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The night was cloudy, cold, wet, the city below lighting it’s inhabitants up.
The wet brick beneath her fingertips, the scent filled her nostrils. Enough to make her grasp the edge hard. She was careful, however. It did not crack.
Wet dog
, she disdainfully thought to herself. The Lycan presence was undeniable.
Our marks
, she looked towards Isaac, who continued to press the camera against his eyes. Watching. Waiting.
She sat on the bells tower, behind her the bell held still. Isaac was on a building to her left, several stories up himself.
Huffing indignantly, in her crouched position, she brought her free hand to comb through her damp long hair. Her eyes shifted back to that of the crowd below them. She saw them. Undeniable. Both shirtless, sports bras the only thing keeping them from being bare-chested, jackets covering most of their upper torso and uncaring of their soaking clothes.
The-
humans
around them mostly carried umbrellas.
These Lycans, one of darker skin and another of lighter skin, stalked something. She recognized their patterns. Moving quickly to close distance but well aware of how close they could get. Uncertain of who they were stalking exactly she allowed her eyes to move from the female Lycans, ahead of them.
She saw a hooded form, her position didn’t allow her to gain a view on the features of this person. Anger flooded her system, they continued to stalk, this race of rabid dogs. Much like the night
she became a complete or-
Hearing Isaac's soft huff, her head turned. He met her eyes and waited for her signal, fixing the trenchcoat that hung around his shoulders. He tilted his head up almost too proudly and rose his brows in questions.
She gave a nod, once, and that’s all that was needed. Looking down with peaking fangs as he snarled lightly, he stood and stepped off. Allowing himself to drop the distance to the ground at the edge of an alleyway. As anxious as he was- as they both were, he was smart enough to draw attention away from himself.
He landed with a thud just in the shadows, stepping out as he fixed his coat. It began to rain lightly yet again.
She stayed in her position a moment longer as the rain beat down harder. She extended her hand cupping the rain in her hand with a sigh. Spreading her fingers, she watched as the water dripped away. She, herself, stood and followed Isaac as she spotted a man throwing a leg over his motorcycle, ready to rev it.
The moment she touched the ground, as the loud backfire from the man’s vehicle caught the attention of those nearby she paid him only a glance as she moved on.
She continued down the street, following the Lycan scent until she found Isaac within her peripheral. They didn’t look at each other but out of the corner of her eye, she did see him nudge his head towards the subway. She changed her course and did not follow, not even pausing at the Lycan’s came into view again.
Dangerously close to their mark.
What on earth are you doing?
She questioned to herself, but didn’t allow it to distract herself. Given the chance, she’d kill them first and ask questions later. She knew this. It was her job, perhaps even in her code, something she followed without question.
Ahead of them, as they neared the subway steps she saw the figure pause. She
knew
as she took a detour, a shortcut made specifically for her kinds
needs
.
She found Jack, another Death Dealer, waiting by a newsstand feigning interest.
Lena knew the two wolves had been made, even slightly. The figure- woman? Continued her path down the steps, moving slightly faster than before.
Turning down an alley nearby, she came to a manhole cover. Standing above, she bent down and without a problem lifted it. Holding the edge she let herself drop, a free hand on the cover so as she dropped it was flipped, dropping somewhat back into place. Not well but it’d do. She pressed on as her feet touched the ground.
She followed the small tunnel towards a door, as she came to the door she opened it slightly and peered out. Not seeing the Lycans she opened it and slipped out before anyone looked at her. She could hear the train coming, as such, she placed herself casually by the middle pillar of where she knew the train would be boarded.
Leaning against the pillar, she tilted her head downwards slightly, hand on her hip, bringing her free hands thumbnail to rest between her teeth. To resemble a nervous tick so as not to draw attention. She even feigned a few deep breaths. She waited for the scent to become stronger, knowing not far behind was Isaac.
She waited. Her eyes flickering back and forth every time she’d look up to scan the human crowd. However, as she looked up she found herself entranced, pausing as bright blue eyes that belonged to honey blonde hair behind glasses stared at her. Mouth gaping.
The intensity of the stare was enough to make Lena blink and look away as the woman turned to find the subway stopping next to her. Lena tried to shrink back enough in hopes the woman would be sidetracked and looked away, but she didn’t.
Blue eyes found her green ones again and she couldn’t look away. Like a gravitational pull holding her there, tugging at her, she froze her feet to their place. A man knocked into the blonde causing her to frown and watch him leave before she looked back to Lena who’s eyes never left her face.
The blonde straightened her flannel shirt, grey hoodie zipped up midway, under the leather jacket and looked back.
“Kara,” she spoke finally.
Lena opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
Kara
, frowned again as Lena shrunk back behind the pillar out of view and was forced to continue forward. Ready to board the train as it stopped. Out of necessity, probably, to make it to work. Lena couldn’t stop the disappointment that filled her chest.
She was uncertain if it was that a
human
noticed her or the beauty the human in question held.
She was momentarily drawn away from her disappointment as the scent of Lycans filled her nose, she turned enough to peek and found one of such women in question moving as quickly as she could. Lena realized, then, that this
Kara
was their mark. She felt disdain fill her chest, frowning to keep herself from snarling at the information. She found Isaac following without question.
Something was wrong, however, as the Lycan, they both knew as Imra, stopped and turned her head just as the doors to the train opened. She turned her body completely and found Isaac in an instant snarling.
Shit,
Lena realized.
“Psi!” She howled, pulling a set of Uzi’s out from under her coat.
Imra aimed, shooting through the crowd at Isaac. Most ducked out of the way, hitting the ground as Isaac cursed to himself and hid behind the closest pillar.
Lena let out a sigh as Isaac pressed himself against his own and looked her way. She snapped her head to the left and found the other Lycan,
Psi
, a blonde, hold her own handgun out and aim for her directly.
Letting out a breath she turned sharply to the next side of the pillar, missing the shots aimed her way. She assumed Isaac did the same. He had not, instead had pulled his own gun and assumed he’d have been the quicker shot. He fell to the ground and Lena watched, with a twinge of anger, as his skin dried- burned from the inside out with a bright blue light cracking through his skin.
He twisted in pain, groaning as he lay dying. Lena couldn’t do anything but
watch
. It was like the sun itself was burning him from the inside.
Her eyes flickered to Jack who rushed down the steps, before back to Isaac who looked towards her mouthing something. She clenched her teeth, drawing her own guns from beneath her trenchcoat and turning around the pillar. Shooting without hesitation.
Psi let out a yelp of pain, as a bullet landed. Shoulder. She caught herself and shot back, forcing herself back to hide behind a pillar. Her body shook as did her balance, as a few more of Lena’s shots landed. Lena followed her carefully until Imra came into view, she reloaded a weapon and aimed forcing Lena to backtrack back to the pillar. Muttering an angry
fuck
as she did.
As she found herself turning to hide behind the pillar she’d become so acquainted with through the ordeal, she watched as one of Psi’s poorly aimed shots, as she clutched her calf in pain, hit a human woman. The woman fell over with a pain and tears in her eyes. Lena had almost paused as she watched Kara, from where she hid in the open train, dive forward toward the woman.
She gripped the woman by her jacket and slid her to the wall behind a vending machine as quickly as she could apologizing when the woman let out a cry of pain. Moving the woman’s shirt and jacket out of the way, she assessed the damage. Now uncaring of the commotion around her.
Lena closed her eyes for a moment. Sparing Kara only a single thought,
reckless woman.
Psi was forced to completely hide behind a pillar as Jack stepped out of his place and aimed, taking shots at her. His brows dipped and he turned to the other side of his own pillar, taking quick shots at Imra who ducked and growled as she did. She slid into the subway train, standing once and taking aim at Jack who hid again just before the bullets started flying.
As Jack was distracted, Psi made a move, shooting from her spot and grasping onto Kara’s jacket.
Kara, as brave and much as she tried, couldn’t shake the grip. The Lycan pulled again with more force until Lena turned, aiming a gun, with urgency, and took a few shots at Psi again. A shot hitting her collarbone knocked her on her back.
Lena continued to shoot, even as Psi scurried onto her feet and into the train, rushing forward to open the opposite door herself so she might get away from Lena. No longer caring about her target.
Lena paused for a moment, next to Kara, who looked up at her in both amazement, and gratefulness. She had to force herself to look away and pursue the Lycan. An unnerving feeling, in all honesty. Still.
She heard the train doors open and turned, taking a shot at Psi again who rushed to exit. Lena followed, reloading a gun. She traveled the length of the train, not even pausing as she bent down and snatched Isaac's camera. Seeing his path, Lena ran in through another open train door and ran through the aisle keeping pace with Psi.
Everyone was pressed against the seat or the walls to keep from being shot, whimpering, crying, Lena had free roam to move without being stopped.
As she came to the trains ending door, she rose her gun and took a couple of shots. Causing both the glass window to crack, allowing her to dive through as she neared it, and Psi to stumble again. Bleeding as her back was hit.
Rolling onto her feet, Lena continued her chase of Psi who was all too desperate to escape. Feet ahead of Lena.
This meant Lena lost visible track of the Lycan when she rounded the corner. As she followed suit, she found herself stopping, kneeling to examine a few of the bullets that had been obviously pulled out.
Picking one up, she sighed.
The sound of a hollowed scream, undeniably Lycan, Lena turned ready to peer back through the tunnel. If anything to see if Imra was following.
At the last possible second the sound filled her ears, and she was forced to turn her head back as the subway whipped past her.
A light scent of a citrus smell, oranges, and- cream? Filled her nostrils, causing her to watch the train for a moment. She was confused. Where did that even-
She sighed again, gripping one of her guns in her hand tight. She turned her head down the tunnel and followed the path in front of her. Jack could hold his own if anything Lena was determined now to take down at least one Lycan.
The memory of Kara’s blue eyes staring into her own, speaking her name for Lena to hear softly, flashed before Lena shook her head to rid herself of the image. She wouldn’t be fascinated, or curious any longer. She would do
her job.
As she walked the length of the tunnel she was careful. Listening.
She came to a metal hatch, her head tilted in curiosity as she knelt beside it and inhaled.
Dog,
she thought to herself. A second later she threw it open and dropped. Turning on her knees, gun gripped firmly in hand to peer both behind and in front of her.
Tunnels,
she noted to herself. Something to keep in mind as she trained her eyes forward, standing, and waiting.
A moment later she heard the light
clicking
sound and dropped to her knees, turning and firing two shots without a moment of hesitation. Psi dropped to the ground in pain, writhing from the silver.
Lena snarled, as she stood, stepping forward, her fangs extended. She placed a foot on Psi’s chest, holding her still enough. Green eyes turning into an almost unnervingly inhuman blue. Lena stared at the woman for a second schooling her expression into something calmer at the thought of killing one of the Lycan’s that lead to Isaac'ss death.
She took the shot. One. Twice. Until the body below her foot stopped moving.
Her eyes caught sight of the gun, she bent down, snatching it up as she set her own gun back in its holster inside her coat. and ejected the clip. Her brows furrowed at the sight she found. Lips pressing into a thin line for a moment.
Concentrated UV rounds,
she thought,
how?
The sound of a growl caught Lena’s ears, turning as she watched a black and grey wolf-like creature drop on all fours, turning and setting her eyes on Lena. It was obvious, as the Lycan’s eyes fell to that of Psi and then to Lena that Imra was
angry.
Lena thought for a moment. Psi had come this way, as she was sure Imra had too for a reason. If Imra howled, and she likely could in this state, there was little doubt their pack wouldn’t come looking for the two of them. She made the decision, then, to escape. Run. Report back Edge and the rest of the death dealers.
Imra hunched forward, growling, and Lena’s jaw tensed, her vampiric blue eyes just
daring
her. To try anything.
Imra shot forward and Lena threw, extending a hand to her side, disc-like objects- blades extending in the air as Imra pounced. Silver.
They made contact and Imra skidded to the side, allowing Lena to rush forward turning a sharp left leaving the Lycan’s behind. She set about finding her own way through the tunnels. She ignored anything that might follow behind and focused on finding her own way out.
She had to check on Jack. She ignored any thought about Kara.
She gripped the gun she’d picked up in her hand, determined to get it to Winn. Allow him to see it. Examine it.
Shooting through a door into another opened one, she set her back against a wall and allowed herself to finally breathe. Her eyes green, fangs shrinking.
The sound of another yell of pain caused Lena to twist, towards a set of bars, pulling a gun free of its holster, and aiming. When she saw nothing she set it down.
She saw nothing. But she heard, oh she
heard.
She inched forward, looking up towards a hole in the ceiling on the other side of the bars. The sounds of scuffles, infighting,
wolves,
and the awful scent. She knew.
“Fuck,”
she muttered.
We have a problem.
She thought.
She turned again and ran.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
[He waits for her to sympathize,
But she won't sympathize at all,
She waits all night to feel his kiss,
But always wakes alone]
“Nightshift is all yours, Danvers. Have fun.” Leslie patted her shoulder as they passed in the hospital’s hallway.
Kara muttered
thanks,
before moving towards the doorway.
The room was considerably dark, enough to make Kara pause. She
hated,
the idea that Alex was right on some level.
“You’re just cursed to become as paranoid as I am, and Kara? I’m paranoid for a reason.
”
Maybe she was too- well no. She
was.
Without a doubt. After the events of the day before? A train shoot-out?
The sounds, the sights, the
smells.
She didn’t feel ridiculous for the way her breath held, and her eyes glanced around the locker room.
She was on the clock, a nurse during the night shift, but it felt odd- awful. To think about taking a step inside a place as dark as the eyes on the women that-
Her thoughts shifted to the woman, the one that had
saved
her, for a moment. She was oddly striking, and Kara felt as though she’d seen her before. In the way, you’d see someone in an odd dream, or maybe passing? Kara didn’t think she could forget her.
Suddenly, the sound of a door slamming caused her to jump backward, away from the cold darkness of the room. She held her breath, her eyes scanning hopelessly for
whoever
was there. For
something
, because sometimes not knowing was worse. Or, rather, more anxiety-inducing.
Just as sudden as the sound, Kara froze in fear as
two
very bright blue eyes suddenly opened. She could just
barely
make out the shape of the person, but the eyes- were stunning. Like an icy bright blue of a frozen lake that hurt to look at. She couldn’t look away, instead, as the figure moved around the room, Kara followed them.
“Lena.” The figure offered. It was feminine, with a slight Irish accent.
Kara blinked, offering a confused, “What?”
The figure didn’t reply immediately. Instead, there was a soft sigh, and the figure moved closer. Part of Kara’s brain told her to
run,
leave. Do something. To
not
be a sitting duck, like she was currently. Instead, she was frozen, still holding her breath.
Even as the figure approached the doorway, never stepping into the light, Kara couldn’t move.
Then, a single set of lights flickered on. Kara blinked as the woman that had saved her, the one she found her eyes drawn to, standing in front of her. Hand holding the doorway next to her, near the closest set of switches for the lights.
The woman looked from Kara to the lights and flicked the rest on. She blinked for a moment as if the lights
hurt
for a moment. As her eyes adjusted, she turned back to Kara, her bright eyes now a normal green. It was enough to make Kara blink.
Had she imagined that?
“My name,” the woman let out a soft sigh again, “is Lena. You offered me yours, is it now impolite to offer the same back?”
Kara swallowing as
Lena
crossed her arms. An amused twinkle in her eyes.
Kara’s eyes dipped. She noticed- the leather, all of it, was gone. Lena’s corset, had been traded in for a baggy soft dark grey sweater, dark jeans, and-
no shoes?
There didn’t seem to be any gloves or weapons on her eyes. It still felt- like an odd choice to wear at a hospital.
“I’m Kara.” Was all she could imagine.
Lena rose an eyebrow, tilted her head, and shifted her weight so she was leaning against the doorway.
“I know.”
Kara took in a breath, letting it out slowly. She thought about begging for answers, to
know
what Lena was- but she didn’t really want those. Did she?
She was
aware
that she’d been targeted. The train- she wasn’t a
genius,
not like some of her friends, but she was smart. She’d been grabbed when she could have been shot. This- Lena had been there. The very real terrifying thought, that yes, this was all connected was there. She didn’t have the nerve to ask about how deep it all was.
So- she asked the only thing she
truly
wanted to know.
“Are you alright?” Lena blinked at her in shock, “I- I- I mean- uh- sorry. It was...a lot, and you could have gotten hurt? Do you need help is that why you’re here?”
Lena’s mouth parted slightly, and Kara saw a
peak
of fangs. Something she truly didn’t want to think about, but they were there. Reminding her, this is not normal, that none of this was normal- and that Lena could-
“Why do you care?” Lena finally asked, accusatory, “I could have been someone who tried to hurt you too.”
“You’re good at reading people, Kara. You just trust them too much.”
Alex had told her before.
“Anyone, including myself, could hurt you.”
Kara took a step forward, and out of reaction, Lena took one back. Her eyes shooting to Kara’s feet as she did, but Kara only stepped forward enough to break into the room and shut the door. Kara had only ever been really good at three things, in her life, to such an extreme they had faults.
Reading people. Trusting them. And
telling the truth.
“I don’t think you wanted to, or want to, now.”
Lena huffed a laugh, “What?”
“You would have if you wanted to by now. We’re alone, and you could leave before anyone knew-”
And in the blink of an eye, Lena was in front of her, eyes glowing blue as she snarled- fangs showing, fistfuls of her jacket. Oddly, her eyes lacked conviction or true anger, so Kara relaxed just as quickly as she tensed.
Lena relaxed after a moment of searching her eyes for something. Probably
fear,
and Kara was afraid. She was terrified, but, not because of
Lena.
For whatever stupid reason, she wasn’t afraid of the woman in front of her. Lena’s fists relaxed until she was holding Kara’s jacket by her index and thumb, gently.
“You don’t see me as a monster, do you?” She asked softly.
Kara swallowed, and she didn’t.
She didn’t know why. Everything
pointed
to Lena not being right, not being human, being something
more-
but that didn’t mean
monster
did it?
“No.” She answered.
Lena’s lips parted again, and she leaned back, stepping away from Kara without a sound. As if she could make no sound. Her head dipped towards the floor, and her arms crossed as she paced back and forth quietly.
Like she couldn’t decide what she wanted to do. Like she was in conflict.
Kara wanted to help, but she didn’t know how to. She didn’t know Lena. Lena didn’t know her.
“
You
weren’t hurt, were you?” Lena finally asked, looking up at her.
Kara blinked, at the suddenness of the question.
Maybe she cares?
She shook her head slowly, and Lena’s brows dipped in disbelief.
“I’m okay! I promise!” Kara took a step forward, hands out in front of her to reassure Lena. “Just- just a little shaken still!”
Lena took a half step forward, before thinking about it. Instead, she let out a soft breath and nodded to herself. She unfolded her arms and let them fall beside her awkwardly.
“Good.”
“Why do you care?” Kara asked before she could stop herself, Lena looked at her confused, “You- asked why I did. Why do
you
care?”
Lena looked away for a long moment.
Kara let her stand there in silence. She
did
want to know.
“I don’t know,” Lena told her truthfully. “Something about you is-”
“Gravitating?” Kara finished for her. “I get that.”
Lena stared at her, impassively, and Kara worried for a moment that she’d crossed a boundary. That she’d guessed wrong.
It was weird. This entire thing was
weird.
“I have to go.”
Kara blinked, “wait-”
And then Lena was gone.
Kara was left blinking into the suddenly empty room, and it was like there was
no trace
left of Lena there. Not even a trace of wind left, like- like she hadn’t even existed.
Kara considered, for a moment, that maybe she
had
made Lena up. A figment of her imagination, except- there was a single small piece of paper on one of the benches. She bent down to pick it up.
There was a number.
Kara felt the corner of her mouth tick upwards.
Maybe she does care.
--
Jack shifted, beside her in the car. His hands clutching the steering wheel as they maneuvered back towards the highway. She loathed the idea they’d have to make their way
back
to the manor. To Morgan Edge.
“Lena.” Jack spoke, and Lena could hear the concern in his voice, “You can’t do this again.”
I know,
she thought to herself, watching as the hospital became smaller in the rearview mirror.
I know I shouldn’t.
“We have been friends a very long time.”
She’d thought of all the ways to justify herself to Edge, to Lillian. To-
to everyone
who questioned her, and yet- she didn’t have a single lie to tell herself
and
Jack. To justify her interest.
The easiest was simply,
“the Lycans want her, and we can’t have that.”
But even that didn’t feel like the truth, despite how close it may have been originally to the truth.
Leaving her interaction with Kara, there were no answers to the questions she wanted to ask. She hadn’t asked a single one. Instead, there was only something simmering in her veins she didn’t entirely understand, and a fascination she knew was dangerous.
“You- I can’t do this again.”
“I know.” She told him, still staring in the rearview mirror.
She understood.
If anyone was to fall, to blame, it
shouldn’t
be him. It shouldn’t even be Kara. It should be herself.
It should always be
her.
The hospital disappeared out of sight. Lena felt herself tense. She’d been relaxed since leaving Kara. She only hoped Kara’s interest was strong enough to call or text the number she’d left.
Part of her wasn’t entirely sure if she actually hoped that. Maybe Kara was smart enough to stay as far away as possible?
I hope she’s not foolish enough to give into this.
Give in to what?
Lena wasn’t sure.