Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Call Me Kara

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 52:

“He was from the future.” Kara told the gathered League the next morning. “He said I was an anomaly in the time line. He mentioned Rip Hunter. He also seemed to think I made the Flash faster but I don’t know what that could mean. Maybe he knew Barry in the future or read about Barry. He obviously had tech that was not developed yet.”

“Either way he is dead.” Oliver pointed out. “And technically it is true. If you hadn’t shown up in Barry’s life he never would have had the reason to work as hard as he has to get as fast as he has.”

“It’s too bad that girl went nuts and caved in the dome. Fairchild is in the wind with a lot of metas and everyone else who could have told us anything about this guy or his organization is under a couple thousand tons of rock.” Diggle said, sounding disappointed.

“Too bad? I hated to see her die but she saved us a whole lot of trouble. That guy had experiments and if any one of them were as strong or even half as strong as the one Kara fought, who knows what kind of hell would have been unleashed.” Oliver reminded him. Diggle didn’t seem to agree.

“We aren’t a hit squad Oliver. We would have taken them in.”

“Is that what you wanted to do to Wilson, John? I had a feeling your desire to find her was of a more personal nature, one would think it was a vendetta.” Nyssa offered, agreeing with Oliver. The metas were deadly, the two giants, the shadow creature, the flying man with two swords in his hands. Had Barry not been able to do what he did, Nyssa believed they would all be dead or still fighting that thing. Had the so called Ravagers of Harvest been left alive she would have killed them herself. “I seem to have heard tales of you killing in revenge.” John flinched at that and looked away, not wanting to think of his little brother and knowing Nyssa would be the only one to bring it up and not give a damn. At least unlike Oliver, Thea and Felicity she was not afraid to bring it up even if it hurt.

“That wasn’t a hit squad, John, that was a rescue operation. He was willing to let a bunch of kids kill each other for the right to stay alive and serve him. We knew going in that they wouldn’t just give up. We knew they would fight and some would die, either us or them. It wasn’t murder, it was self defense.” Sara reasoned.

“Thats why you stomped on that arrow, driving it further into that giant’s brain after he was down? Self defense?”

“Thats exactly why.” Sara confirmed.

“What about you, Oliver? That Leash guy had been thrown off a ledge. He wasn’t on the ground for two seconds before you stabbed an arrow into him. I thought we didn’t do that?”

“We don’t. I did what was necessary. He had a psychic link to Fairchild, her team and the young kids around. Strong enough that he could brainwash them. The only way those kids could be free of him forever was to make sure he was dead.” Oliver told him, rubbing his forehead, feet kicked back. Though you wouldn’t know it, all of them were hurting. Kara of course healed and the hole in Barry’s shoulder blurred away but the rest were hurting. Even Jax seemed to be tired this morning. Ray had taken quite a few hits and Carter and Kendra were still walking stiffly from the energy wall they had crashed into. Sara, Alex, Nyssa and Oliver were bruised all over their torsos, Alex’s wrist was sprained from the highly powerful punch she landed in the giant that sent them both to the ground. Thea needed stitches in her shoulder and thigh from her fight with Rose Wilson. Zatanna could barely keep her eyes open and Kara had asked her twice to go back home and sleep but she refused. Donna was fine, of course, but Oliver suspected the power of dragging that clone to the ground and fighting the Shadow Walker had her worn down as well. They all needed a day off or a long weekend. Barry though physically healed, looked tense, holding his daughter, and Kara had that look on her face that Oliver recognized well. Guilt.

She seemed relaxed, smiling at Lexie, cooing at her while she lay in Barry’s arms, but her eyes when she looked away, no one else caught it but he bet Alex and Barry did. He did. He had that same look the first time he broke someone’s neck. Killing in battle is different in that it is usually done with swords, or arrows, or in a meta’s case, powers. But the feel of causing death with your bare hands, feeling the bones break is more impactful, deeper, more disturbing. He suspected it was also the first time Kara had been in a battle with someone she really did not want to hurt and it showed. All of them knew that yes, the clone was strong, he had powerful heat vision and some suit that made him fly but they also knew Kara could have crushed him if she wanted. She could have blasted his own beams back into his eyes instead of stopping short and stunning him. Kara really did not want to hurt that clone, a kid in her mind.

And she was of course, forced to kill him before they were all killed. He never wanted that for her but her decisions were based on two things now, protecting her family and staying alive. She was good at both and he was impressed with the show she was putting on. Those who didn’t know her as well as he or Alex or Barry did would think she was unaffected.

She wasn’t.

And now Dig decided to Friday morning quarterback.

“I can understand that but it took you…”

“Shut up.” Barry told him quietly, surprising everyone. His voice never rose because he was holding Lexie but Oliver suspected it would have if the baby had not been here.

“Excuse me?”

“Instead of second guessing us taking out a group of people who killed the entire squad your wife got you to lead, why don’t you explain to us why A.R.G.U.S. helicopters were on scene almost the second the battle was over? Felicity is the one who found the signal and I know she didn’t call Lyla. Why were they there? Vietnam is a little out of their jurisdiction. We got you back when she asked, We agreed to get Fairchild out and save those kids so they could live and no more A.R.G.U.S. employees had to die. We told her we would handle it and we did. Why were they there?”

“I don’t know Barry. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet. She probably wanted to help. As far as finding out where, she knew the volcano we were close to when I was taken and I would imagine a dome caving in on itself gave her a clue.”

“Still doesn’t explain why she was there. Of course I bet from what she knew, an organization like hers would be very interested in what is buried under that rubble. Tell her not to bother. If our satellite picks up either Vietnamese or A.R.G.U.S. trying to retrieve experiments or intel on metas I will be there in seconds and make sure none of them succeed.”

“So you are the police force for the world now?” Dig asked, leaning forward on the table.

“I’m just the one telling you the fact. When you have your conversation with your wife you may want to mention that.”

“Now wait a damn minute…”

“Let’s all calm down. We could use some coffee.” Oliver suggested. The scientists who had been trying to appear casual as they listened in and Winn, Felicity and Curtis who did not bother trying to appear casual were all relieved. Despite the win, there was tension in the air and the majority of it was between the League and the man they saved. It started when those helicopters arrived on scene.

The group broke up, some heading to the coffee pots and others just walking around slowly, trying to focus their thoughts. Oliver and Nyssa however were not. Instead they walked to a corner of the room. Barry tried his best to get Alex to change a diaper and she ran, laughing, knowing he couldn’t chase her with Lexie in his arms.

“You know what you have to do.” Nyssa whispered to Oliver. Unusually for her, she was dressed very casual today, seeming out of place in yoga pants and a simple white tee. That was all the testament anyone needed to show how tired they all were.

“Sara, Felicity, Thea, could you three come here for a minute?” Oliver asked.

The three women were apprehensive, Oliver’s tone was that of the kind hearted big brother, the caring friend, the persona that hid the hero to some and killer to others.

The Arrow checked to make sure Dig had left the room, knowing that his good friend, his best friend before he moved to Central City had walked outside to cool off. Oliver realized thinking about him that Dig probably wasn’t his best friend any longer. He still loved the man as a brother but wondered if he had a choice between losing Barry and Kara’s friendship or his, who he would decide between. Oliver knew though, and that was one of the problems.

He told the three gathered women, all friends of Dig, all part of Team Arrow at one point or another, his thoughts on one of the three original members of Team Arrow. Oliver had been to hell and back with Dig, they had saved each other’s lives countless times and Dig and Felicity were his only friends after Tommy died and Laurel had tried to drive everyone away from her, friends and family.

“Ollie…” Sara started, then stopped, looking at the floor, wondering when life had become so complicated…” do… do what you think is best.”

“He will hate us.” Thea told her brother.

“He will hate me. He has hated me before.”

“He is going to hate us.” Thea told him again.

“So you say no?”

‘No I’m not saying no. Lyla… Lyla is under some intense pressure. She has to be, especially since it is probably widely known by the Government already that we attacked a volcano filled with metahumans. They are going to want information, want an in and she is going to try to use him again. She won’t have a choice and she will be telling herself that it is for his own good but he is going to be torn apart. Its better if he is getting pulled in two directions that the one he goes towards is his wife and daughter.”

Oliver took a look at Felicity and saw what he could have sworn was relief. “Do what you have to do. I back you. I always will, you know that.”

“Not a hard decision was it? I thought you two were the closest?” Nyssa asked, already knowing Felicity’s mind. After Nyssa’s father’s death, Diggle held a grudge against Oliver for what he done to all of them. Felicity had every right to hold a grudge as well but instead she left with Oliver, moved to the suburbs, lived the American dream. No matter what he did or became, where the Arrow went, Overwatch would follow.

“He was the reason… I mean his brother… I just… I can’t, I’m sorry.” Felicity walked off quickly, the others in the room noticing and some wondering what Oliver had done this time. Holding her daughter now, Kara met his eyes across the room. She knew, she heard and she understood. The woman never would have brought it up to Oliver and was secretly glad she didn’t have to. He winked at her and faked a smile, then walked towards the front of the lab, where he suspected Diggle was. He found he was correct, Dig pacing in the parking lot.

“Hey man. I’ve been trying to call Lyla but the cell reception, she cuts in and out. Why the hell is Barry acting like that?”

“He isn’t acting any different than if you were concerned about Sara. You would react the same way. I seem to remember a time when you hated A.R.G.U.S. too.”

“I hated Waller.”

“You didn’t even know Waller. You didn’t have enough history with the woman to hate her. You hated A.R.G.U.S. the shadowy black ops organization that did whatever it took to get what it wanted, no matter how many innocent lives were destroyed. Your wife isn’t an organization, she is the head of that organization, meaning she is part of it. She set you up, she followed us, hoping to take any tech they could find, maybe interrogate this Harvest guy and claim it was for the greater good.”

“As opposed to killing him? For a guy who swore a vow never to kill again, you have been breaking that vow quite a lot Oliver. I thought this club was supposed to be about justice?”

“My vow… I’ve broken vows before. Every time I have told myself I would never do something again even if it meant I died, that survival instinct set in. I used to be haunted by the lives I took. Now I am haunted by the lives I didn’t. How many has Slade Wilson killed because I let him live? How many lives did Merlyn take? How many lives did Darhk take?”

Oliver looked the man in the eye when he mentioned the last. Diggle blamed himself for Laurel’s death and though Oliver didn’t, he knew he would have to use it.

“So what, you are just going to start killing again? Is that was this is turning into?”

“We didn’t kill everyone Dig. We could have killed Harvest and Wilson, Clay, Templar, but we didn’t. We had every intention of taking them in, probably to A.R.G.U.S. because as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t know who else could have kept them. But we didn’t get the chance. That wasn’t us. Barry didn’t have a choice to kill that shadow meta. Guess what? It was a monster but it was still a human of a sort. Is it for you to decide if that monster should live or die but the monster that started all this should live?”

“Apparently it is Nyssa’s decision. When the hell did you two become so chummy? You used to tolerate each other. Barry and Kara may be the supposed leaders but you two are calling the shots. Whose idea was it to put the assassin on the team in charge of deciding rules of combat?”

“Barry’s. It was his idea, and he was right. She is impartial. She was also right, you did want to kill…”

“I wanted payback! I didn’t want to kill her.”

Oliver saw the flinch and knew that Dig was lying to himself.

“Nyssa and I do not call any shots. We didn’t make the decision to stay away from A.R.G.U.S., Barry and Kara did.”

“Yeah and Lyla said you obviously approved. That was before you threatened to kill her if she talked about where Kara was from right? I love the girl too! She wouldn’t do that!”

“Lyla can’t be trusted.” Oliver told him bluntly. Dig was surprised.

“You are telling me I can’t trust my wife? You? You know how many reasons I have not to trust you and I have let those go!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have. Thats not the point right now, is it? She set you up to get us involved. Maybe she told herself that wasn’t what she was doing but it was what she did. She was waiting for us after the battle and if Firestorm hadn’t burned that clone you can bet she would have had that thing in a lab before Zatanna could get us home.”

Dig took in Oliver, his face, his mannerisms. He thought he knew everything about the man but was beginning to wonder.

“She wouldn’t do that. I trust my wife.”

There is was. The target. Dig had held it up himself with a very big bullseye on it. All the Arrow had to do was fire.

“John, you have trusted family before.” he told him gently, knowing it would hurt the same but he couldn’t be more direct. “I think you shouldn’t be involved with us.”

Diggle stepped back in shock, but staying quiet as he usually did.

“Dig, Lyla is going to want you to give her information on us. You are going to be torn between your family and the League. While you may trust her, after the last couple days I guarantee not one person in there trusts her.”

“Oh yeah? What about Felicity? Thea?”

“Yeah, they don’t either John. They love you so I would appreciate you just taking my word for it but if you have to ask feel free.”

The large man’s shoulders slumped. “They blame me, don’t they?”

“No they don’t.”

“Yeah Oliver, they do. Felicity hasn’t looked at me the same, Thea is better at hiding it but… Andy didn’t just get Laurel killed, I… we kind of ended that night, didn’t we?”

Oliver tried to control his emotions but unable, turned his back to his friend so he wouldn’t see the red in his eyes.

“Dig, one day you may have to choose, your family or us. The choice will always be your family. I think it is better if you make that choice now and go to them.”

Dig nodded his head, looking at the ground. “I know why you are doing this. I get it Oliver. I know Felicity and Thea blame me for Laurel’s death, I blame myself and I know you blame yourself because its what you do. But… we would have maybe not moved past it but learned to live with it, learned to live with each other. But I get it.”

“Dig…”

“I love you Oliver. I know you love me. Brothers right?”

“Yeah.” Oliver whispered sadly.

“But that little bundle of joy in there, you may have broken some oaths before but protecting that girl is one you will never break. The biggest threat you see to her is A.R.G.U.S. I think you are right. I appreciate you not,,, saying what you could have said.”

“I wouldn’t, or at least I couldn’t.”

“I’m uh… tell everybody I had to get back to Star City, pick up Sara. Call me every now and then, okay? No shop talk, I just want to know you are okay.”

“Count on it.” Oliver told him, pulling him in for a hug.

“Hey, Kara and Barry, just don’t let them…”

“It’s too late. They already are. I thought I could protect them, do the things that needed to be done so they wouldn’t have to. That ended though. It ended when she became pregnant. The first time they heard her heartbeat, the first sonogram, the first kick and holding her for the first time. They will never like killing but they will do it in an instant if it is necessary. John, please, talk to Lyla, do what you can to keep her away from the League. Get her to convince the President that a war would only end badly for them. Tell her how fast Barry has gotten. Its okay because you aren’t giving up a secret. They need to know that those two couldn’t be beat on their own much less with the team we have. Any attempt to interfere… It wouldn’t end well.”

“I know. Take care.”

Oliver watched the man he had fought countless battles with, who had saved his life more than once, who had drank with him and given him advice when he needed it. Who while judging, never interfered, letting him make his own dumb mistakes, walk out of his life, for all intents and purposes. They would still talk, call on holidays but the days of fighting side by side, taking on the world, were over and it killed him.

“You didn’t have to. I know why you did and I know it hurts you. It hurts me. The man saved my life. He fought for my family. We could make it work. Maybe we can talk to Lyla…” Kara offered, meeting Oliver in the parking lot. She had tears in her eyes but they wouldn’t fall. She had to be stronger than that.

“Lyla Diggle, nor any other member of the Government are to ever become involved with us. Too much is at stake. I used to be a killer. Then maybe I became somewhat of a hero and a killer. But now, I am a protector. Remember? Protection isn’t always physical, Kara. All it would take is one of those agents or even Lyla to find one strand of her hair that may drop off and have a DNA analysis. Felicity owns their system. Her and Curtis have started a cyber attack A.R.G.U.S. doesn’t even realize is happening. Everyday she is learning about more A.R.G.U.S. hideouts, mission reports, labs, experiments, prisons and different servers they keep the secrets they really don’t want getting out. We do this to stay ahead. We do this to avoid a war and we do this to protect your daughter. I love Dig but he was a threat and he knew it, even if he didn’t mean to be. It’s done. How are you?”

“I’m fine. I hate that you just lost a friend and…”

“Kara? This is me. How are you?”

“I’ll never forget the sound of his neck breaking.” she admitted. “He was innocent. But I did it. He didn’t leave me with a choice. If it had been the two of us, I could have wrestled him, knocked him out eventually, but when he used his heat vision on the ground, too many people could have been hurt. I had to do it and I would do it again.”

“Good. You made the right call. You also were merciful, whether you want to admit it or not.”

“Merciful? Snapping his neck was merciful? At least the metal guy was a person who could think for himself. He knew what he was doing and asked for it. This kid…”

“He was a clone. He had no mind of his own. Everything about him was preprogrammed. That’s no way to live. Did I ever tell you about the first time I broke a neck?”

“No.” Kara admitted, giving it some thought for a second. She was one of the few who knew most of Oliver’s history but could not think of that one.

“It was on the island of course. I hate to admit this to you of all people, but I killed a bird.”

“You bastard!” Kara told him, only half kidding. She loved birds.

“I knew that would be your response. I kill hundreds and we are good. I kill a bird…”

“I’m kidding Oliver… sort of. Why did you kill the bird? This better be good. The bird had better have been carrying a machine gun or something.”

“No, no machine gun. I told you that Yao Fei took me under his protection, literally kept me alive. He taught me a lot but the most important thing he taught me was killing that bird. I was starving. I had just seen Sara die, my father murder a man and kill himself. I washed up on that hell and after burying my father took an arrow to the shoulder. When I woke I was so hungry I thought I would die. Keep in mind till that point in my life, if I didn’t feel like getting out of bed for breakfast, I had it brought to me. I still can’t believe I lived through the island. Anyway, Yao Fei had caught a bird. He was already eating one, having roasted it over a fire and even as small as it was, it smelt like the best food I… there was one more in the cage. He kept pointing to it and saying shengcun. I didn’t understand what that meant and he wasn’t volunteering. He hadn’t even spoke English to that point. I begged him for food and he kept saying shengcun. It took me a while but I realized he wanted me to kill the bird myself. So I did. I still remember the feeling, the blood and feathers on my hands, staring at them. I had never killed anything in my life. Yao told me shengcun meant survive. It wouldn’t be the last thing I had to kill if I was to survive the island. He was very, very correct. That is the situation you are going to find yourself in Kara, on occasion. I know you would kill for your family and you have. But there are times you are going to have to kill an enemy to survive because you have to be there for your daughter. Never hesitate, never second guess yourself. Shengcun.”

Kara thought of what he said for a moment.

“Oliver? Have you ever thought of writing children’s books? Because if you have, please don’t.”

Oliver laughed and punched her on the shoulder, the two going back in. The League had lost a member. Oliver would get Felicity to change the codes on the doors to the lair and fry the systems remotely. Everything he needed from there was here now and they wouldn’t be going back. He hoped John stayed out of trouble or had the sense to ask him for help and not A.R.G.U.S. but it was not his decision any longer. The Arrow knew, come what may, if nothing else, he wouldn’t die alone in some underground lair. That would be enough.

Before the meeting broke up and all retired for some much deserved rest except the two new parents, who had work and a business to open plus a little girl who demanded attention. Kara also noticed Charlie had not been licking her face as much. She knew he was annoyed he had been left behind and wasn’t happy with her appearance the night before. Superwoman admitted she looked a bit like a horror movie extra and wished she hadn’t let Lexie see her like that, but she needed to hold her daughter.

Before the entire lab emptied, she made sure Alex had left and then grabbed Sara.

“Hey can I talk to you?” Kara whispered, making sure neither Nyssa or Alex had doubled back.

“I don’t care what Alex says, I am not quitting.” Sara told her immediately. Kara shook her head.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t let you. We are sisters in battle. Donna has taught me those are few and far between. You and Alex are as well and whether either of you like to admit it you like each other. I need information. You know about ancient ceremonies, ninja stuff from the Panda land…”

“Nanda Parbat.”

“Yeah, thats the one. Have you ever heard about a ceremony involving King Cobras, a Bengal Tiger and a stolen sock?”

Sara dropped her head.

“Nyssa right?”

“Yeah, she has been giving me instructions. I told Alex I wanted to organize the wedding and I do but all I am getting is these weird requirements. I’m beginning to think they are screwing with me.”

“No Kara, I don’t know of any wedding ceremonies or ceremonies at all for that matter that require a Bengal Tiger and King Cobras. I would have definitely heard about that.”

“And no divorce proceeding that require a sock from the ex to be burned?”

Sara couldn’t hold in her laughter any longer. Kara’s face turned red.

“I should have let you hit her in the head with the staff. This will not go unanswered.”

“Oh yeah? I like it. I probably shouldn’t get involved though. Mine and Alex’s cease fire is tenuous at best.”

“And yet the two of you work so well together in fights. Face it, you both like each other and are too stubborn to admit it. But I understand. This is… yeah, this may be Ray’s building now and the Justice League’s headquarters but its still Team Superflashes house and nobody messes with our house.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure but it sounds good. I heard the nobody messes with our house thing on a commercial. Football players were involved so it sounded violent. Thanks for the info Sara. I got this.”

Later that night, after a long day of visiting the station and watching the officers watch the news about the geological event in Vietnam and being besieged by a thousand questions, along with a grumpy Lexie and a day of painting but no customers which she told herself didn’t bother her, Barry and Kara sat with Caitlin and Cisco in their living room. Barry barely held in a smile as Kara explained the grave grievances she had suffered.

“Stop smiling Barry, this isn’t funny. My days of playing the dumb blonde are over. They started a war. I took down Ray Palmer and I will take down the great Nyssa and her sidekick Valkyrie.”

“Side kick?”

“Yes Cisco, side kick. That is the politest thing I can think of to call her right now. In the past, in my younger days…”

“You are 26.” Caitlin reminded her.

“My younger days, I would have simply called Eliza. Eliza would sit Alex down and lecture her while I listened with satisfaction from the bedroom and then swore to Alex I had no idea how Eliza found out. But I have grown, learned. My daughter will learn to handle these things on her own and I will be the example. So what are we going to do?”

The three looked at each other.

“You don’t have a plan?” Cait asked.

“Uh, we are Team Superflash. Me and Barry do the fighting, you guys do the thinking.”

“You wrote an equation on dark matter that Harry and Martin are still trying to figure out.” Cisco reminded her.

“Thinking about my childhood lessons brings me unimaginable pain.” Kara tried, playing that card again.

Cisco wasn’t buying it. “You are so full of…”

“Hey!” Barry spoke up quietly, Lexie nearly asleep in his arms. “No bad language around my daughter. She is right guys, we are a team. We need a plan. One that ends this in one single stroke. Nyssa is a master tactician. We cannot give any room for retaliation.”

“Give her what she wants.” Caitlin told the three.

“I am not flying to India or Egypt or anywhere else to grab giant extremely poisonous snakes or a Tiger or stealing one of Oliver’s socks.”

“Maybe not but we can make them think you did.” Cisco realized, a grin on his face. “I like where you are going with this Dr. Snow. We are going to need some cameras, small ones so we can enjoy the show. I can build the toys tonight but to make it life like we are going to need some sound gifs, Caitlin. How much can you learn about the movements and sounds of poisonous reptiles?”

“As much as I need to by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Caitlin and I will take Alex and Nyssa out tomorrow night for dinner to talk about the wedding.” Kara decided. “I will bow out at the last minute. Their security is going to be a problem.”

Cisco laughed. “Please, I think I can hack a security system or better reboot the thing. Since my boy here has gotten fast enough to phase objects through walls getting a couple big crates shouldn’t be a problem. A few seconds is all he needs. The system will take thirty seconds to reboot.”

“Cool, its on then. You can make it life like Cisco?”

“Yeah… but to really make it move, if you want to use a sack we could use a couple million nano bots.”

“Got it.” Kara picked up the phone and Ray answered immediately.

“Whats up? Fight? Farichild? Harvest not dead? I am down with it, where is the battle? I can be there in…”

“Ray! Calm down. Cisco is going to ask you for some equipment tomorrow, Be at the lab at 6 AM and he can let you know what he needs.”

“Uh… what kind of equipment?”

“The kind needed for a practical joke. It will be great. We will let you see the video when we are done. We just need a couple million of your prototype mini robots you got from the Bee lady.”

“A couple million? Those things aren’t cheap. Not that cheap anyway. Besides we are prank enemies, Kara. You painted my suit pink.”

“You said you didn’t mind.”

“I lied. Why should I help you?”

“Because you use a really nice cologne. A unique one, I am betting very expensive. You are probably the only one who wears it in Central City. I have a nose for these things.”

“Your point?”

“My point is you give us what we want and I won’t mention to Oliver that I have smelt that cologne all over Thea for the past six months usually in the morning.”

Ray said nothing, frozen in place, then looking back at Thea who was already in bed, looking quite annoyed that he had taken the call.

“Look Ray, I know Thea isn’t a kid. She is an adult and can do whatever she wants. But after sleeping with Felicity in the past and now his little sister… I haven’t said anything because I know what Oliver would do. We both know Oliver has his limits and while he wouldn’t kill you he would severely injure you. Your face would end up with more scars than his torso. But I am starting to feel guilty about keeping this little secret from Oliver. You know we are close. I might feel less guilty if you give us what we want.”

“I’ll be at the lab at 5:45 AM. I wasn’t planning on sleeping tonight anyway.”

“I bet not.”

“That isn’t what I meant!” Ray denied, knowing that was exactly what he meant and hung up the phone.

“Okay, so that is taken care of. Who wants to watch a movie?”

“Ray and Thea?” Caitlin asked. Kara shrugged. The mission was a go. Team Superflash was back in action and Team Vigilante would regret the day they tried to play her for a fool.

The next night, Alex and Nyssa sat with Caitlin at Big Belly Burger to Nyssa’s great displeasure. The taste and smell of french fries dipped in malts was as great temptation she would not give into.

“Uh, wasn’t Kara coming? She is the one who called and asked us to be here.” Alex griped.

“Yeah she called me too, “Caitlin confirmed “but then she texted and said she had some important deliveries come in at the docks.”

“Deliveries? What kind of deliveries? A golden baby bed or a golden doggy bed?” Alex asked humorously. Cait laughed as well. Her phone buzzed and she saw a text from Kara that mission was in progress.

“Wow, I guess she got her deliveries. So lets talk about the wedding. Kara has mentioned some quite eccentric requirements? Maybe if you two could give me run down of the ceremony I could help her out with the planning. She won’t admit it but I have seen her at the Gallery a few times this week. Between painting and taking care of Lexie and trying to manage a business I think she is really stressed out about not coming through. She looked pretty depressed, at least as depressed as Kara can. I think she is afraid of letting you down, Alex.”

“She is?”

“Yeah, she just wants everything to be perfect, the way hers was. I’ve tried to talk to her but you know your sister. Always keeping the pain and the worry on the inside. She doesn’t want to let you down. I know the, was it snakes? Yes the poisonous snakes are very difficult to get through customs. She said she had one option left and if it didn’t pan out she would have to leave Lexie and the gallery for a day and fly to India. Walking through the forests and trying to track them down shouldn’t be a problem. Her biggest concern is flying them back home. They will have to be in a bag of course and she can’t fly very fast. It will probably take her all day. Did you know those snakes can be up to five and a half feet long and are one of the most venomous snakes in the world? I’m trying to develop a faster acting antidote, just in case one gets loose and bites a guest. The poison is a neurotoxin…”

“I know what it is Cait.” Alex chuckled nervously. She had been certain Kara would steal one of Oliver’s socks first. The wedding was six weeks away. Why in the hell was she worried about getting these creatures first?

The three chatted while eating, Alex and Nyssa doing their best to avoid giving a general idea of a ceremony they had not decided on yet, while Alex did her best to ignore the troubled feeling she was getting about Kara’s absence. What could be so important at the docks that Kara would stand her up for a dinner she invited her to and not even be with Lexie? She bet that damn mutt was with her, probably wearing a mask. Her worries were allayed when she received a call from her little sister.

“Where are you?” Alex greeted.

“Hello to you too. Sorry I missed dinner but it was really important! The guy I contacted came through!”

“Barry?”

“No, a friend of Oliver’s. I needed some things that were hard to get and Oliver knows people who know people. Not rich people like the ones Nyssa knows but more of the criminal sort. Its kind of weird that he knows so many criminals when you think about what he does now. Anyway, I had to come home to put Lexie and Charlie to bed. Barry is great at putting Lexie to bed but I like to kiss her and try to get one more smile before she goes to sleep. Plus Barry refuses to fluff Charlie’s pillow.”

“Kara! What was so important that you had to get at this time of night?”

‘It’s a surprise. I took it to your apartment. For some reason your security system wasn’t set which worked out for me. I picked the lock but I did it just like you taught me and there is absolutely no damage to it. I think there was a power outage in the building. You may want to check when you get home. I’m home now, tell Caitlin I will call her after I put Lexie to bed. Love you sis.”

Alex looked at her phone, then at the two women, obviously expecting an explanation as to Superwoman’s whereabouts.

“Everything okay?” Nyssa asked, recognizing the worried look on Alex’s face. Although Kara was practically invincible she also seemed to be the one who found the most trouble.

“We need to go home now. Uh… Cait, Kara said she would call you when she gets Lexie to bed and fluffs something on Charlie.”

Alex drove quickly to their apartment, not answering any of Nyssa’s questions because she didn’t have answers. All she knew was Kara got in when the security system was down and left a surprise she had to pick up from a ship in their home.

Unlocking the door, Alex was relieved to see the security system was on and the system did not appear to have any damage. Strangely the dead bolt was locked and she wasn’t quite sure how that was picked because the tumblers were double protected. It shouldn’t have been able to be picked.

Her worries over the dead bolt were forgotten when Nyssa sucked in a breath, surprised. Not much surprised Nyssa.

In the middle of their spacious living room was a green box five foot high and six foot long. The box had small two inch size holes surrounding the top. In front of the green box was a large grey burlap sack.

The sack was moving. Alex could also hear something moving in the wooden box as it shook from side to side.

“There is hissing coming from the sack.” Nyssa whispered.

“Okay… what do you think is in the box?”

“Get your gun and your sister on your phone. Use a silencer, we don’t want to wake the neighbors. I will arm myself accordingly.”

“According to what?”

“Just get your sister on the phone and find out!”

As Nyssa raised her voice a low roar was heard in the box and it shook harder, the lock on the front nearly cracking off the wood box. Alex hit the number in contacts quickly.

“Kara!”

“Hey Alex. Are you home already?”

“Yes! What did you do?!”

“What did I do? I’m confused. I thought you would be happy. I got you King Cobras, they are in the bag, nasty things, mean disposition. I figured you could pick the ones you like and dontate the other two to a zoo. They can’t stay in the bag so I would recommend putting them in a bath tub. The tiger, I would just keep him in the box and feed him through the air holes.”

“Kara,” Alex started, trying to stay calm, “why are their cobras and a live tiger in my living room? The wedding isn’t for another six weeks and… and… and…”

“Alex, these creatures are difficult to get through customs. A lot of bribes had to be paid and it was a small window of opportunity. I couldn’t just leave my baby to fly overseas.”

“Why here?!”

“Uh, that cat in the box is one of nature’s most efficient killing machines. Those four snakes are on Discovery Channel all the time and it isn’t because they are soft and cuddly. Lexie is not invincible Alex. Maybe she will be one day but I can’t have her or my Charlie getting eaten or bit. I would expect you to realize that. You said these were necessary and important and I am doing my best to make you happy! When will it be enough for you? Aren’t you happy? I thought this was what you wanted?”

“No… no sweetie calm down. It’s… it’s fine. I do like them. It means a lot to me that you got them but I’m just not sure what to do with them. The building has a strict no deadly or endangered predators policy.”

“Nyssa owns the building, tell her to change the policy. I will help you find a place for them tommorrow. For now just leave them alone. The tiger should calm down once he gets used to the new surroundings and the snakes, just make sure the bag stays tied up and it won’t be a problem. I’m glad you are happy. I’m trying to do the best I can for you. I really want this to be perfect. I love you Alex.”

“Yeah… yeah love you too. Good… good night.”

Alex walked back into the living room, gun in hand, screwing a silencer on. Nyssa had two very large swords.

“Are those…”

“Yep, four of them.” Alex could hear the hissing. The movement of the snakes was obvious even though covered by the bag, natural, crawling and wrapping around each other. Nyssa and Alex side stepped the bag and both peered into one of the small air holes on top of the wooden crate. A tiger’s eye met theres and a large roar shook the wood. Both heard a crack at the front. Alex saw the top where the lock was had been cracked, the enormous beast pressing against it. She threw her back against he door and planted her feet.

“Get over here and help me! The crate is giving out!”

Nyssa ran to her side and pressed then jumped back when the sack of snakes moved closer.

“Get over here!”

“No… those… let the tiger go. I will kill him, you handle the snakes.”

“Why me? The snakes are fine. Its the tiger that is about to make us dinner!”

“I… I don’t like snakes.” Nyssa admitted.

“You don’t like snakes? Wasn’t one of the preferred poisons of the League, pit viper venom?”

“Yes it was. I didn’t collect it myself. I can’t stand the slimy, evil, disgusting, hissing creatures. They remind me of my father and Malcolm Merlyn.”

“You are scared of snakes.” A sweating Alex realized. “Unbelievable.”

“I am not scared of snakes! I just don’t like… uh oh.”

“Uh oh? What uh oh?”

“The bag isn’t tied very well. I think… one of them… she really did get cobras. What is wrong with her!?”

“You told her too!”

“I didn’t think she would do it!” The bag opened and two snake heads appeared slithering out the long bodies following.

“Let the damn tiger go and kill these things. Shoot them! I’ll behead the tiger when he comes out behind you!”

“No! You have the swords, kill them before they bite me and help me hold this tiger back or you… ow!” Alex shouted as the tiger hit the door once more, trying to force its way out. “just kill them already!”

“No, my swords… they aren’t the right type. Jump onto the box and let the tiger kill them. I will join you as soon as he is free.”

“I’m not jumping on the box! He could turn around and jump on the box. He is a tiger! They jump!”

Alex’s concerns over strategy ended with one hard hit, sending her to the ground her face next to the snakes. She rolled away brining her gun up and firing into the box. Nyssa closed her eyes and swung down on the snakes, over and over again, not stopping, figuring even with her eyes closed nothing could survive her sharp onslaught of strikes.

“Nyssa stop swinging.” Alex told her, anger and disgust in her voice. Nyssa opened one eye and saw a shower of sparks. In between the shredded bag pieces and the floor were parts of mechanical snakes. On close inspection one could tell they were not real. But the likeness from five feet away was amazing. Even the movements were fluid. Alex picked up a piece and looked inside, shaking her head.

“Nano bots. The thing is filled with them at the joints. They are dead now. I guess you hacked the power source.”

“The tiger?”

“Take a look.”

Nyssa peered into the cage, seeing a mechanical creature, mostly a steel exoskeleton with a furry life like tiger’s head. The creature’s skeleton was attached to the four corners and a column pushed against the front of the box, obviously controlled by remote. The tiger’s head had four bullet holes in it, a credit to Alex.

“I… she… Kara… that little bit…”

Nyssa’s curse was cut short by the ringtone that belonged only to Kara.

Alex answered but said nothing, putting it on speaker phone instead.

“I’m assuming I am on speakerphone. When you two are ready to talk about planning an actual wedding, let me know and I will make it perfect. By the way, Felicity gave me one of Oliver’s used socks that hadn’t gone into the washer yet. I put it in the top drawer of your dresser. I’m not sure if you call it your panty drawer or rope drawer, freaks. Lexie says good night.”

The call ended leaving the two lovers alone in the silence, staring at each other.

“That… that was frightening. I admit I was a bit shook up. Do you think she really put a used sock in our rope… our top drawer?” Nyssa asked, guessing that she had. Alex shook her head. They would be shopping for new undergarments tomorrow.

“This wasn’t just her. The dead bolt was set and she couldn’t have picked it. Barry had to phase through and open it from inside so she could carry the boxes in or maybe he just phased them through. Those creatures, the detail, the sounds, that has Caitlin and Cisco written all over it. Knowing Kara she probably stole them or blackmailed Ray into giving them to Cisco.”

“What are we going to do about this?”

“Nothing!” Alex answered quickly. “They… if we escalate… Kara has this way, she can make everybody do what she wants. Its one of her evil superpowers. She has… for all we know she could bring a crocodile in here. I guarantee she wasn’t lying about the sock. The nano bots… she has something over Ray. If Felicity is involved… no we are going to let this go.”

“I will not! I will hold her dog hostage until she apologizes.”

“No you will not. That whole vendetta thing you grew up with is gone. Just… let it go.”

“Alex…”

“She really will bring a crocodile in here! You didn’t grow up with her. You have no idea what she is capable of! I taught her every underhanded move she knows! If we take Charlie, some sonic bomb is going to go off and Sara Lance will swing through the window with her staff and rescue the mutt. You know her and Kara have been talking and that woman would do anything to help her get back at us. Oliver Queen, he will give her whatever used laundry she wants. Barry… no security system can stop him. This cannot end well and honestly if you take her dog she will tear the wall out of our apartment to get him back, probably with glowing eyes and that damn black bodysuit You don’t want to see that. Central City PD will arrest us for dog napping! Its over Nyssa. Everyone does what she wants! If she faked a tear thinking about dead puppies you would even hug her and you know you would. No, we are going to apologize, chalk it up to lesson learned.”

“Everyone has a weakness. That dog is her most vulnerable spot.”

“She killed her uncle and lifted a hundred million ton prison into space! She has no limits and she doesn’t lose. Just drop it okay? We need to take the rop,,,top drawer out and burn the contents until we can shop in the morning. Then we need to decide on an actual ceremony. Me and my mother may have a great relationship now but if Kara has one conversation with a dose of puppy dog eyes and we are both called in for a lecture.”

“Fine, but I will keep any eye out. She has made a prank enemy this day. One with a long memory.”

“Yeah, like Oliver made an enemy of you and the two of you are besties now. Lets go to bed, hold each other under the covers with the lights on and forget this night ever happened.”

The next three weeks were uneventful, other than Kara selling four more paintings and being commissioned to paint two family portraits. She continued to work on the actual wedding ceremony Nyssa and Alex had decided on and Barry’s birthday party a week after the wedding as well as the fifth portrait she had painted of Barry holding Lexie, wanting to get it perfect. Alex did not have as easy a time at work. Central City had two gang related homicides she and Joe both caught along with Barry, who was much happier now that he saw Kara and Lexie at least once a day during work hours. The problem Alex had was not the work but the work place and Cisco.

Kara had told Alex and Nyssa the day after the wildlife incident where the hidden cameras had been and though she had no proof who did it, she suspected Cisco had leaked the video into a mass email sent to every officer in Central City. The three weeks had been filled with tiger dolls and fake rubber snakes left on her desk, every time she returned to work. Valkyrie had established quite the collection of toys.

At nine weeks old and nothing going on in the meta human world or the constant surveillance of A.R.G.U.S. Barry and Kara’s world, as always, was focused on Lexie. She had developed a love for rattles and actually listening to sounds, becoming excited by them and trying to babble back when spoken to. Jeremiah and Eliza were actually allowed to watch the baby one night as Kara and Barry attempted to have a night out. Instead the two stayed outside mostly, leaving the movie and restaurants multiple times to run back to Kara’s parents condo, staying outside using Kara’s X ray vision to check on the baby and her ever faithful guard dog.

A week before the wedding of the ex secret agent and the ex assassin, the League was once again training at the police bomb disposal range. This time a crowd had gathered. The police had access to the site of course and since the training had been hard to ignore because of the constant sonic booms emitted from the area, they often gathered to watch. Carter and Alex still fought often and while Alex had stopped using live rounds, Carter had been put to sleep often and Alex still continued to have problems ducking mace blows. Cisco actually knocked Barry down once, using vibrational blasts but before he could repeat the powerful action, Barry had been up and cuffed Vibe with a BOOT.

Now the gathered audience were watching the showdown all had come to enjoy. Kara still had the advantage over Donna in the air and Wonder Girl and Superwoman still traded blows and practiced new strikes and holds on the ground, Donna once wrapping Kara’s head with her cape, and pounding the woman of steel from behind. Now the two were fighting with swords that Donna had brought back from Themyscira, guaranteed not to shatter and as Kara learned, like Savage’s staff, capable of hurting her. Magic was her new Kryptonite. The two still enjoyed the battles, Donna getting better at aerial combat and both improving at hand to hand.

A crater was formed when both women slammed each other to the ground, causing all the spectators to back up, except for Barry, prepared to break up a real fight if tempers actually exploded, not that they ever did. Like always, Kara and Donna climbed out of the crater, laughing, covered in dirt.

“Aren’t you two cute?”

The voice came from above, no one having noticed the woman flying in and landing, being distracted by Donna and Kara’s battlle.

Both women froze, eyes wide and Donna actually gulping.

Diana Prince stood in front of the women, taking them both in. She was covered in her minuscule armor, sword in one hand, shield in the other and the glowing lasso clipped to her side.

“How… how did you get here?” Kara asked, struck by the sight of the beautiful woman as were the police officers who had never seen her before.

“I’m a Demi Goddess. You didn’t think I would figure out a way to travel between worlds? I had to see how the most powerful woman in the Universe and my little sister from another world are faring. Since this is training, your entire league is welcome to take me on but first lets see what you two have to offer. I hope you can put up a better fight than your baby cousin, Kara. Kal El seems to always fall for my tricks, still preferring brute strength to tactics. So, are you two ready for a real fight?”

Kara and Donna looked at each other.

“Why do I have the feeling we are about to get our butts kicked?” the blonde asked.

Donna sighed.

“Because we are.”