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You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Wants You Dead

Chapter 9

Summary:

Kara deals with the fact that she's still the Intersect. Someone from her past returns and complicates things with Lena.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“I don’t get it,” said Kara, slamming the door to the Herder, “this time today, I was supposed to be a free woman. No more Intersect, possibly reclining on a beach with a Piña Colada and some undisclosed companion, maybe. What the hell happened?”

 

Hank closed his door and began walking toward the Nerd Herd with Kara. They’d begun carpooling to work as an extra precaution to keep Kara safe (and to be good to the environment!) and now Kara’s entire day was filled with Hank Henshaw. Why couldn’t they have placed Lena at her job?

 

“It’s technical,” was all Hank said.

 

“Well, if it’s a computer malfunction, maybe I can help! I mean, that’s kinda my department!”

 

Hank stopped walking and turned to face her, his jaw set. “It exploded into a million little pieces and took Director Marsdin with it. You want to help? Better get yourself a bucket and a mop.” He turned away and began walking again.

 

Kara stood still for a moment, in shock. Then she rushed forward and grabbed Henshaw’s arm. “Wait, wait, wait. Marsdin is dead?”

 

“Yeah,” said Henshaw, as if this was obvious, “we’re playing for keeps here, Kara.” He yanked his arm away from her and kept walking.

 

“Well,” Kara began tentatively, “at the risk of sounding callous, where does that leave us with the new Intersect?”

 

“If I were you, I’d get used to working at the Nerd Herd. You ain’t leaving here any time soon.”

 

She sighed and pushed her way through the door. She internally berated herself for getting so enthusiastic about being finished with the spy life. More than that, she’d allowed Alex to get all worked up about it, and now she’d have to disappoint her sister again when she told her that she wasn’t going to be moving on from the Nerd Herd. 

 

As soon as she clocked in, it felt like the universe was trying to remind her of the mundane, ignorant existence she was resigned to. She dealt with customer after customer with stupid question after stupid question. Normally, she was the epitome of the customer service representative, but today it was taking everything inside of her not to snap at them.

 

During a lull in the day, Winn came up to her and she couldn’t help but unload on him. “I can’t believe that this is going to be my life.” She turned to him with a forlorn look. “Do you remember when I actually had potential?”

 

He clapped her on the back with a grin. “Are you kidding me? Yeah! You were bursting with it! Man, I’m glad that’s over with.”

 

Kara shot him a derisive look. He laughed and punched her arm. “I’m kidding, dude. We all know you’re going to go on to do great things. But in the meantime, just remember, no matter how bad your life gets...you get to go home to that !”

 

Kara looked up to see what he was talking about and saw Lena enter the store and look around for her. The weather had gotten cooler as the holiday season approached, and this meant that Lena had taken to wearing jeans-- tight jeans. Today’s pair looked as if they had been painted on and it was paired with a soft green V-neck sweater that showed off her spectacular collarbones and brought out her eyes, and a pair of black Converses--an example of Kara’s influence on her. She smiled at the thought.

 

Kara swallowed as the agent spotted her and gave her a soft smile and wave, her sleeves pulled down slightly over her hands. She gave a small wave back and made her way around the desk to meet her. As she stepped into Lena’s space, she was greeted with a soft warm kiss, just a gentle press of the lips, but one more intimate than the cover kisses she was used to.

 

“Is that, um--is that a cover kiss or a real kiss, because I’m confused right now,” she asked, her brain still feeling a little fuzzy from the kiss.

 

“It’s a ‘we’re in the midst of a national security emergency and I need to speak with you privately’ kiss,” she replied with a smirk.

 

“See, I knew I felt something,” Kara joked as Lena pulled her across the store and toward the home theatre room. Lena closed the door behind them and Kara reached out and took Lena’s hand.

 

“Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we blow off this whole national security emergency thing and go down to Mexico for a couple of days? I’ll get the daiquiris if the CIA picks up the plane tickets! Coach is fine with me!” She shot Lena what she hoped was a charming grin. 

 

Lena turned back to her and smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes, which were practically brimming with sadness. “Kara, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about." She paused, twisting her fingers anxiously. "I’m sorry, but we can’t be together anymore. It’s unprofessional. It was different when I thought you were no longer going to be my asset, but now it’s too dangerous.”

 

Kara frowned, a crinkle appearing between her brows. “Well--hey, correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t you with James when you guys were working together?”

 

Lena sighed. “There’s a difference. James was a spy. You’re my asset. It’s my job to protect you. If I become romantically involved with you, it could compromise your safety and my ability to protect you. It’s not safe for us to be together anymore. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to be like this.”

 

Kara nodded. She knew it really wasn’t Lena’s fault, but she couldn’t help but feel a little irritated, like she was being jerked around. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m not a real spy. And I’m not cut out for this adrenaline pumping, chase the bad guy, risk-life-and-limb-daily existence. So whatever the next national security issue is, maybe you and Hank should handle it yourselves.”

 

Lena reached out and gently held her wrist. “Kara, wait. Listen, I know that this is all a lot, okay? I know how hard this is on you, and believe me, I wish there was something I could do to make it easier for you. But the sooner we get the real Cypher back, the sooner you can get the Intersect removed, and the sooner you can be free to live whatever life you choose, with whomever you choose.” 

 

Kara lifted her head and stared at Lena, wondering if Lena was saying what she thought she was saying.

 

“What are you saying, Lena?”

 

“I’m saying that...you can have everything you’ve always wanted,” said Lena, gazing into her eyes, soft and unblinking. Kara gave her a soft smile in return. “Okay, fine.”

 

***

 

Kara sat behind the Nerd Herd desk, mulling over what Lena had said. She understood, of course. But that didn’t really help. She wanted to be with Lena, and she’d gotten so close, only to have it snatched away, just like her bright future. But then there was that other part. The part where Lena had essentially said that when this was all over, they could be together. It gave Kara a bit of hope...but that was a long way off. It had taken nearly six months to get this latest Intersect up and running, and it would likely take another six months to rebuild it all over again. Would Lena wait that long? Could Kara? 

 

She was pulled from her reverie by Winn handing her an offsite install. She sighed and gathered her keys and paperwork before heading out to the conference center listed on the work order.

 

Upon her arrival, she was shown to a small table where lecturers were meant to check in. As she worked, she tried to make small talk with the event organiser who was standing at the table, handing out name tags and brochures, and directing people where to go.

 

“So, a bioscience conference. Bet things get pretty crazy here,” she said with a laugh.

 

The event organiser gave her a blank look. Kara cleared her throat. “Alrighty then. So, the network is all set up, with ten-based T ethernet connecting all the servers for the conference with the firewall in place.” She looked up and a woman entering the conference center caught her eye.

 

Her jaw dropped and her eyes nearly popped out of her head, her heart racing and palms sweating. Lucy Lane. She looked incredible, even better than she had in college. She was wearing a tasteful skirt suit and heels, and her dark hair was flowing as if there was a fan blowing just for her. Kara watched her greet a fellow attendee, smiling and laughing, her eyes crinkling in the corners. 

 

As she began moving closer to the sign-in table, Kara dropped to the floor and scurried under the table, protected from sight by the tablecloth hanging over the side. The event organiser stared down at her with a bewildered look on his face.

 

“Is there a problem,” he asked.

 

“Can you tell me if the attractive, green-eyed, slightly egg-headed brunette with an extremely cold heart is still here?”

 

The man looked up at the room and immediately zeroed in on Lucy. She was the most attractive woman in the room, so it wasn’t hard to find her.

 

“Yeah, she’s here. Why? Who is she?”

 

“Lucy Lane, my heartless ex-girlfriend. She broke my heart,” she offered, as a way of an explanation for why she was hiding under the table from the woman. “Uhh...I need--I need a diversion. Would it be a terrible imposition for you to pull the fire alarm?” She tried to laugh lightly, to pass it off as a joke, but she honestly didn't know if it was or not. 

 

“Hi,” a female voice sounded from above the table, directing the organiser’s attention back above the table, “I’m Dr. Lane. Is there someone who can help me with the tech requirements for my lecture?”

 

Kara stared at the heels in front of her that belonged to the woman that had completely shattered her heart, and she prayed that the event coordinator dude would be cool.

 

“Yeah, under the table,” said the organiser. 

 

Traitor!

 

She quickly began fiddling with the modem sitting next to her, so it wouldn’t look as if she had been hiding. The tablecloth lifted and Lucy’s beautiful face appeared below it. She pretended not to notice. 

 

“Kara?”

 

 She lifted her head and immediately slammed it into the bottom of the table, stars filling her vision. She gasped in pain and then scurried out from under the table, shooting a murderous look at the event organiser. He merely smirked and stepped away.

 

“Kara Danvers, is that really you?” Lucy was smiling brightly, eyes shining with recognition.

 

Kara took a breath before speaking, trying to play it cool. She quickly grabbed her Nerd Herd I.D. off her shirt and tossed it into her toolbox.

 

“Present, yes, that’s me!”

 

“It’s me! Lucy!”

 

“Lucy! Oh my gosh, of course!”

 

Lucy reached over the table and pulled her into a short awkward hug as they exchanged a few hi’s and hellos.

 

“Hey...you,” Kara said, trying to feign more excitement than she felt, “how are you? It’s so---so good to see you!”

 

“You too! Gosh, how long has it been?”

 

“Five years, four months-ish,” said Kara immediately, before dialing it back, “Give or take, kind of, you know---in that neighbourhood. Uh...what have you been up to?”

 

“Oh, well after NCU, I got my PhD in biomedical engineering and now I’m giving a presentation to the conference on infectious diseases!”

 

“Lovely,” Kara quipped with a smile.

 

“And you?”

 

Kara froze for a second. Here she was, Lucy Lane, the one that got away. Was she really going to tell her that she’d been working at a Nerd Herd since college? In a moment of what she would later deem insanity, she decided to lie.

 

“Still in the computer game, you know, I--I--uh, I work at/own my own little company. Six--teen, seventeen stores. I can never remember which,” she gave a light laugh, “but sometimes I still like to get my hands dirty, you know? Don the old uniform and do some installs myself. Keeps me on my toes!”

 

Lucy smiled widely at her. “I’m really happy for you, Kara! The last time I saw you, you were working at...what was it...a Nerd Herd?”

 

Kara laughed anxiously, and a bit too loudly. “Yes! Yeah, that was a wonderful, wonderful growing experience, really character building...wouldn’t--wouldn’t change it for the world,” she finished quietly.

 

“Well,” Lucy began, eyes tracing all over Kara’s face and down her body, “there’s definitely some things I would change. Especially about us.”

 

Kara raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to speak when a man appeared at Lucy’s side. 

 

“There you are! We’re running late!” A tall, thin, balding man appeared at her side and urged her toward the door.

 

“Oh, hi Thomas. This is an old friend of mine, Kara Danvers. Kara, this is my boss, Dr. Thomas Morrow.”

 

Kara threw out a hand to shake. “Hi! Nice to meet you.”

 

The doctor lifted his hands in front of him and grimaced at Kara’s outstretched palm. “I work with germs so, you know…” 

 

Whatever else he may have said was missed by Kara, because as soon as the man began speaking, she flashed on him. A whole host of images of different chemicals, laboratory experiments, and an image of a morgue stacked with bodies covered in sheets flickered through her mind. 

 

“I’m sure your friend is busy,” said Morrow, as Kara came out of her reverie, “Computers to fix and all that...shall we?” He offered her his arm and turned toward the door once more.

 

“Sure,” said Lucy, taking the proffered arm. Kara gave a small wave as Lucy walked away and looked down at the table, willing herself to forget the awkward exchange with her ex and focus on the fact that her ex’s boss was a potential bioterrorist.

 

“Kara!” 

 

She snapped her head up and saw Lucy waving at her over her shoulder. She smiled and waved back.

 

“I’m staying at the Hotel Waldron, so give me a call if you want to grab a cup of coffee,” she gave her a shy smile.

 

“Y-yeah! Well, you know, I stay pretty busy so…,” Kara shouted after her, “I’ll check with my people!”

 

Lucy and Dr. Morrow had already rounded the corner. Kara sighed and dropped her head backwards. Why was her life like this?

 

***

 

“Your ex-girlfriend’s boss, Dr. Thomas Morrow, is the head research scientist for the US-based company Cole-McGregor Pharmaceuticals,” said General Haley. Kara, Lena, and Hank were in the base under the Wienerlicious. Kara had relayed her flash to Hank, who promptly called the General to inform her of the situation. “Homeland Security reports that he may have developed a bioweapon, which he plans to sell to the highest bidder.” 

 

“Is Lucy involved?” Kara asked quietly. She wasn’t sure she could handle it if the answer was yes.

 

“It’s your job to find out, Kara,” Haley responded. “Hank and Lena will surveil Dr. Morrow. We need you to reconnect with Lucy, find out what she knows about her boss.”

 

Kara’s eyes widened and, though her mouth opened, her jaw worked with no words coming out. Haley stared at her, waiting for an answer.

 

“Right...right,” Kara swallowed harshly. “When--when you say ‘reconnect’ with her, you mean send her an email, or invite her to follow me on Snapchat, right?”

 

“Call her at her hotel and make a date, Kara,” Haley ordered gruffly. “See if you flash on anything she says, or anyone you meet.”

 

“I’m s--I’m sorry, a date ? With my ex ?” Kara stood up quickly from her chair and moved around the front of the table to be closer to the monitor. “No, General, that is a terrible idea! You see, she broke my heart, okay? She destroyed me! She took all of my confidence--my mojo--”

 

You had mojo?” Hank sneered.

 

“I was on my way! Oh and by the way, she slept with James Olsen!”

 

Hank grunted out a laugh. “Who hasn’t,” he quipped, shooting a smirk at Lena, who rolled her eyes. She moved from her position leaning on the table and moved next to Kara and spoke softly.

 

“Look Kara, I know that Lucy hurt you, but maybe seeing her again will give you the closure that you’ve always wanted.” She rubbed Kara’s shoulder in a soothing manner. “You’ve done a lot for this country, and now we’re going to make you look good, okay?”

 

“And look on the bright side,” said Hank, “now you can get your mojo back!” He sneered at Kara and slapped her cheek twice as he walked by. Having given them their assignment, Haley signed off.

 

Kara stood staring at the picture of Lucy that was up on the screen, and remembered the last time she had seen her. 

 

It was 5 years ago. She had been expelled and Lucy had promptly stopped replying to her messages. She’d begun working at Nerd Herd and one day on her lunch break, sick of the radio silence, she had driven over to the campus dorms to see her, but since she no longer had a functioning school ID, she couldn’t get into the building. She had literally thrown rocks at Lucy’s window until she opened it. Only Lucy hadn’t opened it, it was her roommate who hated Kara for some reason. She had yelled that Lucy didn’t want to see her, but Kara had basically begged so hard that she’d finally come to the window, only to tell her that it was over. Kara had asked her to come down so they could talk about this properly, maybe over coffee? when the roommate had shouted down that Lucy was seeing James now. Kara had felt her heart shatter. All Lucy said before closing the window was, “I’m sorry, Kara.” 

 

That was five years ago. Now, she was going to have to go to dinner with her and pretend that everything was fine, that she wasn’t bitter or heartbroken, that she was a successful computer magnate, and on top of all that, try to press her for information about her bioterrorist boss. 

 

She felt her heart begin to race and her palms get clammy. A slap on her back brought her back to the present. 

 

“Let’s go Romeo! Time to get ready for your big date,” said Hank. “The CIA is wasting a lot of tax dollars to make you look good.”

 

Here goes nothing , Kara thought with a hefty sigh. She prayed this evening would end well.

 

***

 

Kara pulled on her blazer and checked herself out in the mirror. She was shocked. She looked good. The CIA had outdone themselves, she thought, staring at her reflection. It was a slim cut silk suit, with an auburn floral print that contrasted nicely with her eyes. She’d paired it with a dark red lipstick that popped against the crisp white shirt underneath. The pants were skinny cut and rose just above her ankles, showing off her shiny black brogues. Her hair hung in loose waves over her shoulders, and she added just a hint of mascara, keeping the makeup to a minimum for a more natural look. 

 

Admiring herself in the mirror, she hoped the CIA bankrolled more missions in the future.

 

She fixed her watch to her wrist and moved quietly through the apartment, hoping to avoid Alex and Kelly. She hadn’t told them about Lucy, but she couldn’t imagine they’d be happy about her going to dinner with her. Not that she really had a choice. But Alex had picked her up time after time while she’d been heartbroken over Lucy. It seemed only natural that she’d develop a bad taste for the woman.

 

She crept through the living room just as the front door opened. Alex. Shit.

 

“Hey! New suit? You have a big date?”

 

“No big date,” Kara said quickly. “Why?”

 

“It looks expensive,” Alex said with a smile.

 

“No! Very--very cheap! It was on sale, I had a coupon!”

 

“Mmhmm,” said Alex, smirking at her sister’s ramble, “I think it’s cute you get all dressed up for Lena. She’s lucky!” She dropped her keys in the dish by the door and walked across the room. Kara scrunched her eyes closed. She couldn’t lie to Alex. Not about this.

 

“Hey sis?” She waited for Alex to acknowledge her. “You ever think about your ex, Maggie?”

 

Alex gave her a puzzled look. “No, why?”

 

“Well, let’s say, totally randomly, good ol’ Maggie--you know, you guys ran into each other and she asked you out to dinner to catch up with each other--reminisce about old times, what would you say?”

 

“I guess...theoretically I’d say yes,” said Alex with a furrowed brow and a suspicious look on her face. 

 

Kara sighed and her shoulders dropped in relief. “I am so glad that you said that,” she said quickly. “I’m--I’m not going out with Lena tonight. I’m actually going out...with Lucy.”

 

Alex’s eyes flew open wide and she immediately crossed her arms over her chest. “ LUCY?! No! NO! No no no! Absolutely not!

 

Kara furrowed her brow in confusion. “Wh--what about what you just said about Maggie?”

 

“Just forget what I said, okay? There is no scenario in which you should be going to dinner with the girl that dumped you, broke your heart, and slept with your best friend!” She moved across the room to stand in front of Kara. She looked at her suit again and then looked up to her face, a pained look on her face. “Kara...you bought a new suit for her?”

 

“I told you...coupon…” said Kara, her voice small.

 

“Kara…” Alex closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “I’m trying not to be the overprotective big sister--”

 

“You? Never .” Kara said with a laugh.

 

“It’s just that,” she continued, “I know that she hurt you. You know? I don’t want to see you go through that again.” She lifted her hands as if to say ‘I surrender’. “But…” she motioned zipping her lips and tossing the key. She turned and walked down the hallway without another word. 

 

Kara stood there for a moment, disappointed in her sister’s reaction, but not entirely surprised. All things considered, this was probably the best she could hope for. She took a deep breath and blew it out before walking out the door.

 

***

 

Kara walked out through the courtyard to the street where she normally parked the Nerd Herder and found a sleek black Ferrari 488 Spyder in its place instead. She whipped her head around, looking for the Civic before pulling out her phone and calling Lena.

 

“Heyyyy,” she began when Lena answered the phone. “Um. Where’s my car?”

 

“The Ferrari is yours for the night, Kara. I told you the CIA was going to make you look good.”

 

Kara stared at the fancy sports car in front of her before pulling the door open.

 

“The keys are in the ignition. Don’t worry about tonight. Hank and I will be close by. Just have fun and try to get the answers we need.”

 

Kara thanked her and hung up the phone, sliding into the driver’s seat and running her hands over the fine handstitching on the steering wheel. She started the engine and it purred to life. She grinned as a fire began to stoke itself in her blood. She could really get used to this. She took a minute to familiarise herself with the car and its gears before shooting a text to Lucy that she was on her way. Then she pulled away from the curb and shot off into the night.

 

***

 

Kara pulled up to the valet stand at the restaurant and hopped out, tossing the keys to the young man, before making her way around the car and opening Lucy’s door for her. She led her to the entrance of the restaurant and pulled open the door. She was immediately greeted by Hank, who was wearing glasses. 

 

“Hey! Ms. Danvers! Welcome! Hope you haven’t been waiting long, right this way!”

 

“Thank you,” she responded, hoping her expression was not as bewildered as she felt.

 

He led them through the throng of people in the restaurant, where the customers nodded at her and raised their glasses, as if she was a regular at this particular venue. She nodded awkwardly at each as the did, trying to act like this was something that happened all the time.

 

Even the piano player smiled and winked at her. “Looking good Ms. Danvers, looking good!”

 

Kara smiled and slowly turned to Hank, speaking through her grimacing smile, “Is everyone in here CIA?”

 

“Of course,” he replied with a smirk. He led them to a table that was set in a secluded corner of the restaurant, lit by candles. She pulled out a chair for Lucy and slid it in under her before taking her seat across the small table. Hank handed them their menus and slipped away.

 

“Wow, I’m impressed,” said Lucy, a look of shock on her face. “It’s like you own this place!”

 

“No no, god no, just a--just an investor. I mean, what can I say, I’m a sucker for a good veal parm.” She grinned as their server approached the table. She did a double take as she looked up. It was Lena.

 

“Good evening, Ms. Danvers, can I get you two anything to drink? The usual, perhaps? A 2000 Les Fiefs de Legrange?”

 

Kara stared up at her blankly. She had no idea what it was, but if Lena was suggesting it, she should probably take it. She looked over at Lucy to make sure that was okay with her. She smiled back. Kara swallowed. “Uh...oui oui!” Lena nodded and walked away.

 

Lucy tilted her head and regarded Kara for a moment. “I’m really glad things turned out so well for you, Kara. Especially after--you know--what happened.”

 

Kara paused. She knew Lucy was referring to the allegations that she had stolen the tests in college. She wanted to tell Lucy the truth. She needed her to know that it wasn’t true. That she was set up. That she wasn’t a dishonest person, no matter how much lying she had been doing tonight. She licked her dry lips and sucked them into her mouth, her brow furrowing.

 

“Yeah...about that,” she began nervously, “Lucy, I never stole those tests.”

 

Lucy shook her head quickly. “Kara, that doesn’t matter now.”

 

Kara shifted uncomfortably. “Sure, it--it doesn’t matter now. Now that I drive a fine Italian automobile and I’m alarmingly well-known at this particular restaurant...but I needed you to believe me when it did matter.”

 

“I do believe you,” Lucy insisted. “And maybe I should have believed you at NCU but...the tests were in your room. And James said you were cheating. What was I supposed to think at the time?”

 

Kara looked away from Lucy, a soft rage boiling low in her belly. “Yeah. James must have made a very convincing argument for you to dump me and then hop right into his bed.” She turned back to look at Lucy, who had hurt and exasperation written all over her face.

 

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” said Lucy. 

 

Lena appeared at the tableside. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Ms. Danvers, but there’s a phone call for you at the bar.”

 

Kara frowned up at her. Lena gave her a pointed look with an arched eyebrow before walking back to the bar. Kara excused herself from the table and followed her, picking up the phone that was set out for her on the marble bar top. Lena stood next to her, rolling silverware. Wow, she really gets into character, Kara thought, placing the receiver to her ear. She noticed the dial tone on the other end and realised there was no call, that Lena wanted a word. She shifted her body so that she faced the agent.

 

“What do you think you’re doing,” asked Lena in a low tone, but nonetheless authoritative.

 

“Getting closure,” she responded, “she owes me an explanation.”

 

Hank appeared on the other side of the bar. “No she doesn’t. She exercised her first amendment right to dump you! Now get back in there and find out what Morrow is planning!” He turned and walked into the kitchen.

 

“Look, Kara,” Lena said softly, “I know it’s hard, but tonight you have to be a spy first.”

 

“Yeah, it is hard. I’m not like you, Lena, I can’t just turn my emotions on and off like some kind of robot!”

 

Lena said nothing, her face blank, revealing nothing about the way Kara’s words cut her.

 

Kara closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I’m not acting like myself tonight.” She put the phone back down in its cradle harshly.

 

Lena raised her head but did not look at the blonde. “Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?”

 

“Personally, I’d like another 10-15 minutes of really pathetic self-indulgence...but duty calls. I’m going back in.” She turned to Lena. “Thanks.”

 

Lena said nothing. 

 

Kara returned to the table with a smile to Lucy. “Sorry about that. No more interruptions, I promise. And uh, by the way...that woman that was just sitting here a couple of minutes ago? You remember her? Looked just like Kara Danvers? Was a little whiny and bitter?”

 

Lucy smiled at her across the table and raised her eyebrows.

 

“Turns out, she was an imposter,” Kara continued. 

 

“Really?” Lucy laughed.

 

“Yeah, really, but don’t worry about it, because I just kung fu’d her at the bar and she won’t be bothering you for the rest of the evening.”

 

Lucy tilted her head and smiled. “Well, I’m glad. Because I like this Kara Danvers a lot more.”

 

“Me too,” she said with a smile. 

 

***

 

“So, you never told me what you were working on,” Kara said as they left the restaurant. The rest of dinner had gone without incident and she had almost let herself slip back into the mindset that she’d been in 5 years ago. Being with Lucy just did that to her. She’d forgotten how sweet and beautiful she was, and how being with her felt like coming home to the smell of something your mom would make when you were a kid. She’d nearly forgotten that this was a mission.

 

“Oh, ah, I can’t really talk about it,” Lucy said with a dismissive wave.

 

Kara cocked her head. 

 

Lucy laughed. “That sounds mysterious, I know. It’s just...I’m starting to think there’s some sketchy people involved.” She shook her head, as if to shake the thoughts out of her mind. “I’m probably just being paranoid, I just don’t know who to trust.”

 

Kara lifted her shoulders in a slow shrug. “You can trust me,” she said with a smile.

 

Lucy looked up at her with a thoughtful expression for a moment. “Remember biochem? We’re working on a strain of influenza, specifically how the hemagglutinin protein fuses the viral envelope with the vacuole’s membrane.”

 

Kara nodded knowingly. “Ohhh.”

 

Lucy smiled up at her. “Did that sound like total gibberish?”

 

“I understood completely ‘do you remember biochem’ and then everything after that was a little fuzzy.”

 

Lucy laughed. “Okay, I’ll simplify.”

 

Just then a horn honked and a voice shouted out, “YOOOO DANVERS!!” Kara looked up to see Nia and Brainy pull up in one of the Nerd Herders and her face paled. Lucy turned to see what the commotion was.

 

“Hey buddy,” said Nia, hanging out of the passenger window.

 

“Who’s the babe?!” Brainy called from the driver’s seat.

 

Kara tried to motion for them to shut up, making the ‘zip your lips’ motion, followed by several cut it out hand movements at her neck. Of course, that didn’t stop them.

 

“First Lena, now this chiquita banana, when are you going to start sharing the wealth buddy?”

 

Kara leaned her head back and sighed. Lucy furrowed her brow and turned to her slowly. “Who’s Lena? And, um, are these friends of yours?”

 

“No,” Kara said, shaking her head, lips turned down in a frown. “Nope, just--just old Nerd Herd colleagues that haven’t moved on.” She turned back to the car and said through gritted teeth, “ Move on! MOVE ON! ” She jerked her head toward the street to indicate where they needed to go.

 

The valet interrupted her seizure-like movements to hand her the keys to the Ferrari, and she thanked him in relief. With a little luck, she might just make it out of here unscathed.

 

But of course, fate was not that kind to her. 

 

“Whoa! Whose Ferrari?” Brainy called out in shock, as both he and Nia craned their necks to get a better view of the car parked behind them at the curb.

 

“This isn’t your car?” Lucy asked with a furrowed brow.

 

“Um, she makes $15 an hour at the Nerd Herd,” Nia answered, “you do the math, sister.”

 

Lucy turned back to Kara. “You still work at the Nerd Herd, Kara?”

 

Kara inhaled sharply as he shot daggers at Nia and Brainy, who realised their mistake and pulled away from the curb and up the street.

 

“Yes I do,” Kara admitted, shoulders dropping in despair.

 

“What about your computer business?”

 

“Technically the Nerd Herd offers a wide range of hardware and other things…” she trailed off as Lucy walked away, rolling her eyes and raising her arm to hail a cab.

 

“Wow, too bad NCU doesn’t over a B.A. in BS, ‘cause you could’ve graduated early!” 

 

“Lucy, please don’t--it’s not all a lie, I can explain!”

 

The cab door slammed shut and Kara was left alone in the street.

 

***

 

Kara sat at the table the next morning chewing dejectedly on a bowl of Froot Loops when Alex came striding into the kitchen to grab her coffee. Kara didn’t acknowledge her presence. She wasn’t sure she was ready for an I told you so from her older sister.

 

Alex cleared her throat. “So...am I supposed to ignore you? Or can I ask you a series of personal questions that you have to answer?” She grinned as she reached into the fridge for the creamer.

 

“You were right,” said Kara flatly, “You’re always right. I never should have gone out with Lucy last night.”

 

“Kara,” Alex sighed, “maybe I overreacted, you know? Maybe there was a reason for you to go to dinner with Lucy.”

 

“Yeah, to humiliate myself,” said Kara through a mouthful of Froot Loops.

 

“Come on, with the way things ended between you guys? You’ve always had millions of questions and no answers, and now you finally got some!”

 

“So what! What good did it do me to go poking around in my past?”

 

“Because,” Alex said, coming to stand next to her, leaning against the counter, “maybe now, without all that wondering and what if-ing, you can finally close that chapter of your life.”

 

Kara sat quietly for a moment, pondering Alex’s words. Then she huffed out a small laugh. “Right again.”

 

Alex smiled and kissed her on top of her head, leaving the kitchen.

 

***

 

Lena sat in the surveillance van outside of the Hotel Waldron making notes on what they picked up through the bug planted in Dr. Morrow’s room.

 

“He just ordered room service,” she said to Hank, who merely grunted in return.

 

Suddenly the rear doors to the van flew open and she and Hank turned to the intruder, guns raised. 

 

It was only Kara. She sighed and lowered her gun, though not a small part of her was happy to see her.

 

“Easy, I come in peace,” Kara joked, raising her hands in surrender. She climbed into the van and closed the door behind her.

 

“What the hell are you doing here,” Hank growled.

 

“I don’t know, I just figured I’d swing by and check up on Lucy.”

 

“She’s fine, Kara. She came home last night and she hasn’t left her room since.” She felt a little annoyed that Kara was here to check on Lucy, and she hated herself for it. She had done this. She was the one who said that they couldn’t be together. She had no right to be jealous or irritated.

 

The sound of a call being placed pulled her out of her thoughts. Hank lifted the head set to his ear. “She’s making a call!”

 

Lena pressed a button on the control panel and the sound was broadcast through the speakers. The conversation was crackly and broken up, like the bug was out of range or something.

 

“Damn bug’s on the fritz,” Hank said, tossing the headset onto the table.

 

“We need a new one,” said Lena, grabbing one out of the drawer. “I’ll go in as housekeeping and plant another.”

 

“She might recognise you as the waitress,” said Hank, thoughtfully. “I’ll just tranq her, she’ll wake up in an hour thinking nothing of it.” 

 

Kara stared at him in horror as he spoke so casually of tranquilising Lucy. “Whoa whoa, wait a minute! I’ll go! I’ll go and I’ll apologise for last night, she’ll tell me what a giant loser I am, and I’ll plant the bug, no tranquing necessary.”

 

Lena turned to her with an arched eyebrow. She didn’t like the thought of sending Kara up to Lucy, but she couldn’t figure out if it was out of a sense of danger, or jealousy. This is why we can’t date , she reminded herself. Lines were getting blurred and she had no one to blame but herself.

 

She handed the bug to Kara. “You know where it goes right?”

 

Kara nodded.

 

“Button is on the top, click on, click off,” she demonstrated to Kara. Kara watched the little red light appear and disappear on the bug. She took it from Lena’s fingertips and stuck it in her pocket, hopping out of the van.

 

She made her way through the hotel lobby and pressed the button to call the elevator. She was antsy as she rode up to the 11th floor. She prayed that Lucy would let her into the room to even plant the bug, let alone explain. She exited the elevator and walked slowly to Lucy’s door. She stood with a fist raised, ready to knock, took a deep breath and rapped three times on the door.

 

“Who is it?” Came Lucy’s voice from inside the room.

 

“It’s the lying, yet well-meaning fool who rented a Ferrari last night?”

 

“I don’t want to talk to you, Kara.”

 

Kara closed her eyes. “Okay then, well I’ll do all the talking.” She took another deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know this may come as a shock to you, but I’m here to do something totally crazy and tell you the truth.” She waited for an answer that didn’t come, so she continued.

 

“I still work at the Nerd Herd, and I still live with my sister, and I still have no idea what I’m doing with my life. I guess I just wanted you to think I was someone special. So, in order to accomplish that, I went out and got a new suit and rented a car that I clearly could not afford, because from the second I saw you again...I knew that I hadn’t gotten over you yet, Lucy.”

 

She was silent for a moment, listening for any movement from the other side of the door. A moment later, the door creaked open with just the chain holding it closed, and Lucy’s face appeared, looking soft and lovely.

 

“Really? You haven’t gotten over me?”

 

Kara chuckled softly, then fixed Lucy with an earnest smile. “Nope.”

 

Lucy closed the door abruptly, pulled the chain off the door, and then pulled it back open again. “Get in here.”

 

Kara smiled and walked in after her. She looked around the room and saw papers everywhere.

 

“Sorry about the mess, I’m still working on my lecture.” She walked deeper into the room and moved over to the table to clear papers off the table. Kara turned her back to her and pulled the bug out of her pocket, clicking the button on.

 

“Yeah, you were starting to say last night...infectious disease or something? Sounded like you were speaking Aramaic or something.”

 

Lucy laughed, shuffling papers around. “Not Aramaic. Simple biochem 101. Oh right! You slept through that class in college.”

 

“A lot of good that class would do me in my current line of work,” she said in a self-deprecating manner as she tried to find a good hiding place for the bug. She had just settled on the back of the phone, when Lucy’s voice rang out: “Stop it!”

 

She jumped at the exclamation and turned around quickly, hiding the bug behind her back. “Stop what?”

 

“Stop underselling yourself, Kara! There was a part of last night, somewhere after getting minor whiplash in your car and before abandoning you on the side of the road, where I had a really, really nice time.” She made her way over to stand in front of Kara and looked up at her with soft eyes.

 

“Really?” Kara looked down into her soft green eyes. They were a cool green, like mint, not the forest green of Lena’s left eye. The thought of Lena brought a tightness to her chest and she pushed it away, focusing on Lucy.

 

“Yes,” Lucy laughed, “so, no more lies. No more deception, okay?”

 

Kara stared down at her. How could she agree to that? She was literally here to plant a bug in her room. She rolled the bug in between her fingers behind her back and then made a decision. She clicked off the button and let it fall to the floor, then nudged it inconspicuously under the bed with her shoe. 

 

“No more lies. No more deception.”

 

“Good,” said Lucy with a grin. “You know how much I’ve missed doing this?” She took a step closer to Kara. They were barely an inch apart.

 

“Missed doing what?” Kara asked. 

 

Lucy leaned up and pressed her lips to hers. They were soft and warm, slightly sticky from her gloss. Kara pressed forward gently and ran her hands up Lucy’s arms, bringing them to rest on her biceps. Lucy pulled away gently.

 

“This,” Lucy said with a smile. Kara laughed lightly. Lucy pressed one more kiss to her lips before telling her (apologetically) that she had to get back to work.

 

Kara made her way back downstairs and out to the van, a smile never leaving her face.

 

She climbed into the van and was immediately faced with a concerned Lena. “What happened?!”

 

Her tone shook Kara out of her Lucy-induced haze. “Oh! Yeah, no it was great...fine...we really connected…” She began to drift back to the kiss again.

 

“She’s talking about the bug, moron!” Hank looked at her in disgust.

 

“Oh yes! That! Of course! Yeah, I planted it. It is planted. I--I--I may have turned it off though, I’m not totally sure…”

 

Lena stared at her in confusion. “Why would you do that?”

 

“Relax,” Hank growled, “these things are pretty much idiot-proof. If it’s in the room, it picks up the signal.” He clicked a few buttons on the control panel and the bug’s audio line appeared on the screen. “It worked. We’re tapped into her cell and the room phone.”

 

Kara sat in her seat, letting Hank’s words wash over her, thinking back to the kiss she and Lucy had shared. It brought her right back to college, to when she had last been at her peak. She smiled as she felt the tingling on her lips.

 

“Why are you smiling like that,” asked Lena.

 

Kara stared into space. “She kissed me…no spy stuff…no lies…just me…”

 

She looked up and saw the look on Lena’s face. She couldn’t make heads nor tails of her expression, but she gathered that she wasn’t particularly happy about this development. A movement on the screen behind her caught her eye and she turned her head to the monitor, catching a glimpse of a hotel employee at Morrow’s door. The employee had a tattoo on the back of his neck and Kara flashed on it.

 

“Oh! Ah! That dude is some kind of an assassin!” She pointed frantically to the man on the screen. “His code name is Manhunter.”

 

Hank and Lena grabbed their firearms and threw open the door. 

 

“Kara…” Lena began.

 

“I know, I know, stay in the van.”

 

“And don’t touch anything!” Hank threw over his shoulder before slamming the door closed.

 

Kara rolled her eyes and watched the monitors. She saw Lena and Hank enter the elevator when a phone began to dial over the speaker. She realised it was Lucy’s hotel room phone and she put the headset on to listen in.

 

“Hello,” came an unfamiliar woman’s voice from the other end of the line.

 

“Hey, it’s me.”

 

“Hey! How are you after last night?”

 

“Oh my god, Lois guess what? You’re not going to believe who came to my room to apologise tonight?”

 

Kara recognised Lois as Lucy’s sister who lived in Metropolis. She’d never met her, but she knew that she and Lucy had always been pretty close.

 

“What?! No. Please tell me you did not let that loser in!”

 

Kara grimaced and her mouth dropped into a frown. She couldn’t really blame Lois for her perception of Kara, but it didn’t make it sting any less.

 

“She looked like a puppy dog! I couldn’t say no...and I still think she’s kinda cute.”

 

Kara preened at those words. Lucy thought she was cute. The thought warmed her.

 

“Cute?! She’s a computer dork that makes $12 an hour!”

 

Helloooo it’s $15,” Kara muttered quietly.

 

There was a pause, then:

 

“Kara?! Kara, are you on my phone?”

 

The colour drained from Kara’s face. She squeezed her eyes closed. She had no idea the bug went both ways. She tried to think quickly.

 

“Uhhh...Lucy? Is that you?”

 

“Why are you on my phone?” She demanded, a thread of anxiety clear in her voice.

 

“I don’t know! I don’t--that’s so--that’s--” she stammered out. She blew a breath out and tried to think of a believable lie. “I tried calling you, so I think our--our wires got crossed or something! Is this a party line?” She cringed at the high pitch her voice had hit on the last word. She wished a hole would open in the earth and swallow her whole.

 

“What did you do to my phone? Did you bug it or something?!”

 

Kara laughed nervously. “Bug it?! What--what am I, an entomologist or something?” She laughed too loudly. “No--no way, you’re talking crazy, ma’am!”

 

“I’m calling security!” She slammed the receiver down.

 

“Oh. Oh god. Okay.” She took off the headset slowly and set it down on the table. She let out a slow deep breath and closed her eyes. She had just begun to get her breathing under control when there was a loud WHUMPF and the roof of the van dented in as something crashed into it.

 

She snapped her head up and looked at the indentation on the roof of the van. As something near the front of the van caught her eye, the speaker crackled to life again, and Hank’s voice came over the system.

 

“Kara, Morrow isn’t in his room.”

 

She looked toward the front of the van in shock as she watched Dr. Morrow’s body slide down the windshield, blood trickling out of his mouth, his limbs all at weird angles.

 

“I know,” she replied.

 

***

 

Kara stared through the glass into the interrogation room where Lucy sat with Hank, sobbing.

 

Hank handed her a tissue, his face cringing at the sight of her tears. “Let it all out,” he said flatly, as she blew her nose loudly.

 

“I feel terrible,” said Kara, turning to Lena. “Maybe I should go in there and console her.”

 

“She can’t know you’re a spy, Kara.”

 

Kara rolled her eyes. “Of course, she’ll just think I’m a stalker.”

 

“She doesn’t think you’re a stalker,” said Lena, turning to face the blonde. 

 

Kara stared at the agent for a moment, before a squeaking sound drew her attention back to the interrogation room. Hank had pushed all of the used tissues into the trash and was disinfecting the table with a poorly disguised look of disgust on his face. Kara had to suppress the urge to snicker.

 

“So,” Hank began in a monotone, his face relaying his discomfort with being around a sobbing Lucy, “why do you think Dr. Morrow was killed?”

 

Lucy ignored the question, looking around the room. “What is this place? Why was I blindfolded?”

 

“It’s a secret CIA compound. We’ve been watching you for days, Ms. Lane.”

 

Lucy tilted her head and furrowed her brow. “Watching me? Why?”

 

“We thought your boss was into some shady business. We kept an eye on you as well. To protect you.” He pulled a file out of the stack next to him and opened it for her to look at surveillance photos that had been taken of her and Kara. 

 

Lucy sifted through them, a look of confusion laying over her pretty features. “That’s my ex-girlfriend, Kara. Is she involved in this? She’s been acting really weird lately. One minute she’s completely normal, the next she’s acting like a total lunatic.”

 

Kara cringed at the description.

 

“She didn’t say stalker,” said Lena, helpfully.

 

“Almost like a stalker,” Lucy continued.

 

Kara turned quickly to Lena, who averted her eyes and sucked her lips into her mouth.

 

Hank stood up from the table and walked over to the two-way mirror where he knew Kara was standing just on the other side. “Yeah, it can be a pattern with these losers. Pretty girl smiles, they get all infatuated. Seen it a million times.” He winked at Kara through the glass and clicked his tongue, before turning back to Lucy. “No, she wasn’t involved. Your boss Thomas, however…”

 

“Maybe he was involved, but not how you think,” Lucy cut in. “Morrow discovered an anti-viral serum for a strain of influenza used in bioweapons. An airborne influenza so deadly, it could kill a person in one hour, if exposed. A couple of days ago, he learned that our company secretly sells the influenza bioweapon. That’s why Morrow planned to present our research at the convention. So that the company couldn’t cover it up anymore. I guess it’s up to me to do that now.”

 

Kara’s eyes widened. “No! No no no!” She began pounding on the glass.

 

Hank ignored her. “So you’ll do the presentation--”

 

“No, it’s too dangerous, Hank!” Kara shouted, rapping on the glass again.

 

Lucy glanced up at the window. “Um, your window is knocking.”

 

Hank excused himself with an irritated huff and left the room, bursting through the door of the observation room. “What?!”

 

“Lucy is not going to the conference! The assassin will kill her!”

 

“It’s our only chance, the only way to smoke him out,” Hank replied calmly.

 

“It’s too dangerous for her,” Kara insisted. “Okay? I am putting my foot down!” Hank raised an eyebrow at her and stepped forward. “Gingerly,” she added, stepping back.

 

“Look Danvers, my job is to protect all of the citizens of this nation, not just the ones that raise your flag.”

 

Kara turned to Lena, a look of desperation settling over her features. “Please Lena! We cannot use Lucy as bait and risk her life giving that presentation!”

 

Lena stood silently for a moment, arms crossed over her chest. “Fine,” she said finally, “I’ll give the presentation.”

 

Kara’s eyes widened, and before she could protest, Lena left the room.

 

***

 

Hank stood up on the stage surveying the crowd, dressed as private security. He looked across the room at Lena, who was standing next to the entrance to the conference room, checking the faces of each attendee as they entered, looking for the assassin who had killed Dr. Morrow. 

 

“Anything,” he asked into his wrist comm. Lena shook her head, “All clear so far.”

 

Just then the announcer came up to the podium and introduced the next speaker, who would have been Lucy. 

 

“Please take your seats! Giving the presentation for Dr. Thomas Morrow will be his associate coming from Ireland, Dr. Ava Lance.”

 

There was a smattering of applause as Lena approached the stage, notecards in hand. 

 

“Hello, I’m Dr. Ava Lance, and I’m here to talk to you today about a deadly poison that could change the course of human science.” She alternated between her notes and looking around at the faces in the room as she spoke. “I’m honored to stand before you all today on behalf of Dr. Morrow. Throughout the many years of our research...” She noticed a man in an awful wig stand and try to nonchalantly leave the room, and she narrowed her eyes. She glanced over at Henshaw and nodded toward the man, and he moved in his direction. The man noticed Hank approaching and took off out the door.

 

“Excuse me, I’ve got to go to the loo,” Lena finished before sprinting off the stage and out the door after the man. Hank ran over to where the man had been seated and kicked over his chair, revealing an aerosol distributor that was puffing out a noxious gas. 

 

He turned to the security guards at the entrance. “Seal the room!” As they slammed the doors closed and locked them, Hank turned to the guests. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is an NSA emergency! No one, I repeat, no one gets in or out!”

 

He pulled out his phone and dialed the CDC and his superiors, then he called Kara. 

 

“Hank, hey, is everything okay?”

 

“Our Manhunter friend released the poison. Lena got out. I’m still in here with the scientists. Hazmat crews are on the way. We have an hour, maybe less. You gotta get to Lucy, see if she has an antidote.” He could feel his throat beginning to itch and he heard a woman start coughing behind him.

 

“I--I really don’t think she wants to see me right now,” Kara responded hesitantly.

 

“Kara! We’re dying in here! I don’t care what you have to say or do, just get it done!”

 

He hung up the phone and threw it on the table. He hoped the nerd could come through for them before it was too late.

 

***

 

Lena chased the assassin through the labyrinth of hallways and corridors down to the basement. She passed his horrible wig along the way and knew she was hot on his trail.

 

She crept around the corner into the boiler room, her gun raised to chin level. She peered around the corner and caught the assassin’s reflection in a particularly shiny metal fusebox. She narrowed her eyes and took aim, waiting for him to come around the corner. But the assassin caught sight of her in the same mirrored box and took a shot at her. Lena dropped to the ground quickly, but she still heard the zip of the bullet as it flew past her. She rolled out of the way as she heard him fire off another shot. Raising herself up onto one knee, she fired. She heard a grunt and then the assassin dropped to the ground. 

 

She rushed over to him, knocking the gun away from his hand with her boot. Lena knelt down next to the man. He wasn’t moving. A pool of blood began to seep out from under him. She felt for a pulse, but couldn’t find one. She sighed. “Dammit.” She noticed a badge lying on the ground next to him and picked it up. “CIA?” What the hell was he doing with a CIA badge? 

 

***

 

Kara pounded on Lucy’s hotel room door with a clenched fist. “Lucy, you have to open the door, it’s an emergency!”

 

“Kara, go away, this isn’t funny anymore!”

 

“Look, I know my credibility with you is at an all time low, but you need to listen to me. The bioweapon has been released at the conference center.”

 

The door flew open and Lucy looked up at her in shock. “How do you know about the virus?”

 

“Because, Lucy…I’m a CIA agent.”

 

Lucy looked at her with a pained expression. “Oh my god, Kara, you really need to get some help.” She tried to push the door closed, but Kara stopped it with her hand.

 

“I am the help. Don’t believe anything else that I’ve told you, but believe this: we have to get the antidote to them right now!”

 

“I’m going to call the police!” Lucy said angrily.

 

“I’ve already taken the liberty,” said Kara, motioning to the hallway next to her, where the entire tactical assault team Hank had ordered was waiting with her. “Have a look for yourself.”

 

Lucy stared at her and then peered around the door frame, her eyes bugging out of her face as she took in the men and women in full tactical gear, waiting patiently in the hallway. “Oh my god.”

 

She turned back to Kara. “You are telling the truth.” She dashed back into her room to grab her things.

 

Kara turned to the team leader next to her. “She’s pretty cute, right?” The leader said nothing, but grinned. “We used to date,” she added with a grin.

 

“Okay, let’s go,” said Lucy, reemerging with her bag. Kara grabbed her hand and marched down the hallway, hopping in the Nerd Herder and flooring it to the convention center.

 

***

 

When they arrived, the crowd outside was in disarray. There was NCFD, NCPD, CDC, FBI, NSA, and CIA personnel scattered all over the parking lot.

 

Kara marched up to the nearest person with a walkie. “Hey, who’s in charge here?” He directed her over to an agent a few feet away. She grabbed the walkie out of his hand, switching it to Hanks’ comms frequency. “Thanks!” She hurried toward the convention center doors before he could protest.

 

“Hank, I’m here, I’m with Lucy, what’s your status?” She pushed through the crowd and through the entrance until she was in the lobby outside of the sealed off conference room.

 

“By my count, we’ve got about 15 minutes,” he wheezed back into his comms. His face was ashen and sweaty and he felt as if he would faint at any moment.

 

“I need to go in there,” said Lucy, turning to the CDC crew behind them. “I need a Level-A hazmat suit, right now!”

 

“We don’t have those suits yet,” a CDC crew member answered, “Hazmat team will be here in 10 minutes.”

 

“We don’t have 10 minutes, I’ll go in without one.”

 

Kara’s stomach dropped and she felt her heart judder to a halt. “No! You--no, it’s too dangerous, I’ll do it!”

 

Lucy turned to her. “Kara, whoever goes in there has to be able to make the antidote, and that’s me.”

 

“Well, is it something you could talk me through?”

 

“I--I guess,” she answered, pulling items out of her bag.

 

“Okay, well then I’m going in,” said Kara firmly. She turned toward the doors.

 

“Kara, wait!”

 

She paused and turned back.

 

“Are you sure, Kara?”

 

“Yeah, I’ve got this,” she said with a smile.

 

Lucy smiled up at her. “Okay. Well, I’m going to have to inject you first.”

 

Kara’s smile fell off her face at those words. She watched with large eyes as Lucy pulled a pneumatic syringe gun out of her case.

 

“Uh,” she started, never taking her eyes off of the needle, “wow, that’s a big needle.”

 

“Ready?” Lucy gripped her arm and lined up the syringe.

 

“Yeah,” said Kara weakly, averting her eyes away from the needle.

 

She heard a small hiss and felt a slight pinch and then it was over. She sighed in relief.

 

“That was a modified strain of the virus. Now your body will start metabolising the poison and the anti-viral serum is going to be created from your blood.”

 

Kara grabbed her arm in the place where Lucy had injected her. “Poison? Poison! I thought I was getting the antidote, you just gave me poison?!”

 

“Yeah,” said Lucy, as if this was obvious. “That’s the only way to make the antidote. Did you not understand that?”

 

“No!” Kara began backtracking. “That--no, no I understand that whole…part…We’re living on the edge!” She gave an anxious smile to Lucy, took the case containing the cure, and then turned back to the doors. “Love the rush…”

 

She pushed open the conference room doors and pushed them swiftly closed behind her. Kara surveyed the scene around her. It didn’t look good. Everyone was at least 3 shades too pale, and most were doubled over, coughing like they were down to one lung. She spotted Hank sitting at a table, face covered in sweat, and she rushed over to him.

 

“No no no, what are you doing in here,” he rasped out.

 

“It’s a long story, but the headline is: I’m our only hope for survival,” said Kara, dropping into the seat next to him.

 

Hank grunted. “And here I thought things couldn’t get any worse.”

 

Lucy’s voice crackled over the walkie. “Okay Kara, inside the briefcase is a medi-syringe multi-dose injector. I need you to extract 60cc’s of your own blood, put it through the centrifuge, and then inject 1cc of the antiviral serum into each of those infected.”

 

A crinkle appeared on Kara’s forehead as she stared down at the syringe in her hand. “Uhhh…” she turned to Hank, who seemed to be losing consciousness. “Okay, okay Hank?” Hank raised his arm for Kara to inject him. “No no no, Hank, you have to take the gun, okay? Take the gun, and then you have to take my--my blood, okay? So just take my blood.” She held out her arm to Henshaw, squeezed her eyes closed and turned away. 

 

“Okay,” Hank wheezed. He gripped Kara’s wrist in sweaty palm and grabbed the syringe, trying to line it up with Kara’s veins. It was no use. As soon as he tried to sit up, his vision began to go black.

 

“Take the gun, Kara,” he rasped.

 

“What?”

 

“Take the gun, Kara. Take it.”

 

Kara opened her eyes just in time to watch Hank fall out of his chair, unconscious, the syringe shattering on the tile floor.

 

“Oh god!”

 

Lucy’s voice came over the walkie again. “Kara, what’s happening?”

 

“I need--I need help right now! Hank is fading fast, the gun just dropped, and it shattered!”

 

“That was the only syringe, Kara!”

 

Kara paled. Had she really just killed all of these people because she was too afraid to take her own blood?

 

“Okay, just stay calm,” said Lucy, “I’m gonna find another.”

 

“Lucy, please hurry,” Kara panted, looking down at Hank’s ashen face. “We’re running out of time.”

 

She dropped down to her knees next to Hank and slapped his cheeks until he came to. She helped him sit up and lean back against the front of the stage. As she paced back and forth in front of him, she rambled nervously, “What are we gonna do, Hank?”

 

“You’ll think of something,” he choked out, “you’re smart.” A coughing fit overtook him for a moment. “You went to NCU...sort of…”

 

A man laying on the stage threw his face over the side of the stage and sneezed right next to Henshaw’s face.

 

“Oh god!” He weakly shoved the man backward. “Cover your mouth, that’s disgusting!”

 

Kara turned, a light bulb going off in her head. “That’s it!” She rushed over to Hank and dropped to sit next to him. “Hey, this is going to sound crazy, but--but viruses are spread airborne, right? I mean, you catch them when someone sneezes or cough, yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” said Hank in confusion.

 

“Well, maybe the antivirals metabolise in saliva!”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Kara cringed and then licked her lips, looking down at Henshaw’s. She winced. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” She reached out and grabbed Hank’s shoulders, pulling him toward her.

 

“No, no, no!” Hank grunted, trying to pull away from her. “I served my country with honour, Kara. Please, let me die with dignity!”

 

Kara cringed and closed her eyes, pulling Hank in and smashing her lips to his. She felt him fighting her, his arms and legs flailing, but he was so weak that it was no use.

 

“Kara?” Lucy’s voice filtered into her senses. She pulled away from Hank quickly and began gagging immediately.

 

“What are you doing?!” Lucy asked incredulously, staring at her in shock from inside her hazmat suit.

 

“Lucy! Hey! I thought that--I thought that maybe the antivirals could be spread by saliva!”

 

Lucy stared at her blankly for a moment. “Kara, that’s ridiculous. No wonder you failed biochem.” She turned back to the table and opened her case, pulling out the new syringe.

 

Hank turned and scowled at her, a murderous look in his eye. A low growl escaped from his gritted teeth.

 

“From the deepest recesses of my soul, I am so sorry,” she said quickly. He looked as if he wanted to strangle her but, being too weak, opted to just let his head fall back against the stage.

 

Kara turned back to Lucy who had gripped her arm and was lining up the syringe. “Oh here we go again,” she whimpered.

 

She fought to keep a straight face as the needle plunged into her skin. She felt some bile rise into her throat, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the virus, kissing Hank, or the needle. She watched as Lucy removed the requisite blood, loaded it into the centrifuge and spun it to create the antidote. Upon completion, Lucy injected her with the antiviral. 

 

“Okay, here, you take one half of the room, I’ll take the other,” she handed Kara a syringe, “remember: 1cc each, okay? Hurry!” 

 

Kara nodded and immediately turned to Hank, injecting him. She moved around the room, injecting all the attendees with the antidote. 

 

As she and Lucy finished injecting the attendees, they made their way to the doors and threw them open, stepping out into the fresh air. Lucy yanked off her hazmat helmet. The CDC, NCPD, and NCFD members that were in the lobby applauded them, as they made their way through the crowd. The CDC doctors went into the conference room to check on the patients.

 

Kara spotted Lena making her way through the crowd with a large smile on her face. She grinned back and went to take a step toward her when Lucy grabbed her hand.

 

“Kara,” she said breathlessly, “you’re amazing!”

 

“Nah,” said Kara with a dismissive wave. She paused. “Well, maybe a little,” she joked.

 

Lucy grinned up at her and threw her arms around Kara’s neck, pulling her down to meet her lips in a bruising kiss. Kara wrapped her arms around Lucy’s back and pulled her in close, feeling the slick material of the hazmat suit against her forearms. She lifted Lucy up around the middle, and Lucy took the opportunity to wrap her legs around Kara’s waist, while she slid her tongue over Kara’s bottom lip. Kara opened her mouth to her, no other thoughts in her head but this right here. She knew they were still in a crowd of agents and officers, but right then, she didn’t have a care in the world about who saw them. She had saved the day, she had Lucy back, and that was all that mattered.

 

***

 

Lena wound her way through the throng of people and saw Kara make her way out of the conference room, successful in her mission. She joined the crowd of people applauding her for her job well done, then she pushed forward to get closer to the blonde. She saw Kara catch her eye and she gave her a wide smile, which the blonde returned.

 

She was so proud of Kara. Of course, she was furious that once again Kara had found herself in harm’s way, but the fact that she had once again saved countless lives without any formal training, just because it was the right thing to do, filled her with a deep warmth. She was just about to run to the blonde when she saw Lucy throw her arms around Kara and pull her into a deep kiss. 

 

She stopped dead in her tracks, the smile melting from her face. She watched Kara scoop Lucy up into her arms and deepen the kiss before she had to turn away, her heart dropping into her stomach. She felt a burning in her eyes and she scolded herself for getting emotional. You know the rules, Luthor. You set them. You can’t go getting upset when you did this to yourself. It didn’t help. She glanced back at the pair, lips still interlocked, before she faced forward. Taking a deep centering breath, she placed her feelings for Kara inside of a box and shoved it deep inside of her, just as the CIA had trained her to do. She opened her eyes, let out a breath, and disappeared into the crowd.

 

***

 

“Lucy Lane now knows Kara’s an asset. What do you want us to do about it?” 

 

Hank and Lena were sitting in the base under the Wienerlicious, General Haley on the monitor. 

 

“I want you to do nothing. The assassin Agent Luthor shot was a member of Leviathan, a rogue CIA agent. We don’t know the extent of their penetration. If Lucy knows something, they may make a play for her.”

 

“So,” Hank began cautiously, “you want us to use her as bait?”

 

“General,” Lena began, “Kara has real feelings for this woman. I don’t think she would approve of us using her like this.”

 

“That’s why you’re not going to tell her, Agent Luthor,” said Haley before signing off.

 

Lena stared up at the blank screen, a line appearing in between her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Now she was going to have to lie to Kara about something that she knew Kara would disapprove of. She tried to shove down the aching that had begun in her chest. That was something she could not address right now. She blew out a breath and began her mission report instead.

 

***

 

Kara tossed her keys in the dish beside the door. She couldn’t quit smiling, the kiss (or kisses) with Lucy kept replaying through her mind all evening.

 

“Wow,” came Alex’s voice from the couch. “That’s something I haven’t seen in a while.”

 

Kara frowned and glanced down at her Nerd Herd uniform. “This? But I wear this like, five days a week.”

 

“No, dork, your smile. You look happy.”

 

Realisation dawned on her and she found her mind drifting back to the kiss. “Yeah…yeah, that thing,” she laughed lightly, making her way over to the couch to sit down with her sister. “Um, I don’t know…I guess I found some of those answers that you said I was looking for.”

 

“Well thank god,” said Alex with a smile, “I am so relieved. I just think that, you know, Lena…there’s really just something special about her.”

 

Kara paled. She realised that she was going to have to lie to Alex again and she felt some bile collect in her throat.

 

Alex continued, “I think you had to go through all of that stuff with Lucy in order for you to figure out who the one is for you. And now that you’ve found her…you’ll stop wondering about somebody else!”

 

Kara nodded slowly, trying to think of something to say that wasn’t an outright lie. Luckily, she was saved by her phone ringing. She glanced down at the caller-ID: Lucy.  

 

“Take it,” said Alex with a smile, “tell Lena I said hi.”

 

Kara just gave her a small smile before she walked down the hallway to her room. 

 

“Hey,” she said, closing her door.

 

“How’s my favourite secret agent?”

 

“Um, good. Yeah--good. I just--Winn told me I have to study for some CPR test at work tomorrow...I could use some help with the mouth-to-mouth part.” She could hear Lucy smile through the phone.

 

“Well what about your cover girlfriend? Won’t she be jealous?”

 

“No,” said Kara firmly. “No, our relationship is a cover. You know? Nothing to be jealous about.” If there was one thing she was certain of, it was that Lena certainly wasn’t going to be jealous of Lucy. She didn’t like Kara that much.

 

“So…everything? It’s all fake? That sounds really lonely, Kara.”

 

Kara sat quietly on her bed for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, it is. But, now that you’re here, maybe we can have something real. Us. Together.”

 

“I like the sound of that.”

 

Kara smiled. This was finally her chance. Finally, she could have something real, with someone who knew all the parts of her, the real and the fake, and who accepted all of them. She felt a warmth fill her chest and she found a lump gather in her throat at the thought of having something real. She cleared her throat.

 

“So about that mouth-to-mouth…”

 

Lucy giggled and Kara grinned at the sound. She lay back on her bed, with the phone to her ear, finally hopeful again.

 

***

Notes:

So here we go, Jealous Lena time!

Shout out if you caught the WAP reference 😂😂

Leave a comment if you loved it or if you hated it or if you just want to yell at me.

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