Chapter Text
Kara breathed in, slowly, feeling the calm expansion of her lungs before gently letting out her breath again.
It was a soothing feeling, to lie back on Lena’s couch, smelling the popcorn coming to life in the microwave, listening to Lena’s adorable ramblings about the day she’s had and how glad she was to finally be able to kick off her heels.
The sun was just starting to set in the mid-summer sky. An old copy of Titanic waited for them on top of Lena’s DVD player. The city began to hum with the excitement of a Friday night. Kara was almost drowsy in her contentment, as she heard the squeak of a faucet being turned off in Lena’s kitchen, as she heard the chiming sounds of a utensil drawer opening. Popcorn and pie.
A chilling breeze moved through her body. A painful shock to her system. Kara shook her head, keeping her eyes closed.
The couch was soft. So soft, she could sink into it. The throw blanket under her head smelled of Lena’s laundry detergent. Kara could feel moisture in her mouth from the water she had drank a few minutes ago. Her mouth did not feel like it was filled with dust. She did not feel like she was lying on slate rock.
She was free. Free to fly, free to hug her sister, free to eat potstickers. There weren’t tears on Kara’s face. It was a normal Friday night. Tonight was movie night with Lena. It was movie night-
The winds started howling again. They always started howling.
Kara’s eyes fluttered open, somber as they landed on the stalactites on the cavern’s ceiling. With a shaking breath, she sat up, wiping away at the tears she had been ignoring. She no longer wondered if she’d ever see Lena, or Alex, or Eliza again. It simply wasn’t worth pondering. At least she could hug her father.
Kryptonians called this place the prison dimension. But it was hell.
Two months earlier…
“To think I was sincere with you yesterday,” Lena said coldly. “Then I guess you’re used to being two-faced.” Lena’s body wanted to tremble with fury, but she kept her demeanor cool and expressionless as she turned on her heel, activating the portal watch to walk out of the Fortress.
She didn’t go back to her lab, where Lex was no doubt waiting, eager to rub Kara’s hypocrisy in Lena’s face. She would go back for Patient 054 in another hour or so. Until then… she found her portal pointing to her condo, stepping through and collapsing on her couch in exhaustion.
Lex knew. How, she didn’t know. But there was no such thing as coincidence when it came to his timing - he knew that Kara was using Myriad, and showed up in Lena’s lab to drive her into the Fortress. Of course he’s not telling me everything, she thought. That was never in the agreement.
Lena’s face found her way into her hands. It didn’t really matter what Lex did and didn’t know. Kara’s double-standard with her own rules was infuriating. She would never stop seeing herself as the hero, or the Luthor as a villain. She had said as much herself - blaming Lex for the disappearances of those people, without a shred of proof. The presumption of innocence was a luxury that a Luthor didn't deserve.
I will do everything in my power to stop you. Just like I would any other villain.
Lena reached for her tablet, pulling up the Patient 054 data. She wasn’t too far off from being able to simply fix humanity. They were not far from a world where running a few lines of code would turn off all immoral feelings.
Lena’s jaw tensed. Her fingers ran over the screen, but her eyes drifted to the table where an old photo lay, face-down, in an attempt to be forgotten. There were other feelings Lena was looking forward to suppressing, too.
How could my Earth Prime counterpart be such an idiot?, Lex thought, glancing down again in irritation at his portal watch.
It hadn’t quite gone to plan. Lena was supposed to return to the lab, and she did… eventually. Apparently she had made a pit stop in her penthouse first, erasing the location of the Fortress from the listed last destination of the portal watch. Apparently the Lex of this Earth didn’t think it might be useful to have a longer history log on the watch.
No matter, Lex thought. This was a simple delay in plans. He had succeeded in driving a wedge between Lena and the irritating kryptonian. He would acquire kryptonite, one way or another, and then Leviathan would have all they needed to kill Supergirl and take over humanity.
Which he would kindly take over afterwards, of course.
Lex activated the watch again, stepping through the portal and back into Luthor mansion. I may have to enlist that Coluan runt to make the kryptonite, he thought to himself, as plans began to formulate. It may take longer, but I can’t afford to draw suspicion on this Earth…
“Lex.”
Lex glanced up, startled by his mother’s voice. But there she peacefully sat, in the still-disconcerting petal pink that both he and Lena detested, the chess board laid out before her. She had taken a seat next to the black pieces, gesturing to Lex to take the seat across.
Sunday morning chess, Lex thought, before smiling - almost convincingly - and taking his seat next to white. “Hate to say I told you so,” Lex said, as his mother tilted her head and raised a characteristic brow. “But it all went according to plan. Lena is back on our side.”
“For now, I’m sure,” Lillian said, watching as Lex took his characteristic King’s Pawn Opening. Always in a rush, she thought. This new Lex preferred such boring chess tactics, and Lillian found herself briefly missing the Zukertort openings that her son would prefer.
Lex glanced up at his mother’s words, before sighing nonchalantly, trying to pretend he wasn’t taking the bait, as he watched his mother’s opening move. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve driven a wedge before,” Lillain said patiently, almost indifferently, as Lex moved his piece. “What did you say happened on your Earth? Lena… killed you?”
“Minor setback.”
“Of course,” Lillian noted. A brief silence fell as she moved her next piece. “My question is, what makes you think they can’t overcome this wedge? How long before you find them… playing Pictionary.”
“Time is on my side, mother,” Lex replied, reaching for his bishop.
“So you can guarantee to me,” Lillian said evenly, “That if the alien comes to Lena with those sad puppy dog eyes, it won’t tug at a single one of Lena’s many irritating heartstrings?”
Lex glanced up from the chessboard. “Are you recommending something, or is this yet another attempt to get me to leave the kryptonian alone?”
“Neither,” Lillian replied. “You’re a clever boy, you’ll figure something out. All I’m saying is that, if you want to permanently drive Lena away from the alien, the alien would have to do something unforgivable.”
Kara grabbed at the device, yelling "It's lead-lined!" into the comms. 38 seconds remaining
With a leap, she broke up through the ceiling of Luthor’s Children’s Hospital, using her arms to shield the device from damage that might set it off early. Who on Earth would bomb a children’s hospital?, she thought, anger creeping at the edges of her concentration.
“We don’t know what’s in it,” Alex’s voice said rapidly in her ear. “You need to throw it. If it’s a kryptonite trap, it could kill you.”
“There isn’t time,” Kara shouted to her earpiece. “If it’s nuclear, I need to get it as high as possible.”
“Kara, don’t you dare-”
“Just have J’onn on stand by to catch me,” Kara shouted, glancing down at the device in her arms. 23 seconds remaining. “And Alex,” she said. “You know the rule. Everyone gets their letters. Everyone.”
“Don’t you dare die on me, Kara-”
“I won’t,” Kara said, before reaching one hand behind her ear to shut off the communicator. Her sister begging for her life would be too much of a distraction. It’s probably not kryptonite, it’s probably not kryptonite, she told herself nervously, a prayer as much as a hope.
17 seconds remaining.
Kara’s breath grew more labored, as she shot up into thinner and thinner air, thinking of the simple wooden box hidden under her bed. A series of letters, addressed to everyone important in her life, should the worst happen.
9 seconds remaining.
She hadn’t told anyone about the box until after her fallout with Lena - she wouldn’t put it past Alex to burn Lena’s letter. So Kara made her sister swear that Lena would be able to have hers if she wanted it. Even if Kara couldn’t tell Lena everything in life… Lena had the right to know. Sometimes it’s easier to say I love you and I’m sorry after you’re gone.
6 seconds remaining.
Lex probably didn’t have kryptonite, not on this Earth, not when the Luthors and the Supers worked in partnership. It would be too suspicious to generate the rock. But Lex could not be underestimated. And only so many people would be willing to bomb a children’s hospital…
Three… two… one…
Kara thrust the bomb upwards, letting herself fall away as she watched the explosion play out in front of her. And for an instant, she was relieved - the plume of smoke lacked the threatening green that haunted her dreams.
But her eyes widened as the blast caught up to her. Because while it would ultimately not harm her, the shrapnel and smoke seemed intermixed with a concerning glimmer of red.
As her teapot whistled, Lena turned away from the city skyline view of her condo, walking back to the kitchen. With tepid exhaustion, she poured hot water into her mug, watching the tea disperse. Her phone started ringing again.
Incoming call: Alex Danvers
Lena scoffed, clicking the button on the side of her phone to mute the ringing. Alex had called not 30 seconds ago, and Lena hadn’t picked up - you’d think she’d take the hint.
Lena glanced down at her tea, watching it morph from clear water to a dark, murky substance, hoping that it would eventually wind her down enough to sleep. Lena rubbed her eyes tiredly, thinking of the damn LuthorCorp business she would have to attend to Monday morning. It was nothing particularly difficult, but it formed irritating interruptions to her work on Non Nocere.
Lena heard the distinctive double tap on her balcony. What now?, she thought. Perhaps another lecture on how not to be the villain. Or going back to the endless apology strategy. Lena didn’t bother to look up, knowing that Kara knew Lena was aware of her presence.
Lena’s phone starts buzzing, the same name appearing for yet a third time. Lena rolled her eyes, and angrily picked up the phone. “What?”
“Lena, you need to go into lockdown, now.”
That was not the call Lena was expecting. “Your sister is on my balcony, Alex,” Lena said with a sneer, “I’m sure she can handle whatever the hell you’re calling about.” She heard Kara open the door, stepping inside to her living room. Lena’s frustration rose. As deceitful as Kara was, she was never so impolite as to barge in.
“Lena, she’s been infected-” Burning warmth radiated in Lena’s hand, causing her to drop her phone and jump back in shock. She looked down at her now-melted cell, then back up at the Kryptonian, her anger giving way to astonishment and fear.
She had heard, of course, of the day Supergirl decided to terrorize the city. And learned long after about red kryptonite, and its effects on her kind. But Kara standing there, deep red highlighting the veins on her face, suddenly everything came into focus. Kara was there, and Kara was going to kill her.
“Hello, Lena.”