#Supergirl (again) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

natalievoncatte · 3 months

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CW: Violence and such

A wave of air rolled over Lena and she heard the telltale crackle of one of Lex’s portals. Waiting in the shadows, she watched him stumble into the room, bruised and panting.

She wasted no time, stepping forward and shoving the device into the crook of his neck like a stun gun. His body went rigid as she relieved of him of his stolen powers, negating the effects of the Harun-El serum he’d manipulating her into creating. Something else he stole from her.

He stumbled back and turned. She already had the gun out in her hand, aimed at his chest. He backed away, moving to the far end of the room, in front of banks of computers and monitors.

“Hello, sis. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“Save it,” said Lena, raising the gun in front of her to aim at his head.

A heartbeat passed. Lex grinned.

“If you were going to shoot me, you’d have done it by now.”

“I can’t let you live,” Lena said, feeling the weight of each word as it escaped her, weighing her down. “The world will never be safe as long as you live.”

“Oh, dear sister,” said Lex. “Take it from someone with experience. If you’re going to murder someone in cold blood, work yourself up before you get to the scene. It prevents awkward situations like this.”

“Shut up.”

“You might want to make sure you have the right target, while you’re at it.”

Lena let out a long, slow sigh.

“Put your hands on the table and don’t move a muscle.”

Lex laughed. “What, are you arresting me now?”

There was another soft puff of air, and then a shriek of rending metal as the doors buckled in. Supergirl stormed into the room, parting the steel the way a normal woman might part curtains. She stomped into the room, even more bruised and bloody than Lex, hair matted with mud and blood, eyes blazing with righteous fury.

“You,” she snarled. “Murderer!”

“We’ve established that”, Lex said, almost casually.

Lena still held the gun ready, aimed at his chest.

“You can put that down, Miss Luthor. He’s not getting away this time. We can track his portals now.”

“Oh, can you?” Said Lex. “That’ll certainly be a wrinkle in my plans.”

“You’re not making any more plans,” Lena spat, fighting back tears as she thumbed back the hammer on her revolver.

That’s it, Lex’s voice murmured in her mind. Ease the hammer back and you just have to touch the trigger and it’ll go off. I had it tuned special for you. Remember, aim small, miss small.

“Miss Luthor,” Supergirl said, turning to her. “Don’t do that.”

“If you take him to jail, he’ll just get out again,” said Lena. “He’ll just escape and kill more people.” She choked out a sob. “He’ll kill you eventually. We have to win every time. He just has to win once.”

“Sounds like a good reason for you to join the winning team, Lena.”

Lena put her finger on the trigger, and Supergirl stepped between them.

“Don’t,” she said, very softly. “He wants you to be like him. We’re the good guys, Lena. We don’t kill. You’re one of the good guys.”

“No I’m not,” Lena said, her voice hitching.

“Yes you are. I believe you, Lena.”

Lena met her eyes, their gazes linking with that same pull she felt whenever she made eye contact with the Maid of Might, and she faltered. Lex was right. She didn’t have it in her. Not now. Not in front of her. Lena lowered the gun and Supergirl gave her a soft, ethereal, profoundly familiar smile.

Lex shoved a Kryptonite dagger into her back, and Supergirl cried out in agony, green poison ripping through her flesh. With a savage grin, he twisted the knife, breaking off the fragile blade with a hideous snap.

Lena forgot everything but Supergirl as she collapsed to the floor, rushing to kneel beside her. Supergirl convulsed, her back arching brutally as she stared into the void, blood gurgling in her throat.

“Cooked that one up special,” said Lex, panting. “She has minutes at most.”

Lena did not speak. She raised her gun and shot him twice in the chest, two rapid thunderclaps that left her ears ringing, and he toppled back into the wall.

“Fuck,” he choked out. “Guess you do… have it…”

“Shut up!” Lena screamed, “you fucking bastard! Shut up!”

“But that’s not all, Lex choked out. “I’ve got one…” he coughed, “one more… for you…”

Feebly, he reached into his jacket and drew out a remote control, hand shaking as he strained to activate it.

The monitors lit up, assaulting her with a savage truth. She saw Kara Danvers breathe grown men off their feet, blasting the searing heat of a dead star from her eyes, snatch bullets from the air.

“Kara Danvers… is Supergirl.” Lex grinned out, with a rattling laugh. “She’s been lying to you… manipulating…”

Something glinted on his wrist. The watch. The portal watch.

Lena lunged, throwing herself at him. Lex pulled his hand away and shoved. He pushed her back and threw himself on top of her, sending the gun sliding away. Pinning her wrist to the cold floor, he knees into her stomach, crushing the breath out of her in an explosion of pain.

With his other hand, he rapped his chest. “Bulletproof vest. Couple broken ribs. Should have brought a bigger gun, Lena.”

Lex knotted his fingers in her hair, pulling savagely to turn her head, forcing her to look.

Kara lay on the floor, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. A low moan escaped her throat and she rolled on her side, looking at Lena with eyes streaked with putrid green.

“I’m sorry,” Kara rasped out. “I’m sorry, Lena.”

Lena stared, a hopeless, helpless feeling spreading through her as though she sank into freezing water.

“I for-“ she began, only for Lex to close his hands around her throat.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you having a moment?”

Lena flailed as he tightened his grip on her, her head pounding and her lungs burning as he crushed down her airway. Lena thrashed, desperate to fight him off.

I’m going to die. I’m going to die and I never told her.

With a scream of animal fury, somehow, Kara threw herself at him, bodily knocking him away from Lena, freeing her.

It must have been the last of Kara’s strength, because she collapsed in a boneless heap, moaning. Lex snarled, jamming his thumb into Kara’s wound.

“Oh my, I hope you weren’t using that kidney.”

Lena rolled. She grabbed the gun, rolled again.

Aim small, miss small.

Bang.

Lex snapped back, away from Kara, his genius fanned out from his skull to paint the wall. Lena ignored the sight, forced herself not to think about what she just did, forced herself to feel no pain as she scrambled to his body and peeled the watch off his wrist, locking it around her own. She had to hope.

The interface was simple enough.

“Almost there,” she told Kara. “Almost.”

The portal swirled to life and Lena began screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Help! It’s Kryptonite, help her!”

Alex stormed through, eyes going wide at the scene before her. She immediately began shouting orders. Someone pulled Lena away from Kara, forcing their laced fingers apart. Lena told herself that Kara was going to be okay, that her hand hadn’t been cold and limp and lifeless, she pleaded for it to be true.

The only thing she said was “let me see Kara.” As they bandaged and examined her, it became a refrain. A chant. Alex finally came in to the medical bay and looked at her, a little piteously.

“Kara’s fine, Lena. She’s at her apartment. We just need…”

“She’s Supergirl,” Lena rasped through her bruises throat, “please let me see her.”

Alex swallowed hard. “I can’t. She’s in surgery to get the Kryptonite out of her abdomen. We can’t go in. It’s very delicate and the procedure has to be done under red sunlamps.”

“Please just let me see she’s alive.”

Alex nodded gently, and helped Lena to her feet. Her head was pounding, her knees pained her, and she ached where Lex had knees and choked her. She had to lean on Alex’s shoulder to walk to the operating room.

They watched through a window and Lena couldn’t help but stare. Kara lay on the table on her side, and oxygen mask over her face. There was blood in her hair and she was covered in bruises -even around her own throat- and she looked so small, so delicate and fragile. Lena pressed against the glass and strained with her entire being not to cry.

Alex placed a soft hand on her back. “Let it out.”

Lena did just that, sobbing into Alex’s shoulder.

“You saved my sister, Lena.”

Lena wept harder. Alex waited for it to stop, for Lena to pull back and swipe at her eyes like a child and step back.

There was a bench outside the operating ward. Lena sat down and refused to move. Eventually, Alex brought her food, but she didn’t eat. Nia tried to cheer her, and Brainy came to give her more details about Kara’s condition, probably trying to soothe her.

Lena waited in silence, needing to know of her sun would ever rise again. She waited and waited until, finally, beautifully, they rolled Kara out. She leapt from her seat and stormed after the medics, Alex joining her moments later.

They put Kara in a bed and connected more equipment to her, and hooked up another IV. The red light coming from the ceiling gave the room an eerie, sanguine glow.

“Why the red lamps?” said Lena.

“She has too much Kryptonite in her system,” said Alex. “We need to flush it out before we can turn on the sunlight and let her heal up fully.”

Lena swallowed, hard.

“Is my lab equipment still here?”

“Yes, why?”

Lena turned without a word. “Brainy,” she called, without looking for him, “get down here and help me.”

In the lab, Lena began to work, drawing on everything she knew, while Brainy structured and prepared the nanites for her.

Seven hours later, she returned to the recovery ward and found Alex quietly bent over her sister’s wounded body. She might have been praying. Eliza Danvers had joined her, and Lena momentarily paused, a little scared of the older woman, for reasons she couldn’t say.

Alex looked up, spotting the syringe of dark fluid in Lena’s hands.

“What’s that?”

“A cure for Kryptonite.”

Alex blinked. “You cured Kryptonite poisoning?”

“No. I cured Kryptonite. She’ll never have to fear it again.”

Alex blinked, and looked at her mother. They both looked at Lena, who nodded and injected the fluid into Kara’s IV.

It only took a few minutes. The green bruises all over her body began to fade and her breathing steadied. She moved slighty, groaned, and reached out.

“Lena,” she whispered.

“She’s okay,” said Alex. “She’s here. Everybody is here for you, sis. Lex got you pretty good but the surgeons and Lena patched you up again.”

“Hurts.”

“I know.”

“Lena.”

Alex swallowed. “I’m going to go get the yellow sunlamps set up.”

“I’ll help,” said Eliza.

As the both left, Lena waited an awkward beat and then rushed to Kara’s beside, lacing her fingers with those of Kara’s reaching hand.

“Kara, it’s me. I’m here.”

“I’m sorry.”

Lena sat down in the chair Alex had been using and smoothed back some of Kara’s hair, to better look into those beautiful blue eyes. Kara smiled softly.

“I lied to you,” Kara whispered.

“I know. I… I can’t say I don’t care but… it doesn’t seem to matter that much.”

Kara sighed. “I want to make it better.”

“I know,” said Lena, her voice cracking. “Kara, don’t worry about it now. Listen to me, okay?”

She gave a slight nod.

Lena sucked in a breath, feeling the ache in her belly and the burn in her throat. The desire to release these words warred with the fear and the anguish and the dread. She was about to reveal a truth of her own, one that she’d held so deep that she barely knew it was there until she saw the light dying behind Kara’s eyes.

The release of them was relief, like unyoking a great weight from her shoulders.

“I love you.”

“Lena…”

“No, please listen. I don’t mean as a friend, Kara. I mean I have feelings for you. Intense feelings. I… I don’t know if that’s something you’d ever want, but if it is, is there. If it’s not, you don’t how me anything. I’m still your friend. It’s just…”

Kara squeezed her hand ever so gently. Lena had forgotten that she even held it. She went quiet, waiting, feeling dread and hope swelling in her chest.

“Would it be forward of me to ask for a kiss?” Kara whispered.”

“No,” said Lena.

Kara’s lips were soft and warm, and though it was awkward to bend and place a soft peck on Kara’s lips, she did. She remained bent over the side of the bed, her forehead resting against Kara’s, sharing something quiet and fragile.

“I’ll make it up to you,” said Kara. “I will, I promise.”

“You already have,” said Lena. “I just hope I don’t screw this up.”

“You wont. I believe in Lena Luthor.”

Lena cracked a smiled, sighing, and ran a hand down Kara’s arm, reveling in her new freedom of touch, now matter how limited.

Alex cleared her throat.

“She needs a full day under the sun lamps,” said Alex, without elaborating.

Lena drew back but did not loose he grip on Kara’s hand.

“She’s going to get every minute of it.”

“Good,” said Alex. “Kara, are you hungry?”

Kara nodded.

“I’ll scrounge up something for you to eat. I have to find Nia first.”

“Why?” said Lena.

Alex offered a smile.

“She owes me fifty bucks.”

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vox-ex · 7 months

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desk

Supercorptober 2023

“People are a lot more knowable than they think they are.” ― Sally Rooney

or a preque and a sequel to day 3 - Kara

---

There are a couple things that are important to know.

One is that Lena Luthor has a specific ringtone for Kara Danvers.

Two is that she never brings her personal phone into the Monthly board meeting that happens on the second Thursday of every month.

Third, whenever there is a concerning report about Supergirl on the news, Jess notices that Kara Danvers always calls.

Today is the second Thursday of October.

So Lena did not see the news.

Did not see Supergirl bleeding on the ground.

Did not see the camera cut out before she could get up.

And it wouldn't usually worry her so much.

Except Kara hasn't called.

"Jess?" Lena's confusion is palpable, etched across her features as Jess opens the door a little harder and a little quicker than she probably meant to.

"Ms. Luthor, I'm sorry—I'm so, so sorry to interrupt, but…" The sound of her own voice rang through Jess's ears as she stammered out the words. They get caught in her throat, unsure how much she's supposed to know, what she's supposed to say.

She could feel the weight of Lena's gaze on her, like something physical.

"I'm sorry, everyone, I'm sorry, but I…I have to go," her voice wavering slightly as she addressed the board members seated around the conference table.

Jess watched in equal parts relief and trepidation as Lena rose from her chair, her expression a blend of determination and vulnerability.

Jess stays behind for a second. Reassures the board members, still sitting there unmoored in their seats, that she will call their offices to reschedule, that Ms. Luthor is sorry, and that they should understand some things like this just can't be avoided.

They exchanged uncertain glances but, in the end, seem to accept the apology, murmuring their understanding as they gathered their belongings,

Jess catches up with Lena in her office.

Jacket half on, struggling to pull the sleeve up her arm as it tries to push past the barrier of her trembling hands. Jess steps up beside her, slides it up for her, meeting her eyes only briefly before she spins back around to finish shrugging it onto both shoulders.

Jess busied herself with gathering her things. Papers, her laptop, and a few others she didn't even really pay attention to.

"Jess, do you see my phone?" Lena asked, her voice strained.

"Right here." Jess hands her the phone that had been tucked under a stack of reports on her desk.

"Thank you," Lena mumbled, looking at it quickly before sliding it into her pocket, frustrated — scared.

Her eyes dart around the room as if looking for something else.

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" Jess ventured tentatively.

"No, no," Lena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just need a second."

Jess nodded, her eyes filled with worry.

"Frank's bringing the car, around," Lena said, more to herself than to her.

"Ms. Luthor," Jess began, taking a deep breath, "I know it doesn't help, but I think the news probably always makes it sound worse, you know."

"Thank you, Jess," Lena replied softly, centering back on her at least for a moment before her phone buzzed in her pocket, and then she was gone.

Jess hesitated. There were things she needed to do.

Meetings to reschedule.

She busied herself with tidying Lena's desk instead. Straightening papers, replacing pens in their holders, and ordering new flowers.

It felt more useful somehow.

----

Ms. Luthor calls to tell her she isn't coming in the following day, tells her she should stay home too.

But Jess has work she can get caught up on, and to be honest, she doesn't mind the distraction.

She does, however, mind Kara Danvers showing up in front of her desk just as she's sitting down with her lunch.

"Shit, shit-shit," Jess gasped, dropping her sandwich and knocking over her little cactus sending dirt scattering all over the R&D reports she had just spent all morning organizing.

"Shit!"

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry Jess, I didn't mean to startle you— um here — here let me help."

Kara reaches toward the mess, tilting the pot back upright as she grabs the little cactus, only to quickly drop it back down, pulling her finger away and shaking out her hand.

"Hey, ouch!"

Jess watched in disbelief as Kara shook her hand, trying to dislodge the tiny needles.

And here's the thing.

It should be funny.

It should be funny that a grown woman doesn't realize that palming a cactus like that wouldn't have this exact effect.

It should be funny that Supergirl is standing in front of her with her finger shoved into her mouth to stop it from bleeding after having been viscously attacked by a desk plant.

But here's the thing.

Jess knows Kara is Supergirl.

But the two have still managed to remain very separate in her mind up until know.

So, while the sight of Supergirl bleeding at all is always disconcerting, it's the sight of Supergirl dressed in her boss' girlfriend's clothes bleeding that feels utterly surreal.

Jess takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the shock and confusion.

"Are you okay?" she asks cautiously, eyeing Kara's bleeding finger.

She nods, pulling her finger out of her mouth to examine it.

"Yeah, just a little prick from your uhh, pointy friend there," she says with a small smile pointing with her other hand at the offending plant.

Jess blinks, takes in Kara more fully. The tired look in her eyes, the dinosaur bandaids peaking out from under her sleeves.

"Did you name it yet?"

Jess shakes her head, caught off guard a second time.

"No…I-uh, hadn't uh —"

Then, a third.

"Kara?"

Lena's voice echoes from inside her office.

"I'm out here…talking to Jess."

Kara calls back, and Jess watches her carefully tuck her hand into her pocket, hiding any evidence of her bleeding finger as Lena steps out to join them.

"Jess, hi, sorry I didn't think you'd be here since I wasn't coming in."

"Yet here you are as well, Ms. Luthor."

"Yes, well, I wanted to get a few reports to work on from home; I didn't mean to slip in without letting you know."

"I left for a minute to get my lunch." She gestures to the half-eaten sandwich resting in the spilled potting soil.

Lena looks at Kara. "What did you do?"

"Wha-why, why do you think I did anything?"

"Because we both know how clumsy you are without --" Lena's voice trailed off as Jess cleared her throat. Still unsure if she was supposed to know what she knew.

"Let's just say accidents happen."

Kara shot Jess a grateful look as she reached out to pick up the cactus again, but Lena grabbed her wrist gently.

"Are you bleeding?"

"Yes."

"No"

"Ugh…Yes and No. I was, but it stopped."

She holds out her finger for Lena to get a closer look.

"I tried picking up Gerald…and I didn't realize how prickly they were."

"Gerald?" Jess asks confused

Kara points to the cactus.

"You said you hadn't named them yet, so I was just trying it out."

Lena pinches the bridge of her nose, fighting a smile.