3rd Person POV
= National City =
"Did you finish the fried rice?" Kara asks as Alex shoves some more food in her mouth
"I'm sorry." Alex says through bites of rice. "I'm stress-eating."
"Did you have a bad date?" Kara asks, sitting down
"No, the dating, it's actually...it's been great." Alex says
"Really?" Kara exclaims with excitement
"No, don't get that look on your face like you're gonna officiate my wedding." Alex tells her. "No, I have not met a woman that I'm that serious about yet, so, you know... But it's... It's good to get out there."
"Well, that's great." Kara says
"Mmm-hmm." Alex agrees
"So, why are you scarfing the lo mein?" Kara asks
"Brainy." Alex answers simply. "Oh, my God. I'm sorry, but everything... Everything he does just infuriates me. I know it's mean, but it's just... Ugh, I can't help it."
"He's new to this time period." Kara says with a laugh. "It's a big adjustment. I'm sure it's been hard. Try to go easy on him."
"I'll try." Alex whispers. "What about you?"
"Me?" Kara asks
"We ordered your favorite Chinese takeout and you haven't even taken a bite." Alex says. "What's going on? I thought you were on top of the world."
"I got in a fight with J'onn." Kara says. "After the attack, at the bar."
"Really?" Alex asks
"He tried to convince me that there's this hate movement against aliens." Kara says. "I mean, am I crazy? I feel like the world is better than it's ever been. More diversity, more acceptance."
"Sure." Alex says. "I mean, in some ways."
"Ever since J'onn left the DEO, I just feel so far from him." Kara says. "I don't really know what his life is like."
"Yeah." Alex says
"All I know is I hate his new point of view. It feels so ominous." Kara says
"J'onn is not an alarmist, Kara." Alex says. "I mean, if he's trying to tell you something, I would listen. What are you so afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of anything. It... I just finally feel like the world is good." Kara says. "And I so badly want it to stay that way, even if it's just for a little while."
"Kara Danvers, you are the most courageous person I know." Alex says. "And even if it's hard, if you face it, you can conquer anything."
"I'll try." Kara says. "Only if you conquer the urge to not punch Brainy in the face."
"Mmm. That is an unfair bargain." Alex says as both girls laugh. Alex quiets down, getting serious. "I do, um, have some other news." She says, clearing her throat
"Oh yeah?" Kara asks
"From Delaware." Alex says
"Oh..." Kara whispers, looking down. She is silent for a moment before looking at Alex again. "What is it?"
"There's been no mention of an obituary for Willow." Alex says
"I told you...she's not dead." Kara says
"Kara..." Alex tries
"No, Alex, I refuse to believe it." Kara says. "She closed her eyes and I heard her heart stop for a moment but I swear I heard it start again."
"That was adrenaline." Alex tells her. "She was very, very injured and really sick. She evaporated into green wisps."
"How do we know that isn't one of her powers?" Kara asks to which Alex lets out a sigh. "That's right. We don't truly know. We never properly studied her powers so this could have been one of her powers taking her out of there."
"Kara--" Alex tries again with a tone that tells Kara that Alex thinks Willow's dead
"No, Alex." Kara says. "She's alive and I know it."
"Then where is she?" Alex asks loudly to which Kara freezes. "If you're so sure that she's alive...why hasn't she come back to us?"
"Maybe...maybe she got lost somewhere..." Kara whispers
"With a photographic memory?" Alex asks
"I..." Kara whispers
"Kara." Alex says, pulling her attention. "I watched her skateboard and I've heard her talk about the city...she knows this place inside and out. She wouldn't get lost here."
"Maybe she left California." Kara suggests
"With the tracker you said is in her blood?" Alex asks. "Highly unlikely."
"Okay, then she's hiding." Kara says
"Or...she's dead." Alex says
"Alex, don't talk like that." Kara says
"I just don't want you to get your hopes up." Alex tells her. "Willow Greene is insanely intelligent. If she were out there somewhere...she would have already found her way to us. And the fact that she hasn't..."
Kara sighs
***
= Somewhere in Northern California =
"Soldier, keep your head down." Marvin tells Willow as he pushes her in a wheelchair through the small supermarket. Both are wearing hats to hide their faces slightly. Despite not many people being around, Willow does as she's told and tilts her hat over her head more in order to keep her identity hidden
"I thought I wasn't a soldier anymore." Willow says as Marvin hands her a box of rice to put in the basket on her lap
"You're not." Marvin tells her before adding, "Hopefully."
"Hopefully?" Willow asks. "I thought that was the whole point of me dying and faking my death. So I wasn't tied down to Base Ops anymore."
"Base Ops is still in the process of officiating your death certificate." Marvin tells her. "I gave them the debrief of your death--"
"And, what?" Willow asks with a scoff, turning her body in the wheelchair to face him behind her. "They don't believe you?"
"They are making sure that it's real." Marvin says
"So they don't believe you." Willow says
"They want a body." Marvin tells her, handing her a loaf of bread to put in the basket, which she does
"But I evaporated through my wisps." Willow says. "Didn't they see that through the security footage from the street?"
"They're verifying it." Marvin says. "And there is one thing that we still need to verify." He says cautiously, handing her butter
"You mean the status of your taste buds?" Willow questions. "Seriously, what is this shopping list? rice, bread, and butter? That's pretty bland." She jokes
"I'm talking about the tracker in your blood." Marvin says
"That...that should be gone." Willow says in a serious tone. "Again...wasn't that the whole point of me dying?"
"We have to make sure." Marvin tells her. "And there's only one way to test it...."
"You mean leaving the state." Willow supplies
"If you feel you're strong enough, I want to test it." Marvin tells her
"It's been a few months." Willow answers. "I think it's time to try it."
"Good." Marvin says. "Let's go, soldier."
"You can call me by my name, you know." Willow tells him
"Someone could overhear." Marvin says. "Base Ops has eyes and ears everywhere."
"Then you can call me by my nickname." Willow tells him, turning around in the wheelchair. He looks at her. "Come on...if you say 'Will' how are they gonna know it's me?"
"Alright, Will." Marvin says. "Let's go."
Willow turns around in her seat with a smile
***
"I, um, I think I'm nervous." Willow tells Marvin, sitting in the back trunk of the black car with her feet dangling over the side
Marvin walks around the side of the car, the road very vacant. "There is nothing to be nervous about." He tells her
"What if...what if the tracker isn't gone?" Willow asks
"You died." Marvin tells her. "Your heart stopped. You did everything right."
"What if I didn't?" Willow whispers
"You did." Marvin answers. "This is just a precaution."
Willow looks past Marvin at the state line where no one else was around. She takes a shaky breath in before letting it out. "Alright." She whispers
Willow puts her arm out and Marvin grabs on to support her weight. Willow had been using a wheelchair for a few months in order to fully recover. Her body was still very weak from her death and her energy transference on top of that
With Marvin's help, Willow makes it to a step before the stateline. But both knew that Willow had to cross the stateline by herself in order to test her tracker. Marvin, once making sure Willow was sturdy enough on her two feet, pulls his arm away from supporting Willow
"I'll be here the whole time, soldier." Marvin tells her as she takes a small step forwards toward the line
Willow turns back to face Marvin. "No." She tells him
"What?" Marvin asks
"Once I cross this line...you need to get as far away as you can." Willow tells him
"What are you talking about?" Marvin asks her
"If this tracker is still active...you need to go." Willow says. "Base Ops will no doubt immediately send a team out to apprehend me which means they're going to take you in for treason or something. You need to leave, now."
"Not a chance, Will." Marvin tells her, taking a small step towards her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're in this together. Now, cross the line. Once we find out your tracker is deactivated, we can get on with our lives."
Willow nods, breathing out shakily before looking back in front of her. She takes another small shaky step forward and feels Marvin's hand leave her shoulder. And one more step forward has her crossing the line
As soon as her foot crossed the line, she froze. She holds her breath with her eyes closed, anticipating something bad to happen. The last time she did this, it was unbearable pain when she was over the line. And that's exactly what she was waiting for.
But it never came...
Willow opens her eyes, her face in a wince with anticipation. Her face relaxes as she realizes nothing is going wrong. She turns to face Marvin with a smile. "It worked." She breathes with tears in her eyes
"That it did." Marvin says with a smile, holding his hand out to her. She reaches over, grabbing his hand and taking two steps forwards
Once over the line, Marvin grabs Willow's arm and supports more of her weight. He leads her to the front seat of the car, opening the passenger side door and helping her sit down and buckle up
"Where are we going now?" Willow asks
Marvin cracks a smile, putting a hat on Willow's head as well as on his own head. "National City." He tells her with a smile
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Hope you all enjoyed that chapter!! Don't forget to vote and comment!! Next chapter up NEXT TUESDAY
-MC