Chapter Text
As much as Kara hated it, Lillian was an incredibly intimidating individual. She had that poise, regal and unafraid, eyes seemed to always follow her target without even needing to move. Plus, those lips of hers seemed constantly tugged into a smirk, and not the attractive kind.
When Kara first saw her, she was a little taken aback. Lena had told her that the woman wasn't her birth mother. But if she had never mentioned it, anyone would have thought that Lillian had actually given birth to the hellhound. The resemblance was striking, except for the fact that the mother lacked the kindness and gentleness that Lena always carried. The one place that Lena resembled her stepmother the most was in those eyes – piercing and enigmatic.
Lena wasn't with her, because they had already planned it out earlier before Lex had shown up. Remembering all of the palace's ins and outs, Kara had managed to draw a rough outline on a piece of paper and Diana had proceeded to post everyone at different strategic positions to ensure that there would be as little surprises as possible. And unfortunately for Kara, Lena had chosen to go somewhere else all on her own despite protests. Lex showing up had naturalized him as her partner, but Kara would have preferred it if it was her.
Kara shared a look with her sister, and when the redhead nodded, she took it as permission. She stepped forward, confronting Lillian, who was oddly calm and seemed the least bit concerned that her coup was under way.
"Do you know what you're doing?" she bellowed, her face twisted into anger. Her hands were twitching and her legs just wanted to rush forward so she could strangle the woman.
"Taking down a tyrant," Lillian offered casually.
A particularly loud boom echoed above them, accompanying a streak of forked lightning. Zeus was getting angrier, judging by the increasing volume of the weather. Sooner or later, there would be a torrential downpour.
"Killing your daughter," she retorted.
Lillian's eyes widened a little. Good. But apart from that, there wasn't anything else. "I'm saving her. You are going to help me." She then seemed to have noticed something and pushed away from the pillar she was leaning against. At her movement, hordes of army emerged from both of her sides to flank her. "Where is my daughter?"
"She knew we'd be able to delay you if we're apart," Kara said, albeit bitterly.
"Zeus would have noticed her."
"He already knew," Kara sneered.
This time, her words took Lillian so off guard that her smirk disappeared and her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened to proportional levels.
The blonde heaved a humorless chuckle, shaking her head. She wished they had more time. She wished that Lillian and Hera could just give them more time. Let them have another morning together. Another afternoon. Another night. And another and another and another and another. She wished that it wouldn't have happened at all.
When she woke up to the thunders, she knew immediately that it was her father. And for a moment, she had been frozen in bed, arm tightening around Lena, like she wouldn't have to let go if she did that. Only then her father had to yell so loud that his voice echoed amongst the lightning, calling for her.
She should have kissed Lena longer before she stepped through the portal.
"Your daughter was so afraid of what you're doing that she decided the best way to stop you is to talk to my father," Kara started. "She told him everything. Everything."
"That cannot be," Lillian whispered in horror.
Kara raised her brows. She would have got into the woman's face if Alex and Sam hadn't held her back. "Really? You really didn't think that Lena would go to that extent?" She shrugged them off and extended her arm in the arm. "She hated the mortal realm, but she went anyway for her brother. She fought in the war and almost lost her life, risking detection from my father. You really didn't think that she'd go to my father when the life of everyone she loves is at risk?"
Lillian was positively fuming at this point; the vein in her forehead throbbing dangerously and her jaw clenched tightly. Her usually calm and deceitful eyes were swirling with unrestrained fury and definitely attempt to murder.
"I am doing all this for her!" Lillian roared.
"You just want the power!" Kara yelled back. "And you're willing to use your own daughter to do it!"
"No. My daughter has been hiding her whole life because of the man in there who calls himself the creator of the universe." Lillian swung her arm in the direction of the palace. "I don't want that for her. I want her to be able to unleash her full potential without being afraid. I love her. That's why I planned this."
"You have a sick way of showing your love for her," Kara snapped. "Berating her whenever she's near you. Emotionally abusing her for being a product of a dalliance that she wasn't even responsible for. Undermining her every chance you get because you wanted Lex to be the better one. Planting a bomb in her office. Setting fire to a building she was in. Putting her in the middle of coup when all she wanted was peace and quiet!"
"I was toughening her up!"
"She was already tough!" Kara blew up, leaping into the air and feeling her own pupils burn with the sheer strength she was trying very hard to hold in. She had hoped that maybe talking to Lillian could inspire her to call all of it off, but it seemed to just be a daydream. "Lena told me you're smart. But now, looking at you, I think you're the blindest of them all. And now, because of you, Lena is going to die, but I'm not going to let it be in vain. I will not allow you to use either of us."
Lillian shook with rage for a moment longer before she calmed herself, masking her rage with that smirk one more time, like what happened a few seconds ago had never happened. "Don't you worry, Goddess of Cherish. You'll see my way soon, as will my daughter. And if that imbecile thinks he can just kill her, he's got another thing coming," the demon announced. And then she raised her hand in the air and flicked it forward, ordering her army, "Block them, but keep the blonde one alive."
Roaring calls echoed along with the thunder and Lillian melted into the mess as the army surged forward. Kara instantly dropped to her feet and swung her arms to throw two of them back. Her sister had brandished her precious sword and started slashing. Kara was never one for weapons, so she used pure strength and the heat vision that she had kept locked up since she left Olympus to eliminate all that came for them.
"I missed you in that suit!" Alex yelled over grunts and growls as she slashed and slashed, not letting any of the subpar demons to lay a hand on her.
Kara laughed, turning left and swiping her leg to topple a demon before kicking him up in the air and launching him towards another array that was rushing towards her. "I kind of missed wearing it."
"Oh no, you don't," Alex grumbled lowly, and when Kara swung around, her sister had already skewered three demons with her sword. With a sickening squelch, she shook the bodies off the weapon. "Has Lena seen it?"
"She was gone before I could show her," Kara muttered bitterly, ducking under the redhead's outstretched arm and planting her foot into an approaching demon's stomach to send him catapulting with his comrades.
"Well, good for you or your father would probably actually be dead."
Kara was offering her best right hook while sputtering to her sister's words. "We are two reasonable people!" she exclaimed, starting to pant as she seemed to be getting rid of her 100th demon – and the army wasn't thinning the least bit.
"You also haven't gotten laid in a long time before Lena jumped you," Alex replied easily, staggering backwards at an unexpected shove from a random demon. The sisters stood back to back, breathing in a labored way that they just were not used to. "There's too many of them," her sister gasped.
The blonde hummed in agreement. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and harnessed all the power in her. When she opened them, she was glaring inferno, going in a circle to burn holes into all those demons. Hades would forgive her. Eventually, she couldn't do it anymore and she collapsed to a kneel, panting heavier than she ever had before. In her blurry vision, there were still a few stragglers, but they were running away as soon as they made eye contact with her.
Well, at least it got the job done, even though she felt like she could sleep for days. She should have trained more. The last time she did this, it was during the war, and Ares and Alex had trained her a lot before then, so she didn't feel as exhausted as she did now. After decades of inactivity, it shouldn't even be a surprise that she got tired so easily.
The entrance of the palace was finally in sight, but Lillian was nowhere to be seen. She could hear similar war cries as the demons had done before on the other side of the palace – Hades, Persephone, and Sam were stationed there. She would have helped, except she kind of couldn't even fly at the moment.
Two arms wrapped around her to hoist her up to feet and put one of her arms around Alex's shoulders. And then they made their way towards the entrance with Alex supporting half her weight.
"You shouldn't have done that," Alex chastised.
"There were too many of them," Kara defended weakly. When she almost fell down the steps, Alex made a noise of protest and forced her to sit down. "No, no, I have to go help Lena," she protested, eyes drifting shut.
Alex was quiet for a moment before she said, "She's not in there yet," the redhead reassured. "Your father and stepmother are still having their couples' spat. Honestly, sometimes, he just needs to shut up."
Kara chuckled – it came out thin and like she was wheezing. "I thought he's your Almighty One."
"Lena's a friend," her sister simply said. Slowly, Kara opened her eyes to stare at the woman in disbelief. Alex sighed, shrugging. "She loves you enough to put herself on this suicide mission to stop her mother. That's a plus in my books."
"I love you," Kara said, mustering a smile at her sister.
Alex smiled. "I love you too." She sat down next to the blonde and pulled her into her arms. "Take two minutes to recuperate. And then we'll continue this reckless war."
They were just dashing into the throne room when her father's voice rang out, "That is an abomination!"
Kara skidded to a halt, her anger rising when she realized he was talking about Lena, who was – for some godforsaken reason – crouching defensively in front of Hera.
Before they could notice her and Alex, the two of them ducked into a dark space and squatted their way towards where their side was supposed to be on, though she swore this would be the last time she helped her father in a feckless attempt to remain in power. And then they came out into the light, Kara ignoring her father in favor of Lena, who, clearer in close distance, had matted hairs and a slight hunch in her hind legs due to oozing wounds – battle scars, more of them.
Noticing her presence, Zeus transferred his antagonism towards his wife and her partner in crime to his daughter, sneering, "You dare send this thing to defend me."
Kara would yell. She would put her hands on him and topple him over, perhaps send his throne far, far away. Or she would have, if she wasn't so worried about Lena. Lena, who had been so confident to want to go into the war alone, using the excuse that she didn't want to be a burden. Lena, who, apparently, was not able to fight off an entire army despite her strength. Lena, who was currently standing in front of the god who inarguably hated her the most and still resolute in her mission that she pretended to not hear his scathing remark.
At this moment, Kara just wished Lena wasn't so noble.
"We did not send her," Alex piped up, standing protectively over Lena and Kara. "As you have always endeavored to remind us, we did not think you would need protection at all."
Kara hid a smile and met Lena's grateful eyes. She definitely didn't miss the way those green orbs traveled over her body, and she probably shouldn't feel pleased right now, but the admiration Lena carried was very flattering, in spite of the circumstances. One of her hands brushed over a wound accidentally and Lena flinched back, though she did not yelp.
That flattery vanished in an instance. "I'm sorry," Kara whispered, wanting to rest her head on Lena's body and take the pain away.
You look good.
Kara lifted her head, eyes wide. That sounded incredibly like the hellhound's voice, but the hellhound was…a hellhound. She blinked rapidly.
You should study more on hellhounds, Kara, Lena said in her head.
Unable to help herself, the blonde heaved a quiet laugh and keeled forward to press a long kiss on the top of Lena's head.
"So disrespectful," Hera finally spoke for the first time since she and her sister entered. "Not only are you an incompetent ruler, husband, you are an incompetent father as well. Look at the daughter you raised. In the presence of the queen of gods and did not even bother to offer a greeting."
Zeus fumed, failing to form words at his wife's verbal assault and the actual presence of a hellhound in his palace. He clenched his jaw and turned to Hera.
"I have been nothing but kind to you," he seethed.
Hera threw her head back and laughed. She actually found his words funny. Kara shared confused looks with Alex and Lena, witnessing Zeus carrying the same expression as well. Eventually. Hera sobered up and wiped at the edges of her eyes, shaking her head. And then the grin dissolved into a smile dissolved into a scowl as she shot a piercing glare at her husband.
"Kind to me?" It sounded toxic, disbelieving. "You violated me." The woman's eyes were brimming with moisture. "I refused your proposition and you disguised yourself to violate me, your sister."
Kara's eyes widened.
Fuck, Lena's voice echoed in her head.
"I loved you! I still do!" Zeus roared in return. He would have tripped over Lena to get to Hera if it wasn't for Kara's agility to pull Lena aside, apologizing in her head for being careless about her wounds.
"Don't you dare spout declarations of love when you have had numerous instances of infidelity!" Hera screeched. "You claimed to love me, and yet the second I married you, you were off galloping to Greece and proclaiming your love to so many other women! In all honesty, I did not mind it that much, because they kept you away from my chambers. However, not only are you a terrible husband, you are also a dreadful father and ruler. Your son waged war years ago because you failed to love him. And you put all of your people in jeopardy, risking extinction, because of your pride. What is more? You created an army of women and you bedded your own creation. I am disgusted and I have had enough of you wielding your power over us only because you killed our father."
"Do you truly hate me that much?"
Hera rolled her eyes. "I abhor you, husband."
"Oh, I have wanted to hear those words from your mouth for eons, sister," Hades' voice echoed across the hall as he showed up with his wife and Sam.
Kara narrowed her eyes when swarms of demon emerged from various corners, apparently having followed all of them who had slipped past. When Hera raised her hand in the air quietly, the army stopped, forming a loose circle around them and ready to launch as soon as Hera gave her order. But Hera slowly lowered her hand and cast them a furtive glance. Like she was looking for something, and when she didn't find it, she turned back to her husband.
On her feet now but keeping a close distance with Lena, she questioned, "Where is Lillian?"
Hera smirked. "Protecting her daughter."
From beside her, the hellhound bristled, nostrils flaring.
The queen gave the two of them a onceover, her appreciation increasing as she sensed their combined strength in the air. "Ah yes, I can see why Lillian was so insistent on her daughter being a part of this," she said with a delightful chuckle. "Initially, I just wanted to bring you in. I was sure that with your hatred for your dear father right here, you would have been amicable."
"You were there when I said I never wanted to come back again."
"Yes, yes, I was, wasn't I?" Hera waved her hand in the air in dismissal. "The Fates brought that to my attention. But I thought I could…persuade you, had you refused." It took her a moment, but she realized that Hera was talking about mind manipulation, one of the powers she had been blessed with. "With you and me and the Fates, I was certain that we could have easily usurped this bastard's throne."
Speaking of the Fates, "Where are they?"
"Oh, I discovered that they have betrayed me."
Her blood froze over under her skin. Quickly, she exchanged a look with Lena. "What did you do?" she asked, her voice low and sharp.
"It would be best for you to not know, dearest. After all, I am not certain even you can withstand the pain," Hera replied with a sharp chuckle.
She leaped to her feet and swooped forward to push her back, so hard that they toppled over and Hera was on her back with Kara on top of her, debris spreading around from the course of their crash. She snarled in the woman's face, "What. Did. You. Do?"
Kara, Lena's voice echoed warningly in her head.
The blonde clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on Hera's gown, pulling her up and then crashing her back down. There was a slight satisfaction when Hera released a tiny groan. It wasn't much, but it proved that Kara could still hurt her. Maybe they were right; maybe combined with Lena, they would have been able to take over the world.
Cat may have lied to her, yes. She was still angry with the older woman, yes. The betrayal she had felt hadn't dissipated, yes.
But Cat Grant was still her mentor, Fate or not. Cat had taken her friendship with Kara's mother to heart and made good on her word. And despite Kara's confidence in being able to take care of herself in the mortal realm, she was certain that Cat had something to do with easing it for her, however much she could. Cat was more her mother than her own biological mother.
She had never met the Fates, but they were important to Cat. Carter was also innocent in all of this, even though he might still be oblivious to the fact that he was practically half-god, the product of one of the most powerful trio in the entire universe. And there was no way in hell she would let them become further collateral damage than they already had because of two women's greed and disability to forgive.
"I won't ask you again: what did you do to them?"
Kara, no.
Hera watched as Kara faltered at Lena's voice. Confusion at first, and then delight. "So it is true," she exclaimed gleefully, straining to catch a glance at Lena. "She can speak into your minds. Oh, this is wonderful."
Kara frowned. "What are you talking about?"
The queen of Olympus smirked, one brow ticked. Only for a second, because after that, the smirk disappeared and an entirely different – ferocious – look took over. And then Kara found herself being pushed off by an invisible force, hurtled back towards the throne, toppling it over, and slammed against the wall behind.
"Kara!" Alex cried. Lena sounded worried with her unintelligible mutterings.
Kara groaned, not used to the soreness spreading over her back. Her head was throbbing and it felt like she was only seeing half an Alex as the redhead sprinted towards her. Lena was right behind, bounding over the steps despite the wound that was sure to be spreading wider with her drastic movements.
But before she could make it to Kara, she froze. Vision having cleared, the blonde frowned at the hellhound; at those once intelligent but tired eyes glazing over in an instance – like there was nothing in the body. Kara stood up with Alex's help, still staring at Lena carefully.
"Lena?" she called gently.
The hellhound gave no response, just standing over the steps, as if waiting for further instructions.
"Lena, hey," Lex called out to his little sister.
"She cannot hear you," Lillian's voice joined in. "Or, well, she can, but she just…cannot respond."
Kara's eyes rose to fall over Lillian who was standing by Hera's side, holding a device that looked suspiciously like the Air Maker Lena had lost days ago. Just as she wanted to say something, a commotion sounded at the entrance, and then Diana came rushing in with Steve and Kal. Kara would question her cousin's presence, but she kind of didn't have the time for that.
"What –"
"I refashioned the device a little bit," Lillian cut in, waving the Air Maker in the air. "Hellhounds have naturally strong minds with their abilities to read and penetrate others'. But with a little tinker and some shortcut, it can be rather easy to do it the other way around. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get her in control for as long as I have known her and Her Majesty here is not powerful enough to do it on her own." Hera bristled at the idea of being weak, but Lillian plowed on. "But thankfully, when Lena announced the Air Maker, I knew what I could do to make this happen. I only had to switch a few parts and rewired some mechanisms – other than that, she did all the hard work, really."
"Mother," Lex said warningly.
Like she was seeing him for the first time, she was delighted at the sight of her son, which quickly turned into disappointment. "Oh Lex, I wish you hadn't drank the Lethe waters. We could have accomplished this much faster."
"I would have never participated in this madness."
"This is for the greater good."
"Hurting your daughter?" he bellowed.
"In exchange for her safety!"
The demon shook his head, stepping away from the group to take minute steps towards the duo. "Mother, you do not want to do this. Put it down." Lillian stubbornly gripped harder onto the device. "We do not need another war, mother! Have you forgotten what she went through during the last one?"
"She should have stayed away from it."
"You and I both know Lena too well to know she would never have." Lex took a deep breath, shaking his head. "The war – the injuries she suffered from it – had already weakened her enough. She hadn't three quarters of the strength she used to possess. She would not be able to sustain this."
"She is still strong enough if worked together with the goddess."
Lex threw a look at Kara, who was all the more confused at the revelation. If Lena didn't have the same strength she had before the war, exactly how strong did she used to be?
He looked back to his mother, lifting placating hands. "You may be able to control Lena's mind, but you still cannot control Kara."
"No, but she has a weakness," Hera butted in, smiling sinisterly. "Don't you, dearest?" she directed it at Kara.
Since they had told her about the refashioned device, the blonde already had an inkling of what they were going to do. There was no way they would have gotten her to comply now that Kara knew about all their tricks, but the device was something she hadn't thought about. And maybe Lena hadn't too, or she would have come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible.
But she had gotten distracted by hope and confusion. Hoping that Lex would be able to talk his mother down. Confused about the true extent of the powerful being that Lena was supposed to be.
And now, it was too late.
She watched in horror as Lena started trashing her own body down the steps by jumping up and collapsing down intentionally. There was a whimper, but the hellhound didn't seem to care as she stood back up and snarled at Kara before hurtling towards a pillar, knocking against it so hard that it broke into halves and Lena pushed through it, landing into a dark corner.
"No, Lena!" She ran towards the hellhound, holding her in her arms to try and stop her from doing anything to hurt herself.
"She cannot hear you!" Hera bellowed smugly. "I am certain she is strong, but as Lex had mentioned, she is not as strong. Eventually, she will induce sufficient damage that nothing can save her. Do you really want that to happen?"
"Help me!" Kara cried out to literally anyone.
And instantly, Lex, Hades, and Diana showed up at her side, covering the two of them with their bodies to try to contain the continuously trashing Lena. On the other hand, Alex, Sam, Persephone, and Steve forced on distracting Hera, knowing that she was the one doing this with the help of the device. Except they couldn't even reach the two of them, because another horde of army had rushed in through all possible entrances, surrounding them.
Compelled simply by whatever instructions that Hera was sending to her head, Lena managed to squirrel out of Kara's arm and leaped out of the huddle to send herself into the army, pretty much handing herself out to more slashes and punches and kicks – injuries she couldn't afford.
"Any second now, Kara," Hera lilted over the roaring crowd, emphasized by thunders and shouts and groans.
Kara wanted desperately the confidence that she would be able to find Lena among the armies, but she knew that even with all of them together, it would be in vain. She shared a quick apologetic look with her companions, to which they all reluctantly nodded grimly, before she stood up.
"Alright, okay!" she shouted. "I'll do what you want!"
As if she had just said the magic words, which she pretty much did, the armies stopped attacking and retreated, revealing all the others panting and injured here and there. Really, even the most powerful of gods wouldn't be able to handle that level of manpower. In the middle of it all was Lena, lying on her side and panting in pain, but her gaze was still empty, waiting for further instructions.
A few drops trickled down Kara's cheeks as she stumbled over to the hellhound, kneeling down and whispering comforting words that Lena couldn't hear. She lowered her head and pressed a hard kiss to Lena's head before turning and facing the two women.
"I can do it alone."
Lillian scoffed. "No, you can't."
And then Lena, like the pain was nothing, stood up, stumbled a few steps, and faced Zeus.
"You'll do it together."
"She's too weak!"
"She is strong!"
Kara glared at the two women. "I am going to kill both of you," she snarled; she would make good on that promise. She didn't give them a chance to answer and turned back to Lena again, cupping her head in her hands and running her fingers over dark hair. "Please, please, I know you're in there. Please don't give up on me. Please," she whispered. "I love you." When she stood up to face her father, he was looking at her with an expression of betrayal. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
And for the first time, she truly was.
It had seemed like hours. But then again, decades spent in the mortal realm could make it difficult to acclimatize to the way time worked here in Olympus. There was no grasping it, but Zeus was still powerful, and with every zap he sent and every yelp that sounded from it, Kara was more determined than ever that she had to do this.
The others would have helped, she was sure, but she knew this was only something only she and Lena could do. They were simply either too old, too weak, or too innocent to get involved. This was between her, Lena, her father, her stepmother, and the stepmother of the love of her life. She wasn't kidding when she said she would do anything to make sure Lena survived, so it was full power or nothing.
Eventually, Zeus had exhausted himself and finally fell – literally – when Lena ignored her pain and leaped onto Zeus, pushing him down. Kara wanted to fall onto her knees, hoping that this would be over now. He was defeated. He was weak. Anyone could kill him now. The hellhound stepped off her father's chest, panting and falling onto her side, succumbing to the injuries that she had sustained from the continuous attacks.
Kara crawled over to Lena, fighting her own exhaustion, to look at her. This time, when she looked into green eyes, they were conscious and aware and oh, so painful. Kara heaved a choking sob and buried her face into mounds of hair, wetting them with her own tears. In her mind, she apologized over and over again.
It's not your fault, Kara, Lena said to her. I really want to sleep.
Kara lifted her head and moved to look into Lena's eyes again. "You stay awake, you hear me? You do not get to sleep," she commanded in harsh whispers. "You do not get to leave me." Lena's pants hitched, like she was chuckling. Taking that as an agreement, Kara turned her gaze towards Hera and Lillian. "It's over. He's down. You can do whatever you want."
"Indeed." The two women shared a look. Hera opened her mouth but then her eyes widened a fraction and it was like she was choking on her words. Next to her, Lillian seemed to be suffering the same thing.
"This stops now," Cat's strangled voice rang out.
And sure enough, at the entrance stood the three women that they had only ever heard about but did not get to see. Cat and her sisters hauling what was literally the Wheel of Fortune into the room, the three of them looking worse for wear. Cat shot her a reassuring look, a string firmly in her grasp, while another woman, a brunette, held another, and the other, a redhead, was spinning the wheel.
"Just because we do not dabble with your fates does not mean we cannot, Your Majesty," Cat announced. "We can easily take your life at this moment."
"Carter is in safe hands now," the brunette added. "We made sure of it."
"We have spent so long being threatened by you and your minions," the redhead said. "No more."
Cat toyed with the string. She had always been nonchalant, as if nothing could scare or piss her off. But this time, she looked royally pissed off. "For too long, we were in hiding, caring about our business and doing our jobs. And you decided to come in and order us, blackmailing us with my son. That is low even for you, Hera." She released the string, which her sister did as well. "But we will not kill you. That is for them to decide." She then pointed in Kara and Lena's direction.
Kara was all too relieved that her mentor was safe, until she realized what she had to do. She turned to her father who seemed relaxed that he was alive for another day. Coward. And then she turned to Lena, whose body had transformed back into human form, something she hadn't noticed in the event of the Fates showing up.
Her eyes were slipping close, and Kara could see the exhaustion that Lena couldn't fight off anymore. In that instance, she forgot about everyone else and everything else but the woman fighting for her life.
"Hey, Lena," Kara whispered, tapping the woman's cheek gently to ensure her wakefulness. "Look at me, honey. Just focus on me."
Lena smiled at the blonde. "Kara," she heaved, threaded and hanging onto dear life. "Kara."
Viciously shaking her head, Kara leaned further down so their foreheads could rest together. "No, don't you dare."
Lena swallowed and tried to move, but it was obvious that she couldn't, judging by the wince and the soundless groan. "I don't want to –" She swallowed again, her eyes still smiling despite the wet sheen that had appeared. "Let me stay, please."
"You're staying. You're staying. You're staying." She whipped her head up and glared at her father. "She is staying!" she bellowed, ignoring his advances and telling him that she wouldn't mind kicking his ass again if he made any move against Lena. "You're gonna be okay, you hear me? You'll be safe. We'll go home. We'll play with Bench. We'll be happy. You and I, we will be very happy together. I'm gonna make sure of it," she told Lena and then raised her head to meet her sister's eyes. "Help me, please," she sobbed.
Together, Alex and Persephone hurried towards them. Kara watched as Persephone ran her hands a breadth away from Lena's skin while Alex touched the woman's neck gently with two fingers. All she could do was hold onto Lena's hand, tight and relentless, squeezing it every few seconds to make sure Lena keep her eyes open.
"You can't sleep, okay? Please don't sleep."
Lena frowned slightly, gulping to stave away the ache that Kara was sure was burning fire into her very core. "I am – I am really glad…to have…met you, Kara." She smiled.
"She cannot hold on much longer. She needs to be home," Persephone announced.
"Okay, okay," Kara said, nodding, about to let go of Lena's hand to carry her, only to be stopped when Lena didn't let go. "Lena, we need to –"
"I love you."
Her vision had never been so blurry and her brain had never been so heavy. All exhalations came out shaky and stuttered and she didn't know how to stop the tears from flowing so she could see Lena clearly. Blinking rapidly to clear away some of the moisture, Kara nodded in acceptance and moved to kiss the woman.
"Remember what you promised me," Lena mumbled against her lips.
When Kara drew back, Lena's eyes were closed. Kara stared for a long moment, jostling Lena a little in hopes that she'd wake back up. But there was nothing.
Lena didn't wake up.
"Ponytail!"
A blonde head lifted from the keyboard to glance at the office door, where Snapper Carr was standing with a scowl on his face. If the scar was ever gone, it was probably the end of the world. Kara mustered a sheepish smile at him and stood up.
"Yes?"
He scowled at her a little longer, leaving the two of them in an awkward silence. And then he sighed. "Go home. You're no good here. I'm giving you the week off. Consider it a reward for you busting your ass over the past month." Kara was about to protest when he held up a hand that was also grasping a few sheets of paper. "Tessa can handle the rest of your paperwork. Go home. When you come back, I want to see a fresh-faced Kara Danvers." He gave a curt nod and then left.
She stared at the empty doorway and then glanced down at her laptop screen. On it was a long sentence of gibberish – the aftereffect of her impromptu nap. Maybe he was right. She needed the rest. So she shut down her laptop, gathered her stuff into her backpack, and walked out the door. Before she left the building, she made sure to say goodbye to James in the office he had taken over two years ago.
As Kara waited for her Uber, she couldn't help but miss the presence of Cat Grant in the office. But she knew that after having Kara know her identity, there was no point of Cat staying here. When she left, she made sure that Kara knew it didn't mean the help stopped there.
"My sisters and I have done all we can with your father, your stepmother, and Lillian for now. Hera and Lillian are imprisoned and I cannot imagine them breaking out anytime soon. And we imagine that given how much your father appreciates his life than the idea of a hellhound on the loose, he would not be pulling anything drastic either. But that does not mean you cannot look to me for further assistance any longer. I owe you a debt and it cannot be repaid easily."
The Uber she had ordered pulled over and she got in.
It had been three years since the war that almost tilted the universe's balance. Her father was still on the throne, but the Fates had decided that his tyranny had gone on long enough and he needed to be kept in check, so they had given him an ultimatum, to which he, of course, tilted the way that favored him the most. His first order of business was to imprison his wife and her accomplice.
Mon-El and the armies of demons had been persecuted, forever destined to suffer ten thousand lashes every day. Never let it be said that Hades took betrayal easily.
Her sister, well, had finally decided that Olympus was no longer home, making the choice to join Kara among the mortal realm. It didn't take her long to acclimatize to the environment here, given the time she had spent here during the ordeal. Funnily enough, Sam had been granted permission to come to this realm as well, and the two of them might as well be married at this point.
Kara was happy for them, she really was. She had never seen Alex so happy. And to think, the redhead used to carry such disdain for demons. Now, she was having the time of her life, never tired of proclaiming her love for one.
But sometimes, watching her sister with Sam could be too much. It reminded her of how lonely she was. The only time she wasn't lonely was in her dreams, but that was only if she was lucky.
Lex Luthor was sitting on a bench outside her apartment building, drinking a cup of cheap coffee from the diner down the street. She paid the driver, got out, and sat down next to him, taking the other cup that he proffered.
The Luthor empire was now entirely under Lex's control, who had chosen to stay with Lana for as long as she lived. She took to his demon state like fish to water, claiming that he was still the man she loved, regardless of his biology. Before the official launch of the Air Maker, he had sure that it was a close-ended system, ensuring that nobody could tamper with it. And if anybody did, he would know of it.
"Still waiting?" he finally asked, watching at an elderly couple bickering across the street with amusement.
She allowed the now cold coffee to slide down her throat and nodded. "Always."
He inclined his head. "We have time."
"As long as it takes."
Then he looked up at her, scrutinizing her features. She kept it stony, unrelenting, despite the constant dribble in the cracks of her heart that would never be repaired until she received the news she needed. She had asked Hades to not come to her until then.
"You know, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want us to wait," he said slowly. Nowadays, there was no way of knowing what would tick Kara off in any conversation involving her.
She clenched her jaw. "Well, she's not here, is she?"
It took him a moment, and then he just said, "Yeah."
They people-watched a little longer before he stood up, tossing the coffee cup into a trash can and adjusting his coat lapels as he turned to her. "I'll see you." He waited for her response in the form of a nod and then left.
She stood up as well, discarding the still full coffee cup, and went up to her apartment. She fed Bench and then clipped on his leash to take him out on a walk after his meal. She brought him to his favorite park, the one he once called home – the one where they found him. After three years, he had grown into a mid-size dog, though still containable in her apartment. He could still be naughty once in awhile, but no one could ever really control him except her, and she wasn't here.
Kara wished she could see him grow up.
When Lena didn't wake up, Kara was sure of it – sure that it was over and there was no resuscitating her. She wasn't the least bit prepared for the life ahead, empty and grey. But then Persephone declared that Lena's essence remained, even though it was weak. And she said that Lena needed something more to be back home, where she belonged and could recuperate faster.
A temple of Asclepius, even further away than the mountain the Fates resided in. It was brimming with healing crystals and suited both gods and demons. But as Lena was also a hellhound, they still wasn't sure if it would work. And unfortunately, Asclepius had banned everyone from entering after Hippolytus tried to sneak in to kidnap one of his attendants, but Persephone knew one of them and he owed her a favor, so she could get Lena in.
The catch was that they weren't sure how long it would take for Lena to regain her essence in full, let alone if she would even wake up. The attendant friend of Persephone was grim when he saw the state Lena was in. It took Kara threatening to tear down the temple for him to agree to help, warning her that it would probably take a long time or maybe even never at all.
They had waited three years. But as Kara said, it would take as long as it took.
She was willing.
She missed Lena terribly. Sometimes, she would hear a lilting laugh around the corner and thought it was Lena, only to find someone else. She wished so badly to see her, but the Therapeutae of Asclepius had told her that Lena absolutely had to stay with them at all times for them to ensure her progress, and she was forbidden from entering. The fact that they let Lena in was a wrong in and of itself.
The only time she would ever see Lena was in her dreams. Lena would be smiling, and they would do so many things in her dreams. Dance, travel, eat, everything, as long as they were with each other. Maybe it was Lena sending her comfort in her coma, or maybe it was just Kara. She would take anything, really.
And then she would wake up and touch the empty space beside her.
She was snapped out of her reverie when Bench stopped in his trotting, rounding her legs and tugging on it when he couldn't reach further. She was already frozen, because in the midst of her distraction, she hadn't felt the presence. But now, she had. She could feel it like the first time three years ago – when she was awestruck by the sheer strength and rawness of it.
She closed her eyes, shaking her head. This was a dream.
Bench started barking and yelping happily, not relenting in his tugging. This was a dream.
She could taste the salt of the single tear trickling down her cheek. This was a dream.
"Kara." This was a dream.
And then there was a hand on her shoulder, gentle and static, just waiting for her to respond. This was a dream.
She dug her nails into her palms so deep that it hurt.
This was not a dream.
She whirled around. And there she was. Pale, almost translucent, gaunt, and skinny, but it was her. Lena was standing there with a gentle smile and a weak posture, like she was about to collapse anytime soon.
Hands shaking, Kara reached up to touch her, feeling the crevices of her cheeks and the juts of her jawline, more pronounced after three years, but still so much of Lena. She took in a shaky breath and took a step nearer, and another, and another, and then she swept Lena up in her arms, breathing in the unmistakable scent that made up Lena.
"You're here," she sobbed.
Fragile arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Yes, Kara, I'm here."
Kara buried her face deeper into Lena's neck, not wanting to let go. She would never let go again. "I've missed you."
"I'm sorry, darling."
This felt almost unreal. She was almost convinced that this was a dream again. But in her dreams, Lena had never felt so solid and so warm – so there. This was real. She drew back slightly, not letting Lena go entirely, but enough to see the woman's face.
"Please don't leave me again," she pleaded.
Lena shook her head, her eyes roving Kara's face as much as Kara did hers. "I won't, I promise."
Kara leaned forward, gingerly and carefully, but still making her destination by pressing their lips together. Lena eagerly kissed back. And yeah, this was not a dream.
"I'm never letting you go," she pronounced against Lena's lips.
"Okay, that's a promise."