Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kara looked up at the stars as she admired the beautiful night sky of planet Earth, where she had lived for many years. The night had always seemed beautiful to her — not as beautiful as it was on her home planet, but she had learned to appreciate the earthly “beauties” the way humans did. The stars shone imposingly in the sky under the gorgeous glow of the full moon that illuminated all of National City. It was late at night, and evidently everyone in the city was asleep. She decided a stretch would do her good and stood up from the couch on the terrace of her new apartment. She had had to move since she had revealed herself to the world as Kara Zor-El, better known as Supergirl. She didn’t regret her decision; she knew new challenges would come from revealing her secret identity to the world, but she was ready for them. Were there enemies? Yes, but since the day she became the city’s heroine, she had had enemies from day one — that wasn’t going to change. Besides, she wasn’t alone now; she had her friends, her sister, and Lena, all willing to protect her just as she had always protected them. She wasn’t alone.

Kara took off slowly, rising upward. She no longer had to rush at full speed to keep people from discovering her identity — not if they already knew her as Kara. Her flight was slow and gentle, like humans driving their cars on weekends, just for a ride. Kara flew over the city checking everything, but everyone was asleep — it was three in the morning. She took advantage of the city’s silence and stillness to perform several acrobatics in the air worthy of the best pilot in the world — though, ironically, she was one. On Krypton, she had been part of the Explorer Guild, the youngest member, in fact; her tenacity, willpower, bravery, and other traits had led her to become a squad leader or Captain quickly and later a professional pilot at a very young age.

A memory surfaced in her mind: a young Kara Zor-El, proudly holding her title — or rather, the crystal that served as one — floating a few centimeters above her palm. Beside her stood her parents, Alura Zor-El and Zor-El, proud smiles on their faces as they looked at their little girl. Kara came back to reality when she almost crashed into a building for not paying attention to where she was flying. She hit a railing and ended up splattered against the cold floor, which looked like the finest marble.

“I see there’s a lot of air traffic tonight, Supergirl,” Lena joked, sitting on the couch in her L-Corp office, surrounded by piles of papers — and the ones that didn’t fit on the desk floated around her thanks to her magic.

Kara stood up and brushed the nonexistent dust off her outfit — a blue shirt, black pants, and black sneakers. She had accidentally landed on the terrace of L-Corp’s CEO, Lena Luthor — better known as her best friend, though deep down she knew she didn’t really see her just as a friend. She shook her head and stepped into Lena’s spotless office.

“Sleep hasn’t knocked on your door tonight, Miss Luthor?” Kara teased, sitting beside her on the couch. “It’s after three a.m.”

Lena raised her coffee cup and smiled.

“Coffee seems to be sleep’s natural enemy,” Lena replied, making room for Kara on the couch. “Besides, I have a lot of work to do.”

Kara smiled and glanced at the floating papers around Lena.

“At three in the morning?” she mocked, looking at her. “Maybe you really are a witch — and who knows, maybe witches are nocturnal. Not that it’s bad… I just —” Kara laughed nervously and looked away. “I’m just saying you should rest.”

Lena looked at Kara with a faint smile as she watched her blush furiously.

“Work doesn’t sleep, Kara,” she said with a grin, setting her tablet on the table. “But you’re right, I should rest.”

Lena stood up and stretched, snapping her fingers to make the papers vanish. Kara watched her closely — her slender figure framed by a beautiful black Versace dress and stiletto heels. The dress highlighted her elegant curves, and Kara had to look away from her friend, not noticing the amused look Lena threw her way. Silence filled the executive suite for several minutes until Kara couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke again.

“You’ve gotten good with magic,” the blonde praised the dark-haired woman.

Lena smiled, looking at Kara with a happy expression.

“I’m finally free. And I’m happy. It’s all I ever wanted — for people to stop seeing me as a Luthor and see me as my own person, not for the atrocities my family committed for centuries,” Lena explained warmly, sitting back beside Kara. “With Lillian gone and Lex in the Phantom Zone, I’m free to be who I am.”

“Who you’ve always been — the person Lillian and Lex tried to hide,” Kara added with a smile, taking Lena’s hand.

Lena smiled, her eyes filling with tears of joy. She loved the woman in front of her — the one who had looked past her surname from the very first day, unlike Clark Kent, who had judged her. They had been through so much together, which had only strengthened their bond. Though Lena had never seen Kara as just a friend. She had dropped hints for years, but Kara hadn’t caught on — not at first. Over time, after their ugly fight and reconciliation, Lena had realized Kara felt something for her too. But she also knew she shouldn’t push her, nor tell Kara she liked women; she wanted Kara to figure it out herself. It had to happen that way.

“Thank you,” she smiled.

Kara returned the smile and looked up at the beautiful night sky. She stood and, as if drawn by some unknown force, walked to Lena’s balcony and leaned on the railing, gazing at the stars. Her blue eyes wandered from one to another, recalling their names and how they looked up close. She knew every name — maybe they sounded different in Spanish, but she knew them all in Kryptonian. Kara was lost in the sight, not hearing Lena approach and stand beside her, watching her with curiosity and a hint of sorrow in her green eyes.

Her mind brought back a long-forgotten memory: her father and the nights he literally took her among the stars. They would board the House El ship, and Zor-El would take her to see each star up close, teaching her its name, its shape (each one had a different one), its role in the galaxy, and why its work was so important. Every star had a story — and her favorite was definitely Betelgeuse (α Orionis), as it was known on Earth. She remembered the first time her father took her there — she had been so excited, thinking it was Rao himself, or a manifestation of their god, because the star shone as red and bright as Rao. She remembered her father laughing heartily at her innocence as he explained it was simply a giant red star. A smile curved Kara’s lips as she cherished that memory of her father, Zor-El.

“Kara?” Lena called, waving a hand in front of her.

“Oh, sorry, I got distracted for a moment — what were you saying?”

Lena looked at her and was about to answer when, out of nowhere, several huge Kelex robots surrounded them. They were massive, larger than a human, with arms but no legs, circling Kara and Lena.

“Identify yourselves or be annihilated,” all four Kelex ordered at once.

Kara immediately stepped in front of Lena, shielding her from the giant robots.

“I am Kara Zor-El,” Kara declared, and the robots lowered their guard.

One Kelex approached and made a kind of bow — strange to Lena’s eyes. The robot’s voice turned serious, solemn, and full of reverence.

“Shae-Nol-Rao, Kara Zor-El,” it said, and the other robots imitated its bow.

“Shae… what?” Lena asked, looking confused between them.

Kara smiled nervously at Lena’s question — relieved she didn’t understand Kryptonian.

“No… it’s nothing,” Kara stammered, laughing awkwardly as her cheeks reddened and she looked down.

Lena studied the Kelex units — something was different about them since the last time she’d seen them. They looked bigger, smarter, and… was that the House El crest? Lena glanced from Kara to the Kelex, who had stopped bowing. The central robot spoke again, projecting a hologram of Alura Zor-El from Argo City.

“Shae Kara Zor-El, your presence is requested in Argo City immediately,” Alura’s solemn voice declared. “You may bring one companion, no more. I await your reply, Your Highness.”

She did it on purpose, Kara thought, blushing and mortified.

Lena raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, straightened up, and stared at Kara before speaking.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me, Your Highness?”

Chapter Text

Lena watched Kara pacing back and forth in their apartment while rambling nonsense. It wasn’t that she wasn’t listening—she always did. It was just that Kara had gotten so nervous after hearing her mother Alura’s message—and realizing Lena had heard it too—that she had switched from English to Kryptonian an hour and a half ago.

Lena could have stopped her, told her she wasn’t understanding a single word, but she knew it would be useless. So she let her girlfriend talk and rant as much as she needed, while she sipped her wine leaning against the kitchen counter. Kara kept pacing.

—“Zor-ka iel ra veyta, ta no ka-threi, so-ren. Iel ta-nor zeyra no-sha ta-valen, ma…”

Lena lifted her gaze toward Kara, took another sip of wine, and set the glass down on the table. She watched Kara closely—she seemed more and more nervous and anxious—so she decided to stop her for her own good.

Lena stood up and approached Kara, placing a hand on her shoulder before sliding it down her back and wrapping both arms around her waist.

—Kara, sweetheart, relax—Lena whispered against her Kryptonian’s neck— I have no idea what you’ve been saying for the past hour and a half, but I’m not angry—

Kara let out a sigh she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and turned to face Lena.

—Really? I…— Kara’s blue eyes met Lena’s green ones —You didn’t understand anything?—

Lena smiled fondly.

—I’ll need some intensive Kryptonian lessons; after that, I might actually understand what you said—

Kara gave her an embarrassed smile, tucking her long straight hair behind her ear.

—Right… I don’t know why, but lately, when I get nervous, I start speaking in Kryptonian—she apologized, and Lena smiled.

—Well, you hid who you really were for years, repressing your Kryptonian and alien nature. Now that you can be yourself without fear of what others might think… let’s just say your Kryptonian side is shining through—

Kara smiled and hugged Lena, resting her head in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent.

—I’m glad I can finally be myself—Kara whispered, planting a kiss on Lena’s collarbone.

Lena smiled, tightening her grip on Kara and letting her partner leave a trail of kisses down her neck, shoulder, and over her chest. Lena lifted her neck and gave Kara more space to plant more soft kisses on her neck and over her breasts. She gasped softly when Kara used her right hand to cup one of her prominent breasts and she could feel Kara's smile against her body. Kara slid her hand around Lena's waist and back, firmly grabbing her butt and lifting her into the air, causing Lena to gasp and wrap her legs around Kara's waist as she held her in the air.

"Kara..." Lena whispered between gasps, "you know I'm not opposed to a round of morning sex, but your mother is waiting for us in... mmmhnm."

Kara smiled when she heard Lena's moan, intensifying her kisses and gently sliding her hand down to the inside of her bare thigh. Lena looked down. When had she taken off the pants she was wearing? Kara's blue eyes locked onto Lena's with a haughty, mischievous smile.

"Are you sure you don't want to... continue?" Kara asked, putting on her best abandoned puppy dog expression.

Kara emphasized her point by sliding a finger over Lena's panties, noticing how wet her partner already was down there. Lena shuddered under Kara's caresses as she continued to stroke her. Lena used her hand to lift Kara's face and planted a tender, soft, and much-needed kiss on the soft lips she loved so much. Lena deepened the kiss and opened her lips slightly, allowing Kara to enter her mouth. Their tongues explored each other's mouths until Lena had to pull away for air. Panting, Lena looked at Kara's smug expression.

"Don't be smug," Lena growled.

"Who? Me?" Kara said with a haughty smile. "How can you think I'm so... evil?"

Kara took Lena by surprise, and with the tip of her finger, traced Lena's clitoris under her panties, causing Lena to shudder and let out a moan. Lena's hips moved on their own, seeking more friction and the need to calm the fire she felt down there. Kara smiled and moved her finger away from her wife's entrance, causing Lena to protest the lack of caresses.

"You know, Lena?" Kara whispered, kissing her neck and breasts, diligently moving her fingers over Lena's slippery entrance.

Lena shuddered as she tried to hold back the sounds that wanted to escape her mouth.

"You're right," Kara whispered, pressing a finger into Lena's entrance but not going too deep. "My mother would be upset if we were late and..."

Kara's smile became wilder, desperate, and eager. Her normally blue eyes were already dark with the pleasure she felt.

"You don't want to make a bad first impression, do you?" Kara teased with a smile.

Without warning, and to Lena's satisfaction, she inserted two of her fingers into her entrance. The inner walls of her vagina squeezed Kara's fingers as Lena moaned on top of Kara, who held her around her waist with one hand and penetrated her with her fingers with the other. Lena's back was now against the wall (Lena thought it was for her comfort, not because Kara needed it), Lena squeezed Kara and tried to get more friction by moving her hips to the rhythm of Kara's movements. But her happiness did not last long.

"Kara, damn it!" Lena exclaimed, somewhere between excited and furious.

Much sooner than Lena would have liked, she found that Kara had withdrawn her long fingers from her entrance and was now leaving her on the floor, barely able to stand as her body tried to process that she no longer had anything inside her entrance, as she so desperately wanted. Lena shot Kara an angry look as she watched Kara retreat to her room to grab some clothes and personal items that she was placing in a small travel bag.

—Lee, do you have everything ready so we can go?—Kara asked as naturally as if she hadn’t had her fingers inside her moments ago.

“Go? I already did… twice. Well, one and a half, thanks to a certain Kryptonian.”

Kara poked her head out from between the curtains separating the living room from the bedroom.

—I never leave things unfinished. I’ll make it up to you when we get there, okay? Be a good girl for me, hmm?—Kara said with a grin as she rolled her suitcase out of the room.

—Be a good girl for you? God, Kara, I’m not five—Lena complained, frowning.

The Kryptonian laughed and approached her sulking wife, giving her a soft, tender kiss.

—Alright, Lee. If anyone asks, I’ll tell them you’re still the almighty Lena Luthor—Kara said, ducking to dodge a pillow Lena had thrown at her.

—Come on, my ship’s waiting at the DEO to take us to… Krypton—

—Home—Lena corrected her.

—Home?

—Yes, home, Kara. Krypton is your home too.—

Kara smiled at Lena and took her hand. The two women walked toward the portal that led to the DEO.

Soon, Lena would meet Kara Zor-El.

Chapter Text

The fine stiletto heels echoed through the halls of L-Corp, clicking rapidly as Lena Luthor, in her black designer suit and short skirt, rushed at full speed toward her private laboratory next to her office. There was no employee in sight, since this section of the hallway was strictly forbidden to anyone except her explicitly, or those with special access to enter. Lena stopped at a steel door with intricate locks and security commands and opened it, stepping into her laboratory and closing the heavy door behind her. The lights turned on automatically, and the first thing she saw was Alex pointing an alien weapon at her forehead.  

—For god’s sake Lena, warn me when you come in— exclaimed Alex, lowering the weapon.  

Lena raised an eyebrow at her friend’s request.  

—I told you no one enters here without my express permission— Lena reminded Alex, leaving her bag on the chair — I wouldn’t allow Kara’s safety to be violated by anyone.  

Alex sighed and turned toward the stretcher illuminated by high-impact solar panels. On the stretcher lay Kara Danvers, resting quietly with her eyes closed. The panels tried to restore Kara’s Kryptonian energy, but it wasn’t working much.  

—Any news? Anything?— Lena approached the stretcher and took Kara’s hand, watching the monitors connected to her best friend.  

—Nothing. Whatever they did to her after the Kelex visited, there’s no way to fix it— Alex stood side by side with Lena — she seems immersed in a deep sleep. Her readings are fine, her heartbeat is fine. Everything is fine. So I don’t know why she won’t wake up.  

Lena looked at Kara and stroked a strand of long blonde hair while staring at her friend. She hated seeing her like that and not having been able to do anything to help her. The attack was so sudden that she had no time to see who attacked her or with what. Alex’s phone began to ring and she answered.  

—Are you there? Yes? Wow, that was fast. No… I’m not saying that… okay, we’re coming— Alex ended the call and looked at Lena — Lena, Eliza is outside, let her in. She can probably help us.  

Without moving, Lena put her hand in her pocket and pulled out a small device where she pressed a button and the door opened. The sound of hurried footsteps reached them both.  

—Oh my god— gasped Eliza Danvers upon seeing her youngest daughter connected to cables and monitors.  

Alex and Lena told Eliza what had happened while the older woman checked the vital signs to make sure everything was fine. Once Eliza confirmed her daughter was biologically fine, she looked at Lena and Alex.  

—We don’t know why she won’t wake up— Alex informed her mother.  

—Then let’s investigate— Eliza got up from her seat and grabbed a tablet.  

Eliza, Alex, and Lena began to investigate everything they could. Eliza’s notes from when Kara arrived on the planet weren’t much help; everything written there had been known for a long time. Lena opened a portal to the Luthor Mansion and grabbed Lex’s journals to look for something useful, but only found her brother’s obsession with Superman. Two hours later, Eliza looked up and approached several screens, reviewing the readings of her youngest daughter’s condition. Eliza set the tablet down on the table and turned to her daughter and Lena.  

—What did you discover?— Alex came closer to pay more attention.  

—Kara won’t wake up because the gas activated a Kryptonian mechanism we rarely see. The gas compounds reacted with latent neurological receptors in her brain, the Zeta-K Receptors. They are part of an ancestral survival system of Krypton: when these receptors are activated, the brain enters a state of deep hibernation designed to protect it from extreme damage—  

Lena looked at Eliza and panic briefly grew in her. Did that mean Kara, her Kara, would never wake up? Eliza noticed and squeezed Lena’s hand reassuringly.  

—Right now, her neurons are functioning, her brain activity is stable, and her metabolism is perfect… but the gas caused a reversible synaptic block. That means her brain maintains the sleep cycle but doesn’t send the necessary signal to wake her. She entered what Kryptonians call a Prolonged Theta Cycle: a kind of intensified REM sleep that accelerates cellular repair and prevents any physiological stress—  

Eliza watched with relief as Lena’s expression became calmer and more attentive. She continued speaking.  

—The real problem is that Kryptonians only come out of this state with a very specific internal or external stimulus. And the gas inhibited precisely that response. That’s why she’s trapped in this protective sleep. She’s not in a coma, she’s not damaged… her biology is simply executing a safety protocol. We need to figure out how to give her the correct Kryptonian signal so her brain reactivates the wake cycle—  

Alex looked at her little sister lying on the cold stretcher in Lena’s laboratory. Lena lovingly stroked Kara’s hair and Alex looked at her mother.  

—If you or Lena don’t know how to reactivate Kara’s brain, who else can help us? There’s no one on Earth capable of…—  

—I can. After all, no one knows her better than I do— said a firm, warm, and diplomatic voice.