acclivity

χίμαιρα: chimera

The group drove along for most of the day. Mon-El still leading the conversation with combat scenarios that the entire car had gotten in on at some point. Somewhere along the open road, however, the car began to make a concerning puttering sound. "Uh... Alex? Do you think you should pull over?" Kara asked her sister, a little concerned at the noises the car was making.

"I'd really rather not. We're only a half hour from the outskirts of the city." Alex said, keeping her eyes on the road. "Stopping here, in the middle of nowhere, is probably not a good idea." She reasoned. Lena nodded, agreeing with Alex. The sun was beginning to set and being stranded out in the countryside at night was probably not a good choice.

But it seemed that the Fates weren't on their side as not a few miles later, Alex's car huffed out its last breath, shutting off and coming to a stop on the side of the road. Alex hit the steering wheel, turning the key in an attempt to start the car again, but it was no use. "Great," Alex complained. "Mom and Dad are going to kill me." She moaned. Kara just rolled her eyes.

"Stop being so dramatic. I'm sure they'll be happy we come home in once piece. Never mind the car." She said, assuring her sister it would be okay. Alex turned around.

"Winn, do you think you can take a look? Maybe we can fix it. Or at least get it started so we can get to a repair shop in Lincoln." She asked. Winn shrugged.

"I can take a look. I've never tried to repair a car, but maybe I can learn on the fly." He said brightly. If anyone could fix it, it would be a son of Hephaestus. Alex nodded, popping the trunk so Winn could grab his toolkit. Winn got out of the car, grabbing his bag. "Hey Alex, pop the hood, will you?" Alex nodded, pulling the lever to release the hood of the car. Winn unlatched it, propping it open to check out the insides.

"I suppose now is a good a time as any to stretch our legs," Alex said, getting out of the car. Lena turned slightly to look at Kara.

"Want to get out?" She asked her friend, who nodded in affirmation. Lena opened the door, sliding off of Kara's lap, offering her hand to Kara and pulling her out of the car. Mon-El followed the pair out of the car. Lena and Kara walked over to the side of the road, watching the sun start to set.

"Watching the sun rise and set together huh?" Kara teased. Lena just smiled.

"Yeah. It's nice, isn't it?" She asked. Kara's face changed from playful to serious, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, it is. I'm glad it's you I get to experience it with." She said softly. Lena nodded slowly, tearing her eyes away from Kara's intense gaze. She looked back towards the setting sun, feeling Kara's hand in hers. She chanced a glance over to the blonde, who was smiling though still looking straight ahead at the setting sun.

The two stood in silence for a minute. "Hey, Lena! Will you come over here and check this out? Maybe you can see something I'm missing." Winn called over, the peace between the two broken. Lena gave Kara a sympathetic look. But Kara just chuckled, nodding her head in Winn's direction. Lena let go of Kara's hand, heading over to Winn. Alex and Maggie passed Lena as she walked over to Winn, starting a conversation with Kara.

Lena approached the car, heading over to the front where Winn stood, looking down at the innards of the vehicle. "I can't for the life of me figure out what's wrong." He said a frown on his face. Lena nodded, deciding to take a look. She wasn't the most proficient with cars, but she knew the basics.

"Yeah, move over for a second." He complied, stepping the side. Lena went to go inspect the car, putting her hands on the front, peering over the machinery. She must have been pouring over the inner working of the car for at least a few minutes. Her back turned and the gears in her brain spinning to find the problem, she completely missed the sound of Kara's voice yelling at her. It wasn't until a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the car that she looked up. Her eyes widened at the sight. A monster approaching in the distance, spitting fire at the group.