#Baby! Danvers | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

supercorpkid · 2 months ago

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Truth Be Told

Supergirl. Baby Danvers. Lena Luthor x Reader! Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers.

Word count: 2830

Note: Ending coming soon :)

You hear the sound of Lena’s laughter cut through the low hum of conversation in Kara’s apartment, before you even see her. Your chest tightens, waiting for her to appear, excitement flooding your veins. You’re halfway through pretending to listen to Alex tell a story when the door opens, and Lena walks in. She's radiant tonight—as if she’s bottled up the sun itself—and it’s impossible to look at her without feeling the ache deep in your bones.

It takes you a second, but you freeze when you notice. Someone next to her, her hand resting lightly on his arm.

He’s tall, clean-cut, and wearing that easy kind of smile that makes you want to punch something. Or someone. He’s the kind of guy who’d show up in a toothpaste commercial, all charm and no substance. And worse—far worse—is the way Lena glances at him. It’s soft, fond, like she’s letting him into that guarded part of her heart you’ve spent years trying to reach.

You try to swallow, but your throat feels tight, like it’s closing up on itself. The blood in your veins feels hot, too hot, as though it’s boiling with every second he stands there with his hand on the small of Lena’s back.

“Hey, everyone!” Lena’s voice is bright, cheerful, as she pulls him farther into the room. “I hope it’s okay that I brought someone along. This is—”

You don’t catch his name. You don’t want to. Hearing it would make him real, give him weight, and you’re not ready to let that happen. All you know is that he’s here, in your sister's home, standing too close to your Lena — that right now looks awfully a lot like his Lena —, and you have to chug on your beer, not to scream.

Kara’s the first to break the silence, stepping forward with her signature warm smile. She’s perfect, as always, welcoming him like he’s not currently tearing your heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Alex follows suit, offering her usual blend of sarcasm and charm, and soon enough, the room is buzzing again, everyone effortlessly pulling him into the fold.

Everyone except you.

You’re still rooted to the spot, your hands clenched into fists at your sides. You force yourself to breathe, to smile, but it feels like your face might crack under the strain. When Lena’s eyes find yours, something in her expression softens. And that’s worse. Infinitely worse. Because how could you possibly be okay when she’s looking at you like that while standing next to him?

The games start soon after, and you’re grateful for the distraction, even if it’s half-hearted at best. Kara teams up with Alex while Lena and him end up on the same side. You’re paired with Winn, who’s so distracted into proving himself the smarter, he doesn't even notice you're not really truly there. Every laugh Lena gives, every fleeting touch between her and him, feels like a dagger twisting deeper into your chest.

At one point, during a pause in the game, you catch Lena leaning into him, her hand brushing his arm as she whispers something that makes him chuckle. Your stomach churns, and you look away quickly, holding back the tears so no one sees it.

The night drags on, each moment stretching into an eternity, until finally—mercifully—it’s over. People start filtering out, Alex and Winn making some excuse about an early morning at the DEO, and Lena calling her driver. You’re about to grab your coat and escape when Lena’s voice stops you.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?”

You hesitate, your heart pounding in your chest, but you nod, following her to the corner of the room. She’s smiling at you, that same soft, warm smile that’s been haunting your dreams for years, and it takes everything in you not to break down right then and there.

“I just… I wanted to thank you for being so welcoming tonight,” she says, her voice quiet, sincere. “It means a lot to me.”

You want to tell her the truth. You want to scream that it wasn’t okay, that none of this is okay, that watching her with him felt like dying a thousand tiny deaths, and that she wasn't paying attention enough if she is thanking you for it. You swallow the words clawing up your throat. Your desire to tell her it took everything in you, not to throw him into space. Instead, all you do is nod, forcing a tight smile.

“Of course,” you manage, your voice barely above a whisper. “As long as you're happy.”

Her smile falters slightly, like she’s about to say something else, but then he calls her name from across the room, and the moment is gone. She glances back at him, all her attention gone just like that, like it was never truly yours, like this moment never even belonged to you in the first place. Like a punch to the gut.

You don’t wait for her to look back at you. You turn and walk out, the cool night air hitting you like a slap to the face as you step outside. Your chest feels heavy, your eyes stinging with unshed tears, but you don’t let them fall. Not yet. Not here.

Lena deserves to be happy. And you're going to be happy for her, even if it makes you miserable.

Or so you thought.

The park is alive with the kind of cheerful chaos that makes you feel even more out of place. Parents call after kids, dogs bark, and the occasional bike whirs by on the gravel paths. You’d come here to clear your mind, to get away from the memories clawing at your chest—but then you see her.

Lena’s sitting on a bench, her coffee balanced delicately between her fingers, her hair catching the sunlight just right. She looks like a painting. It's hard to look away. But then you noticed that he’s next to her. Too close. Leaning in with that same toothpaste-commercial charm, his hand resting on the bench behind her like he’s been there forever.

Your first instinct is to leave. But you don’t. Instead, you linger beneath a tree, your senses tuning into her the way they always do. It’s automatic, a reflex you can’t unlearn.

He says something, and Lena laughs, soft and brief. But the sound doesn’t sit right. It’s too airy, too measured, like she’s pushing it past the tightness in her chest. Your ears pick up the faint, steady flutter of her heart—it’s calm, not quickening like it should be. The thought cuts deeper than you’d like to admit.

You grip the bark of the tree behind you, grounding yourself as your gaze fixes on the scene, eyes unblinking. He brushes her hand when he moves to adjust his coffee cup, and you feel the heat rise in your chest. Your focus sharpens without meaning to, catching the soft rush of blood beneath her skin. Her pulse doesn’t spike. There’s no quick hitch in her breathing, no sign of the butterflies you imagine she might feel for someone she truly loves.

Her laugh sounds strangled, trapped somewhere between politeness and something she won’t let herself acknowledge. And yet, she’s here, sitting beside him, letting him think he has a chance.

A cruel voice whispers in your head: Maybe that’s enough for her. Maybe she doesn’t need the kind of laughter you bring.

Your jaw tightens, and you force yourself to look away, staring blankly at the tree line. It doesn’t matter what you hear or see or feel. She’s made her choice, hasn’t she? She’s sitting there with him, and you’re standing here alone, your heart burning in your chest like it might never go out.

And yet, that laugh—so hollow, so unlike her—lingers in your mind. You could make her laugh. Really laugh. The way her heart would stutter and skip, her breath catching on the kind of joy she’d only feel with you.

If only she could see it.

But when you glance back, her hand brushes his arm, and she means the kiss she leaves on his temple. The way her skin erupts in goosebumps when he leans in to murmur something low and almost dirty in her ear—it twists something in your gut. You hate it. Hate the way her body responds to him, hate the jealousy crawling up your spine like poison, hate the hollow ache settling in your chest as if it’s been carved out to make room for the hurt.

Your vision blurs, and you blink hard, forcing the tears back before they can make you feel any weaker than you already do. Maybe you're just imagining things. Maybe Lena is exactly where she belongs, and you're selfish for wanting her anywhere else. Yeah. That has to be it. You're the problem here, not him.

So the best thing you can do—for her, for yourself—is to step back.

Give her time.

Silence.

Distance.

The kind of absence that makes it feel like you exist in separate universes. As if she was never in your life in the first place.

It's been going great. Too great, actually. You've kept your head down, avoiding places where you might run into her, ignoring invitations, going silent whenever her name comes up. Maybe—just maybe—she was never meant to be in your life at all.

And God, that thought hits harder than kryptonite. Harder than any punch you’ve ever taken. Maybe even harder than the moment you thought you were going to die.

So tonight was supposed to be simple. A sister’s night—just you, Kara, and Alex, trading stories over snacks, something easy, something safe. But then Lena called. Her voice was quieter than usual, saying she had something important to talk about. Before you could brace yourself, Winn showed up, bearing beer and pizza, as if summoned by some unspoken tradition. And then J’onn followed, his presence steady, grounding, never needing an invitation—just a quiet acknowledgment that he belonged.

You wanna bolt. Just run out of there as fast as you can. But something compels you to stay. Perhaps you just want to hurt yourself, looking at Lena's happy face with someone else one more time. Perhaps you just need a little reminder on why you need to stay away, why she is so much better when you're not around.

The apartment hums with warmth and familiarity, the kind of atmosphere where secrets feel safe. You’re leaning against the counter, pretending to listen to Kara and Alex debate the rules of Scattergories, when the sound of the door opening pulls everyone’s attention.

Lena steps inside, looking composed but with something tight in her expression, like she’s holding onto the edge of a cliff. Kara is the first to greet her, of course, her voice warm and curious.

“Hey! Come in!” Lena does. Alone. “Where's your new boyfriend?”

Lena hesitates, and it’s enough to make the air in the room shift. “Yeah, about that,” she says, drawing in a breath so deep you can almost hear it steadying her.

Your chest tightens, your heart pausing mid-beat, waiting for the words you’re certain will crush you.

“We broke up.”

“Oh no, Lena. I’m so sorry.” Kara’s already reaching out, her hand finding Lena’s arm in a gesture of comfort, her face painted with concern.

You, on the other hand, are frozen. Blinking. Processing. And before you can stop yourself, your gaze drops to your feet as you fight the instinctive smile tugging at the corner of your lips.

“It’s okay,” Lena continues, her voice quieter now, like she’s preparing herself for what comes next. “But hm… the reason we broke up is—”

Your head snaps up, your mind racing ahead of her words. There’s a reason. Maybe it’s you. Maybe she broke up with him because of you. It’s not you. It can’t be you. Stop it. Shut up.

“I’m gay.”

She's gay? She's gay. She's gay!

Your mind is reeling. Lena's revelation has got your mind spinning completely out of control. You can’t seem to move, can’t even breathe properly as the room around you buzzes with congratulations and warmth. Kara is beaming, of course, pulling Lena into one of her signature hugs that leaves no space for doubt about how proud she is. Alex welcomes her into the club, her smile genuine and wide. Winn makes a joke, earning an "hey” from your sisters. And even J’onn, who’s usually more reserved, leans in for a quick embrace, whispering something you can’t quite hear but can imagine is heartfelt and supportive.

And you… You’re just standing there. Stuck.

You never thought Lena was gay. She dated James, Jack, and well, him. The one whose mere presence set your blood boiling every time. That guy who got to be the one standing next to her, laughing, touching her like he was the center of her world. The simpleton who had no clue what it was like to hold someone like Lena Luthor in his arms, to know the depth of her heart, the complexities of her mind. That asshole who could casually claim her as his girlfriend, while you…

You scowl.

It’s not that you’re not proud of her. Of course you are. Coming out like this, in front of everyone—it’s brave. It’s huge. But your chest feels tight, your heart caught in a mess of emotions you can’t even begin to untangle.

Lena is gay.

The words echo again, sharper now, cutting through your thoughts like a blade. And with them, a flood of memories crashes over you—fragments you can’t quite control. The way her heart seemed to quicken when you entered a room, the faint pink that bloomed across her cheeks when your teasing lingered just a little too long. You’ve seen it—felt it—in the way her laughter spills out, unguarded and golden, as if the world around you dissolves and it’s just the two of you, sharing something unspeakably yours.

You remember the warmth of her hand, brushing against your arm whenever she stood close enough, the way her fingertips lingered like they had something more to say. The way her head would tilt, her lips curving into that impossibly soft, almost secretive smile, like you’d managed to charm her despite herself—even when you were rambling on about nothing at all.

Your throat tightens.

You never thought all of that could mean something more. You never let yourself hope. Lena is… Lena. Always too perfect, too pretty, too unattainable. She belongs to a different world, one where you are only ever a friend at best, an afterthought at worst.

But now? Now there’s a new piece of the puzzle. One you can’t ignore.

You glance at her, and the sight punches the air out of your lungs. She’s glowing, radiant in the light of her truth, her cheeks flushed as she basks in the support of your friends. She looks happy. She looks free. And it hurts. God, it hurts in a way you weren’t prepared for. Because now you’re left with the gnawing realization that while Lena might be free to live her truth, you’re still caught in the web of your own silence.

You want to say something. You want to do something. But all you can do is stand there, rooted to the spot, your mind screaming what your lips won’t dare to:

I love you.

By now, everyone has shown their support, and when Lena’s eyes land on yours, you know everyone else’s eyes do too.

“Lena,” You whisper, softly, and her name tastes different now, like a promise, an oath. “I—I’m so happy for you.”

Her smile is huge when she steps closer, and for a moment, you forget how to breathe. There’s a warmth in her eyes, something soft and inviting, and it makes your heart ache in ways you can’t describe.

“Thank you,” she says, her voice steady, but the weight of the words carries more than you ever imagined. It nearly breaks you. “That means a lot coming from you.”

From you.

Your knees feel unsteady, as though the floor beneath you is losing its grip. The air is thick around you, too hot and too crowded, and you feel every heartbeat thrumming in your ears. You want to look away, but you can’t. You’re frozen, caught in the quiet intensity of her gaze.

“I—” You start, but the words catch in your throat. What could you possibly say that wouldn’t ruin this moment for her?

And then, mercifully—or cruelly—Winn says her name, pulling her attention away. She turns, and the spell breaks.

You glance around and catch Kara’s eye. Her brow furrows in that way she does when she’s piecing something together, and for a terrifying second, you think she’s figured it out. But then she smiles away, and you breathe deep. You're safe. Your secret's protected. And your love is buried deep inside you.

#supergirl #kara danvers #lena luthor #lena x reader #reader insert #alex danvers #supergirl fanfiction #baby danvers #supergirl imagine

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natalievoncatte · 2 months ago

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“Wake up,” Lex snarled.

Kara’s eyelids were brutally heavy. She couldn’t force them open no matter how she tried, and everything sounded distant, as if she were listening from underwater. The loudest sound was the blood rushing in her own ears and the steady march of her pulse, like the distant rush of some animal moving across leaves.

“Whu?” she managed to choke out.

“Open. Your. Eyes.”

Kara finally managed to split them open, blinking away gummy eyelashes to take a blurred look around the room. She wasn’t sure where she was, only that they were underground. Her limbs felt leaden and her body ached. It was soon clear why.

The chunk of kryptonite in front of her glowed a paler green than normal. It was different somehow, hard to look at.

“What? What did you do?”

“I broadened my mind,” said Lex.

Kara managed to raise her head and look at him. He was stripped to the waist, a flabby early middle aged business executive, much softer than he would allow anyone to realize. He looked a little absurd, especially after all the effort he put into a public image of a physically fit, debonair, imposing man.”

“What is this?”

“That is a very special type of kryptonite. You wouldn’t believe what I had to give up to get it. It’ll be worth it in the end.”

“Where are we?”

“Oh this place,” Lex said, glancing around the stone walls, lit by flicker torches and glowing Edison lamps. “A castle, in Scotland. It was incredibly expensive, I assure you. The grounds are quite lovely, though you’ll never have a chance to see them.”

“Of course I won’t,” Kara rasped. “Can you finish your monologue without the dramatic pauses? I’m on the clock.”

Lex smirked at her.

“This castle was built on a conduit of energy- a ley line. Actually several, and they converge beneath our feet. That and the peculiar construction -sandwiched within these walls are layers of copper, cold-hammered silver, and pure selenium- make it perfect for my purposes.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“Oh no no no,” Lex laughed, “not everything is about you, Supergirl. This is about Lena.”

Kara heard a muffled cry and looked around frantically.

“She’ll join us shortly,” said “Lex. I wasn’t finished.”

“You talk too much.”

“Oh indeed. You know, I’ve wondered what she sees in an alien freak like you. Why you’re so alluring to her. I’ve often wondered why you never made a move- I know you think about it. Fantasize about it.”

“Shut up,” said Kara.

“I’ve been watching, you know. Did you think I’d let you out of my sight?”

Lex walked to a table and began toying with a long dagger with a thin, blue-black blade, drawing the edge over his thumb with a wince. He let a thin bloppy stream of his blood trickle into a silver chalice on the table before staunching the bleeding with a towel.

He turned to Kara sharply, holding the dagger.

“Know what?”

“Your little secret? Or should I say, your big secret?”

“I haven’t told her.”

He stopped and regarded her with a smile.

“I don’t mean your real name, Kara,” Lex chuckled. “I mean the other secret, you moron. The one that made you switch from the skirt to pants.”

“What? No, of course not…”

“I know what you want to do with her,” Lex said, kneeling to look Kara in the eye as the heavy chains weighed her down.

“Fuck you,” Kara spat.

“Oh dear me no, I don’t play catcher. Anyway, as I was saying, I think I know what she sees in you. Turns out that rutting with inhuman monsters is in my half sister’s blood. On her mother’s side, obviously. Someone in the deep end of my dear sister’s gene pool interbred with one of the fair folk. The kindly ones. The fey.”

“The what?”

Lex lashed out with the knife and a hot red sting slashed Kara’s cheek. To her shock she felt blood running down her jawline and chin. Lex let it drop into the chalice, mingling with his own, then stood up.”

“Bring her!” he shouted. “Otis you oaf, bring her in.”

Kara’s attention snapped to the far end of the room. Otis Graves shoved Lena into the room. Kara knew it was her even with a black bag over her head. Lena was barefoot and bruised, her blazer and skirt torn from putting up a fight.

There was a thin chain of dark metal looped lazily around her neck.

“Once I learned about this, I did what I always do,” said Lex. “I decided to master my circumstances. I studied, I learned, I applied what I’d researched.”

He turned back to Kara, and as her vision cleared, she saw that Lex was drawn and haggard, thinner than she remembered.

“It took me almost two years to prepare this ritual. I have walked trails blazed by gods. I had to beg, borrow, and steal to piece together the forbidden lore I need. I even had to strike treaties with the pit.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” said Kara.

“Lex,” Lena panted through her mask. “Don’t do this. Let her go. Please.”

Lex barked out a sharp laugh. “Let her go? Come on, sis. That’s Kara’s line.”

Lena let out a sharp gasp, visibly tensing.

“Kara?”

“It’s me, Lee.”

“Lee?” said Lex. “You hate that nickname.”

“Not from her,” Lena said softly.

“Lena, I don’t know what crazy nonsense he’s talking but I will get us out of this. He has some kind of-“

Kara was cut off as Lex kicked her hard in the belly, driving the toe of his shoe up under her ribs. The world exploded in pain and Kara doubled over, almost retching in agony.

“As much as I’d like to spend the rest of the day making you feel pain, we’re on the clock. I have power to acquire, a world to master, and a deal with a devil to weasel out of.”

“Lex,” said Lena. “You didn’t.”

“I did. Promised my immortal soul upon death, but alas, I’m never going to die. Otis, get her in place.

Kara strained at her chains as the big oaf wrenched Lena around and bound her hands behind her back with ancient looking iron manacles.

“The iron keeps her from trying any tricks,” Lex explained.

Kara was tired of his bullshit. The only thing that mattered was Lena’s shocked cry of agony when Otis forced her to her knees on the stone floor, followed by the whimper as he yanked the bag from her head. Her right eye was swollen almost shut and she had a split lip.

Incandescent rage boiled in Kara’s chest with the fury of a newborn star. If not for the strange kryptonite sapping her powers, Otis Graves would burn, screaming in agony in the terrible wrath of a Kryptonian’s gaze.

He hurt her. He hurt her Lena.

“You know how this is going to end, Lex.”

He was leafing through the pages of a heavy book on his work table.

“Out, Otis.”

Graves withdrew, smirking at Lena. She turned to Kara, eyes soft with emotion.

“Not often we get kidnapped together.”

“I’d rather have had a movie night.”

“Ugh, can you two please save the tearful love confession? I’m gagging.”

“Why didn’t you ever ask me out?” said Lena.

“I’m stupid,” Kara sighed. “I thought about it. I was scared. I thought… I don’t know.”

Lex rolled his eyes. “Danvers, are you really going to pretend you didn’t know that my sister is a rug muncher? It’s the worst kept secret in the Luthor family history. Throwing her into a girl’s boarding school was like throwing a pig in shit, but then Mother has always been a dolt.”

Kara ground her teeth. “Don’t talk about Lena like that.”

“Or?” said Lex. “Alright, look. I’d love to spend a bit longer taunting you, but I’m busy. The forms have been observed. I monologue, we taunt each other, I kill you.”

“No,” said Kara. “You try and fail and I drag you to jail.”

“Not this time,” said Lex.

“No, not this time,” said Kara. “This time I break my biggest rule.”

Lena stared at her across the room, eyes wide.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you anymore.”

“How noble,” Lex deadpanned. “Hold still, sis.”

He grabbed her by the chin, dabbing a thin paintbrush in the chalice, and began to paint lines and sworls on Lena’s face in their mingled blood. When Lena tried to turn, her let go and backhanded her across the face. Lena almost fell to the floor and let out a pained yelp.

Kara pulled hard at the chains but the held fast. She felt like she was weighed down by an invisible force, unseen hands digging spectral fingers into her arms and legs.

“It’s interesting,” said Lex. “Everyone assumes you have one weakness- Kryptonite. But you’re just as vulnerable to magic as anyone else.”

“What?” said Kara. “You’re insane.”

“I don’t think he is,” Lena said, wincing at her split lip. “When I was a girl, there were rumors that my mother was a witch, and she did some… some things I didn’t understand.”

Lex smirked.

He propped the book open on his forearm, making a final study of the markings he’d drawn on Lena’s face.

“You know the most annoying part?” said Lex. “It’s that you can’t just do magic. The power source, as it were, has to come from somewhere. The most common place to get it is from ancestor fucking a dragon or a god damned fairy or some other absurd thing. I don’t have the spark. But she does.”

He looked at Lena, a feral, hungry glint in his eye, and began to chant, reading from the book.

Kara flinched. The words sounded wrong, twisting and turning unnaturally as they fell from Lex’s mouth. The air grew heavy, as if a coat of soot and oil fell over everything, and a hideous stink of rotten eggs filled the room.

Lena cried out, eyes flying open in shock. She tried to say something but choked.

Kara lunged, desperate to free herself, to break the chains, to reach Lena and spirit her to safety the way she always did, but she was helpless. A terrible certainty of her own death fell over her like an ebon cloak, and she felt a distinct certainty of things, other presences in the room just out of sight.

“Lex,” Lena pleaded, “Stop. Please. You’re hurting me.”

Kara let out a sharp snarl, a ripping sound of threat from deep in her chest.

Lex briefly broke his chant. “Yes, the ritual will most likely kill you. No great loss. The world has enough degenerates and alien-fuckers as it is.”

He resumed his chanting, and Kara felt a sudden wave of agony through her body. She tried to scream but no sound came. It was as if a giant’s hands had shoved into her chest and begun crushing her lungs from the inside. She fell boneless to the floor, writhing in pain.

Lena lay on her side, tears streaming from her eyes, tears that tinged pink with blood as she jerked and convulsed, teeth clenched.

And Lex… Lex changed.

There was a soft crack and the rhythm of his chanting changed. He grew taller before Kara’s eyes. His arms swelled, corded with new muscle as his paunchy belly flattened and tightened into a washboard.

“That’s right,” he snarled. “Soon it all be mine. All your beautiful power mine. I will be powered by the sun! Lex Luthor will fly faster than a speeding bullet, bend steel in his bare hands! I will be a god, and when I am I will finally lead humanity into its glory! My glory! Lex Luthor, the Man of Tomorrow! Invincible! Immortal!”

Kara could feel herself fading, the world irising shut as death stalked her from below, a hungry predator always waiting just beyond the edges of her gaze. Her hands were pale, the flesh drawn so tight to the bone that they seemed barely more than skeletal. Her hands actually slipped free of her manacles, but she might as well be buried beneath a mountain for all the good it did. She had no strength to move.

Yet she could speak.

“Lena,” Kara rasped out, “Lena!”

Lena forced her eyes open.

“You have to fight him.”

“I can’t,” said Lena, her face shattering into a mask of agony. “It hurts so much, and I’m too weak.”

“You are not weak!” Kara spat, with all her remaining strength. “You’re beautiful and powerful and… magical. You’re my Lena.”

“Kara,” Lena gasped.

“I love you.”

“Kara!”

“I love you, Lena. Please, I need you to know.”

“I know,” Lena choked out, pinching her eyes shut, tears of blood streaking her face as she clenched her jaw in tooth shattering pain. “Oh God I know, Kara. I love you too. I love you so much it hurts. I just wish we had more time. I…”

She went silent, and still. Kara stared at her for an awful endless moment of white hot pain as something ate her alive from the heart out, yet that pain paled next to the agony of watching Lena suffer. She was almost glad that death would take her first, but prayed to the god of a distant broken world that Lena wouldn’t have to see it. She felt a dim hope that somewhere past this, in fields beneath a crimson star there would be a place for them, that Rao would find a way to bring Lena home to Him, that He would not let her wander in the dark, forever lost.

Kara had fucking earned a little grace.

Then, Lena’s eyes shot open, ablaze with stunning, brilliant light. She wrenched from the floor with a sudden strength and arched her back, screaming.

Lex looked down at her as the iron manacles fell ruined from her wrists and she yanked the chain from her throat, her hands wreathed in otherworldly light as the links snapped.

Slowly she rose to her feet, eyes still blazing.

Lena screamed, a banshee wail that shook the walls around them, and her cry seemed to swallow Lex’s frantic chanting, opening vast shark-toothed jaws of music that gouged into his feeble warbling and bit down, devouring it.

He stumbled back, frantically turning pages in his book.

“Fuck you,” Lena snarled, and the words carried an intensity, a physical force just as Lex’s had, but where his sharp wrenching syllables turned the air somehow profane and tainted it with invisible filth, Lena’s burned, not as fire but as daylight burns, clear and bright to chase dark crawling things back into their hateful shadows.

With a soft cracking sound, the strange chunk of tainted kryptonite turned a dull gray.

It had become lead.

Kara planted her palms and pushed up to kneel. She could feel, see the vitality coming back to her. Her frame expanded from skeletal and deathly thin to its normal self, slabs of lithe muscle bunching beneath her colors and crest as she stood and watched Lex shrinking.

Lena sagged, suddenly winded, grabbing the table for support.

Lex silent and stunned, wasted no opportunity. He snatched the dagger from where it lay and raised it high to slam down into Lena’s back.

It clattered to the floor instead as Kara effortlessly grabbed his wrist, feeling her thumb drive between the bones of his forearm.

“I,” Kara said, “am tired of you hurting us.”

So she hurt him.

Lex screamed in agony as Kara closed her hand, pulling every bone in his forearm. She reached out and seized his throat, savoring the hate and terror in his eyes as red sun fire blazed in her own, savage loathing kindling a blaze in her chest. This ended now.

A soft hand fell on her shoulder.

“Kara,” said Lena. “Don’t.”

“Lena,” she rasped.

“Not for him. For you. He made his own grave. Let him lie in it.”

Kara turned and looked at her. There was still blood on her face- the mingled painted lines smeared with her own. She looked so small and fragile and soft and the furnace that burned in Kara was doused, and suddenly nothing mattered but making her safe.

Kara let the sniveling coward go and brought Lena into her embrace, sheltering her with all her might.

“We have to go. Now. Trust me.”

“Yes,” Lex gasped, “time to leave, take me to jail now.”

Kara looked down. Lena’s eyes hardened.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

Kara raised her foot and brought out down, snapping Lex’s ankle in a single sharp motion. He screamed and collapsed, crawling for the door.

Kara heaved Lena into a bridal carry and walked past him.

“Supergirl!” Lex bellowed, “you can’t leave me here! You don’t know what’s coming.”

“I don’t care,” said Kara.

She shoved the door open with her foot, then turned to close it the same way. Lena clung to her, arms around her neck.

“Lock him in.”

Kara did more than that. A quick flicker of heat vision welded the heavy metal door closed. Lex screamed and pleaded from the other side.

Something was coming. Something ancient.

“Please. Get us out of here,” said Lena.

A crimson light blazed behind the door, bleeding through its edges. The stink of rotten eggs filled the corridor. Kara turned and carried Lena away.

“Wait!” Lex called. “Supergirl! You can’t leave me here!”

Kara ignored him and kept walking.

“No,” Lex was screaming, “no, wait, we can make another deal, a trade, there has to be something I can-“

“You tried to trick me,” something said in a voice like a hot knife dragged across a tombstone.

“What is that?” Kara whispered.

“I don’t know and I don’t want to,” said Lena. “Get us out of here. Take me home, Kara.”

Kara touched a soft kiss to her forehead, a promise of more and deeper to come. Once they were outside, Kara used the comm bead in her ear, and called Alex, told her what happened.

“Let’s go home, baby,” said Kara.

A year later, she flew back to the castle.

It was secluded, somehow forgotten, a tumbledown ruin. Heart thudding in her chest with uncharacteristic fear, she walked down the corridor into the underground and slammed the door open with her first.

No remains. No body. There was only one sign that Lex had been there at all. Scratches across the store floor, one with a fingernail still stuck in it.

As if he had been dragged.

Kara rocketed outside at supersonic speed, desperate to feel the sun and cleanse the oily, tainted feeling in that room. A cold, lingering dread welled inside her, twisting deep in her belly.

She had to be sure.

Part of her regretted what she did to the old ruin. It was history. Only part of her.

The rest of her flew fifth thousand feet up and came straight back down fast enough to destroy the stonework in massive shockwave that dug a crater where the building had stood seconds before. She then turned her heat vision on it, burning and melting. By the time she was done, by the time it no longer felt like she was being watched, as if she might be followed, there was nothing left but a smoldering, glassy crater. It looked like someone had dropped an atomic bomb.

It still felt like something slithered beneath, but whatever it was, it would not follow and that was all that mattered.

Kara flew. She had places to be. She’d already planned a date night with Lena.

Alex was watching their baby.

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