Childhood Pals

Chapter 34: Trust Issues; Part 1

Kara knew that they were in trouble - lots of trouble.

She had always known that. From the moment she had arrived on Earth.

Her eyes were shadowed. Glazed over.

Her sister was always there for her. Now she had to be there for Alex.

Lena was smart. Alex was strong. Maybe they could make it.

Or maybe . . .

No, she couldn't think that way. Now without a confirmation.

She had to help Alex.

~~~~~~~~

As the team arrived at the D.E.O., Kara spied Lena tampering with the monitors.

"Lena!"

Lena looked over her shoulder at her brother. "H-hey. Supergirl."

She took her friend's wrist. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? How did you get out-"

"Let's talk in private."

Lena kept that cold stare as she looked at Kara. "Kara Danvers."

"You know-"

"You're Supergirl."

Kara bore a confused expression. "Hold on, you're mad at me for that?"

Kara knew her friend all too well. It was likely an act, and she had to play along. "I wanted to protect you!"

"Protect your identity is more like it! You told Alex and J'onn and-"

"You are my best friend, Lena, and-"

Kara knew that there were eyes and ears everywhere, and she paused. Lena took that chance, "I'm your best friend? Even Sam told me her identity!"

"Did you not trust me?"

"I did! And I still do!"

Lena wiped her tears away. "And I did too. But no longer. My only ally is myself, it seems. I've taken Lex up on his offer."

And although Kara knew it was all an act, she hadn't realised how much those words hurt her. Warm tears welled up in her eyes and she did nothing as Lena brushed past her and out of the room.

~~~~~~~~

Lena hoped that she had not hurt her friend too much.

Those cameras. Bugs. Had likely implanted one somewhere on her. She could only act.

But she had seen the look on Kara's face as she stalked out of the room. Shock. Sadness.

Betrayal.

She could do nothing but hope as she turned to her desk.

~~~~~~~~

Mon-El heard it all.

The lead-lined walls of the building didn't make his hearing weak - not one bit.

Lena Luthor, Kara's best friend, who she trusted so much, had turned her back on Kara, on all of them. Left Alex to rot in that cell.

How could she, when all of them had trusted her.

And that nonsense of her not knowing Kara's identity.

He entwined his hands in Kara's as she walked out of the room, and she didn't object. Not when he leaned in to take in her smell, not when he embraced her in his arms.

Once, he felt like that was all he could do.

For once, Mon-El felt powerless.

~~~~~~~~

Kara buried her face into Mon-El's chest and sobbed.

The act had to be real. People had to believe it.

Even as she told herself those words, her chest ached as she panted for air, tears taking hold of her.

Kara knew that whatever happened next depended on them.

Lena's every move, every word, spoken or otherwise, would be closely monitored by the Luthors.

They had to find a way to get messages to each other.

"Where's Alex?" Kara said, regaining her composure. "Where's my sister?"

"Where she should be. And where you should be."

She turned and saw Lex stalking out with some D.E.O. agents. "Lex."

"Looks like my sister got to have all the fun. How does it feel, Kara?"

"Leave Alex out of this. Take me if you want, but leave my sister out of this."

Lex grinned. "I don't think so." He turned to Lena, "Lord called for you."

As Lena set down the tablet, she dared a look at her friend, and Kara saw that glint of mischief and warmth in her eyes before she stalked off.

"You see, we know that whenever you get involved with something, alien or not, Alex Danvers also gets involved. The same is said the other way around. With that in mind, how could we involve one and not the other? Anyone who is a threat or an obstacle can and will be removed."

Kara sucked in a breath.

~~~~~~~~

Lena walked into the office. "Miss Luthor. I heard that you agreed with our plans?"

"Yes, I did, Mr. Lord, and I have no intention of going back on it." Lena said tightly.

Maxwell Lord grinned. "Because he 'revealed her identity' to you? My sources tell me you've known about it for . . . quite some time now."

Lena's eyes darted about the room, her scanning now obvious. Were there any covert listening devices around?

"You needn't worry, Miss Luthor. The walls here are soundproof and it blocks out any sort of signals."

"Are you planning on telling Lex?"

"I want to strike a deal with you."

Lena leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. "I'm listening . . . "

~~~~~~~~

"You-!"

"Now, now, dear Kara, let's not lose our cool, okay? Don't forget, I have a Lexosuit and an entire army of trained agents at my command. I'd rather you not put up a show here."

Mon-El exchanged glances with Halk Kar before leaning to Kara's ear. "We should leave."

"Not without Alex." she gritted out.

"Alex can handle herself. Right now, we are in a room surrounded with agents, and possibly more to come in soon!"

Kara looked back before she growled. "Fine." 

They took off, but Lex snapped his fingers. Mon-El looked behind him. Lex had pulled out a gun. And he was taking aim at Kara.

Not wasting another second to think, Mon-El instinctively blocked the bullet fired.

The impact was harder than anything he'd felt in his life.

He was bleeding.

The bullet wasn't meant for Kara. It was for him.

For it was made out of lead.

As he lost altitude, the world began to dim . . . until it was blackness.

~~~~~~~~

A/N: Don't kill me for what I did. But I had to make someone sacrifice something to allow the story to progress. I wish there was a better way, but it's also to show you Mon-El has not given up chasing Kara.