The USB

Lena

Each night I found new ways to numb the pain that Kara had caused. It started with scotch, then working later and later until I never went home, then I gradually started skipping meals. The day it all came to a stop was the day when I gave in to Lex. I let the parts of me that were like Lex shine, and I let myself truly feel what the pain felt like. I had already been to seven board meetings, three conference calls, and bought two large companies to merge L-Corp with. By the time lunch came, I debated just going home. I debated for a short time and ended up deciding to only work a few more hours. The work was never done, and Lex had left any skeletons that needed buried starting with Kasnia. I donated a couple thousand for a Красная дочь (Red Daughter) statue. I cut all the L-corp contracts, and started moving personnel elsewhere. Kasnia was still reeling after my brother's betrayal, so I did what I could to mediate. In the end, Lex got what he wanted, I mean other than killing everyone on Argo, Supergirl and all the aliens on earth. A small part of me wanted Kara dead, almost wishing that Lex had killed her. But instead he left me with lifetimes worth of pain, and wounds that could never heal. I never wanted to see either of them again, not Lex, not Kara. I started to try and configure Myriad remotely so I could get my work done at the office. I worked for four hours more, and by the time I heard a knock at my door, I was almost relieved to have a break. Much like Lex's handwriting, kryptonease became needles in my eyes, reminding me of Kara. A language triggers you? Get it together Lena, my mothers voice booms in my head. When I look up from my computer ever so slightly, I recognize her face, the shirt hair, the nervousness in her body. I almost had no words to say, until I just started talking, the vile words spilling out of my mouth, no thoughts moderating the words.

"Did Kara send you? Tell her to stop calling and texting me, I am not going to talk to her, or you for that matter. We are not friends." I regretted saying that instantly. But it was the truth, I just wanted the conversation to be over.

"Lena, I need a favor. Now, Kara and you may not be friends anymore, but I didn't know her secret identity until right after the Red Daughter attack on Kara."

"Really?" I look up from her computer, "The least you could do is not lie right now. You grew up with her Alex. You saw her pod, you were the reason she became Supergirl."

"You are right. But so am I. My mind was erased due to a truth seeker at the DEO. It was for Kara's protection. But that doesn't matter now. Lena, I really need you to listen to me." She reaches in her pocket and without looking away from me pulls out a small device.

"What's that?" I say as I stand up defensively.

"It's a USB. I assume you know what it does. Now, you can throw it away or watch it. It is your choice. All I ask is that you consider it." She reaches the USB out and I take it and immediately throw it in the tiny trashcan. Four security guards come rushing in, Alex looks behind her.

"And I assume you won't have any trouble finding your way out, Alex." I almost didn't want her to leave.

""Absolutely not, thank you for your time," one of the guards tries to grab her hand, and she knees him before he could try. "Good day, Ms. Luthor." She turns around and looks at me,

"Just consider it."  Alex walks out of the room. I don't want to trust her, and I sure as hell don't want to believe that Kara is good. I want to believe that I am truly alone. I want to smash the USB with a hammer but I also want to plug it in to my computer and see what is on it. Maybe it is something useful, maybe it is a trick to hack me. I decide against removing the USB from the trashcan, I guess I will never know. I can not listen to Alex. She lied to me, just like Kara. But I can't help but think about the USB, it is like it haunts me. I go back on my computer and try to complete more Kasnian transfers, but I can't help but look over at the trash can.

I get up, and grab the USB. This better be good, I think to myself. I sit back down and look at the USB before plugging it to the side of my computer. My computer chimes and I click on the file that appears. It shows a file, full of videos, Kara apologizing no doubt. I click the first video and it stuns me.