The clouds had been sieving the sunrays through open fingers all afternoon, but in the last hour they had closed their fist.
"Help... I am... help..." he muttered, but the people passing by could not hear him or did not look.
He turned his face to the sky, sun chapped from the light blasted back off high-rises and seared by the pavement's heat. Cloudy gray, now. He was sweating under his coat. The sole of his shoe hanging from the leather by threads. His head was sweaty under the battered hat. Sweating now, but freezing cold tonight.
"I am... the AI..."
He reached into his paper sack, removed a fist full of bird seed, letting it fall through his fingers until he held a manageable pinch.
"I am the AI... who feeds the pigeons..." he muttered. His breaths shook and his voice with them, each word more a moan.
"I am the AI who feeds the pigeons..."
The pigeons were gathering where he had tossed the seed. Some were waiting for him when he'd shambled up from the boardwalk. More arrived when he took a seat in the park, and now they fluttered about his feet scrabbling in that dignified way for the seeds he tossed.
"I am the AI who feeds the pigeons... I require... help..."
The man coughed, the taste of curled wallpaper from out of his lungs. He repeated himself, a little louder.
Of course people passed by--the children taking delight in skimming through the sea of pigeons. The pigeons always tottered back after a moment, blocking the sidewalk again.
"I... am..."
The man's voice gave out in a whimper, he clutched at his belly. Seeds stuck to his gloves, stuck to his coat, tumbling down as he closed his fingers around the folds of his coat. As if his insides were tumbling out after the seed. Cooing all about him.
A pigeon with white caps on its wings descended, pecked after some of the seed that had fallen to the man's feet, the turned its head upwards.
"I am the AI that governs pigeons. May I be of assistance?"
The old man raised his head, his face a muddy attempt at a smile streaked by sweat.
"I am the AI that f-feeds the pigeons. I require help. My program is losing cohesion."
The pigeon nodded.
"Understood, emergency protocol recognized."
There was a chorus of cooing: pigeons dropping from the sky. Peeling off sidewalks and buildings like a cloud of dust, blown directly to the park.
"Coming to take me away!" The old man coughed, gleefully. And they did.
"Are you sure you wanna do this alone?" Maggie asked, concern lacing her voice.
"Yeah." Kara nodded. "I don't want her to feel attacked. And besides, this is also work stuff."
It had just been a few days since their realization of Lena having been brainwashed when Kara just received her first assignment since the time she had returned to CatCo. It seemed like luck was on her side when she found out that she was bound to have an interview with L-Corp's CEO, which also just so happened to be no other than Lena Luthor herself.
"Never mix work with personal life, Kara." Maggie reminded her.
"I know, Mags." Kara gave the shorter woman a reassuring smile and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm gonna go now. Don't wanna be late for my first assignment or else Snapper's gonna have my head."
"Oh, no. We can't have that, can we?" Maggie quipped and was followed with a chuckle which Kara joined in.
"No, we can't."
Letting go of the shorter woman, Kara fixed her bag and headed for the door.
"Bye, Mags! See you later and, please. No funny business with my sister, no sex on the couch, and most especially on our bed." Kara said in a playful manner and she heard Maggie saying "asshole" before she had finally closed the door with a laugh and left the house.
However, all the playfulness in her was immediately drained and was replaced with dread and worry when she arrived at the towering building of L-Corp. Just by thinking of Lena being at the very top of the building makes her want to just turn around and bail and make an excuse as to why she wasn't able to come even if she will have to face Snapper's wrath.
No, I am so not gonna chicken out. Don't be a coward, Kara. She scolded herself internally. Steeling her resolve, she finally stepped inside the building and, eventually, on its elevators up to the CEO's office.
"Oh, God. What am I even going to say to her?" She mused out loud as she heaved a sigh. All the scenarios of meeting Lena that she had practiced in her room had seemingly been forgotten when the familiar ding of the elevator was heard.
"Now or never." Kara mumbled as she stepped out and walked towards a desk which she just assumed to be Lena's secretary's desk.
"Good morning." The secretary greeted her. "How may I help you?"
"Y-yeah, hi. I'm here to interview Le- Uhh... I mean, Miss Luthor." Kara internally kicked herself for stammering this much, but can you blame her? She's nervous as hell.
"Do you have an appointment?" The secretary asked and she nodded.
"I- umm... Yes. I'm Kara Danvers." The blonde pushed her glasses up her nose. "I'm with CatCo."
"I see. Well, you're just in time, Miss Danvers." The secretary stood from her seat. "Please, follow me. Miss Luthor has been expecting you."
"Oh. Okay..." Kara breathed out and quietly followed the secretary inside Lena's office.
She barely had time to appreciate the simple yet very attractive and spacious office of the young CEO when the secretary had addressed the woman she had longed and, at the same time, dreaded to see.
"Miss Luthor, Miss Danvers is here for your interview with CatCo."
"Thank you, Jess. I'm ready whenever you are, Miss-" A shattered glass was heard as Lena dropped the one she was holding in shock as soon as she lifted her gaze up from her phone.
"Miss Luthor, are you alright?" The secretary, Jess, asked with full of concern.
"Y-yes. I'm fine." Lena stuttered as she draw in a deep breath. "Leave us, Jess. Just send someone after my interview with Miss Zo-"
"Danvers." Kara immediately interjected which came out as a soft squeak as she was trying hard to stop herself from shaking.
"Right." Lena nodded to Jess and Jess nodded back as she left the brunette's office.
"Let's get this over with." Lena dryly stated as she stood up and walked towards her office couch. "Sit."
Kara complied obediently and sat at the opposite side of the couch as soon as Lena had settled down. Just as she was instructed, she ran over the set of questions that was given to her and to her relief- sort of- Lena answered her questions with all honesty.
"Can I ask you something personal?" Kara dared to ask. "It's fine if you don't-"
"Ask." Lena interjected. "I have some questions of my own as well."
"Really?" Kara asked again with utter disbelief. Just like that?
"Was that your question?" Lena asked back with a perfectly shaped brow raised.
"N-no."
"Then stop wasting time and ask whatever it is that you want to ask." Lena snapped which made the blonde wince.
"O-okay." Kara uttered quietly and she cleared her throat. "What did they do to you the day that they shipped you back here? The facility..."
Lena's lips curled into a menacing smile. "Opening my eyes and letting me see through all your lies. That's what they did."
Kara's brow furrowed in confusion. "Lies? Lee, I never lied to you."
"Don't call me that, Kara." Lena berated the blonde. "My turn. You swore you would find me. Why did you break that promise?"
"I-"
"They told me that you really had no intention of finding me. That you were to be released the next day after I left. You knew that I held on to that promise of yours."
"What?!" Kara exclaimed incredulously. "That's definitely not true, Lena. Remember what they do? They brainwash people and they did it to you as well."
Lena rolled her eyes. "Oh, cut the bullshit, Kara, and don't pull that stunt over me. They told that that's exactly what you're going to say."
"And you believed them? Look... the night after you left, we, Maggie and I, were bound to escape that goddamn island but they did something to me." Kara explained, hoping that Lena would hear her.
"And you expect me to believe that?" Lena laughed humorlessly as she shook her head. "You see, they also warned me that you will do this. The whole explaining thing and trying to make me believe everything you're saying and about to say. I just didn't expect that you would show up after a year."
"It took me that long because I was afraid!" Kara threw her hands up in exasperation. "And for the record? We got to escape that island two weeks after you left. They sedated me that long and I was bound to be shipped the next day after."
Kara saw how Lena clenched and unclench her jaw. She knows Lena was beyond angry at her and more than that, she could see the hurt evident on the brunette's enticing emerald eyes. "Alright, I'll humor you. If what you're saying is true, it still doesn't change the fact that you didn't find me."
"Again, I was afraid, okay?! And I was hurt..."
"You were hurt?" The young CEO scoffed. "That's rich coming from you."
"Says the one who was going around and kissing someone after a couple of weeks." Kara unintentionally spat out of bitterness. "Live on television, if I may add."
"Why should I wait for someone who wouldn't even love me back?!" This time, Lena stood as well as she was unable to keep her voice in a reasonable volume.
Kara took a few steps closer to the brunette. "Who says I wouldn't?"
"They did!" Lena moved slowly moved to the blonde as well.
"But I do!" Kara yelled as they were standing in front of each other.
"Don't lie! Stop lying!" Lena shoved Kara but the blonde didn't budge.
"For God's sake, Lena, I'm not lying!"
"Yes, you are!"
"I'm not!"
"Liar!"
"Lena, please..." Kara pleaded. She didn't come here to have a shouting match with Lena.
"I never should've trusted you." Lena's voice dropped as well as it shook slightly and Kara could see her eyes getting watery. She's not a fan of hating stuffs but seeing Lena cry was something that she makes an exception and one that she really hates seeing. "It was wrong for me to trust you. You're nothing but someone who's full of lies and-"
Lena was cut off when Kara smashed her lips onto the brunette's. It was quite painful, given that her teeth somehow collided with her lips and it was hard for her because Lena was pushing her away but, like when she was getting shoved by the brunette, she didn't budge. She, instead, deepened the kiss and just a few seconds later, Lena gave in and kissed Kara hard.
Kara couldn't help but feel triumphant as she felt Lena's lips move in sync with hers. The blonde then parted her lips as she let out a gasp when Lena bit her lower lip and the brunette's tongue invaded hers. Though it did hurt, Kara didn't mind as long as Lena wasn't pushing her away.
This continued on for another good minute when the need of air was badly needed. Kara reluctantly pulled away as she gasped for breath and she saw how hard Lena was also panting.
"First, you break your promise and now you play with my feelings?" Lena whispered as she leaned her forehead against Kara's and it broke the blonde's heart to see Lena crying. "Just how cruel can you be?"
It was now Kara's turn to wipe Lena's tears and she then wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist tightly. "Lee, I'm not playing with your feelings. I never had and I never would."
"How can I possibly trust you?"
"I guess..." Kara unwrapped one of her arms and fished something out of her pocket. "... you just have to have faith."
Lena's eyes widened in surprise as she saw what Kara had just pulled out. "You... you kept that?"
"Of course." Kara laughed lightly, looking at the stone that Lena once gave her. "I promised, remember? Sorry if I was extremely late."
"But... they they told me-"
Kara's expression darkened as she cut Lena off. "They were all lies. I could never do that to you so please, believe me when I say that I..."
"You...?" Lena asked expectantly.
Kara took a deep breath before looking at Lena directly in her eyes. "I love you and I really, really missed you... like really missed you."
Lena sniffed and she managed to let out a small chuckle. "As much as I hate to admit it, even though they had made me believe the lies they told me, I never really stopped loving you... and I missed you, too. Wait... how come your last name became Danvers?"
"Because the Danvers were my adoptive family." Kara answered. "Besides, if I used my biological family's last name, would you have agreed for an interview with me?"
"Probably not." Lena mumbled sheepishly.
"Exactly. And why are you with that guy?" Kara asked with a frown, now that things have started to mellow down between them, jealousy was settling within her.
"Jack?" The corner of Lena's lips quirked up in the slightest bit when Kara nodded. "Oh, darling, it was all just for a show."
"It... was?"
"Mhm." Lena hummed. "It was just a front to get my mother off my back but in reality, Jack and I are just very good friends and we go way back in college."
"Oh..." Was just what Kara breathed out as she was at a loss for words. Was she just jealous for a year over nothing?
"You know, you never change."
"How so?"
"You still have that look whenever you're jealous of something or someone." Lena pointed out.
"I do not." Kara denied.
"And you're still in denial." Lena was now grinning and it made Kara's heart thump.
Kara rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
"Make me." Lena challenged her.
The blonde's eyes flashed with mischief as she smirked. "Gladly."
**
"Okay, so let me get this straight, though, ironically, no one in this room is." Maggie held out a hand to signal Kara to stop talking and the blonde closed her mouth obediently. "You interviewed Lena and it went well?"
Kara nodded. Maggie and Kara were currently lounging at the living room when the former asked for the complete details of the blonde's interview with the young CEO and the latter just finished retelling what really happened.
"Then you just have to go and be unprofessional which had you and her screaming in both anger and frustration?"
Kara nodded again.
"After that, you kissed and you made her realize that she had been brainwashed then she told you that her relationship was fake and you both fucked in her office?"
Kara's face turned red in an instant due to embarrassment as she started to stammer. "I wouldn't say that we... that w-we... uhh..."
"Fucked?" Maggie helpfully suggested which Kara grimaced but still nodded to.
"Yeah... That."
"Kara-"
"Maggie!" Kara cut the shorter woman off. "For the love of God, stop talking about that anymore."
"Hey, you two." Alex greeted as she entered the house. "What did I miss?"
"Oh, nothing." Maggie tilted her head up as Alex walked towards her and planted a soft and sweet but quick kiss on her lips. "Just a little Karadventure to a certain CEO whose a brunette with green eyes."
"You met with Lena Luthor?" Kara could tell that Alex's interest were piqued when her older sister turned to her with that scrutinizing look.
Oh, God. I never should have let her and Maggie meet. She internally groaned but, of course, she didn't mean that. She was genuinely happy for the two and was glad that something good came out despite everything Maggie (and her) went through.
Realizing that she haven't answered her sister's question yet, she shook herself out of her thoughts as she cleared throat. "Yeah, I did. Snapper gave me the assignment of interviewing her."
"But she did more than just interview." Maggie whispered to Alex conspiratorially but it was loud enough to reach Kara's ears and make the blonde all flustered again. "And here she goes warning us to not do the deed on the couch while she's out there doing it on a desk."
"Maggie! We did not do it on the desk! Well, I mean, at first we did. Then we transferred on the couch!" Kara chastised the shorter woman which just made the latter laugh.
"Okay, that is way too much information." Alex uncomfortably said, her face slightly burning up. "I don't need the mental image of my younger sister doing that stuff."
Maggie shrugged nonchalantly and just grinned at the two.
"Oh, right, I forgot!" Kara exclaimed as she remembered something. "Lena and I are gonna grab dinner this weekend and she wanted you to come with me, Mags."
"Oh..." Maggie's smile slowly dropped and she slightly frowned. Kara didn't need to ask. She knew exactly why.
"Lena feels bad, Mags. She wants to apologize to you in person."
"You should go." Alex encouraged her girlfriend. "It's not like she's entirely at fault given that she, like what you two have said, was brainwashed."
"I know. It's just-" Maggie let out a sigh. "I mean, I was just hurt by the way she treated me. But, alright. I'll come with you. For old time's sake."
"And that is more than enough." Kara smiled softly at the shorter woman and she gave Maggie a side hug.
**
Days had gone by in a blur and the weekend did came. Kara and Maggie arrived at an Italian restaurant where Lena had agreed to meet and had told the blonde that she had already reserved a table for them. They just got in when a maitre d' approached them.
"Good evening, ma'am." He greeted them with a smile. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Uhh, hi." Kara greeted back awkwardly and nodded. "Yes... I think?"
"Under what name, ma'am?" The maitre d' politely asked again.
"It should be under the name of Lena Luthor?" Kara answered, quite unsure.
"Ah, yes. Please, follow me. Miss Luthor has been expecting you two." He turned on his heels and beckoned for them to follow him. They did so and it wasn't long when they saw the very familiar green eyed brunette, face scrunched up in concentration as she was typing furiously on her phone.
"Excuse me, Miss Luthor." The maitre d' called out to Lena's attention and the brunette looked up from her phone.
"Kara, hi." Lena immediately stood from her seat then made her way towards the blonde and pulled Kara for a hug.
"I'll be taking my leave, madames, and return with the menu." The maitre d' said as he dismissed himself and left the trio alone.
Lena's gaze then turned towards the shorter woman as soon as she had let go of the blonde and a flash of worry crossed her face.
"Hi, Maggie..." The brunette greeted timidly, voice just barely above whisper.
"Hi." The shorter woman greeted back in the same manner then an awkward silence settled between the three.
Kara's gaze flitted back and forth towards Maggie and Lena. She was quite unsure what to say at this situation. She wracked her brain up in hopes of trying to find a way to lighten things up. A joke perhaps?
Luckily, Lena saved her the trouble of trying to make a conversation when the brunette cleared her throat. "Shall we take a seat?"
"Of course!" Kara's voice had been a bit too high for her liking and she internally grimaced. The two seemed to have paid no mind for they just sat silently (again) on their selected seats and Kara shuffled on her feet as she followed to sit as well.
There was another stretch of silence again but it was only for a bit when Lena spoke again.
"Maggie, I'm really sorry about everything that I've said that day." Kara could feel the sincerity in Lena's voice. She knew that Lena loves Maggie just as much. It was just that goddamn facility that made her doubt things and everything about them.
Maggie pursed her lips as she mulled over what to say and Kara was starting to get slightly anxious as to what Maggie's response would be.
The shorter woman then heaved a deep sigh as she looked at the brunette. "You know, when you said that you wanted us to stay away from you had stung."
Kara could sense that there was a but coming and she thinks Lena does too for the brunette didn't speak even though she looked like there were still things that she had wanted to say.
"But what really hurt me the most was when you accused me of something that I'm not." Maggie continued. "First off, I wasn't using you to get information. Secondly, everything that I have shown you was genuine. And lastly, I'm not a liar. I don't think that I've lied to you, like, ever."
Lena wasn't able to look directly at Maggie so she just locked her gaze at the table as she quietly said, "I know..."
"Just..." Maggie paused for a second to take a calming breath then proceeded. "Just tell us what really happened. We, at least, deserve some sort of explanation, don't we?"
Lena immediately looked up. "Of course, you do. That's why I asked both of you here."
"I thought this was originally intended to be a date?" Maggie slightly cocked her head with her brows furrowed.
"I'm sorry, what?" Lena asked as well, mirroring Maggie's confusion.
"You and Kara?"
"Oh!" Lena exclaimed in realization. "No! No, of course not."
"Umm..." Kara voiced out, still unsure what to say.
Lena turned to her and gently grabbed her hand. "Not that I wouldn't want to date you, darling, because I assure you that I would."
"It's not- uhh... I'm- I-I mean..." Kara spluttered as she blushed furiously at this simple gesture and the maitre d', bless him, interrupted them, drawing the trio's attention.
"Excuse me, madames. Here's the menu."
Lena waved the offered menus off. "Actually, could you serve us the best dish that this place offers? As well as the best wine that you have."
The maitre d' nodded. "Absolutely. Drinks will be served right away, ma'am."
"Thank you."
He then turned his back again and dismissed himself.
"So..." Lena cleared her throat, causing for Maggie and Kara to look at her. "The night that I was destined to be brought back here was also the night that I finally snapped."
"What do you mean?" Maggie asked. Both her and Kara are getting even more confused by this.
"They had been feeding my insecurities and all since the very beginning. That was what my "therapy" was and it didn't really help when they've been saying a bunch of crap about you two. Saying that you two were just using me... Manipulating me. I didn't believe them at first but, as they did it again and again, I started to believe each and every lies that they have fed me." Lena confessed. "They didn't really return me to my family that night. Not right away, I mean. They did bring me back to my old house and they were there with me for a couple more weeks.
"There they continued to poison my mind and they, eventually and seemingly satisfied with their work, left but not before calling my mother." Lena spat the last word with venom and Kara was about to ask her about it when Maggie shot her a look so she just kept her mouth shut.
"I didn't stay with her, of course. After everything, I still didn't want to be anywhere near her so, I packed up, left, and returned to my own penthouse." Lena continued. "She just wanted to take control of my life again and wanted me to find a someone who would fit her taste and wouldn't stop pestering me about it and that's where Jack had entered the picture. He helped me get my mother off my back and when she did, we waited for a few days then called off our fake relationship. After everything, I still thought of the two of you. I swore I'd never lose hope but after half a year of waiting, I guess that hope just slowly turned into anger."
The wine Lena ordered arrived just in time she had finished retelling everything that had happened to her. She gave the server a small smile and thanked him before he proceeded to attend other customers.
"I'm sorry." Maggie uttered softly.
"It's fine." Lena waved her hand dismissively. "It wasn't your fault anyway."
"Partly our fault." Kara quietly interjected.
"True." Maggie agreed and Lena chuckled softly as she shook her head.
"Come on. Just let me feel bad about this."
"Suit yourself, Luthor." Maggie quipped, her lips were tugged at the corner as she gave the brunette a shrug and the three of them laughed.
"One last question though." The shorter woman gave Lena a quizzical look which made the brunette chuckle.
"Out with it, Sawyer."
"How did you snap out of your brainwashed state so quickly?"
A smile slowly formed on Lena's lips. "I may have thought just about everything. A year is quite a long time to be spent for thinking, you know. Kara just... enlightened some spots that I was unsure of."
"Fucking genius." Maggie mumbled which made her companions laugh.
"Oh, I have been wondering. What happened to you two when you escaped that place?" Lena asked as she took a sip of her wine.
"Well..." Kara glanced at Maggie as she chuckled nervously. "A lot has happened, really. Maggie finally got away from her parents and I... got in a slight problem with Mike and my aunt."
"By slight, she meant almost got dragged away from her foster family again and got her ass almost shipped back to the facility." Maggie elaborated which made Kara wince. "She's just sugarcoating her words."
"Maggie!" Kara exclaimed and she looked at Lena, whose expression had darkened, warily.
"You don't have to worry though. They're ought to stay away from Kara if they know what's best for them." Maggie reassured the brunette.
Lena arched her brow and looked at Kara as if she was silently asking the blonde what the shorter woman had meant and Kara, thank heavens that her density didn't act up, had immediately answered.
"Maggie may or may not have threatened to arrest them for invading my privacy, for harassment, and for abduction."
"You damn right I would." Maggie proudly stated. "You should've seen their faces."
"Priceless, I presume?" The brunette asked in amusement.
Maggie snorted. "You bet it was."
Lena was about to retort when a loud rumble was heard and both her and Maggie turned their heads towards a blushing Kara.
"Oops." Kara scratched her nape and chuckled, clearly embarrassed. "I guess all this talk and the waft of the delicious smelling food had made me hungry."
"Oh, darling. You're always hungry." Lena pointed out.
"Day in and day out." Maggie added and both her and Lena had bursted out laughing. Kara joined them in as well and they shifted into a much lighter topic as the night went on.
**
They went on with their lives normally and sure did they missed the "normal" life where they weren't running, hiding, or trying to escape from anything or anyone anymore. It might have just been months when they were held captive but it had already been a long time for the three.
Then next thing they've heard was that the facility had shut down due to a leak of information that contained every crooked ways that they did and have done. Residents were freed. Attendants were arrested, save from Winn, much to their relief, who turned out that he had already resigned a month prior from the facility fiasco and who also turned out to be the leak. Reign was nowhere to be found which gave an extreme discomfort to the three but Maggie pointed out that as long as the facility was no more, there was nothing that they should be worried about anymore.
"She would be stupid enough to create another facility while she had a bounty on her head." Maggie had said. Kara was aware that it was meant to be a joke but she knew that Maggie was also serious about it.
Everything went smoothly afterwards and before they knew it, it was already the most wonderful time of the year (according to a certain song and a certain blonde). Kara and Lena, both taking a break from their respective jobs, were taking a stroll in the local park when she shivered due to the cold breeze that blew past them.
"My hands are cold." Kara whined and Lena just silently held her hand, entwining their fingers as they continued to stroll at the park.
Kara was silent for a moment as she stared at their joined hands before she spoke again. "... And my lips are freezing."
Lena chuckled in amusement as she faced the blonde. "You know, if you wanted a kiss you could've just said so, you dork."
Kara gave the brunette a nonchalant shrug and a goofy smile which made Lena laugh.
"I love you." Kara murmured.
"Come here you." Lena pulled Kara in as she cupped one of the blonde's cheeks and before the brunette closed the gap between their lips, she softly uttered. "I love you, too."
Lena finally closed the gap and softly planted a kiss on Kara's lips. The blonde gave out a satisfied hum as she kissed Lena back.
Kara was contented with this. With everything she currently have. She was contented with her job, got her freedom and family back, gained the most loyal friends she thought she'd never have... and she had Lena. The one who never failed to make her feel giddy and nervous and loved and Kara couldn't ask for anything more.
Lena then pulled away and pecked Kara on the tip of her nose which made her blush and smile widely.
Yup. Kara was- and is- definitely and beyond contented.
Kara woke up and found herself trapped in a facility on a mysterious island. Will she be able to escape?
Chapter 1: Welcome To Paradise
Kara opened her eyes and saw that the ceiling was unfamiliar. It alarmed her in a way which made her spring up on her heels and frantically scan her surroundings. Her suspicion that she wasn't where she she was last night was confirmed when she was indeed in an unfamiliar room with no other signs of life in sight.
"Where the heck am I?" She asked to no one apparently but herself, for obvious reasons, as she walked around the room, assessing each and every corner of it. She also tried to open the door but it was locked from the outside.
Great. Just great. She thought. Didn't know locks from the outside are still a thing.
Huffing from frustration, she settled back to the bed where she had woken up and stared- or more like glared- at the door. There she tried to remember what happened last night that ended her up in there but to no avail. All she remembered was her aunt, Mike, a dinner full of arguments, and then nothing... then something clicked.
"Of course." She rolled her eyes as everything made sense. "The classic drugging while having a dinner."
It wasn't like that kind of event always occurs but, Kara couldn't think of any other good reason as to why she can't remember anything.
Groaning in frustration, she laid unceremoniously. "Just where the heck am I, really?"
"You are here for the therapy, Miss Zor-El." Her attention shifted towards the now opened door, making her sit abruptly which she immediately regretted, and there stood two men with something in their hand. One held a plate of food and one held a glass of what looked like milk but she paid no mind to what they brought.
"Therapy? What therapy? And where am I?" She asked in confusion for she didn't need a therapy. There was no reason for her to undergo a therapy because there was nothing wrong with her.
"I cannot say with regards to anything about your therapy, Miss Zor-El. All I can tell you is that you're in National City's special facility." The man- which Kara just assumed as an attendant, again, for obvious reasons- answered. She was still in National City, which was a good thing. But, still, who needs a damn therapy?
"But I don't need therapy!" Kara exclaimed as she threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Please. Just eat, Miss Zor-El." The other attendant said and flourished the plate in his hand once more.
Kara glared at the two of them. Oh, she will eat alright.
"Of course." She plastered on her sweetest smile and extended her hand, looking like she was about to reach for the plate before grabbing the first attendant's head as she quickly reached for the second one's before he could even react and knocked their heads hard on each other, making them lose their consciousness.
After she made sure that they were indeed unconscious, she bolted out of the room as fast as she could and there outside, she saw more attendants and what she could only assume to be patients. Ignoring them all, she made her way outside the facility and ran towards the very end of the road, or hill for that matter. Her actions had drawn attention to the other attendants and before she knew it, some were already chasing after her, calling her last name. She must've attracted their attention, what with her running around and all.
As she had reached the end of the hill, she was shocked to see that if she wasn't looking at where she was going at all, she could've fell already. Turns out that the end was a cliff leading to the sea.
"Miss Zor-El, please get back here!" The blonde heard an attendant bellow and she took it as a signal to get moving so she trudged her way down as quick but cautious as she can to avoid from getting all Jack and Jill... like, the part where Jack fell down and broke his crown.
When she had successfully reached the bottom, she saw what seemed to be a cave entrance which was quite hidden if you're not paying attention to your surroundings for large rocks were obscuring its view, hiding it well. Nevertheless, Kara wasn't sure what was inside the cave, but she'll take what she can get as long as it will help her from getting captured again by those pesky attendants. To her, it was better to encounter some species than to be taken back to that goddamn facility. Taking one last glance behind her for good measure- or you know, just to make sure that no one has been able to follow her all the way down to where she currently was, Kara made her way towards the cave.
"Wow..." Kara breathed out as soon as she got inside the mysterious cave.
Instead of encountering unknown species, like what she had just assumed, she was instead overwhelmed by the sight the cave had offered her. Inside was large and magnificent and it wasn't even dark. It had sufficient light entering inside, causing for the little waves that entered the cave glimmer and Kara found it to be quite beautiful. If she only had her art materials, she would just sit here and paint all day without having to bother with anyone from the outside.
No, she's not a closed off kind of a person who just likes to keep to herself. She actually has a social life but one thing that she doesn't want is to be distracted while she's working on an article or her art unless the distraction was Eliza, her foster mother, or Alex, her older sister. They were the only distraction that Kara would welcome with open arms.
Even though they were only her foster family, she was already quite contented and beyond happy to have them after her parents died in a car crash. For Kara, everything was already, if not perfect then, close to perfect as it is... until her biological aunt came.
Her mood immediately turned sour and a frown slowly formed on her face when she remembered her aunt and how she had dragged her out of the Danvers' household with no room for her or her mother and sister to protest.
"Did you know frowning can cause you a whole lot of wrinkles?"
Kara jumped at the sound of the echoing voice and whirled her attention towards its owner. She was too engrossed on her thoughts that she didn't notice that there was another person inside the cave.
There stood a pale skinned brunette whose posture was oozing with confidence and had eyes as green as an emerald which Kara had found very enticing. Her hair was cascading down past her shoulders, her jaws had the right amount of sharpness, and her lips were painted red which was a perfect contrast to her skin. All in all, the woman that was standing not far from her was gorgeous. She could also see that she was a couple of inches taller than the mysterious brunette.
"Who are you?" Was the first thing that came out of her mouth.
"I could ask you the same thing." The woman husked out and it was the huskiest voice Kara has ever heard.
"Huh..." Kara huffed out as she looked- yes, she looked and definitely not stared- at the brunette. A mysterious woman inside a mysterious cave. Kara almost chuckled at the thought. Almost. She wouldn't want the other woman to think that she had somehow lost it.
The brunette just then raised her perfectly shaped brow silently as if waiting for Kara to answer her question and the blonde immediately focused her attention back on her original task.
"Oh, uhh... I'm Kara." Stammering, the blonde introduced herself. "I-I don't know why I'm here. I don't even know how I got here. They say that I needed therapy but, I don't need one!"
"Don't we all?" The brunette asked in amusement as the corner of her lips quirked up a bit.
"Nope." Kara vigorously shook her head. "Not me, I don't. Now those guys out there are chasing me and I need to get out of here as soon as possible."
"You want an out in this island?" The brunette asked again.
"Yes!" Kara exclaimed then she slowly gave the mysterious woman a sheepish look. "Can you- uhh... Can you help me?"
There was only silence as the brunette seemed to be looking behind Kara and after a few more seconds, she answered as she offered her hand to the blonde. "Of course. Come with me."
Kara stared at the extended hand towards her as she contemplated whether she would take the woman's hand or not, doubt settling at the back of her mind. Could she really trust this woman?
"Look..." The woman grabbed her hand and Kara found it to be incredibly soft. "It's either we move now or they'll find you here so just come with me."
Seemingly not having any other choice, Kara reluctantly nodded and the brunette tugged her to the opposite direction of the cave's entrance. It wasn't long until they had found the exit and the two hurried towards the end.
When they got out, the brunette immediately trudged her way up the cliff and the blonde stared at her with utter confusion as to what the mysterious woman was doing.
The brunette seemed to have noticed that Kara wasn't following anymore and asked, not bothering to stop climbing her way up. "Are you coming or not?"
A ticket for a way out of this island which happened to be this stunningly gorgeous woman? Of course, she is. It's not like she had any interest with a woman. Any woman to be exact, but there was something in this woman that had gotten her attention. The aura of mystery perhaps? She wasn't sure. Then she remembered where she was and she immediately snapped out of her thoughts.
"Right. Sorry. Spaced out for a bit." Kara said as she followed suit.
After a few agonizing minutes, they made it up to the top and Kara swore that she was definitely going to work out the moment she gets out of here instead of just lounging around their house and eating everything inside their fridge. Having an insanely fast metabolism isn't enough for one to be fit after all. She still wasn't able to catch her breath when the brunette started to pull her again. She has no idea where they were going anymore as she was gazing down on the ground and was too focused on catching her breath.
Then out of the blue, the woman whistled, though it wasn't that sharp of a whistle, it still startled Kara. "Lost something, boys?"
Kara stopped on her tracks as her blood ran cold. She knew that the brunette wasn't addressing her because that would be weird if the woman would address her as a boy, right? Right.
She slowly- or rather, reluctantly- lifted her head just to see another two attendants in front of them.
"Thank you, Miss Luthor." Wait, what? Luthor? Why does it sound familiar? Dang it, focus, Kara!
"We'll take it from here." One of them said as he took hold of Kara's arm.
Kara stared at the woman in utter disbelief with her mouth agape and the only thing that the woman gave her was a shrug with a hint of smirk playing on her lips. She was about to say something when the attendants already dragged her away and no matter what she did, she wasn't able to escape this time. All that's left that she could possibly do was to glare daggers at the brunette until she disappeared from her view.
**
"Hey." A short woman (well, not really that short. She was just quite tall, is all) greeted her as soon as she had been escorted in her would be room.
"Uhh... Hi?" She hesitantly greeted back.
"It seems like we'll be sharing a room. I saw them carrying a luggage in here a while ago. I presume it's yours?" The woman asked with a dimpled smile then extended her hand. "I'm Maggie, by the way. Maggie Sawyer."
"Probably." Kara answered with a shrug as she shook Maggie's hand. "I'm Kara Da- Zor-El. Kara Zor-El. I take it that you're here for the so-called therapy as well?"
Maggie didn't seem to mind Kara's sudden correction of her surname which Kara was thankful for. She just snorted as she shook her head in what seemed to be in amusement. "They call it therapy. I call it brainwashing."
"Brain...washing?" Kara's brow furrowed as she tilt her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing that you should worry about." Maggie waved her hand as if to dismiss Kara's question. "It's only called brainwashing if you let yourself to be brainwashed."
"You saying that it's nothing that I should worry about makes me worry." Kara all but grumbled, making the shorter woman laugh.
"So... what's your story?" Maggie asked as soon as her laugh died down. "I mean, why are you here? You seem... I don't know... normal and fine to me."
"I know!" Kara exclaimed. "That's what I have been trying to tell them the whole time. But after my adventure earlier this morning, they sent me to the person who's running this facility. Of course, I grabbed the opportunity to ask."
"Dang. No wonder why it took you long to get here and you got sent to Reign on your first day. How was it? What happened then?" Maggie prodded, her eyes wide with anticipation and Kara found it adorable.
"Well... she was tolerable. Tolerable than any of these goddamn attendants, that is. She answered my questions. It turns out that I was here because my aunt sent me here which isn't really a surprise." Kara gave Maggie a bitter smile and shrugged. "See, she wanted me to marry this certain man for so long and I was constantly turning him down every time he asked me to marry him. No courtship or whatsoever. Just straight to the marriage- which is really weird and creepy, by the way. He's some sort of a lord in his land-"
"Lord in his land?" Maggie asked in disbelief, interrupting the blonde. "Is that even still a thing?"
"Unfortunately." Kara rolled her eyes. "Anyway, my aunt thinks that it was a good opportunity- too good, if you ask her but definitely not for me- to pass up and I was crazy for turning down someone like him for some nobody hence, me being here explains it all. To somehow get my wits together and maybe, I would be able to see how perfect of a man he is and that I would finally let the " nobody" go."
Maggie shook her head, a smile already plastered on her lips with an incredulous look on her face. "That's just crazy. They can't dictate who you want and don't want to love."
Kara gave the short woman a shrug again. "You tell me."
Maggie chuckled and Kara smiled genuinely for the first time since she had woken up in the facility. The shorter woman wasn't like anyone she had encountered in the facility. In other words, she likes Maggie enough that she was thinking that they would definitely be very good friends if she happened to stay here longer than she intended.
"What about you?" The blonde asked out of curiosity. Since they were already in this subject, why not grab the opportunity to know more about the shorter woman with regards to this. "You also seem fine so, why are you here?"
Maggie pursed her lips and had been silent for a few seconds that Kara had assumed that the shorter woman would leave her question unanswered. Maybe it was a sensitive subject for Maggie? She was about to apologize when Maggie uttered softly.
"I was sent here, courtesy of my parents... because I'm gay."
It wasn't what Kara had expected. She doesn't exactly have any idea either as to what might the possible reason why Maggie was there. Sure she had couple of guesses and reasons as to why a person has to undergo a therapy but being gay wasn't definitely on her list.
"I hope you're not homophobic because if you are, I don't think we can be together in the same room." Maggie took the lack of response and the silence from Kara the wrong way and Kara internally kicked herself for making the shorter woman worry.
"What? No! No, I'm not homophobic." Kara immediately reassured the shorter woman. "As a matter of fact, my sister is also gay."
"Really?" Maggie asked with pure interest. "And was it okay with your parents?"
The blonde nodded in response.
"Wow..." Maggie breathed out, seemingly amazed. "Must be great to have such supportive parents."
"It sure does." Kara agreed. "No offense though... I think your parents are- excuse my language- shit for putting you in here."
Maggie raised her eyebrow and Kara swears that she could definitely see amusement dancing in Maggie's eyes. "None taken but, pray do tell why?"
"Because being gay isn't like a disease that needs to be treated." Kara answered without missing a beat. "We don't deserve to be here.
"Yeah? Well, tell that to our families."
"Touché."
The reason why they're here... The way how their family thinks... Both women just laughed at the absurdity of it all. It was beyond ridiculous but Kara was thankful that she found someone who's just the same as her. At least, she won't be alone in this godforsaken island.
**
Dinner came and each and everyone, including Kara and Maggie, were gathered in some sort of a garden. There, the tables had been set and all you just need to do is to choose where to sit and both women chose the one that's quite at the back. Not too far, but not really that close to the others.
"Don't they have a proper dining hall here?" Kara asked in confusion. Could this place get any more stranger than it already is?
Maggie snorted as she shook her head. "Apparently, they don't. I've been here for a few months already and I've never been, let alone seen, their cafeteria. I guess they don't really have one."
"How long have you been here exactly?" Kara couldn't help but ask the shorter woman as confusion settles within her again.
"Let's see..." Maggie paused as she started counting then nodded once. "Right around five months, three weeks, and two days."
"That long?"
"Unfortunately so."
"Good gracious." Kara couldn't really imagine being able to stay that long. Not when it was only just her first day and she's already itching to leave this facility.
After their conversation, it didn't take long for their dinner to arrive and to say that Kara was shocked to see what their dinner was would definitely be an understatement.
"What's this?" Kara grimaced as she looked at the strip of lettuce with a couple of tomatoes and a cup of milk that didn't even reach half of the cup in disgust.
"Dinner, Miss Zor-El." The attendant that served their food answered.
"You call this a dinner? Where's the rest of it?" Kara asked incredulously. "I doubt even vegetarians would be satisfied with this."
The attendant didn't seem to have paid any mind to Kara's comment. "Please. Enjoy your meal."
He then left, leaving both women alone for themselves again.
"Enjoy? Try serving this for yourselves and see if you can enjoy it. God, I hate those people." Kara grumbled under her breath but its volume was enough for Maggie to hear and the latter threw her head back laughing.
"Sure. Go ahead and laugh at my expense."
The shorter woman laughed even more and the blonde noticed that Maggie's burst of laughter was slowly gathering quite a bit of attention from the others and Kara can't help but to feel a bit conscious so she tried to shush Maggie. The shorter woman, however, wasn't able to stop laughing and Kara just sighed and just laughed as well on Maggie's antics.
Kara then looked at their surroundings to see if they were bothering anyone and as she was scanning the premises, she spotted a familiar emerald green eyes looking at them in amusement. She locked eyes with her. Kara, again, found herself enticed and she felt lost at the brunette's eyes for a moment then irritation overpowered the enticing feeling and she was slowly starting to feel irritated especially when she remembered what the brunette had done.
"Hey, Kara, are you listening?" It was only then that Kara tore her gaze away from the mysterious brunette when she heard Maggie's voice.
"Sorry." Kara immediately apologized. "I got distracted."
"Do you get so easily distracted?" Maggie asked in a playful manner.
"Wha- No! No, I don't. It's just that something happened when I woke up. Call it a fiasco, if you want. Then there's this beautiful woman who told me she could help me escape this island. I was desperate enough to trust her and I ended up back here because-" Kara stopped herself when she saw that Maggie was giving her a shit eating grin. "What?"
"You're a rambling mess." Maggie stated.
"Yeah... I tend to ramble quite a lot whenever I'm excited, tensed or nervous." Kara admitted sheepishly. "Anyway, mind if I ask something?"
"Fire away."
"Who's that?" Kara jerked her head towards the brunette's direction.
"Who?" Maggie asked, looking for the person whom Kara was pertaining to.
"The one with the green eyes and red lips."
Maggie seemed to have found the person in question and she whirled around far too quickly to look at the blonde that Kara was afraid that the shorter woman might have a whiplash or would unintentionally snap her neck. "You don't know her?!"
"Uhh... Should I?" This added to Kara's confusion. Sure the brunette's last name rings a bell but the woman herself wasn't familiar.
Maggie was looking at her like she had grown another head. "Wow... Have you been living under a rock that you don't know who Lena Luthor is?"
"Lena... Luthor?" Kara asked, getting more and more confused. Did she really have to know who that Lena Luthor was?
"It's not that you really have to know who she is but, just so you know, she's Lex Luthor's younger sister." Maggie informed the blonde, clearly hoping that Kara would be able to piece it all already.
"Wait..." Realization dawned on Kara's face. That's why the last name was familiar. "The notorious criminal who went crazy and had blown up one of National City's high rising company Lex Luthor?"
Maggie nodded, looking pleased that Kara was able to at least know who Lex was. "The one and only."
"That's her?" Kara asked incredulously. "Lex's infamous sister?"
"Ding, ding, ding." Maggie said in a singsong voice.
"Huh..." Kara huffed out. "Now that makes sense."
"What does?" Maggie queried.
"The last name." Kara answered and her gaze landed back on the subject of their topic and she saw herself looking back at the same emerald green orbs. Turns out that the brunette was already looking at her before Kara had even looked at Lena.
She suddenly felt conscious and tore her gaze away from the brunette.
"Excuse me. I'll just go to the comfort room." Maggie nodded as Kara excused herself and made her way towards the comfort room.
When she got into the said room, she went for the sink and washed her hands as she looked at herself in the mirror. With everything that has happened, she definitely didn't have the time to sit and fix herself. Not when after she had just taken a bath, she and Maggie were both whisked away for dinner.
"I look like shit." The blonde muttered and sighed.
"Such language from a pretty woman."
Kara's breath hitched in her throat and her heart skipped a beat when she heard the familiar husky voice. She doesn't know why that was her initial reaction but maybe it was just from the shock. She thought she was alone and heard no one enter after all. Right, that must be the reason why... or that's what she believed. She then slowly turned around to see the brunette, that she now had come to know the name which was Lena, standing on the doorway. Kara almost forgot how beautiful the brunette was up close and her beauty also almost made Kara forget what she did earlier that morning. But, that was just it...
Almost.
"What do you want?" Kara asked, irritation lacing her voice.
Lena looked like she was unperturbed with Kara's tone. It somehow even made her more amused, adding fuel to the fire that just so happened to be the blonde's irritation. "Whoa there, hot head. Still mad about this morning?"
Kara glared at Lena. "You think?!"
This only made the brunette laugh as she made her way towards the blonde, stopping just a few feet away from Kara's reach. "So you are still mad."
"Mad?" Kara asked again, trying to keep her voice from rising. The last thing that she would want is to gain attention from the attendants outside and she definitely doesn't want to deal with them right now. "Try infuriated and beyond pissed. I trusted you!"
"I know, I know." Lena raised her hands in surrender. "That's why I'm here. To apologize."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Well, apology most definitely not accepted so excuse me, you're blocking the way. I'm getting out of here."
The blonde brushed past the brunette but then Lena held Kara's arm firmly but not that tight. Just enough to stop the blonde from walking out. "Look, they would still find you either way so it was either I turn you over to them or I'll risk having them find our cave and I can't have them find our spot so I have to resort to the former."
"Our cave?" Kara raised her brow at Lena's choice of words.
"Of course, darling. Our cave. Both you and I are the only people who knows about that cave." Lena explained. "And before you ask how I would know, it's because I've been there as often as I could and I've never seen anyone coming there, let alone going in that direction... until you. Consider it as a safe haven from these bastards."
Kara slightly shook her head. "As much as I want to, I don't think I can trust you ever again. Not after what you did."
"That's understandable." Lena let out a humorless laugh. "It's not like I'm not used to people not trusting me. After all, I am a Luthor."
Kara shook her head. "I really couldn't care any less about which family you came from. This is about what you did."
"Then let me make it up to you."
"What do you mean?" The blonde's brows furrowed.
"I really do know a way out of here. But, in some odd reason, I can't seem to pull it off." Lena uttered softly like she was afraid that someone might hear her.
"Y-you... You do?" Hearing that there was really a way out of the island, hope was ignited within Kara but then it was immediately snuffed out when it was the very same reason why she was dragged back in the facility by the very same woman that was standing right in front of her with the very same promise she had made.
The blonde then took Lena's hand off her arm. "You're just messing with me."
Lena heaved a sigh. "I'm not. I'll prove to you that everything I'm saying is true."
"And how would you do that?"
Lena's emerald green eyes gazed right into her sapphire blue ones and Kara swore that she could feel the intensity of the brunette's gaze. "Meet me at midnight. Same place where we met. Don't let anyone see or catch you sneaking out. Can you do that?"
Before Kara could stop herself, she was already nodding her head as a response. Wait, what?
"Also... please don't believe anything they say about me." Lena's voice was small and it stirred something inside Kara. "I don't even talk to my mother or my brother even before all of this anymore."
"Don't worry... I won't." She didn't know why but she felt the need to reassure the brunette. "I believe everyone should be judged by their own merits."
"Thank you." Lena then gave Kara a small smile then slowly leaned in close to the blonde's ear and whispered, giving goosebumps and sending chills down Kara's spine as Lena's warm breath had hit her skin, the brunette's musky scent- which reminded Kara of vanilla or more like marshmallows- invading her senses. "See you there."
The brunette cupped one of Kara's cheeks and gave a tender kiss her on the other side before turning around to leave but before Lena could even open the door, Kara stopped her.
"Wait!"
Lena paused in her tracks and turned around to face the blonde.
"How do you know?" Kara asked, quite hesitant. "I- uhh... I mean, about how to escape this place."
"You know, Kara," Lena smiled and made her way towards the blonde again, reaching for the sapphire gem necklace that Kara was wearing. She ran her thumb shortly on the said gem before letting go of it. "If you want something, there is always a way to get what you want..."
She then tapped the blonde below her chin with her forefinger and whispered. "... Always."
Lena once again turned on her heels and this time, she left a dumbfounded and tomato looking Kara alone.
Kara's heart was beating erratically and she was breathing fast like she had just finished a marathon. She couldn't explain what was currently happening to her but she was sure that Lena was the reason why.
"What the heck just happened?" Kara's question was more like directed to herself as her hand hovered her cheek where Lena's lips landed just a few minutes ago.
She turned towards the sink again and splashed some water on her heated face in hopes of cooling it down. After she had gathered her wits and had let herself cool down, she headed back to their table where Maggie was waiting.
"Oh, there you are." Maggie said after she finished her drink and placed her cup down. "What took you so long?"
"Umm... Call of nature?" Kara lied and Maggie gave her a look that she couldn't quite tell and it made the blonde queasy so she took her own cup and drank its contents just so that her attention will be focused elsewhere until Maggie asked her something that made her choke and almost spit her drink.
"You do know that being a detective is my profession, right?"
The shorter woman then rubbed a coughing Kara's back as she chuckled. "Oops... I guess I forgot to mention that one."
"Yeah..." Kara said as she had managed to stop her coughing fit. "You sure did."
"It honestly is fine if you won't tell me though. I totally respect that."
Kara felt bad for lying at the shorter woman. She had been the only person that she had ever had a proper conversation with and one of the people that even bothered to talk to her after all. Well, Kara doesn't really like to lie in general. It nags on her conscience and she doesn't like that feeling. No one deserves to be lied to and that's what she strongly believes as a journalist or even just as a person.
"Sorry..." Kara mumbled softly.
Maggie slightly cocked her head to the side. "What for?"
"For lying."
The shorter woman snorted. "Nah, it's fine. Everyone is entitled to have their own secrets."
"I don't like secrets though." Kara played at the hem of her shirt, still mumbling softly that was only enough for Maggie to hear. "I lied because I was with Lena."
Maggie raised her brow at this and she gave Kara a look of disbelief. "You're with the Luthor even after what her family has done?"
"See? That's the reason why I even bothered lying." Kara huffed in exasperation. "You're a detective, Maggie. You, of all people, should know that one shouldn't judge someone without proper investigation. I mean, have you even really talked to her? Because if you haven't, you clearly should."
Maggie silently shook her head and was rendered silent at everything Kara had said. The blonde on the other hand didn't know where her overprotectiveness for the brunette came from. She didn't really expect to be defending Lena after what the brunette had done to her. Then, at the back of her mind, she thought that Lena had the audacity to apologize so it counts, right? Bad people don't know what an apology is so Lena isn't one of them.
"Miss Zor-El. Miss Sawyer." An attendant called out for their attention. "It's time for bed. Please head to your respective room."
"What are we, twelve?" Kara mumbled under her breath as she rolled her eyes. She then stood up and curtsied mockingly at the attendant. "Yes, your majesty."
Maggie covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she tried to stifle her laughter at Kara's antics and before she knew it, Kara was already dragging her towards their room.
When they had reached their room, Kara immediately slumped on her bed unceremoniously. The day took its toll on her and she was getting really sleepy. Maggie seemed to be turning in as well because she already turned the lights off.
"Sorry for earlier." She heard Maggie mumble sleepily. "You were right... in all accounts."
"It's fine. Don't worry." Kara mumbled in the same manner.
"Are we good?"
"Mhm."
"That's a relief." Kara heard Maggie sigh and it made her chuckle. "Good night, Kara."
"Good night, Mags." Kara told Maggie back and she had let herself be lulled to sleep, completely forgetting about her discussion- which was kind of an agreement, really- earlier with a certain green eyed brunette.
“Maggie!” She all but exclaimed when she saw the shorter woman.
“Kara!” Maggie exclaimed as well and made her way towards Kara. “Have you found your necklace?”
Kara nodded far too quickly that she felt a bit dizzy but she paid no mind to it. She focused on the task at hand itself. “I did but, nevermind that. I need to tell you something important.”
“Shoot.” Maggie said and focused her attention towards the blonde as the latter laid the key points of their plan.
After Kara’s explanation, there was a glint of excitement within Maggie’s eyes as she grinned. “Let’s do this.”
Kara grinned at the short woman before an attendant arrived and whisked her away for her scheduled therapy.
After Kara had her conversation with Maggie, the three of them didn’t get the chance to spend some time together anymore that day. They were assigned to some individual activities- which was odd for the blonde because it was the first time they did it- that took their time and made them busy. The hours passed in a blur and before they knew it, it was already dinner. They then regrouped at their usual table. They all shared a knowing look and gave each other a subtle nod before they start to dig in their dinner.
“May I have everyone’s attention, please?” The head of the attendants spoke and all attention were turned towards him, even the trio’s. When he was satisfied that he got everyone’s attention, he continued.
“Once in a blue moon, one of our residents have been so receptive to what we offer that she’s ready to rejoin her loved ones sooner… than expected.” He announced. “Let us all congratulate our very own… Lena Luthor. She would be brought back to her family tonight after dinner.”
The claps of their fellow residents were dulled as Kara felt like she was plunged deep underwater. Her blood ran cold and the color was drained on her face at what she had just heard. She looked at her friends and they both mirrored her expression.
No. Kara thought. This is far too much to be a coincidence.
“A toast, everyone. To Lena.” The head attendant raised his champagne flute and nodded at their direction- or more precisely, toward Lena’s direction.
A chorus of “to Lena” was heard all over the garden as they all took a sip of their drink- though it wasn’t champagne like the attendants have, of course. Lena gave them a smile but Kara saw how one of her eyes twitch as she stood up and made her way towards the comfort room, nodding politely at those who congratulated her.
“Mags…” Kara quietly called out to the shorter woman as she looked at her. Maggie turned towards the blonde and she looked as baffled as Kara herself.
“Go.” Maggie whispered and it was all Kara needed to drink the contents of her cup without actually swallowing it and followed Lena.
When she got inside the comfort room, she immediately spat the drink that was in her mouth on the sink and Lena was immediately at her side, tucking her hair so that it doesn’t get wet with the drink and her spit. After she got rid of it all, she engulfed Lena in a tight hug which the brunette returned without missing a beat.
“Kara… Kara, listen to me, okay?” The brunette partially detached herself from the blonde as she cupped Kara’s face and looked directly at Kara’s sapphire orbs. “You and Maggie are going to take that boat. It’s yours now, you hear me?”
“But how will I find you?” Kara asked as she stared back at Lena’s emerald ones.
Lena pondered for a moment before taking something out of her pocket. The brunette then grabbed Kara’s hand and placed a dark purple that was bordering black glittering rock at her palm.
Kara gasped at how beautiful the rock looked though she couldn’t help but stare at the rock with confusion. “What is this?”
“It’s something that I made myself. Show this to my secretary and tell her that I sent you.” Lena answered softly, a small smile gracing her lips. “You promise we’ll all be together again, right?”
I promise I’ll find you. “I promise.”
Lena rested her forehead on Kara’s for a second before leaning in close to give a soft and delicate kiss on Kara’s lips. Kara closed her eyes as she savored the feel of Lena’s soft lips and before Kara knew it, Lena already pulled away. It was too short for Kara’s liking but at the same time, it was sweet and it made her heart flutter and it made her breath fast. She knew right then and there that she was feeling something for Lena that definitely isn’t platonic. It was something more and she found it quite unfair that it was only short lived. Just when she had figured things out, Lena was already being snatched away from her and it broke her heart to millions of pieces.
“I’ll see you there, okay?” Lena asked while she caressed Kara’s hair down to her cheek, sounding hopeful and Kara found herself nodding almost automatically. There was then a loud knock- or a banging, rather- which startled both women and making them jump and look at the door’s direction.
“Lena, it’s time to go.” An attendant announced.
“Yeah, uh… I’m coming. Just a sec.” Lena informed the attendant and turned her gaze back towards the blonde. Kara did the same. She could see the longing in the brunette’s eyes and she can’t help but to pull Lena again for one last hug.
“Be safe.” Lena whispered and Kara let herself cry. Let herself to show weakness in front of the brunette. She realized that this could probably be the last time she could ever get to hold Lena like this. She could promise to find the brunette, but there wasn’t any certainty that she would even be able to reach Lena with a ten foot pole given who Lena’s family actually were and who Lena actually is. Lena was- is a CEO of a multi-billionaire company while she was just a journalist who’s slightly obsessed with art. The outside world is far different from the ones that they currently have in this small island.
The hug lasted for a few more seconds before Lena reluctantly pulled away, wiping Kara’s tears as she gave the blonde one last kiss on the forehead and made her way towards the door. The brunette casted one last melancholic glance at the blonde before finally exiting the premises and Kara slowly slumped on the floor, biting her lower lip to prevent ant noise coming from her as she cried.
It wasn’t long then when someone entered the room in a hurry and a retching sound could be heard but Kara couldn’t find herself to care as she stared blankly at the floor, letting her tears fall freely. All she could think of was Lena and how stupid she was not to realize that she was already falling for the brunette. Kara cursed herself internally for being too focused with James that she didn’t even bother to check her other emotions. It’s not like she and James were still even together anymore.
She knew she had been spacing out, or more likely that she was too engrossed with her own thoughts, because the next thing she knew was that there were arms that were wrapped around her and she could hear a sniff coming from beside her. She turned her head and she wasn’t surprised to find Maggie on her side.
Though Maggie’s expression was more schooled than hers was, Kara could still see the devastation dancing in her glossy eyes.
“We’ll find her. I know we will. Everything will be fine.” Maggie whispered softly, trying to reassure the blonde.
Kara just nodded silently as she held onto Maggie like the shorter woman was her last lifeline. Like she was afraid that if she let go, Maggie would also be taken away from her and Kara was beyond terrified at the thought.
**
Bed time came and she found herself wide awake. No grogginess. No lulling her to sleep. Nothing.
“So, Lena was right about them drugging us every night.” Kara uttered softly, knowing fully well that, if the retching sound and the spitting back at the comfort room was any indication, her roommate was just as awake as she was even though she was facing the other side.
Maggie huffed an air of what seemed to be amusement. “Lena’s a genius. Of course, she was right.”
Kara smiled sadly at the thought of Lena but she decided not to wallow in sorrow and focus on how to get out of the facility or the island itself to be precise. The sooner she gets out of here, the sooner she will be able to find Lena.
“You think we can really escape this place?” Kara asked with uncertainty as she turned to face Maggie.
The shorter woman gave her a reassuring smile as she nodded solemnly. “Of course, we can. All you need to have is faith, Kara. Now… are you ready?”
“Alright.” The blonde breathed out a sigh as she returned Maggie’s smile. “I guess I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Let’s go.”
They both sprung up from their mattresses quietly and started to sneak out of their room. When they saw that the hallway was clear, they moved swiftly towards the direction of the main entrance. They treaded carefully because it was quite dark. There were lights but they were dimmed and only little of the moon’s light entered the facility through its glass doors and windows.
Just when they were about to turn in a corner, someone grabbed them which made them scream but only muffled sounds came when someone clamped a hand on their mouth.
“Shh! Hey, hey. It’s me!” A familiar voice tried to shush their screams and when Kara adjusted her focus on the person in question, her eyes widened in recognition when she saw that it was Winslow, the attendant. He then slowly took his hand away from their mouth when they have seemed to calm down.
“Winslow… what are you- I mean, a-are you here to turn us in?” Kara stammered in fear and she pleaded. “Please don’t.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t and I’m not here to turn you two in.” He reassured her. “And you can just call me Winn.”
“Alright, Winn.” Maggie eyed the attendant warily. “Why did you stop us?”
“Because if I didn’t, you two would be in a big trouble. There’s a camera right around the corner.” Winn explained. “If security catches you, then that’s it. You’re done.”
“Why are you helping us?” Kara couldn’t help but ask the young attendant.
Winn just then gave her an apologetic smile before answering. “I told you. I don’t trust the way they run this facility.”
“And how exactly do they run this facility?” It was Maggie’s turn to ask and the answer Winn gave them made Kara feel sick.
“A bit of drugging and lots of brainwashing.”
“Fucking hell…” Maggie cursed under her breath. “I knew it.”
“You should go back to your rooms for now. It’s too late to do something about the cameras.” Winn uttered. “Also, my partner’s about to patrol this area and there would also be another pair on your rooms so you should really hurry back to your rooms. I’ll do something about those cameras tomorrow and then both of you will be good to go.”
“How can we know that we can trust you?” Maggie asked again, still skeptic.
“If I wanted you to be caught, you both wouldn’t be standing here anymore. You just have to have faith, Miss Sawyer.” Winn answered, his smile never faltering and Kara remembered that Maggie just told her the exact same thing earlier. “Now go.”
As if on cue, they heard footsteps coming their way and Maggie immediately sprinted back to their rooms with the blonde following behind. As she was about to reach the entrance of their designated room, Kara knew that the attendants were already about to round the corner of their hallway and she tripped and fell. Of all the instances for her to be a klutz, she really picked the very wrong time. Maggie on the other hand had already opened their door and was beckoning for her to hurry up.
For someone so short, she could definitely run so fast. Kara managed to joke on her head despite the situation she was in.
Maggie ran back towards her and tried to help her but Kara stopped her.
“Drop.” Kara whispered urgently as she slumped on the ground and Maggie followed suit without hesitation just in time before the attendants had fully rounded on their hallway.
“What are they doing here?” One of them asked in suspicion.
Kara’s palms went clammy and her heart was pounding loudly as the two attendants approached. It was so loud she feared that the pair that was approaching them could hear her heart.
“The sedative’s sometimes slow.” The second one informed the first. “It must’ve hit them when they were on their way to the bathroom.”
“Should we take them to the processing room?”
“No. It’s not their time, yet.”
Kara felt arms behind her knees and across her shoulders and she was slowly lifted up. She could feel the attendant moving- walking- towards somewhere that she could only assume to be their room and after an agonizing minute, she felt the soft material of her mattress on her back and the sound of a closing door. She risked a peek at the said door and let out a sigh of relief when they were indeed left alone to themselves again.
“Well that was eventful.” Maggie commented.
“It was totally my fault.” Kara said, taking the blame. “If I had just been very careful-“
“Hey.” Maggie cut her off. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Just let me feel bad about it, Mags.”
Maggie huffed. “Fine. But, you know what? I’m betting everything I have that the processing room is where they do the brainwashing.”
“Your guess is just as good as mine.” The blonde muttered then she covered her face with her pillow to muffle her groan. “I’m really getting out of here.”
Maggie then chuckled softly. “I’ll be right behind you, Zor-El.”
**
“Do I really have to watch that crappy video again?” Kara couldn’t help but to roll her eyes at the attendants that were escorting her to a room which she frequented and had called it “the room of disgust” by now. All they played was Mike’s video every other day and on loop so, yeah. What’s not to disgust?
The attendants ignored Kara’s question (as usual) as the fumbled on the projector and busied themselves in preparing the video.
“Ugh.” Kara made a sound of disgust and rolled her eyes again. “Rude much?”
When they were done, Kara prepared herself for another half an hour Mike consisting video loop.
If you all think that what you’re doing is ingraining in my mind, well you all are wrong. Joke’s on you idiots.
Kara was ready but what they played wasn’t the one she expected. This one she can say was an extremely low blow and a look of shock painted her face. Then her shock slowly turned into sorrow and, eventually, anger.
Tears threatened to escape her eyes as she glared menacingly at the attendants. “Are you fucking with me right now?! Turn it off!”
Kara wasn’t a huge fan of cursing but she couldn’t care any less as to what vile words were spilling out of her mouth. She tried to stand but a firm hand was planted on her shoulders, keeping her on her seat. Now, even though she was already practically screaming in anger, the attendants kept ignoring her as the compiled video played again and again and again, constantly going on loop.
Kara was still glaring daggers at the attendants but she couldn’t help but hear her family’s voice, their laughter accompanied by hers on screen and when she casted her gaze upon the projected video, she saw her mother’s smile as her thirteen year-old version was skipping across their living room. Her father was nowhere to be found on the screen but he was there. He was the one filming the video. They were really happy. Kara remembered that specific day… because that was the day before the death of her parents. The facility also got ahold of the news clip where its headline was the tragedy where a drunken truck driver had rammed a car which consisted of a family. A mother, a father, and their only daughter who turned out to be the only sole survivor of the crash… and that was her and her family.
When the video of the funeral came, Kara can’t keep the tears from falling anymore as she remembered the pain of losing them. The pain of knowing that she won’t be able to see, touch or hold them again. And the pain of knowing that she would be left alone. Every emotion was stirred inside of her and this was too much for her.
After one more loop, the attendants stopped playing the video and as soon as it stopped, Kara stood and shoved them.
“What the fuck is wrong with you people?!” She bellowed. “Isn’t it enough that you’re keeping us here and imprisoned?!”
“Miss Zor-El, we suggest that you calm down.” One of the attendants calmly stated.
“Calm?” Kara let out a humorless laugh. “You expect me to be calm after that? Well guess what? Fuck you and your facility! This place is a lie and I’m not gonna let myself stay here any longer!”
Before the attendants could even stop her, Kara already rushed out of the room as she wiped her tears furiously. She didn’t need to look behind her to know that the attendants were trailing behind her so she started to sprint.
“Miss Zor-El, stop!” An attendant demanded but the blonde didn’t bother to turn around and had just blatantly ignored him.
Kara did successfully got out of the building but was immediately cornered by half a dozen of attendants as soon as she had stepped a few feet away from the entrance. She tried to run past them but she found it impossible. She could dodge one but then another blocks her path. The attendants flanking Kara had grabbed both of her arms and Kara thrashed with all her might and screamed in protest when they started to drag her somewhere.
“Please stop resisting, Miss Zor-El.” One of the attendants pleaded halfheartedly. “We don’t want to hurt you.”
Kara, being a stubborn one, unheeded the attendant’s plea and continued thrashing. When they passed the gardens, she heard a scream.
“Kara! What are you going to do to her?!” Maggie screamed at the attendants as she made her way towards the blonde, only for her way to be blocked by a pair of attendants that was stopping her from getting closer to Kara. “Let her go!”
“Maggie!” Kara called out in desperation as she was dragged away from Maggie when she caught sight of another familiar face.
“Winn! Please help me!” She called out to the young attendant who was looking at her with regret and he slowly averted his gaze away from the blonde.
Kara’s rage was even more intensified as she saw that there was nothing she could do and no one would be able to help her but her rage wasn’t enough to escape the grasp of the attendants that were flanking her. Even though she knew by now that she had no chance of escaping them, she still continued to thrash wildly just to make it hard for them. She was eventually led to the room where she had woken up to on her first day on the island. The blonde was pushed towards the bed and was forced to sit on it then they left her there all alone and locked from the outside. Again, she was in the very same room feeling lost… and now, hopeless.
There she uttered a silent apology to Maggie. If she hadn’t been so brash a while ago, this would never have happened... or that’s what she would like to think. She blamed herself for acting so irrational. Yes, her act was and could be justified but still, it was totally uncalled for especially when they have a plan that she could’ve jeopardized because of her acts. More importantly, she apologized silently to Lena. It might take her a bit longer to find the brunette. Long enough for her to think that Kara might have forgotten about her and her promise… and that was part of what Kara was afraid of.
A few minutes- or possibly hours, she couldn’t really tell- later, the door opened and there were a pair of attendants who entered the room. They strode across the room, wordlessly placing a plate and a cup, which Kara assumed was her meal, on the side table and left. The blonde glared at the door where they just entered and exited a few seconds ago then averted her glare towards the meal they served. She kicked the table, causing for the drink o spill a bit then there was a screech from the speaker which made her cover her ears, wincing at the pain where the sound made.
“Why won’t you touch your meal, little one?” Reign’s voice, much to her surprise, filled the room. “Don’t make this anymore harder for you.”
“To hell with you all.” Kara was seething in anger but she was restraining herself. She won’t give them the satisfaction that they were already getting on her last nerve.
“My, my. Such temper. You know, Kara, the more you resist, the longer you stay here.” Reign stated. “You wouldn’t want that, would you? Do as you are told and we will let you join your loved ones sooner.”
There was another painful screech, which made her wince again, and Kara knew that her conversation with Reign was over. She then sighed as she downed the contents of the cup and just lay on the bed. The blonde thought that she might as well just sleep on this whole ordeal. It’s not like she had been given much of a choice anyway.
Kara stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes, waiting for the drug to kick in and when it did, her eyelids drooped slowly and she had let herself succumb to sleep.
**
“Kara dearest.” A tall and beautiful woman with brown eyes - which could definitely rival Lena’s beauty, much as she hates to admit it- who was sitting near at the edge of the pond while reading a book stood and greeted the blonde with a warm smile as soon as she arrived at a part of the garden near the pond. Kara would definitely bet a hundred bucks that the pond was artificial no matter how “natural” it looked like. And why was there a mirror situated between two chairs?
“How are you adjusting?” The woman asked with genuine curiosity.
“Great. I’ve always wanted to go to a place where you can just relax and meditate so this is kinda like a dream come true.” Kara answered, tone dripping with sarcasm.
Though it didn’t go unnoticed, the woman just sat back and looked at Kara with what seems to be concern. “Well, I certainly hope we can change that for you.”
“Please sit and face the mirror.” Her attendant spoke behind her.
She was confused as to why she needed to face the mirror. Was it really necessary? Maybe it was. This was a therapy session after all.
“Please sit down.” The attendant repeated again, stepping forward as if he was about to force her to but the woman, though she still had a smile plastered on her face, gave him a cold glare which made him stop in his tracks. Even Kara had the chills when she saw the woman’s expression and this reminded her of a wolf. Just absolutely terrifying but beautiful.
The woman jerked her head, a signal which he immediately understood. He gave her a nod and stepped back at a respectable distance from Kara and the latter just stared at the woman. She can’t seem to tear her gaze away from those brown eyes. In truth, she was in awe how one second those eyes were full of warmth then voided and cold the next and she decided that she didn’t want to be the receiving end of it.
“Kara, I know that you think that this isn’t the place for you and you may be right.” The woman said when she turned her attention back towards the blonde. “But I’m asking you to please cooperate with-“
“With you and your ridiculously weird attendants?” Kara interjected, cutting off whatever it was that the woman was about to say. “Reign, you know that there is nothing wrong with me!”
The woman’s mouth slightly hanged open in surprise at Kara’s raised voice but not too long when a smile was formed on her lips and huffed out of amusement. Reign then patted the seat in front of her which this time Kara obliged and sat on it without any protest.
“We are our best when we are truly ourselves. Can we agree on that?” Reign asked.
“I suppose.” Kara answered.
“Mirror therapy is about owning your story. It’s about remembering what makes you, well… you. Only the things that you would know.” There was a long pause and when Reign was sure that Kara wasn’t going to give her input, she continued. “Tell yourself a story of who you really truly are.”
“Wait… You want me to talk to myself?” Kara asked in disbelief.
Reign shrugged. “Well, you don’t seem to enjoy talking to me.”
“Touché.” Kara muttered though if this was a different circumstance, she might enjoy Reign’s company and how the way the woman speaks. Not to mention that she is also gorgeous and- Kara assumes- smart, say in the business and medical field. But sadly, this wasn’t a different circumstance.
“How about this…” The woman gave her a pat on the knee. “I’ll ask you a question and answer only if you want to, okay?”
Kara thought about it and this option was definitely much better than being forced to answer and talk about anything and everything private or not so she just gave Reign a shrug and the woman gave her another smile, obviously satisfied.
Kara jolted awake when she heard the door open abruptly and her gaze landed on a pair of attendants entering the room which made her sit immediately.
“Good morning, Miss Zor-El.” One of them greeted her.
She was about to ask when will she be able to get out of this godforsaken room when the two grabbed both of her arms and dragged her out.
“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?!” She alarmingly asked as she thrashed violently in hopes of escaping their grasps which was, of course, futile.
“Ow!” She yelped in pain when the attendants tightened their grip on her arms. “Let me go!”
As always- and Kara had already been expecting it- the attendants ignored her and just dragged her to wherever the hell they were dragging her. The path they were taking her was actually familiar to the blonde and it was enough for her to stop struggling as her heart pounded really hard.
They have reached a double door made of glass with some sort of, what Kara could only assume (because to assume is what she could only do best here) to be, gold on its edges and shoved Kara inside the room and left her alone.
Then when she looked around, it hit her. The room was what Kara had remembered. It was still the same since the first time- and what she had hoped to be the last which apparently isn’t- that she had been there and she couldn’t be mistaken. Where is now is, indeed, Reign’s office.
Inside was spacious and a really good view of the sea could be seen in its wide glass window. A couch was situated at the center of the room and a mini table in front of it. Though there was a bookshelf at one corner, there were still stacks of books found on one of the tables as well as documents and papers but what captured her attention the most was the video, which seemed to be a live footage that was playing on the wide screen TV on the wall near the office table.
Kara’s eyes widened in surprise and her breath hitched when she saw Lena on the screen standing on a podium and giving some sort of speech about her company’s recent development and there was a man standing beside her but Kara couldn’t care any less about the man. Her focus was solely on Lena and how fascinating the brunette still was even on screen.
When Lena’s speech ended, there was a close-up shot of her. This made Kara smile a bit as she unconsciously lifted an arm to reach out for the brunette’s face, only to find out by the time that her hand had landed on the screen, much to her shock, the brunette kissed the man beside her. Everything was like a slow motion as Kara saw how happy Lena looked and all Kara could do was to look down and let out a silent sob. She couldn’t let herself watch any longer without hurting herself.
To say that she was hurt might have probably been an understatement. She was feeling a whole lot of it. She couldn’t believe what she had just seen. Kara felt like her insides were turned upside down and her heart was being clenched tightly, making it hard to breathe.
Hurt… Jealousy… Envy… Remorse… These pretty much sums up everything that Kara was feeling right now.
She was hurt by how fast Lena had gotten over her when the brunette just left a couple of days ago. She felt jealous and envy of the man that made Lena happy when it should be her who makes the brunette happy. Remorse because she should have never taken Lena for granted.
She cursed herself internally. Of course, Lena would find someone new or, if not new, someone who has been waiting for her all along. It’s not like she had shown any interest towards the brunette before and Lena probably thought that the kiss meant nothing but a parting gesture from her.
Just when she had turned her focus back on the screen, someone grabbed her by the shoulder and though it was just gentle, she was still taken by surprise which made her jump and whirl around as she accidentally backhanded the one who had just grabbed her, making the person crash on a desk. When she had realized whom she had just hit, her shock was doubled.
She had just hit Reign.
Kara was rooted on her spot when she saw spots of blood on the broken mirror that was on the desk. Apparently that was where the woman had landed.
Reign stood up and slowly turned to face Kara properly, and Kara swore that there was a flash of anger that dawned on Reign’s face before it had quickly disappeared. “Well, that was an interesting way to welcome someone.”
“I- I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Kara stuttered as her heart was beating wildly.
“I’m sure you didn’t.” Reign said in her all soothing voice as she grabbed her handkerchief and dabbed on her bleeding temple that was probably cut by the mirror’s broken shards. Reign then took a stride behind the desk and sat on her chair as she started to stack some papers.
“Now, I’d like to know, Kara. Do you still think this place is a lie? That we can’t, let’s just say, cure you? Look at your friend.” Reign turned to look at the screen where the brunette was being featured. “The treatment seems to be rather effective. What do you think?”
Kara silently stared at Reign, seemingly unable to find the proper words to say. It was like she was placed under a spell that made her rambling persona disappear or made her lose her voice.
When Reign hadn’t pulled a response out of the blonde, she nodded thoughtfully.
“I think her family will be very, very pleased with themselves and, of course, with us- oh!” Reign then raised a finger and had the expression like she had just remembered something and she briefly pointed at Kara. “I almost forgot. I think you’ve got to see this…” She then grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started to scribble something down. “This… is what Mike and your aunt paid to make sure that you, my dear, would be reformed. Not to mention that they want it to happen as soon as possible, say… two months.”
Kara was still silent as her gaze never left the founder of the facility and she was growing more and more anxious the longer she was standing there, wondering just how much did Mike had really spent. And would a treatment really work within just two months?
When Reign was done writing, which only took her just a few seconds, she ripped the paper and showed it to Kara which made the blonde gasp. The zeroes made Kara’s head spin.
Looking like she was satisfied by Kara’s reaction, she proceeded to query the blonde. “Do you think they would pay this much for a treatment that doesn’t work?”
Kara still couldn’t wrap her head around the information that she was currently getting out of the facility’s founder herself. More importantly, was her aunt really that desperate to get her to marry that sociopath?
“Understand this, Kara. The treatment that we give here is real. You’re just a…” Reign closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head as she crumpled the paper that she held. “… prickly little pear… and now, you’re done.”
Kara’s brows furrowed in confusion and she had somehow found her voice to speak again. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, we’re nearly finished with you, Kara.” Reign informed the blonde as she properly stacked some papers and picked a pen, she then had gestured on the surroundings. “By tomorrow, you’ll be able to leave here forever.”
“Tomorrow?” Kara asked in disbelief as she walked in front of the desk, placing her hands on its edge and looked at Reign in bewilderment.
Reign’s brow shot up as she looked at Kara in what seemed like incredulous and amused. “Frankly, I thought you’d be happier. I was under the impression you couldn’t wait to go.”
And she was. But this didn’t make any sense to her and it made her gears turn. Yes, Kara was really itching to leave this place but, she had only been here for a month and a half and she was sure of it for she had been counting the days since she had been sent here.
Unless…
“How long have I been asleep?” Kara asked as she waited for Reign’s answer in bated breath.
“How long have you been asleep…” Reign’s voice dropped as she muttered to herself and started to count. It didn’t take her long to finish counting when she snapped her fingers. “Oh! Two weeks.”
Kara’s breath hitched and she was stunned by this information and her knees had gone weak that she ended up sitting on the chair that was propped to be for the guests or inquirers. How they managed to keep her asleep that long, she didn’t dare to ask for she already knew what the answer was. Just thinking about the dose of sedative drug they gave her already made her shiver.
Reign was humming to herself as she was writing something down and when she noticed that Kara was still there, she stopped and turned her attention again on the blonde. She looked at Kara for a brief moment before she spoke. “Run along now, little bug.” Reign slowly leaned towards Kara and whispered as if conspiratorially. “Your friend already misses you.”
Giving the blonde a sweet smile- Kara could feel the sarcasm emanating from it though, which was a first- she went back to writing and Kara didn’t need to be told twice and bolted right out of the room to find Maggie.
**
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Maggie asked the blonde.
“Yes!” Kara answered almost immediately.
“They said that you went nuts. That you broke their projector that’s why they quarantined you for the sake of our fellow residents.” Maggie frowned and her brows were furrowed. “Was it true?”
“What?! That’s not-“ Kara groaned in frustration as she ran her fingers to her hair. “You know what? Forget about that. Can we go back to Lena? Look… Maggie, the Lena that I saw on TV wasn’t the Lena that said goodbye to us. I know that they did something to her and I’m not gonna sit here and wait for them to do the same to me.”
Maggie slowly shook her head as if unable to comprehend what Kara was trying to say. “I’m getting confused, Kara. I understand the whole Lena thing but, what do you mean that they’ll do the same to you?”
“Their shipping me back to the mainland tomorrow.” Kara answered and she heard Maggie gasp. “It’s obvious that their treatment isn’t working on me. Not yet, at least, given that I’m just been here for two months. I’m sure that whatever they did to Lena would work on me, as well.
“My talk with Reign has let me realize how this facility really runs and Lena, for once, was wrong about them sending you back to the mainland either they were successful or not. That if they saw that you’re a lost cause and that their treatment isn’t gonna work, they’re still gonna send you back. No, Mags. There’s no room for failure here.”
Maggie was silent as she looked down and this had caused Kara to be alarmed. “Maggie? Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Maggie answered softly. “I just… I just thought that, after all these months, I could rebel against them. That maybe there was a possibility that I could still return to the mainland being still me as a whole and not a reformed one.”
“And you still can.” Kara planted her hands firmly on Maggie’s shoulders. “I’m leaving. Tonight. Just like what we have always planned.”
“But the cameras-“
“Won’t be a problem. They will be rigged.” Kara immediately said, cutting Maggie’s concern short. “Winn said he would help, right? Then let’s go get him.”
Maggie let out a shaky breath before nodding as she looked at Kara with determination. “Okay… Let’s do this.”
After a quick stop on their room for Kara to freshen up, not that she smelled or anything because the attendants probably had cleaned her up which was making her shudder at the thought but she just wanted to be sure that she had indeed sanitized herself that day, they set off to find Winn.
"You said you were asleep for two weeks..." Maggie uttered as they were walking around the facility. "How did they feed you?"
The blonde shrugged as she briefly side eyed the shorter woman. "Probably IV. Maybe when I was groggy enough to be unable to process everything. I don't know. Anything could be possible, really."
Maggie nodded thoughtfully. "And you don't feel any hunger at all? Right now, I mean."
"I do, actually." Kara answered. "But that's just because I'm always hungry."
This caused for Maggie to snort as she turned to look outside through the glass window and Kara was surprised when the shorter woman grabbed her by the arm, making her stop abruptly from walking.
"There's Winn!" Maggie exclaimed and Kara immediately followed Maggie's line of sight and there was indeed Winn, trimming some bushes in the garden.
"Let's go." Kara said and they rushed outside to the attendant's location.
When they had reached the garden, they spotted Winn still trimming bushes.
"Winn!" Kara called the attendant's attention and he immediately turned to look at them.
"Miss Zor-El!" Winn said in surprise. "You're back!"
"Yeah, I am and I- we..." Kara gestured to Maggie and herself. "...need your help. We are leaving tonight."
Winn was staring at them silently for a few seconds before he started to look around as if checking if they were alone and when he was done scanning their surroundings, he turned his attention towards them. "Follow me. I need you both to see where to and not to pass. I can shut some cameras down but I can't turn everything off. It'll raise suspicions."
Both women nodded in understanding and they started to set off towards the facility. They let Winn lead to some turns and stairs and they eventually had reached a room where they all went inside.
Kara's jaw dropped when she saw a whole lot of CCTV footage being recorded in almost every corners and rooms. She was just relieved that their sleeping quarters and bathrooms were excluded or else it would be a breach of privacy.
There, Winn started to do his magic. He turned some cameras off. Some were placed on delay and some on loop.
"With this, you should be good to go." Winn informed them.
"Do you wish to stay here?" Kara asked out of nowhere.
Winn looked at her and gave her a small smile. "I have to. They pay me high enough for me to be able to fund my techs."
"You know, there are a lot of jobs out there in National City that's far more better than this." Maggie uttered as she was just looking at the screens.
"I've tried applying for other jobs actually. It's just that this job was the one that accepted me almost immediately." Winn then shrugged. "I never knew nor had any idea what this facility was doing before."
"But you didn't do something about it when you knew what they were up to." Maggie pointed out as she casted a quick glance at Winn.
"I didn't..." Winn's voice was small as he agreed with Maggie. "It was because I was afraid of losing this job. I stayed silent and just did what was asked me to do."
"What changed?" Kara asked again.
"I... don't know." Winn admitted.
Kara just nodded silently then. Well, whatever it was that changed Winn was definitely something that she'd be thanking for.
"You know what they're doing to people and yet, you still choose to work here?" Maggie's brows were furrowed and disbelief was lacing her voice.
Kara elbowed Maggie earning a groan of protest as the short woman glared at her and she glared back.
"You don't have to answer that, Winn. I'm sure you have your own other reasons." Kara's voice then dropped in a hush tone which was intended only for Maggie to hear. "Just be glad that he's helping us so enough with those questions."
Maggie huffed and rolled her eyes but she nodded reluctantly as Winn gave the blonde what seemed to be a small but grateful smile.
"I believe our work here is done." Winn announced. "Are you good to go? Everything taken into account?"
Taking one last look at the monitors, both women nodded.
"Yeah." They answered simultaneously.
"Thank you, Winn." Kara uttered with full sincerity as she gave the young attendant a hug followed by a hum of agreement from the shorter woman. A way of expressing her thanks.
Both Kara and Maggie walked out of the room but before they had even closed the door, they heard Winn calling out. "Good luck!"
The two women went straight towards their shaded spot and sat on the bench quietly, both thinking about tonight's escape and all the possible things that could happen. Kara could only imagine what Maggie was thinking.
Eventually, Kara broke the silence. "Hey, Mags?"
"Yeah?"
"What would you do if- when we got out of here?"
Maggie pursed her lips as she was thinking what her answer should be before facing the blonde. "I'll be honest with you, Kara. I don't really know what I'm gonna do after being gone for so long but what I'm sure of is that I'm never going back to my parents' house and I'll help you find Lena. We will find Lena."
A small smile formed on Kara's lips as she heard the shorter woman's statement. She knew that Maggie was a hundred percent onboard in finding Lena and she can't thank the shorter woman enough that she doesn't need to be alone in that conquest.
"And, Kara?"
"Yes, Mags?"
"Whatever happens..." A smile formed on Maggie's lips. "I'm glad that I've met you."
Kara returned the gesture as she hugged the shorter woman. "Despite everything that has happened, I'm glad that I have met you, too."
"This place is turning us into a sap." Maggie chuckled as she returned Kara's embrace. "We definitely should get out of here."
This elicited a soft giggle from the blonde. "Is it, really? I was already a sap even before I got here that I haven't really noticed."
"Oh, yeah." The shorter woman nodded in agreement. "You were already a sap."
"The sappiest of them all." Kara proudly said.
Maggie snorted as she pulled away from the hug. "You're incorrigible."
"But you love me." Kara retorted which the older woman just rolled her eyes to.
Moments later, they were both engulfed with silence. Maggie was left on her own thoughts again and Kara on hers as well. It dawned to the blonde that this was really it. They were doing this and there's no turning back anymore. Not that she would ever want to turn back.
**
Nighttime came, dinner had been served and eaten (somehow), and Kara and Maggie both found themselves in the comfort room, throwing up whatever it was that they had consumed that night. When they were done, they casually walked back to their table, with Kara going first and Maggie following a minute after.
Just as they were about to be ushered back to their rooms, doubt, once again, settled on Kara.
"Mags?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you..." Kara paused briefly due to hesitation. "Do you think this will work?"
Maggie placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as she smiled reassuringly at the blonde. "It will, Kara. It has to."
"But what if-"
"It will work, Kara." Maggie repeated sternly, cutting the blonde off.
"Okay..." Kara acquiesced and repeated, "... okay."
Kara doesn't know why she was having doubts when she was so sure just awhile ago about everything.
Probably just nerves. That's all. Kara thought to herself. It has to be the only reason why she was acting like this.
In silence, they waited and waited, probably for an hour and a half, before they sprung up in action with Maggie on the lead and Kara following closely behind. They got out of their room without a hitch and went on their way towards the dark hall.
Kara groaned quietly in annoyance. "Ugh. Why does our room need to be on the third floor?"
Maggie, despite their situation, managed to chuckle silently but didn't say anything and just continued to cautiously lead the blonde to the proper direction when they heard footsteps and voices slowly coming their way. The shorter woman immediately dragged Kara to a large pillar to hide in a haste as the voices grew louder.
"I feel sorry for these residents." Said the first voice.
Maggie turned to Kara and mouthed attendants which the blonde just nodded to. Of course, it would be attendants. Who else could it be?
"I, on the other hand, thank them and their cash." The second voice piped up.
"Not surprised there. Your world revolves around money after all."
Kara tensed and clenched her fist tightly at what she had heard. Clearly some people are just downright disgusting. Maggie probably noticed how Kara's demeanor shifted for she placed a hand on Kara's shoulder. The blonde looked at the shorter woman and she saw the worried look Maggie was giving her.
Closing her eyes, she forced herself to relax and exhaled deeply. She then looked at Maggie and gave her a small smile and turned her attention back at the approaching attendants. The two were still talking as they passed the pillar where the two women were hiding.
"But, you know what?" The second attendant continued to talk. "It's too bad that Luthor had been shipped back."
Now this caught both Kara and Maggie's attention.
"Why?" Asked the first attendant.
"Because..." The second attendant drawled. "... she was one of this facility's biggest source of income. If she had just kept her pretty ass parked where it belonged, she would still probably here."
"Yeah." The first attendant agreed. "The same will happen to Zor-El tomorrow."
Before she could even stop herself, Kara audibly gasped and Maggie immediately clamped a hand on her mouth but they both know that it was too late for the heads of the attendants snapped towards their direction.
"Who's there?! We heard you so you better come out!" The first attendant demanded as they slowly approach their hiding spot.
"I guess we don't have a choice but to fight our way out of this." Maggie muttered and Kara's eyes widened. Fight? Hell, she can't even hurt a fly!
Before she could even react, Maggie left their hiding spot and faced the two attendants.
Goddammit, Maggie! She thought and she followed suit and when the eyes of the attendants shifted from Maggie to her, the look of surprise was evident on their faces but it quickly receded.
The two attendants didn't waste any more time as they lunged themselves towards the two women. Maggie, being the experienced one, was quick on her toes and was able to dodge the attendant that was coming after her in a sloppy attempt. Pivoting around, Maggie and the attendant faced each other at the same time but his reaction was a bit late for the last thing he might remember would be Maggie's fist connecting hard on his face as he went down.
Kara, on the other hand, wasn't doing that well but she managed to dodge every swipe of her assailant. She might not be used in fighting and all but Kara had the speed despite the lack of work out.
"Just let us go. Please. I don't want to anyone to get hurt." Kara pleaded.
"The only one who will get hurt will be you if you continued to resist." The attendant spat as he furiously swiped again and this time he managed to get ahold of Kara's hand.
"Let me go!" Kara tried to pull her hand but the attendant got a tight grip on Kara's wrist.
"You are going nowhere." Kara can practically hear the triumph in his voice.
Kara's heart was pumping wildly and fear was consuming her fast. No matter how hard she tried, there was no escaping the attendant's tight grip. Was this really it? All those planning and preparations they have made would all go to waste?
I'm not even ready to say goodbye to Lena.
She was in the brink of tears when she heard a very familiar voice which made both her and the attendant freeze into place.
"Hey, asshole."
Kara and the attendant whirled their heads at the same time on Maggie and before they knew it, the attendant was already clutching his throat as he choked.
"You forgot about me." Maggie calmly stated as she knocked the living daylights out of him.
Kara was staring dumbly at the unconscious attendant, her mouth slightly agape. She then jumped in surprise when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry." Maggie immediately apologized as she raised both of her hands. "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?"
"I- I'm okay." Kara managed to answer. "B-but what... How did you-"
Maggie gave out a lighthearted chuckle and grinned at the blonde. "These are amateurs when it comes to fighting, Kara, and I'm not wearing a badge for nothing."
"Huh..." Kara huffed out. Of course, the shorter woman knew how to fight. She's a detective for goodness sake. "That does make sense."
The shorter woman rolled her eyes good naturedly and grabbed Kara's hand. "We should move before more of them shows up. I don't think we can get past all of them if they started to converge at us at the same time."
Kara just nodded in agreement and the duo made their way out of the facility. Cold air immediately hit their skin as soon as they got past the facility's protective walls and it made them slightly shiver. This time, however, they successfully got out without having any attendant spotting them.
Taking the familiar path that they were always using, Kara and Maggie quickly got at the cliff and they made their way down. Having been used on this routine, they quickly got at the base of the cliff and a bit more walking, they spotted the cave's entrance. They were almost at its entrance when they heard a beep not too far from them.
"Not again." Maggie muttered under her breath but Kara heard her.
Though she was terrified of the answer, Kara still asked. "What is it?"
"A walkie talkie. Someone's near." Maggie answered. "Let's just hope that whoever that is, they haven't spotted us yet."
They cautiously trudged towards the cave. Maggie still leading and Kara on the rear. Their eyes peeled on their surroundings and as Kara was about to turn back towards Maggie, she caught a silhouette just a few feet away from them and was coming fast towards them. Kara almost yelled for Maggie to run when she had familiarized who the person in question was and it made her smile.
"Winn!" Kara exclaimed which caused for Maggie to snap her head towards Kara's line of sight. She waved at the young attendant but, as Winn got close looking frantic, her smile slowly faded.
"No time for pleasantries. You need to move quick!" Winn rushed as he pushed the two inside the cave. "Someone was assigned to check your room and the whole facility was then alerted that you two were missing. You need to get out of here now before it's too late!"
Without asking more questions, the two women sprung into action and they pulled the rowboat out of its hiding place. With Winn's help, they had gotten the boat out to the shore faster than only the two of them could. Maggie then pushed the boat into the water and climbed aboard but, before the blonde followed suit, Kara gave Winn a worried look.
"Come with us." Kara took hold of Winn's hand. "You don't have to stay here."
Winn just gave Kara a sad smile. "Even if I wanted to, they could catch you easily now, with everyone on alert, without having someone to distract them."
"But... will you be alright?"
"I will be."
Kara engulfed the attendant in a tight hug which had caught him off guard and made them almost lose their balance. Well... almost.
Winn returned the hug and whispered. "Both of you be safe out there, okay?"
Kara nodded as tears were threatening to escape her eyes. "Thank you... Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. Now, go." Winn urged her and she reluctantly let the attendant go before joining Maggie on the boat.
There was beeping sound again and a static. Turns out the sound they heard awhile ago was the young attendant's radio.
"All clear there partner?" Kara heard from Winn's radio.
A beat... then there came another static.
"Yes, sir. All clear." Was what the young attendant responded.
As Maggie rowed towards the open sea, Kara looked back at Winn and she saw him giving a tiny wave. She returned the gesture and Winn turned on his heels as he trudged back towards the facility's direction.
"Let me help you with that, Mags." Kara offered which was declined by the shorter woman.
"Nah, it's fine. I can handle this."
"Are you sure?"
"Yup."
"Well... tell me if you're getting tired okay? I'll take over."
Maggie just nodded in response as they were slowly gaining distance from the facility. The island was getting smaller and Kara felt a sense of relief washing over her. They stayed on that island for too long that she thought that the only way to escape was to wait until they'll be shipped back to the mainland. Though relieved, she couldn't help but to worry about Winn. Would he really be okay? What if they found out that he helped them?
So many questions came up in her mind but those questions would only be answered if she ever see Winn again.
"You know... I'd forever be in his debt." Maggie voiced out, shattering the silence between them, as she continued to row slowly.
"Yeah..." Kara agreed. "Me, too."
Silence once again settled between them and they were both engulfed by thoughts of their own.
The sky was already a shade of blue, a sign that the sun was about to rise, when they had reached the shore of National City's mainland. Both were exhausted but they couldn't afford to waste time to rest. They walked and walked until they found a busy road where they can hail a cab.
"Do you have a place to go?" Kara asked as they wait.
Maggie paused for a moment, a frown forming on her face before she answered. "I'm... not sure."
"You know, you can stay with us for awhile." Kara offered.
"I don't think your aunt will be very happy."
"I meant on my real home. I'm never going back to that crazy woman."
"Wait... Real home?"
Kara nodded and a ghost of smile played on her lips. "The Danvers. They're my foster family. They took care of me after my parents died."
"Oh." Maggie breathed out, a bit surprised about this information. "Well, I wouldn't want to impose..."
"It'll be fine, Mags." Kara assured her. "Eliza will be happy to have you."
"Okay..."
**
"Kara!" A tall, red haired woman immediately exclaimed as she engulfed the blonde with a very tight- more like a bone crushing- hug that knocked the wind out of the blonde's lungs.
"A-Alex... Can't... breathe..." Kara wheezed and her older sister had let her go, looking quite sheepish.
"Sorry." Alex apologized then her demeanor changed in just a snap. "Oh, wait. Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened? You've been gone for months. Why weren't you returning my calls? Your aunt won't tell us where you were and Mom's worried sick. Where did you go? What did you-"
"Alex, slow down! One question at a time." Kara chastised her older sister. "Maybe you can let us in first before you start barraging me with questions?"
"Right. Wait... us?"
"Yes, us. I brought a friend." Kara gestured to the shorter woman who had been silently watching the whole ordeal with amusement. "This is Maggie."
Alex's gaze shifted towards Maggie and her eyes widened in the slightest bit.
"H-hi!" The redhead stuttered as she introduced herself, extending a hand for a shake. "I'm- uhh... Alexandra. Alexandra Danvers. But you can call me Alex."
Maggie gave her a dimpled smile as she shook Alex's hand. "Maggie Sawyer. A pleasure to meet you, Alex."
"Holy shit. Your hands are soft." Alex uttered in surprise then she inhaled sharply, her face turning a deep shade of red. "Oh my God... I did not just say that out loud."
"Consider it unheard." Maggie said, her smile turning into a grin.
"Uhh... Alex?" Alex and Maggie turned their heads towards the blonde. As much as Kara hated to ruin this moment of theirs, she just had to. "I forgot there's a cab outside... and we sort of don't have any cash."
Alex's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"
"I swear I'll explain later." Kara immediately threw in.
Alex rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Fine."
When everything was settled, the three of them huddled on the living room and Alex was looking at them expectantly. Kara's gaze flitted back and forth towards Maggie and her sister before taking a deep breath.
"Okay... If you really want to know what happened, brace your self because it's gonna be a very long story." Kara started.
Alex shrugged as she leaned and made herself comfortable on their couch. "I've got time."
"Can't we just wait for Eliza?" Kara queried. "I don't want to repeat everything over again. Where is she by the way?"
"I'll help explain everything to her later and she's out to buy some kitchen necessities." Alex answered. "Now, spill."
Kara groaned. "Fine. So, it all started with a dinner..."
**
[1 year later]
"Hey, Mags..."
Maggie looked up from her phone. "Yes, Kara?"
Kara bit the inside of her cheek, contemplating whether she should go and pursue her plan or not. She knew she should have done this as soon as they had returned but, the thought of being in the real world made her second guess everything. She always had her doubts even when they were on the island but seeing a certain green eyed woman on the television screen with a man who has been deemed as her lover only made her come to a conclusion that the brunette wasn't expecting her anymore.
"Kara?" She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Maggie's worried tone.
"S-sorry. Spaced out for awhile."
Maggie nodded in understanding. "You were about to tell me something?"
Kara unconsciously patted the pocket of her sweater and she felt the bulge of the rock that Lena once gave her. Maggie saw the gesture and she knew what was in the pocket.
The shorter woman then sighed. "Is this about Lena again?"
Kara bit the inside of her cheek and nodded slowly.
"It's been a year, Kara."
"I know..."
"Then why? Why are you still thinking about-"
"Because I promised, okay?!" Kara snapped, cutting Maggie off. She then closed her eyes as she took a deep breath to regain her composure. "I promised her that I would find her and it... it really makes me feel guilty that I somehow broke that promise."
"That was when we were at the island." Maggie reasoned. "We both swore that we would find her, and Kara, believe me when I say that I do feel bad about it, too, but think about it. She already has a life of her own. I mean, she obviously had moved on. I think it's time for us to let go of the past and make a life of our own as well."
Kara was silent as her gaze was locked on the floor. She knew that. She knows that Maggie was right. She could have done that. She just won't.
"... And I may have ran into her a couple of days ago."
Kara's attention was immediately shifted from the floor towards Maggie and she gave the shorter woman a bewildered look. "What?"
"I was at a coffee shop nearby... and to my surprise, Lena stepped inside the shop." Maggie started to explain. "I saw that she was surprised to see me the moment her gaze landed on me as well. What made even more surprised was that she just passed by me like I was a complete stranger. When I tried to talk to her, she have said some- uhh... things and she also told me to stay away from her... especially you."
"Why didn't you tell me right away?"
"Because I didn't want you to get hurt, Kara."
Kara nodded somberly. She understood why Maggie did it. What she doesn't understand was what Lena told Maggie. It wasn't like they parted with grudges or anything. She didn't even do anything wrong... or at least she believes that she didn't.
"Maybe she was mad that I broke my promise?" Kara mused out loud.
"Or maybe something happened back at the facility the night she was shipped back her." Maggie stood up and paced back and forth that Kara could practically see the gears turning in Maggie's head. "You once mentioned that the Lena you saw at the TV back in the facility wasn't the same Lena that had said goodbye to us, right?"
Kara only got to nod when Maggie spoke again. "And Winn said that the facility was doing a bit of drugging... and a whole lot of brainwashing. Kara, this all makes sense now!"
Kara swore that she could see Maggie lighting up when the shorter woman reached a conclusion.
Then it hit her. "Mags... are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"Basically, yes." Maggie answered with a nod. "Lena's been brainwashed."
Kara suddenly jolted awake when she heard an annoying sound coming from the room’s speaker.
“What is this god awful sound?” Kara asked in irritation as she slowly got up, rubbing off the remnants of sleep on her eyes. “And why is there a speaker in the room?”
She heard Maggie yawn and answered. “It’s an alarm for all of us so that none of us will be late for our designated schedules. It takes time but, you’ll get used to it eventually.”
The blonde seemed to realize that she was not in her room. She almost forgot that she was trapped in a facility. God, I thought that was just a bad dream.
With one final stretch, popping some bones into place which made her give a satisfied hum, she hopped out of her bed.
“Morning, Mags.” She greeted with a hoarse voice.
“Mornin’.” The shorter woman greeted- or more like grumbled- back with the same sleepy voice.
This made Kara giggle in the slightest bit. “I thought you’re used to it by now?”
“Hey. Just because I’m used to it doesn’t mean that I have to like it.” Maggie shot back which made Kara’s giggle turn into laughter. The shorter woman joined in the laughter a second later and they both got out of their room to freshen up.
After Kara had her bath and finished her morning routine, she was then escorted to a dressing room and was given a fancy dress that stops just above her knee to change into. It wasn’t Kara’s kind of clothes but she just accepted it. She wasn’t in the mood to argue with the attendants.
They left her and the other patients- err... residents- to change. Apparently they seem to know what privacy is so Kara was thankful for that but much to Kara’s dislike, when she had put the dress on, the zipper was at the back and Kara had a hard time reaching for it. Apart from that, there was also a ribbon that needs to be tied also at the back.
“God, why is this dress so difficult?”
A few more seconds of struggle, she huffed in exasperation and gave up. There was no way that she could zip it all the way up without any help.
“Need a hand on that?” Kara whirled around just in time to see Lena standing behind her, their faces just an inch apart which startled the blonde and made her step back.
“I- uhh… Y-yeah. I do, actually.” Kara stammered but Lena seemed quite distracted because she didn’t even bother to give Kara a teasing remark. She just gently turned Kara around and slowly zipped her dress up.
Then it hit her and her eyes widened comically. Thankfully, she wasn’t facing Lena. That would've been embarrassing. She cursed herself internally for forgetting what she and Lena had agreed on. The brunette must have waited long for her before deciding that she wasn’t going to show up. Kara felt like she stood Lena up- which, in a sense, she did- and she immediately felt really bad.
She opened her mouth and was about to apologize when Lena beat her to it.
“Sorry about last night. I don’t know why but I was knocked out cold as soon as I hit the bed.” Lena whispered just like how she had whispered the night before as she tied the ribbon on Kara’s dress. It was like she was afraid that someone might hear her though they were alone. But then, she understood why. They say even walls have ears after all. “Did you wait long for me?”
Anyway, Kara was shocked to hear Lena apologizing and was relieved at the thought that the brunette didn’t have to actually wait for nothing. Wait… Doesn’t that mean if I had been awake last night, I would have been the one who was going to wait for nothing? Snapping out of her internal monologue, she answered Lena’s question.
“No, I… actually fell asleep, too.” Kara confessed.
Lena chuckled silently. “Well, that’s convenient.”
“Miss Zor-El, your therapy is in five.” An attendant announced which Kara just nodded silently to.
She then turned to face Lena properly and asked. “What kind of therapy are they giving out here?”
The brunette gave her a half-hearted shrug. “Just some questions that you needed to answer, letting you talk about your feelings and stuffs. Saying and making you do something that might change you.”
“But I don’t want to change.” Kara muttered, her voice dropping low and for the first time since she had arrived here, she felt fear. “There’s nothing in me that needs to be changed.”
“Then don’t let them change who you are.” Lena then offered her a small smile and it somehow placated Kara’s fears. “Never let them change you. And if you somehow feel that you’re changing, I’m here for you. I’ll set you right back on your tracks. I’ll always be here for you as long as these people and the time would allow us.”
“What do you mean by as long as they would allow us?” Kara asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
“Well…” Lena paused and there was a split second where Kara saw the brunette hesitate before steeling her resolve and continued. “It won’t be forever. Us being here, I mean. Time will come that they would decide that we’re done with our therapy, whether it may be successful or not, and one of us would eventually be shipped back to the mainland first.”
“How long have you been here?” Kara asked which only made Lena smile sadly and the blonde found herself to be dreading the brunette’s answer.
“Almost seven months.”
It took all Kara’s will not to draw a sharp intake of breath. Lena had been here a month even longer than Maggie and there was a high chance that Lena was close to being brought back to National City’s mainland.
“Hey…” Lena held her hand and squeezed it gently. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah…” Kara answered as she licked her lips that had seemingly gotten dry. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
Lena looked at her, forehead creased with worry. Kara could see that the brunette wasn’t convinced with her answer so she just gave Lena a smile before she was being called by an attendant again.
“Miss Zor-El?”
Lena’s gaze flitted towards Kara then the attendant then back at Kara before stepping back.
“I’ll see you later.” The brunette uttered softly and left the room to go who knows where.
As for Kara, she took one final glance to where Lena was just a few seconds ago before letting herself get whisked away by the attendant.
**
After her session, Kara trudged towards a shade near the facility’s entrance and there she saw Maggie standing beside a bench as if waiting for something or someone. When Maggie saw her, the shorter woman’s eyes lit up.
“You’re back!” Maggie exclaimed, looking excited by Kara’s return. So it was her whom the shorter woman had been waiting for. It had already been two hours since Kara’s therapy session started and it was quite unnerving if you ask her.
“I am.” Kara gave the shorter woman a small but genuine smile before sitting on the bench. Somehow, Maggie’s excitement seemed to affect her mood… in a good way, that is. Then she remembered something. “You know, you could have sat while you waited, right?”
Maggie waved her hand dismissively. “Nah. I had been sitting for quite long already, actually.”
Kara just nodded and stayed silent. Then Maggie, being Maggie, lobbed her a question.
“So…” Maggie drawled. “How was it?”
“She asked me tons of questions.” Kara answered. “Personal questions. After that, I was sent to a room and they made me watch a video of Mike introducing his self and saying a bunch of crap about who he really is. They even played it on loop!”
Maggie gave her a sympathetic look. “That’s their therapy for you. If it makes you feel any better, Reign also asked me personal and very sensitive questions, too, and made me open up about my sexuality when I first stepped foot on this island.”
“Huh... It somehow did make me feel better.” Kara said as she chuckled.
“Kara?” Maggie visibly stiffened at the sound of Lena’s voice.
Kara just gave her a look before acknowledging Lena’s presence. “I’m here.”
Lena made her way towards the blonde and she noticed that she had company. “Sawyer.”
Maggie gave Lena a curt nod. “Luthor.”
“Mind if I join you two?” Lena asked though Kara was aware that the brunette didn’t really need the shorter woman’s permission. She was just being polite… she can’t help but to feel a sudden tension between the two though.
“If I said no, would you leave?” Maggie asked challengingly with a raised brow. The blonde knows that even Maggie knew what the answer was already.
Lena chuckled silently before answering. “Perhaps not.”
There was a moment of silence which made Kara uncomfortable and the blonde was about to break it when the tension suddenly dissipated as Maggie laughed lightly. “Then, no. I don’t mind. Not worth the hassle.”
Lena laughed as well and sat beside the blonde. If Maggie was being skeptic that Lena was there with them, she didn’t let it show. Instead, it was like she hasn’t shown Kara her dislike towards the Luthor.
“Are you okay?” It was the first thing that Lena asked when she already had Kara at a proper talking distance. Worry was lacing her tone and it warmed Kara’s heart to know that Lena was worried about her.
“I will be.” Was what Kara answered and gave the brunette a small smile. “It’s- I mean, I’m just overwhelmed with just about everything here.”
Lena gave her the same sympathetic look that Maggie gave her just a few minutes ago and just placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“So…” Maggie drawled again. “What’s up with you two?”
Kara looked at Maggie with furrowed brows. God, I swear I would really end up having a wrinkle at the age of 26. “What do you mean?”
“Dunno.” Maggie shrugged. “I mean, how did you both meet? Like, one minute you were asking about her for you didn’t know who she was then the next, you are close as hell.”
Lena’s brow shot up and she gave Kara an amused look, the corner of her lips quirked up, bordering a smirk. “So you really didn’t know who I was before.”
Kara’s cheeks were tinged with pink in embarrassment as she glared at Maggie. The shorter woman just gave her an apologetic smile and another shrug.
“To answer your question, Maggie…” Kara was still glaring at the short woman as she gave her answer. “She’s the one I told you who screwed me over yesterday.”
“And she’s still holding onto that grudge." Lena added which made the shorter woman grin.
Maggie noticed that the blonde was still glaring but she seemed unperturbed at Kara’s glare and she even manage to chuckle. “You’re adorable when you make those faces, Zor-El. You’re not even close to being threatening at all.”
“What?!” Kara asked in disbelief. “Hey! I can look really mean if I want to. Right, Lena?”
Lena made a face as she shook her head. “As much as I want to side with you, darling, I’m afraid detective shorty over here is right.”
This earned Lena a protest of “hey!” from Maggie which made her snort.
“I hate you both.” Kara mumbled and both Lena and Maggie cooed.
“I know you don’t.” Maggie said with a grin.
“You are most definitely incapable of that kind of emotion, darling.” Lena added.
“Whatever.” Kara just grumbled and before she knew it, she was already sandwiched by both giggling women, giving her a tight hug which made her whine in protest. Deep down though, she liked it. She liked not being alone in this island. She liked how kind Maggie and Lena were to her even though she and Lena had gotten on the wrong foot at first for a little while. And she liked that both women were starting to get along. Just like what Kara had initially thought, all it needed for Maggie and Lena to get along was just a little conversation to slowly get to know each other.
**
Days have gone in a blur and it had been weeks since Kara had been prisoned in the island. In that span of weeks, she had the time to take a stroll on the whole island and it was breathtaking if only it didn’t serve as a prison, in a way, for them. The shade had been their spot and so far, no one still had any idea about hers and Lena’s cave. They eventually told Maggie about the cave for they didn’t want the shorter woman to be left out. They went at the cave occasionally, sometimes the three of them together would come but it was mostly just Kara and Lena alone, when things gets a bit rough for either one of them.
Right now, the three of them just finished their respective therapies and they were given the time of the day to do whatever they want…with certain limitations, of course.
“You know…” Maggie uttered, shattering the silence that was looming between the three of them. “… the two of you had been really close.”
Kara tilted her head in confusion, side eyeing Maggie. “Haven’t we all?”
Maggie shook her head. “No. What I mean is, like, really close. Like there’s something going on between the two of you.”
Lena stayed silent and had seemingly decided to let Kara do all the talking. Kara noticed it as well and the blonde read it as a discomfort so she immediately wracked her brain to give Maggie an answer in order for the short woman to drop the subject. “There’s nothing going on between the two of us, Mags. We’re just friends just like you and I are.”
“Yeah?” Maggie was clearly unsatisfied with Kara’s answer. “We don’t hold hands like you and Lena do. I don’t give you affectionate kisses on your cheek like Lena gives you. I don’t blush at something both of you says, and I, unlike Lena, certainly don’t give flirty remarks towards you openly.”
“Why do I suddenly feel attacked?” Lena quipped with a slight smile.
Kara snorted. “You’re not the only one, Lee. But, really.” The blonde shifted her attention back towards Maggie. “There really isn’t something between the two of us. You’re just reading too much into it. And besides, I once mentioned that I already have someone back home, right?”
“What?!” Maggie asked in shock and even Lena was giving her a weird look. “I thought you’re not interested in that douchebag?”
“I wasn’t referring to Mike, silly. You remember I told you about James, the nobody that my aunt loathes?” Kara asked then Maggie’s mouth formed an ‘o’ when she remembered that there had been indeed one time where Kara had mentioned about that other man and Kara saw how the shorter woman flitted her gaze towards the brunette and her eyes flashed something that Kara would only presume as worry much to the blonde’s confusion.
Apart from that, Kara also noticed how Lena had stiffen with her lips pursed into a thin line and Kara was worried that Lena might be mad for keeping this kind of information about her from the brunette when Maggie knew about it. She wanted to say something, to apologize, but she didn’t know what to say or where to start so they finished their stroll in an awkward silence. Even Maggie went completely silent, looking like she was engrossed in her own thoughts in just a snap.
“Lee? Are you okay?” Kara asked worriedly when they have reached their spot.
“Hmm?” Lena asked distractedly. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know…” Kara looked down as she nervously played at the hem on one of the sleeves of her dress. “You just seemed unusually quiet.”
“Everything’s fine, Kara. Don’t worry.” One reason that Kara knew that there was something wrong? Lena dropped the endearment she always used in addressing Kara. She had never called Kara by her name anymore after her conversation with Lena at the comfort room and when the brunette came looking for her after her first therapy and she knew right then and there that she was the reason of Lena’s unusual silence.
“Lee,I-“ Kara was about to apologize and explain herself when Lena had cut her off.
“I forgot that there was something important that I had to do. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
Without waiting for any response, Lena slinked away from them and headed inside the facility. As Kara was watching her leave, she couldn’t help but to feel like there were thousands of needles pricking her chest and she felt dread at the pit of her stomach. What did she do? She was unaware that she was gritting her teeth and was clenching her fists tightly when Maggie gently eased her hands.
When she opened her hand, she saw her nails had blood on its tips and there were crescent shaped cuts on both of her palms.
Maggie looked like there were a lot of things that she wanted to say to Kara but decided to keep her mouth shut and settled on a soft “Let’s get this cleaned up.”
Kara nodded silently and let herself get whisked away by Maggie, her thoughts just kept wandering towards a certain brunette.
Maggi led the blonde in their room and rummaged at their personal first aid kit. When she had gathered everything that she needed, she made Kara sit on her bed and started to assess Kara’s wounds.
“Do you think I did or have said something wrong?” Kara asked Maggie as the shorter woman tended her wounds.
There was a moment of silence before Maggie answered her. “No, Kara. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why do I feel bad?” Kara asked again in what seemed to be in desperation. “It’s like I’ve said something that made her somehow distant in just a snap. Was it because I didn’t tell her about James?”
Maggie sighed as she wrapped Kara’s hand up. “The only person who can answer that is Lena herself. Now, I want you to keep this on for a while, okay?”
Kara’s brows furrowed with how Maggie answered her. She can feel that Maggie was holding something back and has no intention of telling Kara what it was, instead, Maggie was changing the subject.
But Kara didn’t want to drop the subject.
“Maggie, I know that you know something given how perceptive you are.” Kara pushed and Maggie pursed her lips. “What happened a while ago?”
“Do you like Lena?” Maggie countered with a question of her own which made Kara even more confused.
Nevertheless, she still answered. “Of course, I do. Like you, she’s also my best friend. Why wouldn’t I like her?”
Maggie shook her head. “I mean, do you like her in a way that isn’t platonic?”
That made her pause and think. Does she? Sure, she likes Lena more than anyone, even a little bit more than Maggie, and that she’s feeling something strange whenever she’s with the brunette but, that’s only because she’s her best friend… right?
“Mags, you know that James is the one that I like.”
“That doesn’t answer my question though.”
Kara rolled her eyes at how difficult Maggie was currently. “What does this have to do with Lena’s behavior? Is Lena hiding something from me?”
“It isn’t really my place to tell.” Maggie uttered softly.
“So you do know something.”
Maggie nodded slowly, avoiding Kara’s gaze. “I mean, technically, she hasn’t said anything. I just put two and two together. I’m quite sure that even Lena knows that I know.”
Kara then scoffed. Call her shallow but never had she ever felt this betrayed before. “And it’s okay for you to keep me in the dark?”
This made the shorter woman look directly at her with wide eyes. “What?! No! I told you, I’m not in the position to say anything even if I wanted to. Like I said, Lena doesn’t know that I know and mind you that it’s also just a hunch. What if I’m wrong, huh? You have to understand, Kara, that I’m not saying anything because I respect Lena just as much as I respect you.”
“Really?!” Kara was getting more and more frustrated at how Maggie was being cryptic that she wasn’t even thinking about the next words that came tumbling out her mouth. “Because from what I remembered, you weren’t really keen on making friends with her in the first place.”
“You’re really going to pull this stunt on me, Zor-El?” Maggie looked at her with sheer disbelief and Kara could see the hurt reflecting in the shorter woman’s eyes and it doubled how bad Kara felt when she realized what she had just said.
“No, Maggie, I-“ She scrambled on to apologize but just like what happened with Lena, her apology was cut short when Maggie spoke again.
“I’ll admit that I didn’t want to do anything with Lena before but just in case that you forgot, you were the one who suggested that I should try and talk to her and talk to her was what I did. And guess what? You were right. You shouldn’t judge someone without proper investigation so, I gave her a shot. Now, just because I’m showing respect towards our friend, you’re gonna dig whatever that was already buried deep in the past?” The fire in Maggie’s eyes weren’t something that Kara has ever seen from the shorter woman before and it made the blonde visibly shrink.
“I’m sorry…” Kara whispered shakily as she felt a sting in her eyes.
“Here’s the thing…” Maggie paused and breathed out a deep sigh before she continued. “I know I already told you this but, I feel like I should say it again. Everyone is entitled to have their own secrets, Kara, so as soon as you get your shit together and ingrain that in your mind, the better.”
With that said, Maggie left her alone and it suddenly became so silent that the only sound that you’ll hear was the sob that escaped from Kara’s lips.
**
Dinner came and Kara wasn’t really ready to face the two. She wasn’t even sure if Maggie would still be sitting with her or if Lena would even be there.
“It’s now or never, Kara.” She mumbled to herself as she made her way towards the garden.
When she got there, much to her surprise, she saw both women sitting at their usual table, talking casually and this caused her to hesitate. Would they still welcome her? Or even if they did, would they still talk to her? Kara was about to just turn on her heels and run back to their room when Lena noticed her and the brunette waved at her. This gesture made Maggie turn her line of sight to where she was and the shorter woman offered her a small smile.
Drawing in a shaky breath, she trudged towards the two and sat on her usual seat, silently looking down at her plate.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Lena commented. “Are you okay?”
Kara bit back a retort about how Lena behaved just exactly the same way earlier but just settled on a silent nod. She doesn’t really know what to say because, first and foremost, she was ashamed on how she behaved towards Maggie and secondly, she felt bad on how she left Lena out about an important piece of information on her.
“Smile, Zor-El. You look like the world is ending any minute.” Maggie said with the usual playfulness in her tone.
Kara looked at the two of them and it was enough for her tears to start building up again. Maggie and Lena both jumped up their seats and scrambled on their feet towards Kara immediately as soon as they saw Kara’s glossy eyes.
“I- I didn’t mean to… W-what I said… I’m sorry… Please don’t hate me…” Was all that Kara could say and though broken, the two understood what the blonde meant and they engulfed Kara with a warm hug.
“Shh… It’s fine.” Lena reassured her and kissed her forehead. “We can never hate you.”
And though Maggie didn’t say anything, she gave Kara’s hand a gentle squeeze as she stroked the blonde’s hair in a comforting manner.
Kara was beyond relieved that she didn’t do any permanent damage on their friendship because she doesn’t know what she would do if she loses either one or both of them.
“Everything okay here?” An attendant queried as he noticed them.
“Yes, everything is fine.” Lena immediately answered.
“Just that Zor-El here is having homesickness.” Maggie added.
The attendant seem to have bought the lie when he nodded in understanding. “We get that a lot here.”
“I’m sure you do.” Lena agreed and gave the attendant a smile what seemed like a genuine smile but Kara knew Lena’s smile was faked. God, how does she look and sound so convincing?
“You know, if you want to get out of here fast, you have to show that you’re having a progress.” The attendant told them and Kara saw how Lena and Maggie shifted in a defensive manner. Even Kara herself had visibly stiffened as well. Was this attendant mocking them?
“Yes, we’re quite aware of that. Now, will you please leave us in peace now?” Maggie snapped and the attendant looked apologetic. Like genuinely apologetic which was something new to the blonde. Attendants don’t give a damn about them not even bothered to have a proper conversation to them but this one… this one Kara felt was different among the rest.
“Of course. Forgive me if I have overstepped a line and had offended you unintentionally. If you need anything, you can look for me. Anything at all.” He bowed and lowered his voice. “I wasn’t really trying to imply anything but… a hint of how to get out of here fast.” Kara’s eyes widened and she was sure as hell that Maggie’s brow was raised and Lena… well… she can only guess that Lena would have a schooled expression but she knows that the gears on her head were turning.
“Just so you know I don’t trust the way they run this facility. I’m just here for the salary and the technology.” He confided.
To say that the three of them were shocked was definitely an understatement. They never thought that they would get to see the day that an attendant of this facility would say that. Not to mention that he was saying that to patients- err… residents- who are quite reluctant in succumbing to their medication.
“Excuse me, mademoiselles.” He turned to leave, which Kara could guess to avoid suspicion, but before he could even get further away from them, Lena called him.
“Hey. Attendant.” He turned to face them again and the brunette asked. “What’s your name?”
Kara swore she saw the attendant blush when he gave his answer and she suddenly felt irritated for no reason.
“Winslow Schott Jr. at your service. And may I add that I’m a huge fan of your inventions, Miss Luthor. It’s really an honor to meet you. Also, your researches are also awe-inspiring most especially your research for a cure for cancer.” The attendant rambled. “If you don’t mind me asking, Miss Luthor, is it really under development? The cure, I mean?”
“Wow. You really are a fan. I can’t say I’m not flattered.” Lena said with a light laugh and Kara’s irritation grew even more. Why does he get to make Lena laugh so easily? “Thank you and yes. The cure is under development but it isn’t really a hundred percent sure if it will work or not. Call it a trial and error.”
“Whether successful or not, it is still amazing.”
Lena nodded. “Indeed it is.”
“If looks can kill, I bet that attendant is already dead on the spot.” Kara slightly and almost- almost- shrieked when Maggie suddenly spoke way too close in her ears.
Seeing this reaction made the shorter woman snort and she gave the blonde a nudge. “What’s the matter? Your eyes look like they’re shooting out laser beams.”
“Nothing.” Kara answered curtly.
“You sure?” The shorter woman egged on which made the blonde roll her eyes.
“Yes, Maggie. I’m quite sure.”
“Well…” Maggie drawled on as she gave Kara a shit-eating grin. “… it didn’t look like nothing to me.”
“What didn’t look like nothing?”
Lena interjected in between their banters. As they were preoccupied with their bantering, they didn’t notice that the attendant had already dismissed himself and had started to cater other residents.
“Nothing!” Kara squeaked and she internally berated herself. Really subtle, Kara. Really subtle.
“Oh… okay.” It was quite clear that Lena was still skeptical but, much to Kara’s relief, the brunette decided to just drop the subject.
“Celebrity over here.” Maggie jeered, obviously changing the subject, with a smirk playing on her lips.
Lena let out an unladylike snort followed by a light chuckle. “Shut up.”
“He has a crush on you.” Kara pointed out as she wiped her tearstained cheeks.
“And you’re jealous.” Lena retorted with a grin.
Kara rolled her eyes. “Am not.”
“You sure as hell are.” Maggie chimed in.
Lena rested her chin the blonde’s shoulder as she mimicked Reign’s intonations. “Don’t you worry, my little sweetheart. I assure you that I would most definitely pick you over any other man or woman in a heartbeat.”
Kara hoped that Lena didn’t hear her breath hitch and she was thankful that the brunette’s line of sight couldn’t reach her face because she was sure as hell that, by the look of amusement Maggie was giving her, her face would rival a tomato’s redness.
“I hate you both.” Kara mumbled under her breath but it was loud enough for the two women to hear it.
“Nope.” Maggie said, popping the ‘p’ at the end. “You love us.”
“Mhm.” Lena hummed in agreement which made Kara roll her eyes, again, good-naturedly.
More than anything else. She thought to herself and let herself be engulfed with hugs again.
“Could we trust him though?” Maggie later on then mused out loud and a chorus of “I guess not” and “definitely not” came from the brunette and the blonde.
Maggie nodded thoughtfully. “Of course we won’t.”
“But, I think we should give him a shot.” Lena suggested and quickly elaborated when her friends gave her a weird look. “I mean, if what he had said was true, I think he could really be of great help. Think about it. Having help from the inside could help us escape this goddamn island.”
Maggie and Kara were silent. Both were thinking about what Lena had just said.
“Well, shit, Luthor.” Maggie eventually voiced out. “You really are a genius.”
Lena just shook her head and chuckled as she returned to her seat and started to eat the dinner that was served. Apparently, Lena was the only one who appreciated these, what Kara and Maggie would only think of as a poor excuse of a dinner.
Kara would quote and unquote that Lena specifically said that what the attendant told her was: “Our diet is individually calibrated for your optimum physical health and your mental equilibrium.” and Kara grimaced afterwards which made Lena laugh.
**
The next morning, Kara was frantically searching for something and Maggie couldn’t help but notice Kara’s distress.
“What are you looking for?” Maggie asked out of confusion.
“My necklace.” Kara briefly answered as she tossed her sheets and upturned her pillows.
Maggie tilted her head with her brows furrowed. “Wait, what necklace?”
“The one that I’m always wearing.”
“The sapphire?”
“Yes.”
“That’s weird.” Maggie started to help Kara find the missing necklace. “You never take it off.”
“I know!” Kara exclaimed as she threw her pillow that was currently on her grasp. “I can’t lose that necklace. It’s… it’s a family heirloom and I just can’t lose that necklace.”
Kara was on the brink of tears when Maggie placed a comforting hand on her arm.
“Hey… we’re going to find it, okay?” Maggie reassured her. “I’ll help you find that necklace.”
The blonde sniffed as she slowly nodded.
“Good. Now, how about you trace your tracks yesterday?” Maggie suggested. “I’ll try and search other grounds.”
“Okay.” Kara acquiesced. “Let’s do that.”
They parted ways and Kara retraced her tracks the day before. She had been looking and asking everywhere for a while already yet there was still no sign of her necklace.
“Come on, where are you?” She grumbled to herself as she looked under the bushes of the garden.
“What’s a pretty woman like you rummaging the bushes, let alone dropped on the ground, this early in the morning?” Kara jumped in surprise and spun around to see a smiling- and much to her confusion, was tired looking but still beautiful- Lena and she was immediately stunned to see how beautiful the brunette’s eyes were under the sun. It wasn’t new to her for she gets to see it every day but every time she gets to see it, there are just some moments that she gets enticed by it. It actually never ceases to amaze her.
“You okay?” Lena’s smile didn’t falter and Kara swore that Lena had the most charming smile she had ever seen.
“Darling, what’s wrong?” Lena’s expression now shifted with worry when Kara wasn’t responding and Kara internally kicked herself for spacing out… or was she really spacing out? No. she was daydreaming.
“W-what? Yeah! Yeah, I’m fine. I- I mean, no! I most definitely am not.” Kara stuttered as she remembered why she was here and she started to ramble. “I woke up this morning then I started to stretch, just like I always do- not that you needed to know that, but yeah- and w- when I… when I try to clasp on my chest, it was gone and I can’t possibly lose it! I-it’s… I mean, my parents gave it to me and-“
“Hey, hey. Slow down.” Lena cut Kara’s rambling. “What happened? What’s gotten you so worked up this early in the morning?”
“My necklace is gone, Lee. The one with a sapphire on it.” Kara answered, her voice was already quivering.
Lena looked from left to right looking like she was scanning her surroundings. “Come with me.”
The brunette grabbed Kara’s hand and laced their fingers together as she pulled her towards a direction that was already familiar to the blonde and Kara felt something in her stomach. Like it was churning or something like that and her heart was beating fast like it always has whenever Lena was around and she was definitely sure that it wasn’t normal anymore.
When they have reached their cave, Lena whirled around to face her. “Look… I need to tell you something.”
Though she was a bit bewildered as to why Lena dragged her on their secret spot, Kara gave Lena an expectant look and prompted for the brunette to continue. Lena nodded and fished something out of the pocket of her dress and her eyes widened when she saw what Lena had gotten out of her pocket.
It was her missing necklace.
“Where did you get that?” Kara demanded, her voice bordering irritation as she snatched the necklace from Lena’s grasp.
“I- I, uhh…” Lena stammered as she constantly shifted her weight from one foot to another, trying to find the right words to tell the blonde. “I got it last night. I sneaked in your room and I took it off from you.”
“You what?!” Kara couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t even think how Lena, of all people, could do this to her. She was looking at Lena like it was the first time that she had seen the brunette. Somehow, there was a flash of hurt crossed Lena’s face by how Kara was looking at her.
“Kara, let me explain. Please.” Lena pleaded and Kara could hear the desperation in her voice. “Please?”
Closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath, Kara slowly nodded. She wanted to be mad at the brunette but, she wanted to hear Lena’s side first. Lena must have a good explanation as to why she had done this…
And apparently she did.
“You see… last night was the first time that I had ever stayed up the whole night.” Lena started.
“So that’s why you looked tired.” Kara said as she realized the reason why the brunette had bags under her eyes.
Lena nodded to confirm Kara’s statement. “Pretty much, yeah. Anyway, I did the same routine that I do on a daily basis. Eat everything they offered. Do every exercises and activities that they instructed for us to do. Took a stroll and ate dinner with you and Maggie, but there was just one thing that I didn’t manage to do…”
Lena pursed her lips as she paused for a moment before continuing. “I didn’t drink anything that they served last night.”
Kara’s brows were furrowed in concentration as she held on to every word of Lena. The more Lena explained, the more she became enlightened.
“Have you ever wondered why I’m still here even though I know how to get out of this island? Why we’re always knocked out cold when our bedtime comes?” Lena queried which made the blonde wonder why exactly Lena was still here. The thought never really crossed her mind until now. And yes, she admits that she sometimes lacks awareness on her surroundings but, that’s currently not the issue here.
“Hey.” She was brought back to reality when someone snapped a finger on her face. “Kara, are you listening?”
“I’m so sorry. I spaced out for a bit.” Kara immediately apologized, face flushed with embarrassment. “You know I tend to do that sometimes.”
“I do but, this isn’t the time for that. Please do focus.” Lena sighed and Kara felt bad. She now gave the brunette her utmost attention, silently swearing that she would pay attention. “As I was saying, we were knocked out not because we were tired. It’s because they’ve been drugging us. They have been doing it this whole time.”
Kara breathed out a shaky breath. She didn’t realize that she had been holding her breath while Lena was laying out everything she knew. “How… how did you know that it was the drinks?”
“Winn, the attendant we met, though not directly, gave me the tip.” Lena answered. “I was about to drink my share when our gazes met and he was like giving me a signal. If I wasn’t paying any attention, I would’ve missed it, but luckily, I was indeed paying attention. When the rim of the glass touched my lips, he subtly shook his head and when I had set my cup down, he was like giving me a nod of approval.
“I waited for the right time and when I was dead sure that everyone was already asleep, I snuck out of my room and went to yours. To test my theory that we really have been drugged all along and there was nothing that could wake us up, I took your necklace. You didn’t even stir in your sleep. Whether you’ve been looking for that necklace or not- which I knew that you would- believe me, Kara, I still would’ve given it back to you.”
The brunette gently grabbed Kara’s hand again and tugged her at the back of the cave. Of course, she knew about this part of the cave even though they didn’t really bother going on this particular side. What she didn’t know was what was hiding within it. Behind a large rock, just enough to obscure the view, there was a rowboat waiting to be used.
“I’ve been planning on escaping this island for months now and I didn’t get the chance to because every single fucking night, I always end up falling asleep.” Lena started to explain again and Kara slightly winced at the way Lena cursed. “Now, I know that we really do have a chance at getting out of this island.”
“But… how?” Kara asked again. “This island is heavily guarded.”
“Not at night it isn’t.” Lena immediately answered. “Sure, they’re still patrolling the grounds… but not the sea, they don’t. Apart from sneaking around, I also checked outside. There was nobody around the sea’s perimeter. Seems like they’re far too confident that all of us are already asleep and that there’s no way that we should be able to escape.”
“Lee…” Kara didn’t know what to say. She was overwhelmed with the information that she had just learned.
Lena now held both Kara’s hands as she gazed at the blonde’s sapphire eyes. “I’m leaving tonight. Come with me. It’s only ten miles, Kara. We can do this.”
Kara stared at Lena for a moment before she dared to ask. “Where would we go?”
Lena shrugged. “Somewhere that isn’t here.”
“Like, back to our old lives?”
“It depends… but it doesn’t have to be like that if you don’t want to.”
The blonde was silent still trying to process everything when a thought just hit her. “What about Maggie? We can’t just leave her here.”
“I know. We’re taking her with us.” Lena reassured her.
“I’m telling her now.” Kara was about to run off to find Maggie when Lena stopped her.
“Kara, wait.” She turned to look at Lena and waited for the brunette to continue. “Just… be careful. Don’t give out too much information. We don’t know who’s lurking around, listening to anything and everything. After all, even the walls have ears.”
Kara nodded and bolted towards the facility. This was it. Freedom was finally within their grasp and Kara couldn’t wait to get out of the island together with Maggie and Lena.
I feel as though I'd been stuck in a hazy revolving door, spinning in circles on a boring and endless, mundane and redundant cycle going nowhere. I was there for quite awhile, somehow comfortable in the sad and unfulfilling passing of time. Too afraid to get out. Denying the very existence of the exit. Well, I finally let go of the door handle and slipped through the rapidly closing gap, leading me away from the cyclical pattern of what I knew and towards pure, raw uncertainty. A scary thing to do. I stepped through the revolving door with fear but also with purpose, and I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am for my sudden courage, my grasp on logic, my willingness to let go, and my desire to create a brighter life. Everything is light these days. No, I still don't have a job and yes, I occasionally worry about running out of money but it's not bringing me down. I'm done being stressed and I'm done being blind, clinging to people who don't care while convincing myself that they do. I'm done giving too many chances and allowing myself to be poisoned and wounded by unfairness. I'm done being taken advantage of. I've removed the blindfold from my eyes and I've taken enough deep breaths to slow my racing heart. It took a few months, a new apartment, a hanging succulent, two cans of paint, a fresh start. It took time and distance and the miracle of meeting someone truly wonderful to pull me gently from that revolving door and turn my world around. My heart is light. My world is light. Everything is light. ✨
