Part 1 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9
Kara bathed in the artificial light, feeling her powers restoring. But it didn't help with her tangled thoughts at all.
J'onn and Alex was planning a mission, Winn was checking the equipment. And Lena...
After declaring that Lilian Luthor was the culprit, Lena's image blurred even with Winn's device still working. She silently took a step outside of the room to disappear completely.
Lena looked really shaken. But then she appeared ten minutes later, face resolute, only to start helping Winn. They seem able to communicate through gestures alone and judging by his exclamations Lena made some good suggestions.
Honestly speaking, Kara was shaken herself. It's not that she was that afraid to face Lilian Luthor, but the thought about the fact that the woman who called herself Lena's mother (even just for the sake of public appearances) tried to kill her... Anger started to boil inside Kara. For her cousin, for innocent people Luthor family hurt, and for Lena.
"Kara? Is everything alright?"
Alex stepped inside the room in dark googles which made her look silly, and Kara smiled despite the situation.
"Yes, thanks, Alex. I think I need another couple of minutes and we can start".
"It's good. But I'm still not sure if we need to do it now. It will be better if have another day or two to get ready".
"Maybe, but I agree with J'onn. We don't know if Lilian knows that we have Lena's files, so it's better to do it fast, even if we won't take her in custody".
"Yes-yes, I know. We'll do it like you both decided. But I was talking about you. Are you okay?" Her sister looked worried even in her funny googles.
"As much as I can", Kara said truthfully, closing her eyes. "I'm nervous about going into Cadmus base, knowing it can have kryptonite. And..."
Alex just waited for her to continue.
"I kinda don't want to go there. I will need to come to terms that Lena... I want to help, really. And I know it was just couple of days, but... I see her, Alex. I hear her. I talk with her. I... I don't want to see her dead body".
They just sat here in silence. Alex, a steady presence by her side. They both pretended that tears didn't slide down her cheeks.
/ / / / / / / / /
"Kara", Lena was floating near, once again visible to only one person.
"Yes, Lena?" Kara wanted to call her name again. To call her enough times so that her name is permanently etched inside her mind.
"Thank you for your help. If not for you... I would've been stuck inside that apartment for eternity. Meeting you was the best moment of my afterlife". Lena chuckled but it sounded wet. Kara couldn't bring herself to look at her.
"I'm glad to meet you too. Even if we didn't know each other for long, I enjoyed our time together".
They fell silent.
"What's your favorite color?" Lena suddenly blurted.
"Red", Kara smiled despite her surprise. "It was one of the colors of my House, and the color of Rao. What's yours?"
"I don't really remember. But I think it either green or blue".
"Not really a fair game of twenty questions."
"I'm a businesswoman, Kara. I'm not really fair".
Kara hoped that she would remember this smile for the long time.
/ / / / / / / / /
They played all the way to the base. Laughing and bickering like they knew each other for many years. And Alex and J'onn who was usually pretty strict about communication on missions didn't say a word.
But they quited down when the entrance to the underground base showed up.
The way inside was easier than expected so everyone was tense. Lena helped by looking through walls which allowed them not to waste time on unnecessary rooms. But they all were wary of letting her go too far because no one was sure what will happen if Lena found her body.
Kara was crossing the hall to one of the wings when doors locked on the both sides. She always thought it was funny. People could search up how she bents metals and crushes concrete but they still thought simple steel locks can stop her.
"Well-well-well, who do we have here? Hello Supergirl. What brought you to one of my facilites?" Speakers in the corners became active with the woman's voice.
"Where is Lena?" Kara asked with all the patience she could master, even if her hands clenched at her sides.
"And who are you to my daughter?"
"I'm a friend", Kara looked right into camera.
Lilian scoffed and judging by the quiet murmur from speakers gave a string of commands.
"Kara, Lilian's not here", Winn intervened in the ear, "I'll try to track her, but it'll be better if you just go find Lena".
Kara turned around, destroying the lock with lasers without any delay. There wasn't a point in listening to the psycopath.
"You can take her", suddenly sounded behind Kara's back. Lilian's voice was cold and sneering. "She was even more useless than I expected. Perhaps she'll have some purpose being your punching bag. After all, you even called 'Luthor' your friend. Surely there has to be at least some purpose like that".
Kara saw Lena freezing in front of her, almost half way to the next door. She was silent and apathetic as soon as they heard Lilian, blank face facing the wall. But now she started flickering rapidly, which looked a lot like trembling.
"Don't you dare talk about Lena like that!" Kara whirled around, powered by rage and an image of Lena's back, so small and vulnerable.
If Lilian was there perhaps Kara wouldn't be able to restrain herself. But now she just blasted a camera and speakers with a good part of the wall. Like from underneath the water she heard Alex's swearing and Winn's aggresive typing. Even if he won't be able to actually destroy Lilian Luthor, but she will have some big troubles after his intervention.
It actually helped Kara to calm down and speed up to Lena. It was another instance when she regreted deeply about being unable to hug her.
"She was always like that", Lena smiled weakly and went ahead without a word.
Kara, worried sick, went after her.
/ / / / / / / / /
They passed through underground complex, defeating mercenaries, who obviously lacked any real skills. Alex reported that back up teams did the same to the reinforcements outside.
Even if it was good, but it's kind of felt like an insult to have Lena guarded so poorly.
"Supergirl, next is the room around which all defences were made. So we think it's our target", Alex paused. "Good luck".
Kara nodded even if her sister couldn't actually see her. She crumpled door, so that no melted metal would hurt Lena's body.
They stood here, not really looking inside. And seeing Lena hesitate to step in the room made Kara feel like she needed to play hero just one more time for her. So she made the first step after a big sigh even if it was the last thing she wanted to do.
Room was small and crumpled. There was a table, a chair and a bed. Nothing to indicate that there was someone's daughter, sister, friend's body lying inside.
There really wasn't a chance that Kara's eyes wouldn't be drawn to Lena the moment they finally were in the same space.
Lena was- Lena's body was lying on the bed. It looked pale, deadly white, which made her raven hair look even darker in comparison. It was dressed in some kind of prison's rob.
Kara sobbed.
"It's a limited collection jacket, Kara!" She pouted, turning her head away.
"Sorry-sorry", Kara laughed gently, lifting her hands up. "I have no idea about wealthy people trends despite working for Cat Grant. The world of fashion changes too fast. But it suits you!"
"Thanks", Lena smiled shy, blushing just a tiniest bit.
She knew. She knew all along that Lena was dead. That when they find her body, Lena won't open her gorgeous green eyes to look and smile at her. That she won't be warm to the touch.
But still, standing there, face to face with reality, Kara couldn't help her tears.
"It's a shame I can't hug you", Lena whispered when she thought Kara fell asleep after talking about small nothings the day they decided to ask Alex for help. "I bet it would've felt nice. And safe".
She lowered on her knees beside the bed, gently taking Lena's hand in hers, flinching from the feeling of cold skin.
Ghost Lena gasped behind her. But all Kara could think about was grieving for a friend who's smile made her heart race. Who was lost forever because of stupid power play in which she didn't even want to participate.
"I really wish we met sooner", Lena said somber. "I would've loved to take you out for a dinner or, you know, hang out. I'm rich enough for you to eat freely with your kryptonian metabolism." She sighed softly.
Kara winked, feeling bolder after meeting Sam.
"I would've loved to hang out even if you didn't spent a cent. I'm not that kind of girl, you know".
Kara lowered her head to the palm of the cold hand, praying that Rao's light helps guide Lena. And then she heard it.
Badum-badum
Kara's own heart painfully squeezed inside her chest to the point of leaving her gasping for air.
She chocked on the tears, which now freely ran down her face.
Kara looked up, ignoring worried voices in her ear.
When her eyes met Lena's she knew that it was really true.
"Y-you are- you are alive..."