Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Seeing Red

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 45: Sparring Sessions

“Can we talk?” Kara asked.

“Of course we can talk. We do live together. It would be kind of awkward not to talk.” Alex tried, forcing a playful tone into her voice.

Kara took a slow breath. Alex had seen Leslie earlier that day, right before she had, and she looked as bad when she came out as she did three days before. Going through therapy with Leslie Thompkins could be a traumatizing experience in itself.

Kara motioned to the couch where the two sat side by side, as they often did.

“You said you were having trouble sleeping and started taking sedatives. Mom mentioned that you had some anxiety issues and were talking to Veritas about some meds. I assumed you were still seeing Jessica over the laptop. If you are, why were you talking to Leslie before my session four days ago? Why did you meet with her again today? What’s going on? It must be bad if you would voluntarily speak to her. Talk to me. I know this invasion has you worried but we have been in bad situations before. Why now, why her? What happened?”

Alex didn’t meet Kara’s eyes, leaning forward and staring at the hardwood floors instead.

“I needed… she… I needed to come to terms with some things, I needed… I needed someone who was an outsider to help me see things clearer.”

“Like what?” Kara asked carefully.

The older sister sat back and took Kara’s hand.

“I’m angry and I am scared. I am… this isn’t the right time.” the brunette decided.

“Yes, it is.” Kara insisted. “If something is bothering you, then you should talk to me.”

To Kara’s surprise, Alex laughed.

“Alex?”

“Sorry. I just found that funny. In the past, yeah, no doubt I would talk to you, but now things are different I guess.”

Kara was surprised by that and a bit confused, if not hurt. She had done everything Alex had asked since she was drugged and taken to the Block.

“Things are not different. Tell me what’s wrong. You aren’t going to feel comfortable talking to her about something you can’t tell me about. We used to have therapy sessions together, remember? We had no secrets and I thought… I thought we were getting back to that. I realize I haven’t been…”

Alex removed her hand and told her to stop.

“I have always told you that you owe me nothing, right?”

Kara nodded her head slowly.

“I was wrong. You do owe me something. You owe me an apology.”

The blonde swallowed and noted her mouth was becoming a bit dry. She had no idea where this was going, but it couldn’t be good.

“I’m… sorry?” she tried, not sure what she was apologizing for but having no doubt that she had done something wrong.

“What did you think would happen to me?” Alex asked, looking away.

Not sure what they were talking about still, Kara shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m not sure I am following. What are we talking about?”

Alex clenched her fists and closed her eyes.

“We all left to go to work. If Mom hadn’t insisted on checking on you, do you know what would have happened? I would have come home, walked straight to the bathroom, tripped over your dead body. and landed in your blood. That’s what I would have found. I wouldn’t have known why. I would have to explain it to Clark, live with the nightmares, wonder what I had done wrong, what I could have done differently, woken up screaming at night, living the rest of my life wondering why. What did you think would happen to me? You didn’t even leave a note. You went to the damn bathroom and did what you wanted and expected me to clean up the mess, didn’t you? You didn’t talk to me for weeks after you lived. Afterward you kept more secrets than before and that is saying something. You didn’t tell me about the drug use or cutting… or… anything. I want to hear you say you are sorry.”

Kara said nothing for a few moments, her eyes beginning to sting. Alex still wasn’t looking at her, so Kara carefully reached across and took her hand again.

“I thought we had worked past this. When…”

“You have never told me you were sorry, not once. What about Doomsday? You didn’t take a second to try and call me. You cut off the com so you couldn’t hear me until I showed up at the fight. Everything I have done for you, I have never asked for anything but your trust. You shut me out. You could have died getting that crystal out. Did it matter to you? Did you think about anything besides what you wanted to do right then and there?”

“Alex, I had to put a stop…”

“Just stop it!” Alex snapped. pulling her hand away. “I don’t want excuses. I want a damn apology and I want you to mean it. I want to trust you again. I want to feel like we are a team again, not me having to worry about protecting you from yourself all the time. I have given you everything I have, and I want an apology for hurting me. You promised me you wouldn’t take yourself away from me when you were 14 and you did.”

Kara shook her head, taken back by this conversation. A part of her knew that Leslie had everything to do with this but what Alex was saying wasn’t wrong.

“You are right. I did do what I wanted and didn’t think about how it would affect everyone, especially you. I am sorry. I know I owe you a lot, and I didn’t know this was bothering you so much. I’m glad you told me this…”

Alex stopped her. “Are you really? Because I don’t get the feeling we are on the same page, not like we were before Myriad. Not before the alcohol. What was it that drove you from me? It feels like it is happening again. Was it Cameron? Were you too ashamed of the drinking? Was it because I worked for the DEO, we all did? What was it Kara? What happened that we got to the point where you would lie to me about so many big things?”

Kara didn’t know what to say or how to answer. She had pulled herself away, from everyone and everything.

“When you killed that Ra’s guy and Merlyn, you told Bruce. You never told me. When did that happen? When did Bruce know secrets about you that I didn’t? I love Bruce but it has always been us. Always!”

The blonde brushed a strand of loose hair off her forehead and looked away from her older sister. She didn’t know how it happened. She didn’t know why really.

“I guess I wasn’t afraid of disappointing Bruce. I never cared what he thought of my actions. I didn’t want you to be disappointed in me again.”

Alex laughed quietly. “So you just planned to leave your dead body behind in our bathroom in National City or wait for me to watch the news coverage when I got home and found out Doomsday killed you? That makes a lot of sense, Kara.”

“I wasn’t thinking about you finding my body… me, okay? I am sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am for a lot of things I have done to you. Mom and Dad, I know I’m hell for them to love. I get it, okay? I am sorry.”

Alex looked at her sharply.

“If you are so damn sorry, why do I have a feeling no matter what we decide as a family you are just going to get involved anyway and this time have some plan to make sure we are safe and can’t interfere? That’s what you are going to do, right Kara? It’s how you justify things. In the past we would have been together on this, talking about it, looking at it from every angle. We planned how to take down Indigo for months and it worked. We did it together. We have always been better together. Right now you are just waiting for our family discussion so you can ignore whatever we decide to do based on some self-justification you always seem to have.”

Kara stood up from the couch and wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. You want an apology I am giving you one and I mean it. I love you Alex. I owe you a lot more than an apology…”

“Exactly.” Alex stopped her. “You do. So you are going to pay me back now. You are going to swear that you won’t pull that crap like Doomsday again. I want your oath. You are going to do what we decide, and more importantly, what I decide. If we get involved we are going to have a plan and we are going to do it together. There won’t be any suicide missions, no throwing yourself into fighting opponents and trying to beat them with brute force. No losing yourself into some blood rage. I’ve never asked you for anything but you are going to give me this. You are going to swear. That meant something to my little sister once and I want to believe it still does.”

Kara looked closely at Alex, surprised that despite the anger in her voice she looked distraught, desperate even and was on the verge of breaking down. Kara had not seen Alex in this state in a very long time. She wrapped her arms around her and Alex immediately buried her head in Kara’s shoulder, shaking with sobs.

“Don’t cry, please. I am sorry, Alex. I never wanted this. I never wanted any of this and you never deserved it.”

“I want my sister back. I want the one who told me everything. If there were secrets they were our secrets, together. I want to trust you, Kara. I worry all the time that you are going to turn that damn ring on and fly off in the middle of the night to try and take this invasion force and the Worldkillers out in space by yourself. Do you know what would happen if you did?”

“You think I would die.” Kara guessed. She wouldn’t admit it but the thought had flashed through her head a few times.

Alex shook her head. “Honestly, I think Kara Zor El, the strongest Red Lantern that has ever existed could wipe out the fleet and the Worldkillers, but Kara Danvers would be gone. She would never come back. Maybe you wouldn’t lose yourself again like you did when you first took that ring but the temptation would be too great. There would be no way you could kill that many creatures, tap into that much power and just stop. You would never be the same and you would probably never come back to this planet. Those other Red Lanterns… some are okay. I think Gardner is a good guy but I think those others… they are waiting for you. They are waiting for you to take over and unleash them all on the Universe. They would worship you, Kara. You know it, Gardner knows it and the Greens know it. My little sister would be gone and this time I wouldn’t even have a body to bury.”

Kara let go of Alex and pulled back a bit to meet her eyes.

“I won’t let that happen. I won’t do that, I swear.”

“You’ve sworn you wouldn’t leave me before.” Alex reminded her. “You broke that oath.”

“Yeah, I know. What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know. I just… I don’t believe in coincidences. The timing, the circumstances of me finding you and Clark that day, it wasn’t an accident. We were meant to be in this together, by each other’s side, good or bad, always. I want to feel that way again. I want to believe that you believe it. I want to believe that when we fight, we fight at each other’s side, not you trying to protect me. If we go down, we go down together, always.”

Kara closed her eyes for a moment, reflecting on the secrets she had kept and broken promises she had made to Alex. She talked about it often with Leslie. It was all she seemed to talk about at times.

“I’ll do what you want. I swear to you, Alex. I don’t want to hurt you. Tell me what you want me to do.”

Alex tried to smile, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffing a bit. She had been dreading this conversation but knew it had to happen. The anxiety over what Kara would do was driving her mad and making her physically ill.

“I don’t know, Kara. I just want to be a part of whatever it is. I want to be your equal, your partner again, not your enemy, not someone to push out of the way so you can do what you want.”

Kara wondered if that was true. She didn’t see Alex as an enemy. Alex was the complete opposite of an enemy.

But it was true, in the past few years, her first instinct was to hide things from Alex rather than tell her. Growing up, no matter what, they told each other everything. When had that changed?

It changed after Myriad, when the blonde decided forgetting with a bottle was easier than remembering by talking to her sister or anyone for that matter.

“How long have you been this angry with me?” Kara asked, not sure she wanted to know but needing to.

“How long do you think?” Alex asked.

“Since I cut my wrists?” Kara guessed.

Alex shook her head. “Try the first time I had to get J’onn to pull you out of an alien bar because you had drunk so much you couldn’t walk. You were 19. You swore to me it was a one-time thing and you tried some new drink. I let myself believe it because… and then… I just stood by and watched you and ignored everything and you… Mom found you.”

“Oh… that’s a while.” Kara admitted quietly. “Why haven’t you talked to me about this before? Like when I was in the Block or when I got out…”

“Because I didn’t want to hurt you. It’s just too much now. You can’t keep doing this to me, to us. You cut me out during the Doomsday fight. You turned off your com so you wouldn’t have to hear us.” Alex reminded her again, nearly breaking down once more.

“You shouldn’t have been involved. You could have died. You almost did. How do you think that would have made me feel?” Kara asked.

“Feel? You wouldn’t have felt anything because you would have been dead too. The only reason you took that ring and lived was because you thought I died. If I hadn’t been there, you would have never become a Red Lantern and would never have survived.”

Kara shook her head and pulled away, facing away from Alex.

“Did it ever occur to you that I may have rather died than have acid for blood?”

“Did it ever occur to you that we could have come up with a plan to contain that monster without you going head to head with it? You went into that fight expecting to die! How many times did you want to run off and fight Non and Astra by yourself knowing you couldn’t win? Every damn time something comes up like this, your first instinct is to go it alone. You aren’t alone! What you do affects both of us. I can tell by the way you were acting in the Hangar. I know you, Kara. You may have told them you hadn’t decided yet but I recognized that look on your face. You were giving orders. You are preparing for war.”

“Because war is coming! Damn it, Alex, let’s go to Metropolis tomorrow, or National City or Gotham or Paris! Let’s find a daycare center and go inside and tell the kids that they will probably die or at least their homes will be destroyed because getting involved in an alien invasion isn’t good for my mental or emotional health! Let’s go to Clark’s school and stand in the hallways and tell each other it’s okay for them to die because I am retired. Do you feel like doing that, Alex?”

Alex shook her head slightly. “I know, okay? I’ve ran the numbers, I’ve studied the enemies, I’ve studied Earth’s assets. I know they aren’t enough. I know if this world has any hope of standing it’s because we are going to stop this. I don’t know what to tell you, okay? I have a very bad feeling about this. I didn’t have time to think much about Doomsday. I’ve given this a lot of thought. I feel… something is about to end. I don’t know what, I just… I haven’t felt this afraid in a very long time. If you go down, so do I. You can’t leave me behind again. I’ve given you everything I have and all I want is to be by your side, no matter what. I’ve put just as much work and pain as you have into preparing for this life.”

Kara could not deny that, remembering how many bruises and scrapes Alex hid from her parents after sparring sessions. “How are we supposed to have a good feeling about this? How is this not scary? You think I want to live without you? You think I want to… I guess it’s the same thing I did to you, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know.” Alex whispered. “I just feel like I’m going to lose you, again. We are in this together. You need to understand that. What happens to you happens to me.”

Kara offered a hand to Alex, pulling her up and wrapping her in a tight hug. The two girls cried, holding each other, saying nothing.

Eventually pulling back, Kara ran a hand gently though her sister’s short hair.

“After we win this fight, you are going to grow your hair back out. I miss braiding it.”

Alex laughed, not feeling any better, but at least Kara sounded… like her Kara a little.

“As soon as we graduate clown college.” the brunette agreed. “Although I still think I would look hot dressed like Lara Croft.”

“Archeology is out. I kind of screwed our chances of that when I took out the last pyramid on Mars. Alex… you know what we have to do. There is no point in avoiding this any longer. I won’t leave you behind I swear, but you know we can’t stand by and do nothing.”

Alex nodded her head, took a deep breath and walked to the phone. She called her mother and said that she and Kara would be right over and to start the coffee.

The family sat in their usual positions in the living room. The parents had hoped to put this off as long as possible but judging by how emotionally drained their daughters looked it was obvious what their topic of conversation was tonight. They also didn’t miss that they were sitting very closely and holding hands as they often did in the past when they had a secret they had to admit to their parents and knew they wouldn’t like it. It was a defense mechanism for the girls. When one had trouble they clung to each other tighter.

“I want to start off by saying I will do what everyone agrees on.” Kara began. “I know what I think should happen but I will keep my opinion out of this. Alex and I have had some discussion on this tonight and… I want to hear what you both think”.

Strangely, instead of talking, no one said a word, not even Clark. The silence seemed to last forever in Kara’s mind, but she knew that they were putting off the inevitable. They knew the odds. The heroes of this Earth weren’t enough.

“Why can’t I fight? If it’s okay for you to fight why can’t I? I have the same powers. Yeah, I’m not as old as you but I can still fight and I am stronger than anyone else in this world.”

“I’m sorry Clark, but if we fail you are the only hope Earth is going to have.” Kara told him. “You are going to have to train with Kelex in the Fortress until you are ready and it could take years. I wanted to fight when I was 13 and Dad talked me out of it. If he hadn’t I would have died and so would the world later on. I wasn’t ready. You aren’t either.”

After a minute of silence, Jeremiah cleared his throat, relieved that Clark seemed to not want to argue.

“I don’t think you can beat Reign.” the man told his youngest daughter. “Under a yellow sun she would only be slightly less strong than Doomsday, she can fly, likely has heat vision and was a mutated Kryptonian to begin with.”

“He means,” Eliza clarified, “that he doesn’t think you can win without your ring. Can you even fight without using your ring? Guy told us you used the ring like it was second nature. Can you fly without using it or would it kick on and surround you in a red bubble? Would you always use your heat vision and hold back the ring in a fight against a stronger and faster opponent? Wouldn’t that distract you, using one part of yourself so much while denying another?”

“I don’t know.” Kara admitted. “All I can do is try and if I do use it… if I have to use it, if I have to go back into it later with John if I can talk him into it… I won’t lose myself. You have always told me that you believed fate brought us together. Maybe this is fate. Maybe this is why I have this ring. I can only promise I will try not to. The key is not to lose myself. I think if I can stay in Earth’s atmosphere while the Reds and Greens battle in space I could handle it. I’ve gotten stronger. My mind, I mean. If it happens, I’ve gotten a lot stronger mentally. I can handle it, long enough to stop this threat. Afterward, I will make it to the Fortress and you can use the band to knock me out, keep me sedated until I have a handle on it again. I can make it back. Gardner will help.”

The room quieted again, everyone lost in their own thoughts for a while, except Kara who just sat back and waited. Alex was right, she did owe her and her family. If they told her to stay out of it, they would all wait this out in the Fortress and offer what support they could. The blonde also knew it wouldn’t come to that. She knew her parents. They knew the truth as soon a Barry Allen arrived to talk to Jeremiah. The Danvers would have to save the world again.

Jeremiah reached over and took Eliza’s hand.

“So I guess we need a plan so maybe you don’t have to use that ring and we can win anyway.” he told the girls.

“Really?” the blonde asked, surprised.

“I hate this. I do, Kara.” Eliza admitted. “I wish this world would leave my children alone. I also know the two of you would never be able to live with yourselves if lives were lost and you didn’t try. We aren’t jumping into this like before. We have data, we have intelligence and we know what to expect, who the enemies are, and when they are coming. We are going into this prepared. If we have to do this, we will do it right.”

Kara and Alex looked at each other, not sure what to say, so the blonde turned her attention to Clark.

“Clark, I promised you that I would quit. I don’t want to break any promises to you. Tell me what you are thinking.”

The boy shook his head. “I think I am tired of my sisters always almost dying to save this world. I’m sick of it.” he told her quietly.

“But,” he added on, “I know you won’t be able to ever be happy if you didn’t stop this. I don’t think those others can. I don’t want to stay back but I know you won’t let me fight and wouldn’t pay attention to what you need to. I guess… we really don’t have a choice, do we?”

“No,” Kara agreed, ” I don’t think we ever have, Clark. Alex and our parents had a choice and they chose to claim us as their own. They made Earth our home. I don’t want to see it destroyed. There is a lot of bad in this world but there is also a lot of good. It’s on the Danvers to save the world again and we will. I promise we will win.”

“But who are you going to be after we do?” the little boy asked.

Kara shrugged her shoulders. “I’m going to be me. I’m going to be your sister, always. Alex too. We will end this quickly.”

Alex finally winked at her sister. “Flower of Heaven, who desperately needs a new name, is the biggest threat. Reign may be the strongest but she is going to be the toughest to kill. She will absorb the energy of any weapons fired at her and use it on her enemies. She can overload the power grids of cities, military installations, anything really. She can take down the internet, satellite signals, cut off communication everywhere. Connolly is going to have a tough time coordinating NATO forces from Metropolis. If he has no communications then it’s impossible. The Justice League couldn’t even coordinate with him or each other.”

“So you think I should fight her first?” Kara asked.

“You can’t defeat her.” Alex told her quickly.

“You would only make her stronger.” Jeremiah guessed. From what he had studied, the female Worldkiller had an unlimited ability to absorb energy, unlike Kara who could only take so much. This creature was nearly godlike.

“I have a plan. Kara can’t beat it, but I can.” Alex told the room. “It’s more dangerous than facing Indigo, but I think it could work.”

“How dangerous?” Jeremiah asked, not liking where this was going.

Alex cleared her throat not meeting her father’s eyes. “Remember that suit you made Grayson four years ago, the one he was too afraid to use?” she asked her little sister.

“The high altitude insertion suit? Yeah, I wasn’t exactly happy with him when I suggested he try it. Why… I’m really not going to like this plan.” Kara realized.

“Probably not, but it will work.” Alex told her in a voice that left no room for doubt.

40 Miles from Gotham City 9 PM the next night

Batman landed the transport silently in the large open field. Kara had chosen her location well. The land was mostly flat for miles around, uninhabited with nearest farm house 22 miles away. This land had been designated by the military in the 80s for a fall out bunker location but the large shelter had never been built. The United States owned the land and since no one was interested in the barren space, it had stayed untouched by human hands for the most part.

The Justice League walked out of the landing bay, suited up and ready for anything with the exception of John Stewart who had left his ring with Hal Jordan, not wanting to incite Kara Danvers rage.

The two sisters were waiting for them one hundred feet from the transport.

To Barry and Bruce’s dismay it was obvious the two girls had flown there and were dressed for battle, Kara wearing a solid black uniform with pants instead of a skirt and no cape and Alex decked out in what Bruce recognized as her stealth suit. It was solid black but had special panels Lobo had obtained, nearly imperceptible, that allowed her to blend into any background. With the mask covering her face, her heartbeat and respirations were silent. Alex didn’t wear the outfit often, always complaining that it was too inflexible due to the panels, so if she was wearing it now, she planned for trouble that she would need to be unseen to deal with.

Barry was at least happy when he realized that Kara’s red ring was still not shining.

“Thank you all for coming.” Kara greeted them. “I only need two of you tonight but wanted to speak to all of you.”

“You said you weren’t getting involved.” Bruce reminded her.

“I said I would discuss it with my family. We are all in agreement. I don’t need this ring to win. I am fighting this invasion no matter what you say, Bruce. Stewart, did you deliver my message to the Guardians?”

The man nodded his head, cautiously, trying to look her in the eyes but very wary of that ring on her finger.

“I passed along your threat. They have agreed to send the Lanterns here to battle the invasion in space. There will be 866 Green Lanterns, along with your… I mean Gardner’s Reds. The battle will be fierce and I cannot guarantee that ships won’t get through our blockade and reach the atmosphere of Earth.”

Kara was pleased to hear that. She had heard from Guy that some of the Guardians were precognitive beings, able to see possible futures. Her threat worked because they knew it wasn’t a threat.

“Tell your Lanterns to stay away from the World Killers. Don’t try to stop them. I will have control over the entire nuclear arsenal of this world. No nuclear missiles will be launched. The enemy ships will be prepared for them and Lanterns could be killed along with a possible nuclear winter across the planet. Space is yours, atmosphere is ours.”

“Did you say you had control over…” J’onn started.

“Why are you surprised, J’onn?” Alex interrupted him. “Of course we do. Do you really trust some countries not to take advantage of the invasion and launch at their enemies? Connolly may be coordinating NATO but other countries outside of NATO have nukes. Besides, Webb is actually going to be coordinating, correct? I’ve looked at the ship you thought you and J’onn were building secretly at S.T.A.R. Lab’s hangar. A cloaking device?” she reminded him. “My guess is you and my DEO buddies minus Webb, plan to break into the flagship and find information on Worldkiller One, right?”

Bruce nodded slowly. Kara and Alex had been busy but he wasn’t surprised. When they decided on a path, they followed through quickly and decisively.

“Please don’t do this, Kara.” Bruce asked her quietly.

Kara ignored him.

“You have all gone over the information on the Worldkillers several times no doubt. You all know what we are facing. When the time comes, Diana and Curry will have to fight Deimax. Barry, you are going to have to figure out a way to take out Perrilus. I have no doubt since the two will be together somewhere on this planet, your entire League will be together. Lobo will be providing support for Alex and I will find and kill Reign.”

Bruce shook his head. “And what will Alex be doing that she needs support from… Lobo?”

Kara smiled, her bright teeth glowing in the moonlit night.

“Alex is going to kill Flower of Heaven. We have a good idea where that bitch will be. Once the Worldkillers are dead, and the militaries of the world are fighting the invading forces I suspect, the king who I am certain is Worldkiller One will make an appearance on Earth. Bruce you have to find out what he is, because we will not have much time to come up with a plan.”

Barry didn’t understand why they were out here. Kara could have called them, met them at the DEO, the Hangar, S.T.A.R. or most likely the Batcave to tell them this information.

“We can handle this on our own.” Bruce told her once again, stepping closer to the blonde.

“No we can’t.” Arthur’s voice cut in. “You know it Wayne. I can tell by J’onn’s green face, he knows it as well and hates it. We aren’t enough. We can gang up on two of these Worldkillers but no one has figured out a way to beat Reign or the flower child. Nobody here likes it, but the world needs her. Both of them since the skinny brunette in black plans to take out the biggest problem.”

No one said a word, digesting Curry’s words. As much as Barry hated to admit it, the man was right. Reign could fly, he couldn’t and the Lanterns would be busy in space. Taking out an armada in space, one of over 800 ships, carrying God knew how many fighter crafts, would be difficult if not impossible no matter their numbers. Yes, they had the power to decimate the Fleet but ships would get past them.

“Why here?” Barry asked Kara.

“Because I need practice fighting without letting my emotions control me or using the ring. You need practice against a Kryptonian. I won’t be as powerful as the Wordlkillers, but it will give you a taste. I only need two of you, Barry and Diana. Barry, you are up first, if you want.”

“No.” Bruce told her.

Kara shook her head, expecting this reaction from her stubborn friend. This was why she asked them to come out, suited up without giving a reason. She knew he would have this reaction.

“Bruce, if one of them can beat me in a fight, I will stay out of it. If not, I am not going to stand by while Zor El’s creations burn this planet. Reign may not be as powerful as I was with a Red Ring. Diana beat me then. This time is different. Reign has the DNA of the military guild mixed with others. She is a warrior, cunning, deadly and likely in complete control. She is me, but stronger. That means I will have to be smarter and I am. If Diana cannot take me, she has no chance against Reign. Barry, you are up.”

Kara walked off leaving the Justice League standing and Barry giving Bruce a doubtful look then following Kara. He had never fought her and didn’t want to. The man knew he had gotten much better, much faster, much stronger and could take her. Now Kara had forced him into a dilemma. The only way to keep her safe was to hurt her.

As the two walked away, Bruce turned towards Alex, prepared to have an intense discussion only to find that she was gone. He looked quickly at J’onn.

“She is wearing a neural blocker.” the Martian explained. “I have no idea where she is. It’s too dark to look for footprints in grass and if we take the time she will strike. Leave it alone. Barry or Diana can handle this.”

“Whenever you are ready.” Kara told Barry once they had reached a distance Kara was apparently happy with. To the Flash’s surprise, the blonde kept her back to him and sat cross legged on the ground, her hands on her thighs.

Not sure what to do, the man began vibrating, keeping his form intangible then making speed mirages circling her. Barry watched her closely from the front, not that she would be able to tell with the mirages and the fact that her eyes were closed.

“Ten people just died while you are standing there, making cute replicas of yourself and wondering what you are going to do, Barry.” Kara told him calmly, her eyes still closed and face serene.

Barry tensed, realizing she wasn’t fooled by his mirages at all. Deciding he had no choice, the man regained solid form and increased the mass of his body, swinging fast and hard, too fast for her to see.

Before his fist touched her face, her hand shot up and stopped it then squeezed. The man felt the bones in his fist begin to break. He vibrated and jerked back, retreating backwards.

Kara slowly stood up.

“You are faster than me but you can’t hide the buzz of your body, the sound of your feet on the ground when your gain solid form and move, the air splitting, parting for your fist. I didn’t have to be faster than you, I just had to listen and anticipate where you would swing then wait for the contact. You have ten seconds to heal your hand. That’s ten more seconds than Perrilus would give you.”

Barry focused on the bones of his hand and they healed in two seconds. He waited for Kara to make the next move.

To his irritation and worry, she didn’t move, standing in one place with her eyes closed.

Though his hand was healed, he could still feel the throb. The man had worked for the better part of a year to become faster, stronger, deadlier. Within a second, Kara seated in a cross legged position with her eyes closed had broken his hand.

Deciding he couldn’t strike while being in the form he presently was, Barry stopped vibrating, instead moving in a zig zag pattern around her, moving in, backing up, trying to get a tilt of her head so he could move quickly and strike her from the other side.

Instead Kara opened her eyes slightly and tracked the man from her side.

He wasn’t moving fast enough. She could see him, Barry realized. Moving in front of her, hoping to land a strike to her abdomen instead of the face where she expected, Kara opened her eyes fully, her glowing eyes, and the Flash saw a flash of bright light, felt pain in his leg, the beams not breaking though his suit but the burns underneath obvious. The force of the blast, knocked his leg back, causing him to lose balance and hit the ground face first. Rolling over, he found himself pinned to the ground by an incredible gust of wind that did not seem to let up. He also felt the weight increase over his body, more and more. Only his head was left uncovered, the rest of his body buried under four foot thick ice from neck to foot.

Kara kneeled behind his head and placed her right palm over his face.

“You aren’t faster than the speed of light. Perrilus just crushed your skull. That monster’s tentacles are as almost as fast as heat vision. You aren’t coming back from that. I think you can beat her, so show me how.” she told him, still eerily calm. The blonde let go of his face and stepped back.

Barry felt his own temper rising. He would have preferred Kara’s rage. She was calm, almost playing with him. She was outsmarting him. She knew his weaknesses.

Because of that sphere so would the Worldkillers.

What were her weaknesses? Red sunlight? She would take out a grenade with her heat vision in a second, not that he had any. She was strong enough without her powers to rip a bracelet off if she had one as well.

What else?

Barry knew her. He had watched every public battle she had fought in over the six, nearly seven years she had become Supergirl.

Livewire. Electricity. She was hurt and it was Alex who took the meta by surprise to stop her.

Vibrating hard, the ice exploded and the man stood, throwing a lightning bolt in her direction.

He hit home, dropping her to the ground, doubled over and then to her knees.

Somewhere behind him he thought he might have heard Bruce yell to him not to do it, but Barry paid no mind. If he wanted her respect, if he wanted her safely out of this fight and away from Reign he would have to beat her. She left him with no choice.

The man moved quickly to her, reaching down for her shoulder, hoping she would give up because of the pain he inflicted.

The Flash forgot what many aliens and criminals found out the hard way. If there was one thing that Kara was used to it was pain.

The blonde looked up at him and was smiling.

He felt a hand around his throat and realized he was very far from the ground in a split second.

“A fall from this height kills you. J’onn will probably catch you, but what if he isn’t there?” Kara asked, then let go but quickly caught him by the shoulders in her strong hands.

“You can’t run on air. Perrilus can fly too. She can take you into space and leave you there. Don’t throw a lightning bolt and expect her to be down. Always assume your enemy can hurt you, until you know for certain that enemy is dead then burn the body.”

Barry was not sure what to say. She had moved fast but had he been paying attention he could have gotten out of her grip. He was faster than her.

He just hadn’t been smarter than her. She wasn’t injured, she drew him in and put him in the one place he was basically helpless before his mind could comprehend what was happening.

“Alex is going to need that venom. She thinks Perrilus will be susceptible to her own but isn’t sure. If nothing else that venom can stop Deimax. Once Perrilus is dead, that venom has to be extracted and given to her. She will have a short time to weaponize it and then get to where I am after I finish off Reign.”

“Why does she… you plan to use it on the first Worldkiller.” Barry realized.

“I have no idea what he is, what he can do but I know in my gut he will be there. That venom may give me the edge I need. Have you perfected stealing kinetic energy yet?”

Barry grinned despite himself. “Do I want to know how you know that?”

“I had Kelex send me Cisco’s files before I came here. You should have used it on me. You could have slowed me down and thrown a much stronger lightning bolt. You can do the same to Perrilus. Slow her down and use her energy for your speed and she can’t beat you. I believe in you. You know what to expect now. She will look like a mindless monster, but she isn’t. Never forget that.”

Barry told her he wouldn’t. Tonight he learned that being faster isn’t always the answer.

“You did good.” he told her. “You seemed really calm tonight.”

Kara grinned at him. “My family thinks I can’t fight without losing myself in a rage, even before this ring. But I have. I fought Non after Alex and Dante calmed me down. I didn’t let my rage loose until I had him defeated. I also felt nothing when I killed Astra.”

Barry looked in her eyes and saw a deep sadness there. She had told him that story, the battle on the beach and it sounded like it was nothing more than two women enraged, fighting with all their strength.

Kara saw his confusion. “Yeah, I was furious. I wanted to rip her to shreds for touching my family. Then I had her… I had her just where I wanted her and I… for a split second I couldn’t do it. The rage left and I realized despite everything, I still loved her. So I did what Jack Webb trained me to do. I cut off my emotions and I snapped her neck. Seeing your father die in front of you was traumatizing, I know. Imagine if you had to kill him yourself to protect the world and more importantly the people you loved. Do you understand? Have you figured out what I am yet? What you could be? That is what could happen to you one day. I’m sorry, but it might. One day, you might become me.”

The two said nothing for a few moments, Barry in deep thought and Kara watching and wondering if it was sinking in.

“Kara?”

“Yeah?”

‘My shoulders are getting really sore. Think we could go back to the ground, slowly?”

Kara nodded her head once again not knowing if Barry got it. Barry didn’t understand what she and Alex had to become or why. She hoped he never did.

The two landed softly on the ground a moment later. She let him go as soon as they touched ground and motioned towards Diana, beckoning her with a finger.

“You’re next.”

Diana grinned but on the inside was very worried. Kara had an easy time not letting her rage take over when fighting with Barry. She loved him after all. No matter what would or would most likely never happen between him, the love had been real.

Diana knew that deep down, in a place Kara did her best to keep locked away, the blonde hated her. Would this be the time that her rage took over? If it did, Diana could beat her but the girl would be lost. If it didn’t, Diana doubted she could defeat her.

The two women walked the same distance Barry and Kara had.

“Are you worried? I won’t hurt you.” Kara told her in a flat voice.

“I am not worried about you hurting me.” the Amazon told her.

“I would be worried if I were you.”

Kara’s eyes lit up and struck, Diana expecting the attack to come towards her head. Instead the blast hit her abdomen and sent her flying back. The Amazon flipped to her feet quickly and slammed her gauntlets together, a massive concussive blast striking Kara.

Kara had not moved, looking at her with an expressionless face.

Then the Kryptonian slapped her palms together, a concussive blast striking Diana and pushing her back a few feet.

“Now that we both know that trick, are you ready?”

Diana tossed her lasso quickly, knowing Kara could not break it. Instead Kara caught it and pulled her forward, striking her with a kick that sent her high, then punching her in the air, sending the woman straight back to the ground.

Kara went back in the air, lasso in hand, rolling it up then tossing it away.

Floating to the ground, as Diana stood up, the blonde took an attack stance. As she was trained from childhood, Diana attacked first.

The two traded blows, neither of them making contact, each swing blocked, until Kara dropped to the ground and swept her leg. Diana twisted, flipped in the air. When she tried to get off her back, she found the tip of her sword at her throat. Kara had taken it off her back.

“Ares was a hundred years ago, right? You’ve beaten a few alien red shirts since Bruce formed your group. Maybe if you had more experience fighting real alien threats like White Martians, you would know how strong and fast we really are. Of course who would keep the marble sculptures in Paris in perfect condition? Or shop the fanciest boutiques in Europe? Live in luxury apartments? It’s nice of you to step up now though. You did fight Atrocitus. Barry killed him but it was your plan. I know how you fight Diana. You don’t know how I do. You saw the monster I became but you have never seen the killer I am.”

Kara tossed the sword away into the darkness.

Diana rolled on her back then kicked, finally contacting Kara’s chest and sending her back. She stood up and attacked once more, only to find herself struck with three short strikes to her face and a slap to her ear, followed by a headbutt that sent her to the ground, causing a small woman shaped crater.

Kara stepped back and relaxed, even closing her eyes.

Unlike Barry, Diana was not fooled. It was obvious Kara had not only trained and mastered many styles, she had fought many battles against difficult opponents. The Amazon also suspected Dante had taught her to fight blind in the event that she ever lost her vision to a heat vision blast.

Taking her shield she slung it at the Kryptonian’s head, hoping it didn’t take her head off.

Instead Kara stood strong, eyes still closed shield clutched in her hand horizontally.

The girl opened her eyes.

“You are strong. You aren’t strong enough. If Reign gets past me, you are the only thing standing in her way. She is probably going to do this to you.”

Dropping the shield, the blonde shot into the sky high enough that Diana lost track of her.

Then the sky lit up, heat vision blasts raining down from the sky. The woman blocked with her gauntlet’s deflecting them back up, but she never heard any indication of a hit. Instead a new blast would rain down from a different direction, to her left, behind her. Unable to anticipate where the next would come from and not as fast as Barry, one finally struck home, burning her chest. She hit the ground and more heat vision blasts came near her, twin beams each time, to the sides of her head, striking and burning her hands, her armored boots heating up.

Finally able to block one aimed for her face, she swept her arm away and saw a fast moving object fall from the sky and landed on her chest.

Kara had her pinned, fist raised and ready to pound her skull into the hard ground beneath her.

“You just died. Only a god can kill another god? I’m the goddess of death. Ask any alien on this planet. What you are going to face is stronger than me.”

Kara stood up and moved away, taking a different stance this time, one that appeared open, ready to draw her in. Diana stood slowly, trying to ignore the pain in her hands, the pain in her gut, the pain, everywhere.

“Deimax is a monster. Not as strong as Doomsday but at least my strength level. He is the weakest of the Worldkillers and is still incredibly strong. I haven’t hit you as hard as I can yet. The monster likely has no skill, only using his fangs and claws to rip his victims apart.”

“I understand. You should have chosen J’onn.”

Kara grinned at her. She had hurt the woman but nothing Diana couldn’t handle. Kara had heard about the battle after she had taken the ring. Diana had goaded her and Kara having no mind, only power. In this fight she had used everything she had, three different fighting styles to throw her off, as Dante had taught her in her teens. Never let an opponent guess your next move.

“It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“I could see it in your eyes just now. You nearly let the hate overtake you. You wouldn’t hurt Barry, you wouldn’t want to hurt J’onn, but you want to hurt me because deep down, you hate me.”

Kara turned around quickly. “This fight is over. I don’t hate you. You saved my life, kept me from destroying Metropolis, got me to the Blood Lake and stayed under that nasty stuff, holding me the entire time. I appreciate it. I couldn’t hate you.”

“I left you alone to fend for yourself. I know you hate me Kara. I have seen it in your mind when I was there.”

Kara stopped, keeping her back to the woman, and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry I said that earlier. I shouldn’t have. This world wasn’t your problem. I chose to take on the responsibility. It was on me. Let’s drop it, okay?”

“You meant it and you were right. It’s okay to tell me because I already know. I am sorry.”

Kara shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes it was. I could have helped you, been there for you and I wasn’t. I am sorry.”

Kara turned towards her, eyes glowing.

“I said drop it!”

Diana stepped forward, wondering if she would soon feel a blast of heat vision once again. Her armor was still hot and uncomfortable, her exposed skin burnt, her ribs and chest aching. No she could not match Kara in strength or power. Not when the girl was calm, cool and collected.

No matter how much Kara thought she could fight without emotion, it would be impossible. The girl wasn’t made that way and this world made her what she was.

“I can’t. It bothers me constantly. I think about it often. I need you to forgive me. Please Kara. I am sorry. I could have helped you, saved you pain, fought by your side, saved your sister from countless injuries…”

“Shut up!” Kara screamed, eyes glowing brighter. Before she could unleash a blast, a crystal band was placed her head from behind.

The girl dropped but was held up by someone else. Kara was laid gently on the ground and Alex pulled back her mask, her head seeming to materialize out of thin air. Bruce was right, the stealth suit was impressive.

“What the hell is your problem? Why did you do that?” Alex asked, anger coloring her face.

“I had to defeat her and you were the only way to do that. I knew you would be around her, waiting, just in case she lost it. You always have been, correct? She cannot fight without losing herself Alex. If her anger is so easily brought forth by my words, what will happen when she sees her father’s creations?”

“That bastard was not her father! If you hadn’t done so much for Kara when she took the ring I would blow that tiara off your head.”

Diana nodded, expecting that reaction. She hated to do what she did, but it had to be done. She doubted it would change anything. Kara and Alex Danvers would not stay out of this fight and they would convince themselves that Kara could control her temper.

Maybe she had given them something to think about. It probably wouldn’t matter in the end. Diana knew tonight that the most powerful Red Lantern in the Universe, perhaps the most powerful being in the Universe would be fighting the Worldkillers, no matter the cost to herself.

“Would you like me to carry her to our transport?” the Amazon asked.

“We have our own ride.” Alex told her.

Lobo’s ship landed in the distance. Diana waited and watched as Alex sat on the ground with Kara’s head in her lap. Lobo finally reached them and picked the blonde up in his arms, carrying her towards the ship.

“Alex?” Diana stopped her. “Tell her I truly am sorry.”

“When this is over, you can tell her.”

“How do you plan to kill the one you call the Flower of Heaven?”

Alex smiled for the first time that night. “I’m going to give that bitch a Black Mercy on steroids. Tell Bruce to call me tomorrow. Good night Diana.”