Chapter Text
“We’ve just been given some breaking news: just a few minutes ago, there was an engine explosion on Flight 237 from National City bound for Metropolis. The plane is currently still in the air and is falling rapidly.”
Kara barely registered standing up as she stared at the shaking live footage of a plane on fire streaking through the National City sky.
Lena’s plane.
The other aliens were starting to take notice of the news, murmuring amongst themselves. The sound came muffled as though underwater.
“Kara? Hey, Kara? You okay?”
“Lena,” she breathed out. “That’s Lena’s plane.”
Brian was saying something, but Kara didn’t hear him. She stood there, frozen, staring at the news.
Lena was on that plane.
Lena was on that plane.
She bolted.
Within seconds, she was outside the bar, bursting into the alley. She looked up, straining her vision, and there it was—the plane, the plane Lena was on was soaring overhead, fiery flames covering half of it.
Kara had to do something.
She started to run.
She could fly, she needed to fly, she needed to do something.
She jumped, willing herself into the air. But her panic made her shaky, and she stumbled back onto the ground, sprawling across the concrete. A ragged sob tore itself free from her throat.
Lena was on that plane, her home was on that plane.
Another leap. Another fall. The plane continued to fall, burning.
Rao, please. Please. She couldn’t lose Lena. Not Lena.
Kara looked up, desperate, eyes burning as she tracked the burning plane’s trajectory across the sky. Lena was on that plane. The memory of her partner’s face burst across her mind then, green eyes bright with laughter as they walked across the park hand-in-hand just hours ago.
With a mighty shout, Kara launched herself into the air, and this time, this time, she soared. She shot upwards, propelled by nothing but pure will. Soon she was high above the tallest towers of the city, body unsteady as she was buffeted by the winds.
If this were any other time, she would have laughed. Being in the air was as exhilarating as she had imagined. But right now, all Kara’s focus was on the speck of Lena’s plane hurtling across the sky. Pushing herself forward, she raced after it as fast as she could.
I’m coming, Lena.
…o0o…
The first explosion rocked the plane mere minutes after the pilot turned the seatbelts sign off. Lena was just starting to relax after the nerve-wracking ascent when there was a loud bang. The plane gave a violent shudder, the drop in altitude making Lena’s stomach swoop. The lights flickered. People screamed. The plane started to shake. A flight attendant rushed towards the pilot’s cabin.
“Everyone, please remain seated—”
Another explosion shook the plane, this one louder. Lena’s gut lurched violently as she heard the tear and crunch of metal somewhere behind her. The plane dropped again with a loud groan, Lena’s ears popping as the air pressure shifted. More flickering lights, more screams. The emergency lights came on, the oxygen masks dropped.
People were shouting, panicking. Lena tried hard not to be one of them. She strapped her seatbelt back on, grabbing the mask and securing it around her face. The plane’s shaking grew violent. Something was on fire, the acrid smell of smoke and electricity hitting Lena’s nose even through the mask.
With trepidation, Lena looked outside the window. She could just see the wing, and it was the engines. The engines were on fire, the metal of the wing was charred and twisted by the explosion. Every engineering instinct in Lena was screaming at her.
This plane was going to crash.
And she knew. Somehow, beneath the terror and burgeoning panic, she knew. This was what Lucy had warned her about yesterday, when she said Henshaw was planning something.
The plane lurched, listing to the side. Lena shut her eyes, knuckles whitening as she held onto the armrests, blocking out the blaring alarms and the panicked cries of the other passengers. If she were honest with herself, part of her had already accepted that someone was going to end up killing her eventually. Between Lex and the DEO and aliens angry at her for her last name, she had no shortage of enemies. But right here, in this moment, that acceptance didn’t stop her from being absolutely terrified.
And Kara.
God, Kara.
Any fear she felt for herself was quickly overshadowed with despair.
She was about to leave Kara alone again.
A metallic screech sounded behind her, somewhere near the back of the plane. People screamed, the flight attendants shouting for people not to panic, trying to help. Lena suspected the plane’s structural integrity had been compromised by the explosions—bombs, she was willing to bet—and the plane was descending rapidly. Heat radiated from the back of the plane, and she wondered how long it would take to crash, wondered if the flames would hit the jet fuel first and send them all up in a ball of fire.
Another look out the windows showed Lena that the lights of National City were close—but then she realized that what she was seeing was the shoreline. And a horrifying realization shuddered through her.
They were going to crash in the Pacific Ocean.
That was when the panic broke through. Beyond planes, beyond being killed by Lex or one of his murderous fans, the one thing Lena feared most of all was drowning.
Her eyes screwed shut, and she started to cry.
She just wished she could see Kara one more time.
The plane jolted upwards, Lena’s stomach jumping to her throat. The pilots must be trying to make an emergency landing. Somehow, by some kind of miracle Lena felt the plane steadying, beginning to level. The plane was still uneven, tilted to the side, but they weren’t dropping as quickly now.
Another upward jolt, the groan of buckling metal rumbling from somewhere in the middle of the plane.
Then there was some sort of commotion going on, the passengers yelling.
“The fire’s gone out!”
“We’re not falling!”
“There’s someone on the wing of the plane!”
Lena’s heart jolted. Before she knew it, she was lurching towards the window, pressing against it. She could just see the wing in the edge of the window.
And there, grasping the burned, shattered engine, pushing the plane up from under the battered wing, was a small, blonde-haired figure.
Kara.
…o0o…
The burning plane streaked across the dark National City sky. Violent winds roared in Kara’s ears, whipping her hair back as she fought against gravity to keep the plane in the air. And beneath all of it, all Kara could focus on was the sound of Lena’s heartbeat, panicked and fluttery and faster than she had ever heard it before.
It had taken her a few minutes to catch up to the plane once she’d managed to take flight, and her inexperience meant that she wasted precious seconds trying to grab on. Flying in the air was nothing like floating around in the warehouse; there were gusts of wind and shifting air currents that sent her tumbling about, and the only way Kara managed to reach the plane at all was through sheer desperation.
The first thing she’d tried was to head to the front of the plane and push directly against the nose, but that had caused the entire plane to shake violently, the metal rippling under her hands. Then she’d tried to get under the plane’s fuselage, trying to push the plane up. But pressing up in a single point had caused the metal to warp and buckle, the plane threatening to break in half. She’d had to stop, mind racing for a solution.
She had to fix this.
Kara flew to the wing, coughing and choking on the smoke billowing from the burning engines. Anchoring herself to the wing, she exhaled, trying to use her breath to try and douse the flames. It took some attempts, but eventually, her breath cooled, extinguishing the burning engine and covering it with frost. That done, she ended up under the joint between the plane and the wing, pushing up to try and keep the plane level. She had to concentrate, because too much pressure and the plane listed to side, threatening to roll over. Too little and the plane began to drop quickly.
The plane was over the ocean now, no longer falling but still dropping lower and lower even with Kara’s efforts. There was no choice, nowhere else to land, so Kara just focused on letting the plane down as gently and as level as possible.
They hit the water with a monstrous roar of displaced water. The impact plunged Kara into the icy depths, knocking the air right out of her lungs. She kicked desperately, fighting her way through the darkness of the salty water. Her head broke the surface, and she splashed her way to the ruined wing, spluttering and coughing.
Helicopters were already flying overhead, bright lights shining down onto the plane as Kara hauled herself up, gasping for air. She took a moment to catch her breath, eyes wide as she beheld the plane bobbing in the water. Even with her effort, the force of the landing had all but ripped the engines from the wing, the wing itself twisted and almost torn off from the main body of the plane. There was a tear near the middle of the plane, water already beginning to push inside.
Shaking herself, Kara’s eyes raked over the plane, honing in on the door on one side. She scrambled towards it, half running and half floating. It took barely any effort to yank the door open, the metal giving way to her strength with ease.
The interior of the plane was dark and chaotic, passengers were crying and shouting as freezing water seeped in, people trying to save themselves. Kara felt the urge to help, but first, she needed to find the owner of the heartbeat still thrumming in her ears. She moved down the plane’s aisle, wading through the water beginning to fill the cabin, sopping wet but inexorable, dodging debris and fallen bags and humans who stared at her with wide eyes.
Finally, she found her. “Lena.”
In an instant, her arms were filled with a warm, crying mass, Lena throwing herself into Kara’s arms without hesitation. And all the terror and tension and desperation in Kara fled her body.
“You’re okay,” she whispered, voice reverent, the words reassuring herself just as much as the human in her arms. Lena was trembling, and Kara rubbed her cheek against her dark hair. “You’re okay.”
Lena nodded against Kara’s neck. “I’m okay.”
For that instant, it was just the two of them, taking comfort in each other. But then the plane lurched, metal groaning. They both staggered, clinging onto each other for support.
And suddenly, now that Lena was safe, everything crashed into Kara full force. The cries of injured and panicking humans, the shouts of the crew trying to evacuate the passengers, the roar of the waves that battered the plane and the drone of helicopters overhead. The wet, salty smell of the sea, the stench of smoke, the iron scent of human blood in the air.
“—Life jackets from under your seats! We need to evacuate the plane immediately!”
The shout of the flight attendant hit Kara’s ears. “Lena, we have to go,” she said urgently. “The plane is sinking, we have to go! Where is your life jacket?” She wasn’t quite sure how a jacket was supposed to give life, but if it kept Lena safe then she was all for it.
The plane shuddered again, tilting to one side. People screamed. The sound of rushing water intensified, and Kara could practically feel the plane sinking. She knew they only had minutes before it was submerged.
They needed to leave. And they could leave. Kara could just pick Lena up right now and fly them to safety.
But that would mean leaving all the people in the plane to their fate.
She looked at Lena. And she saw her own conflict reflected in Lena’s expression. They both felt it—the urge to help. There were over a hundred passengers on this plane, and if Kara didn’t intervene, she was sure there would be casualties if there weren’t already.
“I—I can take you to the shore first,” she said shakily. “I’ll get you to safety. But…”
“We need to help.” Lena nodded, eyes hardening with determination. “You’re right. We can’t just leave. But I’m staying with you.”
“But—”
“I’m staying.” Lena’s voice was unyielding. “We’re partners, Kara. I can help you, and others. Besides, there’s a good chance the DEO will show up. I think they were behind this. Lucy Lane warned me Henshaw might try something, I just didn’t think… It doesn’t matter. I’m not letting you face them alone.”
Kara froze. She hadn’t even considered that the DEO would arrive, that they would have seen an alien saving a crashing plane and put things together. But if Lena was right, then that meant… that meant the DEO had tried to kill Lena. A sudden rage simmered to life in Kara’s chest.
But the plane lurched suddenly, reminding her that they had more immediate problems to deal with. She looked at Lena. It went against every protective instinct Kara had to let Lena stay in this perilous situation, and her mind kicked into overdrive as she raced through her options. She could ignore Lena, fly her to shore and come back to the plane.
But that would leave Lena alone and vulnerable, and if the DEO really was behind this, that wasn’t an option. She would have to take Lena to L-Corp or to the penthouse, and that would take time. She wasn’t confident enough in her flight to speed Lena through the open air, not without accidentally hurting her. In all likelihood, by the time she got Lena home and returned to the plane, the plane would have sunken. Besides, she knew Lena wouldn’t agree to let Kara leave her somewhere while she went back to help the plane passengers. Lena would choose to stay and help. It was just who she was; it was her decision, and Kara would respect that.
Finally, Kara nodded. Decision made, she and Lena moved hand in hand towards the exit, wading through the cold water that was creeping up to calf level.
It was pure chaos when they left the first-class section. Most of the damage had been sustained in the middle and back half of the plane where the seats were packed as tightly as possible. The crew had opened the doors and had inflated some sort of raft that they were herding people onto. They were still a good distance from the shore, and only a couple of small rescue boats had arrived.
Some rescue personnel had also arrived, and one of them quickly approached Kara and Lena. “Ma’am, I’m with the NC Fire Department, we’re helping the Coast Guard. We need to get everyone evacuated as quickly as possible, so you need to follow me—”
“I can help you,” Kara cut in, feeling the urgency as the smell of blood started to intensify. “I—I was the one who kept the plane from crashing. I can help.”
The firefighter paused. “You—you kept the plane from crashing?” Realization dawned on his face. “You were the woman on the plane wing. What—are—are you an alien?”
Kara froze.
“That doesn’t matter,” Lena cut in, fixing the firefighter with a glare. “The point is, she’s offering to help you.”
The firefighter—Captain Ramirez, according to the name tape across his chest—turned his attention to Lena. His eyes widened. “You’re Lena Luthor.”
Lena bristled. “Yes, but right now, that doesn’t matter; what matters is that we’re trying to help you save everyone on this plane that can be saved.”
“Right.” Ramirez shook his head. “Right. Alright, fine. But you need to evacuate, Miss Luthor.” he told Lena.
“The boats are already full,” Lena pointed out. Sure enough, the two small boats were already filled to capacity and were getting ready to head to shore. “I’ll take the next one out; for now, I’m with her.”
Ramirez nodded tersely. “Fine. But you’re putting a lifejacket on.”
Once Lena was situated—Kara found the orange lifejacket fascinating—the firefighter turned and headed towards one of the other firefighters, who was pushing futilely at a caved-in section of the plane’s wall. A row of panicking humans sat in their seats, struggling to get out.
“Captain, this whole row’s trapped,” the firefighter said, breathless. “Fuselage is warped in; we can’t get them out.”
Kara moved forward, putting her hand on the wall and starting to push.
“Wait!” Lena put a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “Pushing there will break the seam over here; you’ll risk tearing another hole in the fuselage.” She pointed to a different spot. “Pushing the wall in here should be able to create enough space to get everyone out without causing more damage.”
Ramirez shook his head. “Yeah, but we need heavy equipment to—”
He faltered as Kara put a hand on the spot Lena had indicated and pushed. The metal creaked and groaned at the pressure. Soon, the metal was out of the way, and the firefighters started pulling the trapped people out. Kara helped one older woman out herself. “Thank you,” the human woman said tearfully. “Thank you.”
The two firefighters stared at Kara in awe. “Any chance you can do that again?”
So Kara and Lena went along the damage, clearing debris and metal wherever necessary. They made a good team, with Lena quickly assessing how to fix the problem with her engineering knowledge and Kara providing the brute force needed. They moved quickly, the water slowly rising until it reached their knees.
Then they came upon two firefighters working on two trapped passengers right next to the hole in the plane. It was a young woman and a small child. Recognition jolted through Kara—it was the mother and child at the airport, the one she’d helped with the lost toy rabbit. The row in front of them had been crushed and pushed back by the explosion, trapping them both in their seats. The little girl looked unconscious, and the mother was frantic.
The firefighter saw them approaching and moved towards them. “The mom’s name is Julia, kid’s name is Rose. Mom has an open lower leg fracture, maybe a concussion. Kid got the worst of it, she was in the window seat. The wall and the armrest caved in, she’s got broken ribs and internal bleeding. Captain, if she doesn’t get medical attention in ten, fifteen minutes, she’s gone.”
Captain Ramirez’s jaw tightened. “The boat ride back alone will take most of that time.”
“Are there no medical helicopters available?” Lena asked.
“There’s been another accident somewhere downtown. We only have two choppers available to us, and they’re already carrying patients with critical spinal injuries. We’ll just have to do our best to stabilize her and travel her by the lifeboats.”
Kara’s chest tightened as she looked at the small child—Rose, she remembered—perhaps four or five years old. “I… I could fly her,” she said quietly. “If you can secure her, I could fly her to the shore, it would be quicker than waiting for a boat, and maybe more stable.”
Lena looked at her, worried. “The DEO could already be on site,” she said, voice low.
“Then I will move fast. The child will die if we do not help her.”
“… Alright.”
Ramirez looked between the two of them, then nodded. “It’s a Hail Mary, but it’s our only option.” Decision made, they approached the two passengers. On closer inspection, Kara could see blood trickling from a cut in Julia’s forehead. Her leg had been crushed by the front seats, and Kara could see blood and a bit of bone sticking out. Next to her, Rose’s much smaller body had been completely pinned to her seat, metal compressing her chest.
“Okay, Julia,” the fire captain said briskly. “We’re going to get you out first, get you on one of the boats.”
Julia shook her head desperately, wincing in pain. “No, my baby, you have to take care of my baby!”
“We will, Ma’am, but to do that we need to get you out of the way so we can work. Once we get you free, we can take care of Rose.” The captain nodded at Kara, and she moved forward, following his and Lena’s instructions to carefully loosen the debris that was trapping Julia and Rose. Soon, the firefighters were able to pull Julia out, immediately starting to work on Rose. But Julia refused to be taken to the boat, eyes locked onto her child.
“Ma’am, you need to go,” Ramirez urged. “We need to stabilize Rose, and you need to be treated too.”
“I can’t leave her,” Julia sobbed. “I can’t leave my baby!”
“We’ll take care of her,” the fire captain soothed. “Once Rose is stable, this lady is going to fly her out to shore so she can get immediate medical treatment.”
“Fly?” Julia’s eyes widened as she looked at Kara. “You—who are you?”
“I—” Kara stopped as Lena squeezed her hand urgently. Belatedly, she realized that Lena hadn’t mentioned Kara’s name, likely wanting to protect her anonymity. “… I’m just here to help. I promise I will take your daughter to get help.”
“You—you were the one who saved the plane?” Kara nodded.
“Once—once she’s stable, then I’ll go.” Julia shuddered, clutching at her broken leg.
“Ma’am, the boat is leaving soon,” Captain Ramirez said. “We need to get you on that boat so you can get treated too. Your injuries are less critical than your daughter’s, but you have an open fracture and a head injury. We need to get you to shore as soon as possible.”
Julia shook her head adamantly. This time, Lena moved forward. “You need to take care of yourself too,” she said softly. “If something happens to you, it will devastate your daughter. She’ll never be the same.” Kara heard her swallow thickly. “Trust me. Let the firefighters take care of both of you.”
Julia seemed to listen for a moment. But then she shook her head. “I don’t care. I don’t care what happens to me, alright? Not as long as she’s safe. I need to be here, I need to make sure she’s safe.”
Kara’s breath caught. For a moment, she was thirteen years old again, back in that hanger, looking into her mother’s fierce but anguished eyes. Was this how her mother had felt that night?
This wasn’t the time, Kara scolded herself. “I will take care of Rose,” she promised. “I will take her to the shore, and I will make sure she receives the treatment she requires.”
Julia looked at her, pained eyes studying her. Kara met her gaze steadily. “You promise she’ll be safe?”
“I promise.”
Finally, Julia nodded, allowing one of the firefighters to carry her towards the boats. The water was reaching up to their knees now. “Miss Luthor, you should go too,” Ramirez instructed. “The last of the passengers are being loaded now.”
Lena looked at Kara, conflicted. “I—”
“You should go,” Kara said softly. “I will fly Rose out, and we can meet on the shore.”
After a moment, Lena nodded. Then she looked Kara in the eye. “If you get there first and the DEO is there, run, okay? Don’t worry about me. Make sure you’re safe.”
“I can’t—”
“Kara. You see the DEO, you leave. Okay?”
Kara swallowed, nodding. Before she could say any more, the medic called out, “Patient stabilized, ready for transport!”
Kara glanced at him, then back at Lena. “I’ll see you soon.”
Lena pulled her down, giving her a deep but quick kiss. “I’ll hold you to that.”
She headed towards the exit, and Kara turned to the firefighters. Ramirez cleared his throat but made no comment on the little spectacle. “There should be a command center on the beach,” he said. “Tell them she has multiple broken ribs and internal bleeding. They’ll know what to do.”
Kara nodded tersely. Carefully, she picked Rose up, careful not to move too quickly. The girl was strapped to a small board for stability, and Kara placed her arms carefully for support. Then she carried the human towards the door, the wind spraying salt water in her face. The boat carrying the last of the passengers were just setting off, and Kara locked eyes with Lena for a moment. Then with a deep breath, Kara lifted off from the plane and took off for the shore.
She was careful as she flew, staying close to the water, afraid that the human child she held wouldn’t be able to breathe if she went too fast or too high. It took all her concentration to keep her flight stable, but even with that, she quickly outstripped the small lifeboat. Soon, she spotted a group of humans bustling about on the shore, tents already set up. It must be the command center. She could spot more firefighters organizing the bedraggled passengers, medics treating the injured.
Kara flew towards one such group, and as she approached, the bustle of the command center seemed to die down as the humans noticed her. Whispers and murmurs began to break out. She swallowed. She hadn’t really considered how she was going to explain herself to the humans on the beach.
But then.
As she drew closer, her heart stopped. Black SUVs with sirens tore across the sand, agents in black pouring out. Kara froze in midair.
If you get there first and the DEO is there, run, okay? Don’t worry about me. Make sure you’re safe.
She could run. She should run. She could turn tail and get away from the DEO, find Lena on the boat and whisk her away. She couldn’t go back to the DEO.
But she was still holding Rose. The child in her arms would die without medical treatment.
She had already failed one child. She wouldn’t let herself fail another.
So she landed, stumbling slightly as her feet hit the sand. The DEO agents surrounded her in seconds. She could feel the dozens of eyes on her, passengers and first responders and DEO agents alike. And there, directly in front of her, was the same cold, sadistic gaze that she remembered from her very first night on Earth.
Hank Henshaw.
“Stand down, alien,” he barked. His voice sent pure terror ricocheting through Kara’s mind, eyes darting about in fear at the weaponry being aimed at her. Henshaw’s men were glaring at her, gripping their rifles tightly.
“Please,” she rasped, voice hoarse. “I am trying to help. This child is injured, she—she is human, she needs help.”
“We don’t need your help, alien,” Henshaw growled. “Release your hostage or we’ll open fire!”
Kara could have screamed. The child wasn’t a hostage. Did Henshaw just want Kara to drop the critically injured child on the damp sand? What kind of monster—well, Kara knew what kind of monster Henshaw was. The unfairness of it all was sickening, and why couldn’t these humans see that she just wanted to help, and—
A helicopter thundered overhead, a spotlight flashing down on the confrontation. Momentarily blinded, Kara flinched, tightening her grip on Rose.
That small movement was enough.
She heard the click of the trigger, saw the flash of glowing green from a gun’s muzzle.
A split second to react.
Before anyone could blink, she clutched Rose close and spun around so that her back faced the shooting agents, cocooning the small girl with her body. Kara braced herself for pain. But the bullets slammed against her back, shattering harmlessly against her impenetrable skin.
Kara turned, eyes wide as she beheld the bright green remnants of the DEO’s bullets scattered on the sand at her feet. Kryptonite. Her eyes flicked to Lena’s gift, glowing a soft blue on her wrist as it absorbed the kryptonite’s radiation, rendering the bullets as harmless to Kara as plastic.
She faced Henshaw again, seeing the rage distorting the man’s features. “Please, I do not want to fight. Just—just let me get her to the medics. Please.”
Henshaw’s face tightened. Then he barked out an order. A few moments later, two of the medics moved forward, eyes wide. Eyes flicking between them and Henshaw, Kara nervously relayed the information Ramirez told her to, then handed Rose off.
As soon as the medics rushed the girl towards the medical tents, the DEO agents started to close in. Kara’s hands rose automatically. All thoughts of her invulnerability had momentarily fled her mind, rationality consumed by a decade of conditioned terror. Henshaw was saying something, but Kara couldn’t hear, a roaring rush of panic drowning everything out. Her heartbeat pounded hard in her ears.
Kara. You see the DEO, you leave. Okay?
She couldn’t go back.
She had to run.
Her body twisted, panic overriding everything. It was fight or flight, and she chose flight. Or at least, she tried to.
The DEO had realized the kryptonite was useless, but that wasn’t their only weapon. This time, a familiar high-pitched buzz rang in Kara’s ears. The hair on the back of her neck tingled, and electricity arced violently through her body a split-second before her superspeed engaged.
It was different from the agony of kryptonite. Kryptonite was pure, unrelenting pain, pulsing from somewhere deep inside of her. The electricity was a whole different beast, sparks dancing erratically along her skin, shattering her biomatrix and making her muscles twitch and tighten like a dying insect. Each attempted motion sent violent shocks ripping down every nerve as she failed to stop the mad, erratic jerking of her limbs. Her biomatrix fizzled and flickered until Kara wanted to rip her skin off, crawl right out of it until it all just stopped.
When it finally ended, she was sprawled facedown in the sand, ears ringing as she struggled to breathe. She wheezed, trying push herself up, but her jelly-like limbs shuddered and twitched. In some kind of paradox, she both couldn’t move and couldn’t stop moving.
The dark blurs of the DEO agents were moving closer when she heard it.
“Kara!”
Lena. Lena was there. But the DEO was there too. She felt hands on her arms, pinning her down. And when she looked up, she saw Lena, DEO agents moving towards her as well. “Get your hands off me!” Lena yelped.
Sharp clarity shot through Kara then, an incandescent rage surging over her, overriding all terror and pain.
The last time the DEO had come for Kara, she’d surrendered, accepting her fate.
This time, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She wasn’t going to let them have her, and by Rao she wasn’t going to let them have Lena.
Gritting her chattering teeth, Kara tore away from the DEO agents. Summoning all her remaining strength, she slammed her hands together in a single, powerful clap. A deep concussive force blasted from her hands at the impact, leveling every human in the immediate vicinity, DEO and civilians alike.
Kara forced her body into action, stumbling towards Lena. Lena was on the ground as well, dazed and shaking her head. With another burst of effort, Kara pulled her into her arms and launched them both up into the sky.
…o0o…
They landed—or more accurately, crashed—in a dark, nondescript alley somewhere in National City. Lena braced for the impact, but somehow, Kara managed to turn so that she took the brunt of the hit. Still, the crash was jarring, and between that and the super-clap thing Kara had executed moments ago, Lena’s head was spinning.
But that wasn’t important. “Kara?” She scrambled over to the Kryptonian, horrified when she saw the way Kara was shaking, her limbs twitching violently. She put her hands on Kara’s face urgently. “Kara, can you open your eyes?”
Pained, unfocused blue eyes cracked open, but any relief was short-lived as Kara’s spine arched and she let out a pained groan. Lena’s fear spiked. The rescue boat she’d been on had been close to the shore when the DEO had arrived, and she’d been helpless to do anything but watch as the DEO tried to shoot Kara before turning their electric weapons on her. At least four agents had shot her with electricity. Her mind raced through what Kara had told her about the DEO’s use of electricity on alien prisoners, and she felt sick.
But now wasn’t the time. The DEO could still be on their tracks, and Lena needed to get Kara somewhere safe.
The trouble was, she had no idea where they were. She checked on Kara, who was still shaking. “Kara, I’m just going to check the street, okay? I’ll be right back.”
She struggled to her feet. She was still wearing the orange lifejacket from the plane, and she ripped the cumbersome item off and hurried out to the main street. To her dismay, she realized she didn’t recognize the area. The situation began to dawn on her. She had no phone, no wallet, both items having been in her bags on the plane. She didn’t know where she and Kara were, Kara was injured, and the clock was ticking. She rushed back to Kara, starting to pat down her pockets. “Do you still have your phone?” she asked.
“L-left—” Kara’s jaw shook and clenched as she tried to speak. “D-dropped at—the b-bar—S-sorry—”
“Shh, no, it’s fine,” Lena soothed. It had been a long shot, and after Kara’s dip in the sea she doubted her phone would have been of any use anyway. Then her hands landed on Kara’s wallet. Rifling through it, relief coursed through her when she found some damp bills and the credit card she’d given to Kara. “Okay. We need to get somewhere safe, okay? Can you get up? I’m going to try to hail a taxi so we can get to safety.”
Kara’s chin jerked down in a nod. She started to struggle upright. Lena tried to help her up, distraught when she felt Kara’s muscles spasming violently. When Kara managed to sit up, she heaved, throwing up the remains of her dinner onto the ground. Lena immediately pulled her hair back, rubbing a hand on her back. “Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay.”
Kara coughed, shuddering. “D-dizzy—”
“I know, I know,” Lena whispered. “But we need to go.”
Somehow, she managed to get Kara up, slinging one arm around her shoulders. Kara’s legs could barely hold her up, and Lena had to carry most of her weight, propelled by adrenaline and sheer determination. They stumbled into the street, and Lena was lucky enough to get a taxi a few minutes later.
The driver looked at them dubiously when Lena helped Kara inside. “Hey, she doesn’t look so good. We going to a hospital?”
“No, no hospital.” Lena shook her head, making sure Kara was situated. She gave the driver an address, promising to tip him handsomely if he got them there as quickly as possible. The incentive had the driver beating several red lights, but Lena didn’t care. All her attention was on Kara, who was still shaking and twitching, her breaths shallow and her skin clammy.
After a twenty-minute drive, the taxi stopped at a large, isolated three-story house at the edge of National City. After making the driver promise not to give the address to anyone, Lena gave him all the cash in Kara’s wallet, about three times the metered fare. Then she helped Kara into the house.
After depositing Kara onto the couch, she flipped on the lights, making sure to engage the security system. “Hey,” she whispered soothingly. “How are you doing?”
Kara’s breath hitched. “Not—not so good.” Her face twisted as another spasm shuddered through her body. “W-where are we?” she mumbled, unfocused eyes darting about, teeth chattering as she curled up miserably on the couch.
“It’s a property I have listed under a fake name,” Lena explained. She grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch, wrapping it around Kara’s shivering form. “The first places the DEO will check are the penthouse and L-Corp, so we can’t be there. We should be safe here.” She met Kara’s shaky gaze anxiously. “What do I—what do you need? How can I help you?”
Kara’s head shook. “Jus-just need t-to wait,” she struggled out. “Get b-better af-after time.”
Her body locked up again, spine arching. Lena could do nothing but wait until the tension released, Kara panting and gasping. She put a hand on Kara’s cheek to inspect her partner. Kara’s eyes were still glassy, and Lena could feel the muscles of her jaw twitching involuntarily. More worrying was the fact that Lena could feel her biomatrix sputtering on and off. Knowing how important Kara’s biomatrix was, this was what worried Lena the most.
Helpless, she ran through what she knew about first aid for electric shock injuries. The trouble was, she had no idea if it worked the same for Kryptonians. And knowing Kara’s history, she doubted that even Kara knew how to treat herself beyond just waiting it out like she did in the DEO cells. She swallowed. “I’m going to call Alex.”
Kara’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist clumsily. “N-n…” She gulped. “DEO might b-be looking for us,” she rasped. “Alex c-can’t be im—implicated.”
Right. Lena nodded tersely. “I won’t bring her here, I just need to ask her what to do.”
Finding the house’s cordless landline, she quickly dialed Alex’s number from memory. It picked up after a few rings. “Hello?”
“Alex? It’s Lena Luthor.”
“Lena?” Alex’s voice turned incredulous. “Lena, what happened? The news is saying you were on the plane that was saved by an alien. Was—was that Kara who saved the plane?”
“Yes, it was.” Lena ran her hand soothingly over Kara’s arm as her body tightened again. “Alex, the DEO hit Kara with some electric weapons; she keeps spasming. I don’t know how to help her.”
Alex cursed under her breath. “Do you know how strong the current was?”
“No, but knowing them, it was pretty strong. And it lasted a while too, maybe 30 seconds.”
“Okay. First, I need you to check her breathing and pulse.”
Lena followed Alex’s step by step instructions, answering all the doctor’s questions. Yes, Kara had vomited earlier. Yes, her skin was clammy, much cooler than her normal temperature. No, there didn’t seem to be any burns. Yes, she said she was cold.
“Alright, I assume you can’t get to the clinic with the DEO looking for you,” Alex said. “I don’t know any specifics for her species, so we’ll just keep things general unless she knows anything. For now, you need to keep an eye on her breathing and pulse. And you need to keep her warm. You said she was in the sea, so I’m worried about hypothermia. Give her hot liquids, tea is good. You can use blankets, hot water bottles or skin contact to try to warm her core up, but don’t give her a hot bath; that could make it worse. As soon as it’s safe, you need to get her to the clinic, or I can come over there.”
Lena nodded. “I’ll let you know. Thank you, Alex.”
“Hang on, we’re not done. What about you, Lena? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Lena said immediately. “I need to take care of Kara.”
“Can’t do that if you collapse,” Alex retorted. “Did you also take a dip in the water?”
“Just up to my knees. I’m not hypothermic, and I’m not injured.”
“Don’t be stubborn. You can’t take care of Kara if you collapse.”
Lena begrudgingly conceded the point, answering all of Alex’s questions. Luckily, Alex decided that she was in good enough condition not to need any treatment. “But keep an eye on yourself, okay?” Alex said sternly. “You’ve been through a lot tonight. I’ll call you in an hour or so to check in, alright?”
“Okay. Thanks.”
After hanging up, Lena checked Kara over again. She seemed to have relaxed a bit, though she was still curled up in pain. Lena made sure she was alright before heading to the kitchen to boil some water for tea. Suddenly, she remembered Kara telling her about her electrocution at the DEO last night—God, had that just been last night? She remembered Kara describing being hungry, and she started heating a couple of cans of instant soup just in case. While waiting, she dialed another number. it only rang once before the call was picked up.
“Miss Luthor?” Jess’ voice was tight with worry. “Are you and Kara alright? I saw the news, are you at the safehouse?”
“I’m fine, we’re okay,” Lena said, glancing at Kara. “Well, we will be, anyway. We’re at the safehouse, can you send the security detail?”
“I’m contacting the team right now. They’ve reported that there are DEO agents at your condo building and at L-Corp.”
Well, Lena had expected that. “We’re going to need to stay here for a bit, Kara’s… there was an altercation with the DEO.”
“I know,” Jess said grimly. “Some of the plane passengers and first responders caught it all on video. Some news choppers were there too. It’s on TV right now.”
Lena’s jaw tightened with anxiety. It wasn’t a surprise; an alien saving a plane full of passengers was sure to catch people’s attention. But it would be dangerous for Kara. “How bad it is it?”
“It’s still early, but it’s already on the national news.” Jess hesitated. “You were on the video too, at the end, when you and Kara… flew off. I think you’re going to need to make a statement, Miss Luthor.”
Lena ran a hand down her face. “Have PR come up with something for now. We’ll see what happens in the morning.”
“Of course. Is… is Kara alright? The video… it looked pretty bad.”
Lena looked at Kara, who was still curled up in a twitching ball on the couch. “I… She’s not doing so good at the moment. But she’s been through it before, unfortunately, and she says she’ll get better.”
“Alright. I hope she gets better soon. Please call if either of you need anything.”
“Actually, my phone’s gone, probably at the bottom of the bay now.” Lena fought back a shiver at the thought of how close she had been to joining it. “Kara’s is gone too.”
“I’ll be there in the morning with replacements.”
“Thank you, Jess.”
“Of course, Miss Luthor. I’m glad you’re both safe.”
The soup came to a boil right as Lena ended the call. She poured it into a bowl, then poured a couple of mugs of hot water and stuck tea bags into them. She took it all back to the living room, setting it on the coffee table as she checked on Kara. “Darling, can you drink this? We need to get you warmed up.”
Kara grunted, trying to sit up. Lena helped her, but the change in position caused Kara to blanch. Lena only had a few seconds to grab a nearby vase before Kara threw up again.
“S-sorry…”
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Lena soothed. “Here, the tea might help. And I made soup, in case you’re hungry.”
Kara’s hands were shaking too badly to hold the cup, so Lena helped her. Thankfully, the tea seemed to settle Kara’s stomach, and Kara quickly drank down the soup as well. Her body still trembled, but the more violent spasms seemed to be wearing off. Lena gently took Kara’s wrist, measuring her pulse. According to Alex, Kara’s pulse ran at around 50 beats per minute normally, much slower than a human’s. Right now, though, Lena counted it at almost twice that, and her skin was still far too cool.
She ran a hand over Kara’s hair. “Do you think you can move to the bedroom? We should get you out of those damp clothes.” Kara’s clothes had dried somewhat from her flights, but it wouldn’t hurt to get her changed.
“O-okay.”
Kara was still shaky, but Lena was able to get her to the bedroom, helping her sit on the bed while she rummaged for some clean clothes. She didn’t have a lot of things in this house, but she eventually came up with some clothes that were a bit big on her but would fit Kara. She turned to Kara, hesitating. “Do you want me to leave while you change, or would you like help?”
“I…” A shudder worked through Kara’s body again. “T-think I need h-help.”
Lena nodded. She carefully started to peel Kara’s still-damp clothes off, fleetingly thinking that this was definitely not the way she wanted to do this for the first time. She kept her gaze averted as much as she could to respect Kara’s privacy, and soon Kara was dressed in clean, dry clothes. Lena helped her lie down, pulling the thick covers over her. “I’m going to get the tea, grab some hot water bottles, okay?”
She started to go, only for Kara to grab her wrist. “Wait. W-what about—are you okay?” Kara asked, looking at Lena.
“I’m fine. I’m not the one was practically electrocuted.”
“B-but you were almost in a plane crash,” Kara argued, brow creasing. “You got wet too, and the—the DEO t-tried—”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Lena soothed. “I’m okay, I promise.”
“N-need to take care of yourself too, not j-just me.”
Lena huffed. This was the second time in less than an hour she’d been told that. “Alright. Just let me get you settled, and then I’ll get cleaned up, okay?”
Mollified, Kara nodded. Lena headed back to the kitchen, grabbing the tea and filling up a couple of hot water bottles. Kara was curled up in a ball when she got back, and Lena set the tea on the bedside table. “Here,” she pushed the hot water bottles under the covers. “We need to try to get your core temperature back up.” She helped Kara get situated. “Will you be okay if I go take a quick shower?” She wanted to get the stickiness of the seawater off of her.
At Kara’s nod, Lena headed for the bathroom, peeling off her own clothes and stepping into the shower. The warm water was soothing, but the break gave the emotions time to start trickling back in—the fear and trauma of the plane bombing, the terror and rage at the DEO, the deep worry for Kara’s wellbeing. She took a deep breath, the first opportunity she’d had to do so. She’d been running on adrenaline ever since the first bomb had hit, and now… it all started to sink in.
The DEO had tried to kill her.
Kara had saved her and an entire plane of passengers from drowning in the Pacific Ocean.
She and Kara were now on the run from the DEO.
And everything was running on the national news.
She only realized how long she’d been standing in a daze in the shower when the water started to cool. She gulped, shaking herself. Shutting of the water, she mechanically dried herself and dressed, heading back out to the bedroom to check on Kara.
Then the doorbell rang. Kara’s eyes widened, but Lena gave her a comforting smile. “It’s probably the security team. I’ll go deal with them.”
It was, in fact, the security team. Lena gave them a quick rundown of what happened, and they set up shop, ready to defend the house against the DEO or anyone else who came knocking. It had Lena relaxing marginally—at least they now had a line of defense besides Kara.
She had just finished dealing with security when the phone rang. It was Alex this time, calling to check in. Once Lena assured the doctor that she and Kara were alright, she returned to the bedroom. Kara looked up from under the blanket when she approached, offering her a shaky smile. “Hi.”
Lena couldn’t help but smile back. “Hi. Can I—”
Before she could finish the sentence, Kara wiggled a bit, making room for Lena on the bed. Lena crawled under the covers, wrapping herself around Kara. The Kryptonian was still cooler than usual, and Lena could feel the spasms still running through Kara’s muscles. But Kara let out a soft sigh when Lena moved closer. “Feels good,” she mumbled.
“Good.” Lena intertwined their hands. “Your biomatrix feels different.”
“I c-can’t keep it up properly,” Kara admitted. “Always like this a-after the electricity, even before. In the DEO.”
“I guess that’s why it was so effective. No biomatrix, no powers.”
Kara’s head jerked in a nod, gripping Lena’s hand more tightly. “Skin contact f-feels good.”
“Oh.” Lena hesitated. An idea occurred to her. “Would you—skin-to-skin contact can help heat you up. And if it helps your biomatrix… do you want to take your sweater off? I can take mine off too, if you’d like.” She cleared her throat. “Maximizing skin surface contact has been shown to improve heat conservation in cases of hypothermia. But only if you’re comfortable.”
“I… yes. I would be c-comfortable with that.”
“Okay.”
After some wiggling, Lena managed to get both hers and Kara’s tops off. They ended up under the covers with Kara curled on her side, Lena spooning her. Lena flushed slightly as her chest pressed into Kara’s back, but any embarrassment was staved off by her concern for Kara. She’d paid close attention to everything Kara said about her biomatrix, and she’d put together that it had an emotional component as well. She knew humans didn’t have one, at least not the way Kryptonians did, but she also knew Kara could somehow sense Lena’s neural energy via skin contact. If this could help Kara recover, Lena was all for it.
To her relief, the skin contact did indeed seem to help Kara. Her tremors started to calm and her skin warmed up, and Lena could feel a small change in her biomatrix. It wasn’t as strong as it usually felt, but it had become a little more stable. But then Kara sniffled.
“Hey. Hey, it’s okay. I won’t let the DEO get you, I promise. We’re okay.”
Kara shook her head minutely. “N-not that. T-thought I was g-going to lose you. The plane—I s-saw it on the news.” She sniffled again. “C-can’t lose you. You’re home now. Can’t lose home again.”
Oh.
Lena cleared her throat, eyes burning. “You’re home now for me too, Kara. When—when I thought the plane was going to crash, I was scared, yes, but the thought of me leaving you alone again was worse.” She tightened her grip on Kara, nosing into Kara’s hair. “Thank you for saving me.”
“A-always.”
Kara drifted off to sleep then, her breaths evening out. Little spasms still shook her, but Lena soothed them away, pressing soft kisses to Kara’s head. She let out a deep, shaky breath, finally starting to calm down as she soaked in the comfort of Kara in her arms.
The outside world was still there, and there would be so much to do and deal with when morning came. But that could wait. For now, Lena slipped into slumber, completely at home here with Kara.