3rd Person POV
Willow makes her way through the small grocery store with a basket in hand, grabbing a few necessities. She holds onto the shelf of the cereal aisle as she steadies her movements, her back still hurting as she stretches to reach a box of cheerios
The box drops from her grasp as she is bumped into from behind. The box hits the ground. "Sorry!" A voice exclaims, bending down quickly to pick up the box of cereal from the ground. The woman stands up and hands the cereal to Willow. "I'm sorry. I really should watch where I'm going." She says, rambling
"It's okay." Willow tells the woman, looking her in the eye
"You're in a store." The woman says with a small laugh. "You don't need sunglasses and a hat. I'm sure the sun's not going to get you in here."
"Oh, uh, yeah." Willow stammers, keeping her sunglasses and hat on. "I forgot I was wearing it. I'm checking out soon anyways."
"All you have in your basket is cereal." The woman says with a small laugh. "Is that all you eat?"
"Kind of." Willow says, giving the woman a small laugh as well. "I love dried cereal."
"Me too." The woman says. "I don't think I can bring cereal to the get together I'm going to."
"Get together?" Willow asks
"Yeah." The woman says. "My friend – well, my mentor – she invited me to her house for Thanksgiving dinner tonight." Her eyes light up. "You should come!" She exclaims
"Uh, no that's okay." Willow says. "I'm alright. Besides, we just met each other."
"I'm Nia." The woman, Nia, says. "Nia Nal." She says as she puts out her hand for Willow to shake
Willow looks at Nia's hand as thoughts swirl through her mind. She stops herself: this wasn't Kara. She could touch Nia. And then, Willow, realizing she was taking too long, shakes the woman's hand. "Winnie." She makes up the name. As their hands connect, Willow feels something...something alien about Nia standing in front of her
"Short for Winnifred?" Nia questions, pulling her hand away. Hopefully she didn't feel it too...that wasn't what Willow needed right now
"Yeah." Willow says. "But I go by the nickname. Winnifred is kind of an old name."
"It may be old but it's very pretty." Nia tells her
"Thanks." Willow says. "If you need something for your get together," with Kara's family, Willow adds in her mind, "then I have a suggestion."
"I'm all ears." Nia says. "My mentor told me I didn't need to bring anything but my mom told me to never to show up to a host's house empty handed."
"I have a recipe." Willow says. "For cookies. You can make them and bring them to the house."
"That would be perfect." Nia says with a huge smile. "Thank you so much!" She exclaims. Willow lets out a small laugh as Nia pulls out her phone. Nia passes the phone to Willow who types out the recipe for Nia. Willow hands the phone back. "Thank you again. You're a life saver."
"No problem." Willow tells her. 'I should be the one thanking her...' Her mind says. 'She's the one that is taking my cookies to Kara. She's allowing me to be apart of Thanksgiving with my friends without actually being there...' "Well, I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving." Willow says
"You too." Nia says. "Oh, here." She says, handing Willow five dollars
"What?" Willow questions, not accepting the money. "I'm okay, I can pay for myself." She says politely
"I know." Nia says. She grabs another box of cereal and holds it out. "Think of it as a thank you for the cookie recipe. And maybe a sorry for knocking into you too." She says, holding the box and money to Willow
Willow accepts both. "Thank you." She says, putting the cereal in her basket
"Hopefully I'll see you another time, Winnie." Nia says, leaving the aisle
"Hopefully..." Willow whispers under her breath. "But not likely." She says with a sigh before going to the checkout counter
***
"Most aliens want to live peacefully just like humans do." Kara says on the news as Willow sits down in front of her TV with a bowl of cereal
"Okay, and where's the proof in that?" Ben Lockwood counters. "Because there have been numerous alien attacks, human lives have been lost."
"But there are also aliens making extraordinary contributions." Kara says. "Every one that I interviewed for my Aliens in National City series was exceptional."
"Okay, but for a second, let's just talk about human exceptionalism." Lockwood says. "For example, your own editor in chief, James Olsen. He was supposed to be here tonight, was he not?"
"Uh, yes." Kara says
"Okay, so Guardian, if the Children of Liberty are such a problem, why hasn't Guardian renounced them?" Lockwood questions. "In fact, rumor is he's meeting with them right now, which seems to indicate that James Olsen understands that these people have something of value to say."
"There is a very clear difference between having something to say and the hate speech in these leaflets." Kara states. "This manifesto will only incite violence and fear, and as Americans, we are better than that. On Thanksgiving, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It is a day for family, for our community. It is about welcoming different cultures and celebrating a gratitude for life together. That is what liberty is about." The audience claps
"Maybe that's a good place to end this conver–" The show host tries before she is cut off
"That's a really good point." Lockwood interrupts. "I'm sorry, I just need to respond to that. I think it's very interesting that we are here, having this debate the day before Thanksgiving Day. I mean, American history, it has this nasty habit with this holiday particularly to just wrap it all up in a neat little bow, when the truth is in the years following the indigenous Wampanoag people inviting the pilgrims to a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, the European invaders slaughtered their hosts. So if we do not learn from American history. Is it possible that years from now, the aliens will have their own wonderful, thankful holiday about how they slaughtered us?"
The audience erupts with cheers and agreement. Willow watches the TV intently, focusing on Kara as she looks around worridly. "Come on, Kara." Willow whispers. But it was no use, the audience was clearly in agreement with Lockwood
***
The phone in Willow's motel room rings. She looks over to see the phone ringing and turns her head in confusion. Slowly she walks over to the phone as it rings. And then it stops. She lets out a breath before the phone rings again. She holds her breath as the phone continues to ring. And then, something in her – she didn't know what – was telling her to pick up. So she does. But she doesnt' speak. She holds the phone to her ear, listening first like Marvin taught her
"Will?" A voice asks through the phone. "Will, it's Brainy."
"Brainy?" Willow whispers. "How did you get this number? Wait a second...why are you calling me?"
"We need help." Brainy says
"I thought you didn't want anything to do with me." Willow says
"Will you listen to me for a second!" Brainy snaps through the line and Willow goes silent. "Children of Liberty are planning an attack at sunset. We could use your help."
"I can't be seen." Willow reminds him
"We're splitting up." Brainy says. "I'm taking the streets. I can pick you up and help with the amplifiers to keep you invisible and unseen."
"Wait a second...you said sunset?" Willow asks, looking out the window
"Yes." Brainy says and there's a knock at the door. Willow puts the phone down and walks over, looking through the peep hole. She sees Brainy and opens the door. "I'm here now. Let's go."
Willow grabs the amplifiers from the table and the two leave
***
"I don't think I can find them all." Supergirl says through the comms
"Never fear." Brainy says as him and an invisible Willow walk down the street. "I'm also on the streets removing markers." He says as they walk. He clicks off his comms for a moment. "You met Nia Nal today, huh?"
"How'd you know?" Willow asks, looking at him and turning his head which for some reason he was able to see her
"She had a kryptonetic signature on her hand." Brainy says. "Your signature. You need to be more careful. Kara had no reason to suspect but I could tell it was you."
Willow wasn't able to say anything because a group of Children of Liberty comes up from behind
"Hey!" One calls to Brainy
"Return to your homes." Brainy says. "Or else."
"Or else what?" One asks
"Or else I'll be required to beat you up." Brainy says. "With physics."
Willow gives him a look. "What?" She whispers
The group of Children of Liberty start fighting Brainy and he easily evades every move, beating them up with – as he said – physics. The group falls one by one until none are left standing
"That was awesome." Willow tells Brainy
"That's what I keep telling people." Brainy says. "Come on. We've got some more to do."
***
Willow and Brainy spent the rest of the night taking marks off of houses. In the street, Supergirl and Alex fought a dragon and won against it, not needing Willow's help
It's silent as Brainy walks Willow (visible) back to her motel room at night. "I see you took my advice." He says
"How so?" Willow asks
"You told me your name was Will as your cover." Brainy tells her. "You told Nia it was Winnie. Not the best since it still has the W but it's better than Will."
"She said she was going to Kara's house." Willow says with a shrug. "I didn't need her talking about a new friend 'Will' who was a girl. They would have found me out right away."
"She talked about you briefly." Brainy says. "You're lucky you were wearing sunglasses. If she had seen your eyes, Kara would be hunting you down right now."
"Did she bring the cookies?" Willow asks
"Another thing you're lucky about." Brainy says. "The second I saw the cookies, I knew they were your recipe and I switched them out."
"I wanted you all to have my cookies." Willow says sadly
"We can't." Brainy tells her as they both stop in front of her door. "You know why? Because no one can know you're alive!" He whispers through his teeth. "Kara would have started theorizing that you were alive again and she can't be doing that right now. It's not fair to her."
"Are you really leaving this time?" Willow asks. "It's what you said last time. You said you didn't wanna see me again unless it was when I was revealing myself to the team."
"And I mean it." Brainy tells her. "But I didn't want you to be alone on Thanksgiving." He says, pulling a boxed slice of homemade pie from his jacket pocket. "From Kara's mom. Happy Thanksgiving." He says before leaving
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Hope you all enjoyed that chapter!! Remember to vote and comment!! Next chapter up NEXT TUESDAY
-MC