3rd Person POV
"Thank God for selfie culture." Brainy tells the group as they gather around the console. Willow looks at the pictures on the screen. "Because of this generation's constant need to livestream everything, we've got a clear image of your attacker. And I knew I had seen that face before. Do you recall Antioch, 526 AD?"
"It was an earthquake." Lena says. "It was the eighth-largest natural disaster in modern history."
"Precisely." Brainy says. "It's good to have you back, Lena. A myth was born that this man was the cause. Now, of course, scientists insisted that the natural disasters were natural, but, in an ironic twist of history, they were wrong and the fearmongers were right. Several reliable sources place this man at the scene of the crime throughout history." He brings up more pictures. "Pompeii, the Yellow River flood of 1887, the Bhola Cyclone, even as far back as Noah's flood, this Earth-Bender has been spotted."
"Excuse me, did you say Earth-Bender?" Alex asks
"How else would you describe him?" Brainy questions. "He... He literally manipulates the earth."
"Wait, Pompeii? Noah's flood? I mean, what is he, thousands of years old?" Supergirl questions
"Correct." Brainy says. "Which means that he is an alien with powers of longevity this civilization has never conceived of."
"No wonder people thought he was a myth." Alex says with a sigh
"With all this destruction, his existence is still shrouded in mystery." Lena says. "He's managed to convince the world he doesn't exist."
"It seems so." Brainy says. "The word Leviathan occurs six times in the Hebrew Bible. Never once does it appear in any historical scientific literature."
"So how are we supposed to fight a highly secretive, thousand-year-old alien with powers that we have no idea how to beat?" Alex asks
"Well, I know one person who spent his life fighting aliens, both real and imagined." Lena says
"Your brother." Supergirl says
"I know most of his minor weapons are in Fort Summit, but his truly horrendous ones, they were all destroyed by Superman." Lena says
"That's not necessarily true." Supergirl says. "A lot of Lex's weapons are in the Fortress of Solitude." Lena gives her a look. "Oh, it's It's a place Superman created. We keep things there that can harm us."
"Well, you just go to the Fortress, and I'll give you a list of every weapon that Lex ever created." Lena says
"Why don't you come with me?" Supergirl suggests. "I mean, there's no telling what weapon we'll encounter."
"And then, Brainy and I will stay here, and we'll continue our search for Rip Roar and this Earth-Bender." Alex says
"Supergirl, remember the strongest, most potent weapon is knowledge." Brainy says. "So send me whatever you can find from the Fortress database."
"You ready for a road trip?" Supergirl asks Lena and then she catches Willow's eye, the green eyed girl nodding for Supergirl to follow. "How about you head up the stairs and I'll catch up, okay?"
"Alright." Lena says, leaving
Supergirl follows after Willow, the two ending up in an alcove in the wall. Willow turns around, crossing her arms. "So, you, me, and Lena are going to the Fortress of Solitude?" Willow asks
"Just me and Lena." Supergirl tells her. "Will, it's going to be a simply mission. In and out, that's it."
"When has anything ever been simple for us?" Willow asks
"It's the Fortress of Solitude." Supergirl reminds. "Nothing bad will happen there, no one else can get in."
"Someone else got in when I was there." Willow reminds Supergirl
"I know." Supergirl says with a sigh. "But...I promise, I will be okay. You can stay here with Brainy and Alex."
"Why are you so against me tagging along with you?" Willow questions
"Why are you so against protecting yourself instead of me?" Supergirl shoots back. "Once you figure out that question, then we'll go out in the field together again."
"You can't bench me." Willow says. "I can literally turn invisible and you'd never even know I was there."
"I would know." Supergirl whispers so quietly that Willow doesn't hear
"What?" Willow asks
"Nothing." Supergirl says. "I need you to help Alex and Brainy. Please. I will be okay." And before Willow can say anything else, Supergirl is gone
***
"This is it?" Alex questions, her and Willow eyeing the place
"Choosing an unobtrusive structure is how Leviathan keeps their base a secret." Brainy explains, monotone. "Except from me." The group makes their way towards the gate. "I must tell you that in the wake of the explosion, it is as if the peripheral vision of my mind has expanded. I can now see 20/20 out of the corner of each metaphorical eye. Which is how I saw, when examining Rip Roar's tech, some peculiar markings on his headpiece. When joined together, it formed a symbol that can be seen countless times throughout history. A symbol that has been seen at disasters and catastrophes, events of mass destruction. A symbol that has connected Rama Khan and Leviathan, but also every Tuesday before Pilates, I get a morning tea and croissant at a delightful patisserie right past this building."
Willow looks at Brainy. "Wow, you're...you're on something..." She says, referring to Brainy's fast and intense talking
"Okay, let's just hope that Brainy is right." Alex says. "I mean, look. This is a fact-finding mission, so please just be cool."
"I am cool." Brainy says. "You see, I chose this coffee shop because of its close proximity to National City's ancient tar pits, a site of great importance in history, but also a site of terrible eruption. You see, despite its sulfuric scent, its emitted energy boosts my brain function. And I believe Leviathan has picked this building for the very same reason. The ancient energy. Behold The same symbol appears on this building's cornerstone."
"It's impressive." Willow says
"Not just impressive, Willow Greene." Brainy says, opening the door. "Very impressive." The group of three walks into the elevator. Willow looks around the elevator, memorizing the layout. "Cloaking tech. In order to eliminate this barrier, we'll have to hit it with something similar to the creator something ancient. I've got it. The dust from the majestic tar pits emits Veridian radiation, redistributing power, and–"
"No, no, no. Don't push it yet!" Alex tries to stop him from pushing the button but he pushes it anyways and the elevator moves. "If this elevator leads to where you think it's going, we're gonna need Supergirl."
"Supergirl, we've located Leviathan." Alex says through the comms
"Great. Send us the coordinates and we'll come to you." Supergirl says through the comms
"Okay, and I'll have the DEO start a broadband scan ASAP." Alex says
***
"Lena...Why do you have Myriad?" Supergirl asks
"Well, you caught me." Lena says. "I have Myriad because I'm using you like you used me."
"I never used you." Supergirl says
"Do you remember when you finally told me you were Supergirl?" Lena asks. "You were weeping. Big crocodile tears. Well, I wept real tears, bitter tears over you weeks before."
"What? I I thought...How long had you known?" Supergirl asks
"I found out the day I killed my brother." Lena growls
"Lena, you didn't kill Lex, that was me." Supergirl tells her. "I... I watched him I saw him fall."
"You saw him fall, but did you see him land?" Lena questions. "Did you see him die? I did, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty."
"That's impossible." Supergirl breathes
"Anything's possible when you're a Luthor." Lena says. "Lex used his transmatter portal watch. I knew exactly where he'd go. To the cabin we loved when we were children, so I was there waiting for him. I had the gun already loaded. I could feel the weight of it in my hands. Every fiber in my being rebelled, but I... I didn't want to do it, but I knew I had to because if Lex lived, the world wouldn't be safe, my friends wouldn't be safe. So I forced myself to pull the trigger. I shot my own brother in the chest. His final words to me were that I was a fool, that my best friend, that every friend I had was lying to me. With his dying breath, he told me that you were Supergirl."
"Lena, you have to believe me, I never meant to humiliate you." Supergirl tries to tell Lena
"No." Lena snaps. "When I came to this city, I promised myself that I would never trust anyone again, and then I met you. You chipped away at my armor with your warmth and your earnestness, and you convinced me to trust in people and friendship again, and against my better judgment, I did, all the while telling you about my Achilles heel betrayal. I confided in you that everyone in my past had betrayed me. About how much it hurt to have someone you love lie to you and betray you. I spelled it out to you over and over again, essentially begging you not to violate my trust, begging you not to prove that, once again, I was a fool. You reassured me ad nauseam that you would never lie to me, that you'd never hurt me. And all the while, there wasn't a single honest moment in our friendship–"
"No! No, that is not true. No!" Supergirl screams through tears
"I killed my brother for you, for our friends!" Lena screams through her own tears. "Don't you understand what you've done?"
"When you found out, why didn't you come to me right away, so I could explain?" Supergirl asks
"Explain?" Lena scoffs
"If you hate me so much, why... Why not out me at the Pulitzer party?" Supergirl asks. "Why pretend to still be my friend this long?"
"Because I wanted you to experience what you did to me." Lena growls through tears. "Feel what I felt."
"I understand your pain and your fury and...And you're right." Supergirl tells Lena. "I made a big mistake, maybe the biggest mistake of my life, but please Lena, please don't leave the Fortress with Myriad. Please don't let my mistake push you to do something terrible. You are a good person."
"No!" Lena snaps. "No, you don't ever get to tell me who or what I am again."
"Intruder! Intruder!" An AI announces, trapping Supergirl in a web of dome
"Did you reprogram the Fortress defenses to attack me?" Supergirl asks
"Yes." Lena says. "And I rigged it to answer to this little button I have in my hand."
"Are you going to try to kill me?" Supergirl whispers
"No. Supergirl, I'm not gonna kill you." Lena says. "I'm not a villain." She opens a portal. "You shouldn't have treated me like one." And with that, Lena is gone and Supergirl is trapped in kryptonite
And then all of a sudden, Willow rushes into the area. "Well, it's a good thing I put a scanning tracker on you." She says, rushing over to Supergirl. "Looks like you do need my help after all."
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Hope you all enjoyed that chapter!! Remember to vote and comment!! Next chapter up NEXT TUESDAY
-MC
**The First SuperGreene kiss has been drafted! Lots of drama follows the kiss and lots of stakes are raised! Stay tuned and keep your eye out for that chapter in a few weeks! We're getting close!**