CHAPTER FIFTEEN: 'Lex'
KARA SAT IN HER EMPTY apartment in silence. She was curled up on the couch, a pillow close to her chest as she watched the moving images on the television.
She had the audio on mute, and stared blankly at the screen, the light illuminating flickering shadows in her living room.
A mug of vervain tea steaming in her hands, as she tried to process the day she's had. She checked her phone for the billionth time that night in hopes to see Lena's name pop up. She tried calling her, texting and leaving voicemails. But all she got was static silence.
Snapper being oddly kind to her, a truck almost hitting her, her fight with Alex. Alex being in the DEO. What a day.
He did it for you.
What did that mean? Kara blowed on the tea, as she took small sips progressively.
She felt useless, clueless and stuck. Caught in a web of lies that she had no way of getting out of. Her reporter instincts seemed to have left her completely, as she felt unmotivated to find out the truth for herself.
She found herself thinking that it was better off if she didn't know at all. The more she found out the more she regretted it.
But was it worth being in the shadows? Being left out of an inside joke?
Kara stood up and walked to her room. On one of the walls that hid behind a fake curtain, had newspaper articles, different coloured strings, names of victims and gruesome photographs that connected the Midvale and Metropolis City deaths.
She took out a post out note and scribbled 'Alex' and placed it under Jeremiah's. Above both their names, a new sticky note that read, 'DEO.'
She didn't even know what DEO even stood for. Websites and Google were of no use. She knew nothing.
On one side, was information on mountain lions, their attack methods and bite marks.
Progressing toward the middle were the attacks, victims' bite marks on their necks and police statements.
And on the other, were blank spaces, more question marks and the hovering letters that spelled 'DEO.'
Kara squinted at the photos of the bite marks, taking one down from the wall as she recognised it before.
"Sam." She whispered to herself.
Sam had an ice pack to her lower back, as she sat at her kitchen counter. Lena sat across from her drinking a glass of wine.
"Sorry, for kicking your ass." Lena smirked.
"Sorry, your training wasn't good enough that I had to go to Ruby's karate teacher to actually kick your ass." Sam remarked, effectively shutting the vampire up who grumbled.
Lena perked up. "It's Kara."
There was a knock on the door a second after that, each knock was frantic almost.
Lena sped upstairs and lingered by the railing, watching above as Sam opened the door.
"Hey, kiddo." Sam greeted, but the blonde pushed her way through the door and started pacing. "Welcome." Sam deadpanned, with her arm outstretched in a 'come in' gesture to no one in particular.
The girl stopped pacing. "Sam, you know I love you right?" She says, hopeful that Sam would offer her some truth about her scar.
"Of course, who doesn't?" Sam said with an eye roll, before she remembered that Kara was in an accident. "Oh, how are you feeling by the way?"
Kara let out a short exhale through the nose as if frustrated. "I'm fine." She said sternly, and Lena had to admit she was quite intimidated by this new persona. "I need answers, Sam. And I'm not getting them from my sister, Lena isn't calling me back and I just need to figure this out."
"Okay sweetheart, calm down." Sam said soothingly, guiding her to her couch, "start from the beginning."
And the blonde did. Kara spoke about her parents' death. And Jeremiah's disappearance. And her inability to comprehend the truth, whatever it maybe.
So Lena now knew Kara and Alex's history. The vampire felt sorry for the girl, having lost both her parents and one of her adoptive ones didn't sound pleasing at all.
Knowing Lena was listening to every word, Sam tried to intervene with questions she'd think Lena would ask.
"So you have no idea what the DEO even stands for?"
Kara shook her head no. "No clue. I just know it's dangerous, Sam. And whatever reason Alex has to join them better be a damn good one." Kara shook her head disapprovingly. "Do you remember last year, when we celebrated Maggie's birthday? And she was all bruised up? I know that that was from being with the DEO."
Sam sighed, "Kara maybe it's a good thing you don't know anything about it. Maybe it's secrecy is for the better."
"That's what I thought Sam. But if my sister is lying to me then, what the hell am I supposed to do? Let her?"
There was silence, and Lena wondered if everything was okay between the two.
"What happened to your wrist?" Kara asked suddenly, and Lena stiffened.
Sam clenched her jaw, "I told you, I got bitten by a dog." She lied.
Kara reached for Sam's wrist, and the girl let her. She knew if she hesitated, Kara would know she was lying.
The reporter ran her fingers gently on the scar, which was now bubbled up scar tissue. She familiarised the shape and recognised it as the same as those in the pictures.
"This isn't the bite of a canine, Sam." Kara said stubbornly. "It's the same bite of a mountain lion." There was silence before Kara let out a short laugh, as if to mock herself. "No, I'm not calling it that."
"What?"
Lena listened in closely, knowing that Kara was just one step closer to the truth as she slowly pieced the puzzle together. "I'm not calling it a mountain lion. Whatever did that to you, was not a stupid mountain lion. Sam, what bit you?" The reporter asked, pleadingly.
Sam stayed silent, her eyes focused on the scar. The scar left by Lena. Lena who was upstairs right now.
"Lena."
Lena jumped at the voice. "Ruby!" The vampire hissed, hating the fact that the girl snuck on her when she should have heard her coming.
"Sorry." Ruby chuckled. "What are—"
Lena clamped her hand over the girl's mouth, as she wasn't whispering. In doing so, the girl's phone fell out of her hand with a thud on the floorboards.
"What was that?" Kara asked, looking up the stairs.
"Ruby." Sam replied quickly. "Probably on her phone. I should go check on her." Sam got up, and quickly rushed upstairs.
"Ruby." Sam scolded. "Sleep." She demanded, noticing her daughter hold her phone in one hand. "Phone."
Ruby let out a defeated sigh, handing her mother her phone, before she dragged her feet along the wooden floorboard back to her room.
"You good?" Sam asked Lena, who nodded silently. Good the coast was clear. That was until, Lena's phone started ringing with Kara's name flashing on the screen.
Sam looked at Lena wide eyed, before she turned around to peer downstairs, already seeing a confused Kara coming her way. "Lena?"
Sam looked back to where Lena was standing, only to have small gush of wind meet her cheeks and her window was left opened.
The mother waved Ruby's phone in the air. "Sorry, her friend called her again."
Kara frowned slightly, as she looked at her screen. No returned calls or texts. "That's okay. It's getting late." Kara's eyes flickered to her friend's wrist briefly. She wasn't going to let it go, but tonight she had to.
She knew she was being lied to. It hurt her that it seemed as though she couldn't trust anyone.
"I'll walk you out."
Kara shook her head no. "I'll show myself out. Thanks, Sam." The girl said with a forced smile.
"Anytime." Sam said softly, knowing that Kara was onto something.
Lena stood in the shadows from across the street, watching Kara leave Sam's house from a distance.
The night was cold and for some reason, the streetlights looked more dim than usual. As Kara fished out her keys, she accidentally them dropped on the floor.
"Shoot." Kara mumbled, before picking them up. She heard a twig snap in the distance. "Hello?" She called out, looking around her.
Lena searched her surroundings and listened closely. Kara was definitely not alone.
"Anyone there?" The girl sing-songed, before shrugging it off when she got no response. She unlocked her car and settled in safely.
Lena watched in the distance as Kara's car drove off, sighing in relief. A twig snapped from behind Lena, and the vampire used her speed and strength to grab the throat of her stalker.
"I see she's quite important to you."
Lena's eyes narrowed, ensuring that any signs of fear, shock and intimidation was masked. "Lex."
"Is this how you greet your brother after centuries?" He asked with a short laugh.
His eyes were red. Now, no longer blue. A sign when a vampire was heavily dependent on human blood.
"I'm sorry, should I squeeze a little tighter?" Lena asked through gritted teeth, as she tightened her hold.
Lex merrily chuckled. "You need me, Lutessa."
"Oh? Do I, now?" Lena asked, an brow arched. She could laugh, it was quite amusing really. Watching her brother bargain with her.
"They're onto us." Lex explained. Lena only narrowed her eyes, and so he continued. "The DEO."
That was something Lena could work with. She let go of his throat and he laughed at her mercy. The girl grabbed her brother's shirt and slammed him against the streetlight with her speed.
Her strength shaking the electrical pole from the sidewalk. "Do not test me, Lex. What do you know about the DEO?"
"I know the human's sister is part of it."
Lena squeezed his throat once more, "not good enough." She said, already knowing this piece of information.
"I know it's the Department of Extraterrestrial Operations."
That was new, but that didn't stop her grip from tightening.
"They're scientists. Hunters. They have a bunch of us in there. Aliens alike." Lex rasped out, with each squeeze and Lena reluctantly let go.
"Speak."
Lex let out a cough. "Hunters are back. Alex Danvers, being one of them."
Lena tensed at the mention of the girl's name. Despite her strained relationship with the huntress, she oddly felt protective over her. Perhaps it was due to Lex being the real threat. Or perhaps she knew she was important to Kara, and Kara was important to her.
"It's a shame, really. Sort of like a star crossed lovers scenario."
"What are you talking about?" Lena asked.
"Why you and Kara, of course." Lex said knowingly. "Don't worry, Lu." He said sighing dramatically. "I won't tell anyone." He said cheekily with a finger to his lips, and Lena almost thought her older brother was back. Almost.
"Well, that's not the only star crossed scenario." When Lena didn't say anything, he continued. "It'd be a shame for Alex to find out her father is the one thing she hates most."
"What did you do?" Lena asked, remembering Jeremiah's sudden disappearance from Kara's explanation to Sam earlier.
"I turned him of course. Great asset if you asked me. That's how I know all the dirty little secrets of the DEO." Lex said deviously. "They're looking for us."
"Us?" Lena asked incredulously. "There is no 'us' Lex. They're after you. Your recklessness has caused the hunters to re-emerge."
"You think they'd take a look at you and find you innocent? That they'd believe you if you claim you didn't kill?"
Lena clenched her jaw. "I didn't."
"You're right. Those were my newborns." Lex clicked his tongue and pulled his lip, feigning a look of guilt. "My bad." He sing-songed.
Lena let out a short breath of frustration at her brother's immaturity. "Why on earth are you turning new vampires? Killing in National City? To get to me?" She hissed.
"You do a poor job running, Lutessa. I was always one step ahead of you. That's why I'm turning new vampires. They'll help us take the DEO down."
"An army?"
"Precisely."
Lena held her hand up to stop her brother from talking, a habit she picked up from Kara. "No."
"No?"
"We're done here, Lex. Get your rookie vampires under control, or the DEO will be the least of their problems." Lena threatened. She's killed her fair share of rogue vampires before. A stake to the heart or removing their heart was not a problem to her.
Lex put his hand up in mock surrender. "You'll be back for more, Lutessa." He promised, "you'll be back."