panting and exhausted, he wondered if the Unique had to endure all these trials too. Probably not. He chuckled to himself. Trials were only Apokolips' way to show it still had control on him. The Unique's family didn't want to have control on her. They were just celebrating her birthday on her birthday, not torturing her to have answers about her nemesis.
June closed his eyes, slowing his breathing voluntarily. Katrach was lucky the truth serum was made so that his other form was neutralized or he wouldn't have had any chance. He didn't even get what he wanted. With all the pain cursing through his veins, June had kept his lips sealed. After the second mark, his mind had drifted towards Liz and what she was feeling. The pain. The cries. The panting breaths. Katrach had hurt her just like he hurt him. Without truly knowing why, June only felt angrier at the thought. It was his fault. Liz shouldn't have been hurt like that. For free. Without being aware of it. Without a chance to defend herself. Her cries were the only thing he could hear now.
Just like the last time he had seen her cry, the memory of her teary blue eyes tugged at his heartstrings. He wasn't there but he knew. How she felt. How she looked. How wrong it was. For her to hurt like that. For him to feel guilty about it.
Shamefully, grumbling to himself about how weak he was, June stood up from the bathroom floor, put the box back in its place and exited the room. Haunted by Liz's crying face, he walked through the halls and came closer to the main console, determined. It was time to plan his strategy for the battle. They wanted war. They'd get war.
Opening the secret files, he kept on the console about the Unique's family, he started to analyze their weaknesses. Too much heart. Disturbed by noises. Unpredictable under Red Kryptonite. Fear of fire. Humans with tech armor. Ready to fight whatever the cost.
On another screen, he opened the map of National City and zoomed onto the main boulevard. He was supposed to open a Boom Tunnel just at the entrance of the boulevard and activate the gravity pit so that the Dog Cavalery could ease down and charge North. Steppenwolf would make his entrance then and charge on the Amazons. He had an old revenge to take against Wonder Woman.
With his ship, June would block the other side of the road and summon the Warhounds to attack under his commandment. There were a thousand of them in the ship, ready to be deployed. He just had to check their parameters and make sure they were ready. After that, all hell would get loose on Earth through the Boom Tunnel, with Granny Goodness commanding Darkseid's troupes. It would leave June time to shift into his other form and attack the Unique before she attacked him.
It was a good plan. Thanks to the information he gathered, he knew how that chaos had the advantage of disturbing the less experienced of the Unique's team. Starting with her. He knew not to be too confident though. The Unique's team was planning their defense too. In every good plan, there were probabilities, dark areas where he couldn't be sure the plan would be executed as expected. These were what he had to prepare for. Anticipate the unplanned.
Scouring through the map, June got distracted by a laugh in his head. His breath got caught in his lungs. It had been a long time since he heard her voice. A whole year since he had severed the link. Her laugh sounded innocent and full. A small smile graced his lips. Thankful. She had been hurt by Katrach's methods but she was okay now. Better, even. She was happy. And weirdly, it reassured him. He wouldn't admit it but his chest swelled with a bit of the happiness they shared through their link. For the first time since he had seen Katrach through the tank's glass window, his shoulders sagged in relief. He wouldn't admit either how he welcomed the feeling for once. Alone in his ship, leaning over the map exposing his strategy, June felt appeased.
Liz woke up in her bedroom but it didn't stop her from being disoriented. Her skin was still burning from the pain. Her head was pounding from her crying. And there were like a hundred too many people in her room. She tried to sit up against her pillows but a soft hand stopped her.
"Easy, there."
Liz looked aside. Sydney's smile was easy, reassuring. The arm passed around Liz's shoulders felt like a warm blanket. Feeling tired, she leaned against her best friend, comforted by her familiar flowery perfume and the warmth she was emitting. Rising her eyes slowly to take in the people in her room, she fell eye to eye with Esme who didn't seem very happy. It looked like all the children – who weren't really children anymore – had met in her room. Of all her cousins, only Ambrose and Ruby were missing.
"You didn't talk to them, uh?"
"Esme…"
"No, Syd!" Esme hissed while stepping forward toward the bed. "You're not alone in this, Liz! You could at least warn your parents!"
"It's not like they could have changed anything anyway." Sydney said before Liz could defend herself.
"You don't know that! Lena made a bracelet to neutralize my powers when I was little. She could create something similar for the link you share with that… That…"
She seemed troubled with the end of her sentence. Liz met her eyes with tired ones and gave her a small smile.
"It's okay, Es, he didn't hurt me on purpose. He was being tortured."
Liz wanted this to be reassuring but the silence that enveloped them after that proved it wasn't that reassuring after all. Esme was looking at the floor, her arms crossed, a deep frown on her face. Jaime and Olivio were avoiding looking at Liz and chose to look at the ceiling or her bookshelves instead. Eliott was turning endlessly on the desk chair. Lucy was trying her shoes in a corner.
Observing them, Liz sighed. She wished she could reassure them like she really meant to but it wasn't one of her skills. Thankfully, she had Sydney against her. Her soft fingers were drawing circles on the skin of her shoulder. At least this was comforting.
"Where's our parents?"
"They're freaking out downstairs. All the others went home." Eliott answered in a bored tone.
Liz squeezed Sydney's hand and shared a thankful smile with her before pulling away, straightening up on the bed.
"I should go talk to them." She said. She looked at Esme. "You're right. They deserve to know. I've worried them enough."
Esme sighed and walked the last two steps between them before putting her in a hug. "They will worry nonetheless."
Liz chuckled lightly but hugged her back, understanding Esme was as worried as everyone else. On the other side of the room, Jaime cleared his throat, finally meeting Liz's eyes.
"You know, I actually don't understand a thing you're talking about but your lives sound really cool." He said with a glint in his eyes.
Liz smiled back at him but Esme didn't seem to be amused.
"Welcome to the family." Liz told him with a wink.
"Can I have a suit?" He replied eagerly. Liz chuckled and shook her head.
"Do you have superpowers?" Esme asked, unimpressed.
"No but neither does your mom and she's got that badass-"
"She was a secret agent for half of her life. What do you know about fighting?" Esme's squinted eyes could deter anybody. She had mastered it while being close to Lena all these years.
"I can fight hard to grab the remote from Oliv's hands." Jaime smirked.
Liz laughed loudly. "Guys, this is getting ridiculous. You don't want to be a hero, trust me. It's lame. Everybody wants to kill you. It's not even fun."
They all looked at her with weird eyes. Liz rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Sometimes, she forgot how their lives were constantly in danger. She shouldn't joke about that.
"Relax. I'm just kidding."
She felt Sydney's hand come on her shoulder. "Sometimes, it's fun. You get to meet incredible people." Sydney said, smiling at Liz.
"Like Wonder Woman?" Jaime asked eagerly.
Liz looked at Sydney's shocked face and snorted. "Yeah, she's downstairs, by the way. If you all want to follow me. I have to face the music."
With a sigh, she crossed the room and opened the door. Since her bedroom was soundproof to guarantee her Kryptonian ears complete silence, she couldn't hear what was happening downstairs. Now, she wished she couldn't. A grimace on her face, she looked back at her cousins and Sydney.
"Go ahead, we're right behind you." Esme motioned for her to continue to walk, already knowing she didn't want to.
With a groan and a pout, Liz walked down the stairs. Now, it was time to take her responsibilities.
Liz entered the living room but stopped on her tracks as all heads turned on her. Her entire family. Her aunts, uncles and parents. They were all there, sporting grave faces. Even Florence was there, looking at her as if she was one of the unsolved mysteries on Earth.
"What's wrong?"
Lena stepped forward, taking responsibility for replying. "We need to ask you some questions and I need you to be completely honest with us."
Liz frowned. "Sure." She said, straining the syllable. She sat heavily on one of the armchair's chairs. Her cousins spread in the room, laying or sitting like she did. Sydney tried to stay close to her but Diana motioned for her to approach with a single finger, so Sydney crossed the room dejectedly and planted her feet next to her mentor.
"Did you meet the Other?" Lena started immediately. Liz's wide eyes answered for her even before a sound escaped her mouth. She hadn't talked about her unplanned visit to June last year or the fact that she knew he had a ship before all of them. She realized now how irresponsible it was.
"I…I…"
Her mother's mouth formed a thin, disappointed line. "Do you feel linked to him?"
"I do but…" Liz answered alarmed. She had no idea where those questions were going. What could have they found that made them think all of that?
"Linked to the point of thinking you're one and the same?"
Liz's eyes tripled in size if possible.
"What?! No! Eww! What are you even saying?" Her disgust was obvious on her face, although shame was truly what she felt inside. Because there was no way she was going to tell them how she felt towards her enemy.
"Liz…" Lena approached and put two comforting hands on her young shoulders. In her eyes, Liz could see she was screwed. Because her mother knew her better than she would admit and she seemed to sense that she wasn't telling the truth.
"You-"Lena cut herself short to throw a pointed glance behind her. Everybody rushed out of the room, without even bothering to find an excuse. Aunt Nia took Lucy under her arm and guided her towards the garden. Only Kara stayed. How Liz wished she hadn't. Her face was worse to support than her other mother's.
"Liz, please. Tell us the truth. What do you truly feel?"
Her mother's green eyes were serious but caring. Her reassuring hands were cupping her cheeks as if she was the most precious thing in the world. It was exactly what the walls over Liz's heart needed to break.
Her face falling in shame and disgust for herself, Liz sniffled loudly.
"I don't exactly know what it is." She began in a small voice.
"Do you have… like butterflies in your stomach?" Kara asked, her arms crossed.
Liz squinted in a perfect imitation of Lena. "I'm not in love with June, Jeju. I know it's not that because…" No, she didn't want to reveal that much.
"Because…?" Lena inquired anyway. Her fingers kept caressing her cheeks. Liz couldn't fight that.
Liz huffed, a bright blush spreading on her cheeks. "Because I'm in love with someone else." She admitted quickly, crossing her arms too since it was a so-called trait in their family. "I know how it feels. It's not that."
It didn't seem to surprise any of her mothers.
"Then what does it feel like?" Lena asked again, her head cocking on the side as if she could see through her daughter. It was disturbing really. Liz cleared her throat.
"Hum, I don't know, like… belonging? Like he's my other half. I can feel it when he's in pain and I know he can too. I feel reassured when I know he's okay."
Lena nodded, stoic features and brain functioning a mile a minute. "I see."
Liz watched as her mothers shared a knowing look. Lena started to pace the room as Kara pinched her nose in despair.
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Seeing their silent discussion had always the effect of making her panic. "I know he's our enemy. We'll fight when it'll be time, I promise."
It was Kara this time who stopped in front of Liz. She cupped her cheek in a hand so gently that it was hard to think it could break rocks barehand.
"I don't know if…" She threw a look at Lena who was now watching with arms crossed and frowned eyebrows. She showed her agreement to the silent question with a motion of her head. Kara's deep blue eyes met her daughter's similar ones in earnest. That was when Liz understood it was important.
"Your mother found something today…" A clearing of her throat. "While crossing the drawings in the caves with…" She rubbed her neck. "The tales Florence brought from Scotland." Kara explained slowly. Then silence. Liz's ears were ringing in anticipation.
Lena took a step then another. She uncrossed her arms to put two soft hands on each of their shoulders.
"I think I know what links you to the Other."
Liz didn't react. Waited for the sentence to be given. It felt like a ton of problems was weighing on her shoulders, waiting to be left free.
"It seems that you're sharing the same soul." Lena declared softly.
Liz's mind didn't process the information at first. It was just blank. And then, it started running, thinking quickly about what it meant for them. What it meant for her and for June.
"This is crazy." She said, pulling away from her mothers. "Do you even hear yourself?"
"Oh, because flying or growing daisies in December with just your hands isn't crazy?" Lena shot back. "Liz, please. Listen to us." She pleaded.
Liz huffed, crossed her arms, looked at her shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. But she didn't pull further away. She watched as her mother went back to the couch and sat down, retrieving her notebook and an old tale book. As Liz approached reluctantly, she remarked the Fingal's caves pictures spread on the coffee table. Pictures she knew too well now. When she sat next to her mother, Lena put an arm around her and gave her the notebook.
Liz knew that book. Lena used to bring it with her everywhere. As she opened it, Liz realized it wasn't what she thought. A gasp escaped her lips as she swiped the pages.
"It's not yours." She said after a while. Lena nodded next to her. Kara came to sit on her other side and put a reassuring hand on her knee.
"It was my mother's. And my grandmother's before that. The list goes on." Lena leaned closer to Liz to swipe some pages away. "This is where it talks about you."
They stopped on the page of the prophecy. Liz read as quickly as possible, amazed by the discovery. All her life, they had told her they discovered who she was when she was a kid but she had never known how.
"It says it's in our bloodline." Liz said aloud, confused. "But why me?"
"I don't have the answer to that." Lena replied honestly. "What I can tell you is that I made research about our ancestors. I wanted to find who was the first one."
"Did you?"
Lena nodded once again, her lips frowned. She pulled away to take a single white letter on the coffee table. One Liz had never seen.
"Our bloodline in Ireland and Scotland is pretty easy to trace back." Lena took the book back in her hands and showed the list of names at the beginning. "But none of the women I found could have been the first Unique witch. My grandmother was wrong about everything. On all the women of that list, only two could have been Unique witches." She traced the names on the page. "Siobhan Walsh, my great grandmother, born on June 20th, 1922, killed in Rochester during World War 2 at only 19 as she was escaping a bombing. Leaving her one-year-old daughter behind." She stopped on the second name, swallowing hard. "And Elizabeth Walsh, born on June 20th, 1972."
"Grandma!" Liz gasped. Lena nodded, sharing a glance with Kara, full of questions. They would have a discussion later.
"If I'm correct, a Unique witch is born every fifty years or so. But I wanted to know when it started and why. So, I asked Florence to ask my ancestors directly, since I still can't do it myself."
"You did?" Kara said next to them, surprised to hear about that too.
Lena nodded. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't want to talk about it in case it didn't go anywhere." Kara only shrugged.
"But what did you find?" Liz asked, still taking into the names on the first page.
"Nothing, really. They weren't aware of the prophecy. Florence said some of them were speaking in what sounded like Italian so I searched for an Italian branch. It took me years. Because what I was searching for was nowhere. The traces had been erased."
Seeing two confused faces, Lena continued, as she perused through the notebook to the prophecy page before showing the paper she had in hand.
"I found out that one of our branches came from Italy but instead of stating that Vittoria and Enrique Firrano had three daughters, the civil status certificate said they had only two. It took me months to realize one daughter was missing but…" Lena showed the letter finally tracing the names on the lines. "I found her. The letter came in the mail during the week but I didn't have the time to read it before now. Actually, Florence read it before me, this afternoon and immediately knew who she needed to talk to."
"Octavia Firrano, born on June 20th, 1872." Kara read aloud. "Widowed of Enzo Cappone. Married to Paul Walsh in 1901."
"You think she's the first one?" Liz asked.
Lena nodded, taking Florence's tale book in hands and swiping the pages quickly.
"Why? It could be someone older than that." Kara said.
"It could but I don't think so." Lena said as she stopped on the tale she wanted to show them. "This is the story Florence was thinking about earlier. She went back to her house and search for it then asked to talk to Octavia."
Two pairs of wide blue eyes looked at her. Lena smirked. Two incredible beings with incredible powers were still impressed by witchcraft. She loved it.
"She spoke with her?" Liz whispered, astonished.
"Yes, I hope you'll be able to do it too one day." Lena smiled softly, caressing her daughter's face. Liz smiled back before taking the tale book in her hand, looking at the page Lena had selected.
"Did she say anything about the prophecy?"
"She did." Lena replied hesitantly. "All of this is because of her. She started it. Florence was right." She traced the first line of the tale Florence had found that was linked to their prophecy. "And it's all explained in here."
"The myth of Dôn." Liz read and frowned.
"I read it quickly but it matches what Octavia explained. She cast spells on herself because she couldn't have children and thought it was because of her magic." Lena shook her head in disagreement. She wanted a child so badly that she decided to pull out the magic out of her. This is how the first Other is born."
"Wow, this is…" Kara chuckled in disbelief.
"Insane?" Lena asked, amused. "She said that she succeeded. Her magic was split in two, apparently, but it worked. She had a child after that. A boy. But Mother Nature came back to her, one night, to punish her for what she did."
"Because she caused unbalanced." Liz said, understanding better how it all started.
Lena nodded. "The gods cursed our whole bloodline. The Unique witch is cursed to always be split in two."
"You mean Liz doesn't have all her magic right now? Only half of it?" Kara asked with wide eyes. Lena agreed with a small smile. Their daughter was so much more powerful than they thought.
Liz leaned away on the couch, frowning. She wasn't sure of what it meant for them then. For June and herself.
"I don't understand." She said, making her mothers look at her. "Aren't we supposed to kill each other?"
Kara looked at Lena for answers, because she didn't have them either. Lena sighed, her lips strained in a thin line.
"I don't know, love." She said, caressing her daughter's cheek. "But we'll find out. I promise."
Liz smiled back but doubts were already gnawing at her. Her stomach felt heavy. She didn't know what all of it meant but she was sure that it would end badly.
Hours later, after everybody had eaten pizzas and returned home, Liz was at her desk, drawing thoughtlessly in her sketchbook. Thoughtlessly, not really, because it strangely looked like Sydney's eyes but she preferred not to look into it too much. It was the middle of the night. She was tired. It had been a long day.
As she was about to put sparks of brown into the irises, a shy knock erupted on the door. Only one person was knocking like that. Smiling softly, Liz turned fully toward the door.
"Come in."
The door opened slowly to reveal Lucy's little face coming through it. She was in pajamas, her elephant in one hand as the other was still holding the door.
"Hey, lil' sis', what's up?" Liz asked, knowing too well that Lucy liked to come cuddle with her on days like this one.
"I can't sleep." Her sister's little voice replied. Liz's smile grew bigger. She stood up and crouched down.
"Come here." She said, expanding her arms. Lucy didn't wait a second before rushing into her.
Liz stood up with her sister in her arms and walked them to her bed to tuck her in next to her. Ten years separated them but Liz loved it. She had friends who hated their siblings. It wasn't her case. She loved Lucy and Atlas dearly. Lucy was looking up to her and always knew when she needed a hug. Just like tonight.
"Mom and Jeju are already sleeping." Lucy said.
Liz frowned. It wasn't a question but Lucy couldn't be sure either. "I don't know. How do you know?"
"Their minds are all dreamy." She simply said as she buried her face in her sister's neck.
Liz squeezed her closer, chasing some locks of blonde hair away. Lucy was developing new powers and every day was an adventure. She might be developing telepathy without them realizing. She would talk about it with their parents the next day.
Closing her eyes, Liz clapped her thumb and forefinger against each other to put light off. Silence fell upon them as they drifted slowly to sleep. As she was welcoming sleep for the first time in so long, Lucy gasped, sitting on the bed. The lights switched on magically.
"You didn't even blow your candles!" She said in panic.
"Wait! I'll go put a candle on the cake!"
Liz frowned, her eyes squinted because of the light. "What are you even-"
"I'll go grab a piece of cake and light a candle. You need to blow your candles!"
And then, Lucy scrambled out of bed and out of Liz's bedroom. Liz stayed a minute or two lying in bed, watching the ceiling, confused. Then, she heard dishes clacking against each other downstairs. The sound echoed over the walls all through the stairs. Liz opened wide and scrambled out of bed too. If Lucy broke something, they would be screwed.
Finally sitting down after his long day, June looked down at his plate with a muffin on it. A single blue candle had been lit up. He sighed then looked up at the screen in front of him.
Liz was in pajamas in the middle of the kitchen, her entire family around her. It was night. Really late there. But the parents and the three children were there to watch Liz blow the candles on the cake they were supposed to eat during the day with their guests. As Liz was about to blow, one of her mothers, Supergirl, told her to make a wish.
June found it ridiculous but he closed his eyes as Liz closed hers. He listened to the giggles coming out of the screen.
"It has to be something cool." Liz's little sister said. "Like a pony or Grandma coming here for Mabon."
June frowned. What was Mabon?
"Or like a new pair of snickers." The little girl added before being hush down by her mothers.
"Let Liz choose." Supergirl chuckled while taking her in her arms.
June sighed and closed his eyes again. He didn't know what he could wish for. To win the battle? To kill them all? It didn't fit.
I wish everyone happiness. Especially June.
June's eyes flashed open immediately. He watched as Liz blew her candles on the screen. She had done it again. She had shared her thoughts.
Disgusted, June blew the candle without wishing anything and put it out of the muffin. He shut off the screen and ate the muffin in silence. He didn't know why he had wanted to celebrate his birthday like humans would. It wasn't for him. He wasn't human anyway. It wasn't like he was used to celebrate it. He should've known better.
Shutting all the lights off on his way, he went to bed, his mind clouded by Liz's voice. Happiness wasn't something he was lacking off. You couldn't lack something you didn't know, right? No, he didn't need happiness.
He put the cover on him, grumbling under his breath about how it was weak of her to wish him happiness when he was supposed to be her enemy. He closed his eyes thinking she was unconscious to wish good upon someone who would unavoidably kill her whole family. This girl was crazy.
He would never know that on the other side of the screen, as he was slowly drifting into sleep, Liz heard him too. Quite clearly.
I don't deserve it.
A/N: Alright, guys! This one went out of hands. I had to cut out some scenes or it would have been even longer.
Anyway, I loved this one, even if it was quite difficult to write, with work and life. I don't have a lot of time lately but I hope it'll change next week. I plan on publishing last chapter on Halloween, at the same time I'll post the Samhain Supercorp OS. We'll see if we can keep up with that.
I hope you liked it. Feel free to tell me whatever it makes you think of. Also, apologies, because I realized I totally forgot about the jet lag between Europe and America so it's not really logical for Liz to go to school in America while it's morning in Ireland but you know, I can't really fix it now ^^
What did you think about the full circle thing? Octavia's story coming back up and the roots of the prophecy finally being discovered?
As always, thanks for reading. Your support means a lot! You can follow me on Twitter here: MGoemaere27
See you in two weeks!
Take care!