Sacrifices

Chapter 5 - The Past Plagues Us All

Narrator's POV

The age didn't show on her face, how could anyone know how long she was gone without her telling them? Superman had relayed her message to the group, when he struggled J'onn had helped him break the news. It was a special kind of pain, being forgotten. The worst part of it all was having someone wear the same face because they'd still lost the woman they looked up to.

Meanwhile, Supergirl found herself fighting her own battles. There was no structure to live by or anything to drive her, what was there to do now? Her mind was plagued with all she had done. Not saving some and the destruction of others, she never wanted to kill. Every soul had a prayer said for them and a promise to never be forgotten. Seeing their faces around her was still difficult. For every Earth-Dweller she saved there was an identical face she hadn't, it was pure torture. Frustration hadn't left her however, thankfully the fortress walls could withstand the anger she couldn't take out on herself.

There were tougher days too. Memories would seep in every now and then, the life she used to have. Kara had always been strong but this dug deep. Seeing their hopeful expressions as she flew high above the city didn't help either. They used to have game nights. Sometimes just sitting and watching them with her mind's eye was relaxing, other times a curse. She wanted to be that happy person she was but why would they accept her or forgive her for what she'd done? In her eyes, Supergirl was no longer a hero. It didn't mean her mind would stop convincing her to go to them though.

One long night left the hero feeling a little more open-minded than others. Be it the little boy that had just proclaimed Supergirl to be his hero (and favourite person of all time, forever) or maybe the hug he ran back to give her before running off. Something had helped dissolve the heavy heart, for now. A desire to act on something came with the new feeling. Despite how quickly she flew she still caught the light on, on the top floor of a familiar building. What could be the harm in stopping by?

Touching down silently was pure nature at that point, learning to be quiet had stuck with Kara, knocking, not so much. A desire to just open the door or break in washed over her, etiquette quickly came back to her though. Whoever was in the chair didn't move and attempting to knock again did nothing. One last try and a voice called out,
"Clark, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The chair swung around to greet a new guest. The woman in it may have been able to control those physics but her jaw still hung lose for just a moment. "Supergirl," there was this desire clearly shown in her to hug her hero, thankfully she didn't, "How can I help you?" The questions Kara needed answered were rather difficult to ask.
"Miss Luthor, may I have my suit?" Thank Rao quick thinking had been important to The Monitor.

There had been a cluster of moments that had brought back memories to Supergirl's mind. Flying past the building had reminded her of a bubbly feeling in her stomach, passing a little alien bar brought back terrible singing and a laughing group. Now, being inside the office with Miss Luthor reminded her of meeting her for the first time, the real first time. In the current time however, Lena held a small piece of technology on the end of her finger. As soon as it was placed in her eye a familiar blue fabric started to materialise over her body. Looking back up to the CEO in front of her dug up another memory. The first time they had met had been a crucial part of their relationship after all.
"I hope this isn't the last time I hear from you." Lena still wanted her girlfriend back, even after what Clark had said, she could still forgive her.
"I hope not either." By the time Lena had been given a chance to remark at the familiarity of the conversation, the sudden gust of wind in the office signified Supergirl's departure. Maybe Kara wasn't completely gone.

Kara's POV

Deja vu was a term I'd commonly heard flung around, I hadn't truly understood it until now. Returing to my hovel after visiting the grand spectacle of National City had my mind playing tricks on itself. Call it a dream, maybe something more. There was simply something odd about that conversation with Miss Luthor, not that I had much time to think about it.

Within milliseconds of touching down at the fortress, I was gone again. I went to where I had been called, only to find another mad villain hellbent on my death and destruction. They attempted to give the usual speech, apparently my mother had imprisoned them and it wasn't until now that they could no longer hide on this planet. He'd proclaimed his name as if it were familiar to me, before sending a wave of energy towards one of those giant metal birds. There were sparks. That wasn't it however.

One thing I could never forget of this world was kryptonite. He could've had his clothing stitched for all I cared, all I knew was that he had some. That had been evident in his punch sending me barreling into the wall behind me. This was not a time for me to be weak. The screams of the plane passengers were echoing in my head. I had to get to them.

The fight had been short lived really. As much as the nails in my bloodstream stung, I could withstand more than just that. He'd chosen a small forested area and hadn't expected me to give him a concussion, tree trunks were truly wonderful things. The only problem after that was the energy that glowing element had stripped from me. I needed strength to save a plane.

Nature appeared to accept my call for help as slivers of sunlight crawled towards me. At first I was alarmed, until one wrapped around my foot. There was this warm, tingly feeling that kept growing. I looked down to see this logo I was known for, glowing. Now to save a plane.

All reserves of energy I had, including the new charge deserted me quickly. The plane held that poisonous chemical but I couldn't let all those people die. Guiding it safely around buildings and different architecture set off a new wave of familiarity in my brain. Alex. A particular heartbeat came to mind. Thankfully, following it led me to a building far away. Why was that such a relief? It didn't matter right now, lives were in danger, including mine. A final boost had me screaming but landed the plane in the water, safely.

There was no time to waste now. My eyelids were heavy, and no matter how hard I tried to fly I just kept falling. There had to be somewhere I could go. National City wasn't far, if I could get there I could probably get help. There was no other choice here. The pain was forcing tears to my eyes and I was dying, again. I wasn't going to let this kill me, I just needed help.

Author's Note:
I promised new and here we are. New stuff only from this point forward. This is where the real story begins, this was why it couldn't be a one shot.
~ Sophie