Chapter Text
It took Kara a moment to realize it was pure chance she was even there at all. For once the situation had had nothing to do with her. She should have just broken free but the need to keep her identity safe had been hammered into her recently (Too many people know. You got lucky with the people you told.), and she knew J’onn was right so she hesitated.
Besides how bad of enemies could Lena Luthor really have anyway?
* * *
They had been in the park having lunch together and afterwards Lena had insisted on dropping Kara back off at CatCo.
“It’s the least I can do, after you were nice enough to join me for lunch.”
“I wanted to do that.” Kara protested. “Besides your afternoon is probably full of important meetings whereas I just have to edit another article about city transport.” She wondered if Snapper would ever let her follow up on another good story, or if this would be her fate, doomed to just waste away writing piddling stories about buses. There was nothing wrong with buses; she just felt she could be doing more with her time.
“Nothing that important.” Lena assured him. “Come on.”
They had gotten into the car, and the last thing Kara remembered was a strong acrid smell before she had blacked out.
* * *
Now they were in a room with stark white walls and no windows. There were security cameras though, one in each corner, which seemed a little like overkill in Kara's opinion. Lena was slumped against the opposite wall, her hands cuffed behind her back, just as Kara’s were cuffed behind hers.
There were only a few moments to think. If she broke out of the cuffs right now and got Lena out of there, Lena would know her secret, as well as any possible henchmen they might encounter outside. J’onn had been adamant that she couldn’t tell another person about her secret identity.
“I know you want to trust people, Kara. But people aren’t always worthy of your trust. And it’s not just putting yourself at risk, it’s putting Alex and the rest of the DEO agents in danger as well.” His eyes had been kind, and Kara knew he was right even if she didn’t want to believe it. She had promised him.
Lena was different though; she could trust Lena. She knew she could.
Kara chewed her on her lip, weighing it.
Then Lena stirred, and Kara pushed the decision away for now. Probably it was just a simple kidnapping, someone wanting to make Lillian Luthor pay for her daughter’s return. They’d be held for ransom and then they’d get to go home. She could wait a little longer to tell Lena the truth.
“Hey.” She said softly.
Lena pushed herself up groggily. “What happened?”
Kara sat up straighter. “I’d say we were chloroformed.” Clearly it was affecting Lena more than it was affecting her. She’d just say she’d been awake longer if it was necessary. She hated lying, and she hated doing it to Lena. The instinct to trust Lena with her secret burned inside her.
Lena shook her head to clear it and then looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. “Kara, oh my god, why are you here? Why would they take you too?”
“They?” Kara straightened up a little. “Do you know who it is?”
“Someone with a grudge against the Luthor name. I’ve been getting emails over the last two, three weeks, calling me to ‘give up this farce of goodness’ and just ‘surrender to the Luthor legacy.’” Her lip curled in disgust.
“Did you show the emails to anyone? Did you tell the police?”
“The first time, yes. They had me file a harassment report. After that…A woman goes to the police one too many times with no other evidence to show.” Lena shook her head. “You know how it is.”
“That’s not right.” Why hadn't Lena come to her? She could have done something.
“But it’s the way things are.” Lena’s voice cracked. “And now some asshole who hates my family has done this.” She would never forgive herself for putting Kara in danger, never. This was all her fault. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, not wanting to face the woman she had dragged into this mess.
“They never would have taken you if it wasn’t for me.” Lena said bitterly. “It’s entirely my fault.”
“No, no it’s not.” Kara wanted to reach out, to put her hand out and reassure her through a simple touch, but she couldn’t even do that much because of the stupid cuffs.
Lena opened her eyes. Kara was so sincere, so earnest that she forced a smile. “Thank you for saying that.” They both knew it wasn’t true.
* * *
The door opened and they both looked up warily. The man who entered the room was tall with wavy auburn hair and intense green eyes. He wasn’t anyone Kara recognized and she looked quickly at Lena to see if she knew him either.
There was no sign of recognition as Lena gazed up at him, just a strong resolve not to show fear. Kara’s heart surged in her chest. She would make sure they both got out of here alive. She vowed it.
The man ignored Kara and went over to Lena, stopping right in front of her.
He looked down at her. “Miss Luthor, what a pleasure.” His accent was British, smooth as a polished stone.
“Whatever your purpose was in taking us, you’re going to regret it.” Somehow Lena managed to sound entirely unaffected by the situation. Kara loved that about her. How she always managed to keep her cool in the face of danger, even in a situation like this.
“I doubt it.” The man said. He crouched down in front of her, smiling. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
Lena looked puzzled. “No, why should I?”
“No, no, it’s entirely my fault.” The man murmured. “You were much younger when we first met.” He smiled and Lena’s skin prickled. There was something about that smile. Maybe she had seen him before.
“Gabriel James. It was many years ago at a fundraiser. I had been awarded a grant to work on a project funded by LexCorp, and that night we were celebrating. Six months later your dear brother decided my results weren’t happening quickly enough for him so he pulled the funding and my project went down the toilet.”
“Lex. This is all because of Lex.” Lena murmured. Now she understood the bitterness and frustration apparent in the man’s eyes; she understood everything. Once again, this was because of her brother, and had nothing to do with her, except by default of being a Luthor. Would she never be free of her family? Was this always the way it would go?
“If you’re hoping to get my mother to cough up a ransom out of her affection for her daughter, good luck.”
“I don’t want any ransom.” Gabriel’s voice was very soft. “That’s not my intention at all. I merely want the Luthors, all of the Luthors, to admit what they really are.”
“And what are they?”
His smile twisted. “Arrogant, amoral, selfish creatures, who do exactly what they like without considering anyone else.”
Lena leaned forward. “Just because Lex decided your research wasn’t worth it, doesn’t mean we’re all like that. I am not my brother.”
“No?” He cupped her face in a broad hand, tilting her jaw sideways to gaze intently at her cheek. “I think you’re just as capable of terrible deeds and have just as dark a heart.” He stood then, straightening up to his full height, towering over her.
“Sounds like someone’s a little bitter cause their funding got cut.” Kara called out. She knew what she was doing and it worked, drawing the man's attention over to her and away from Lena.
Gabriel looked sharply at her. “And you are?”
“No one. She’s just a temp working for my company.” Lena lied quickly.
Kara shook her head. “Kara Danvers, reporter for CatCo, and if you think for one second you’re gonna get away with this, better think again, buddy.”
He stared at her incredulously. “You’re a reporter?”
“Yeah.” Why was that so hard for everyone to believe? "So?"
Gabriel chuckled, which wasn’t really the reaction Kara had been hoping for but oh well.
“I loathe reporters.” He murmured, walking over to the door and pressing a button on the keypad. It slid open and a guard stepped inside.
Kara tensed, looking quickly at Lena who was looking back at her with a worried expression.
“Like I said, Miss Luthor, this isn’t about ransom.” Gabriel nodded at the guard. “And as for your outspoken little friend, well, we don’t really need her.” He gestured to the guard who walked over to Kara.
Instinctively she backed up against the wall, her hands itching to break the cuffs and just punch him.
The guard leaned down, reaching out to grab her.
"Back off." Kara said, trying to sound as firm as Lena has had. Maybe he wouldn’t listen to Kara Danvers, but it was worth a shot.
The guard simply grabbed her by the neck and hauled her upright, pressing her up against the wall. His hand encircled her throat, grasping it hard.
“Let her go!” Lena pulled against her own handcuffs. "Stop!"
The guard ignored her, his grip tightening on Kara’s throat. She struggled to breathe, kicking out at him.
"You hurt her in any way and I will never give you whatever the hell it is you do want."
“What I want?” Gabriel sounded intrigued as he looked over at Lena. "What makes you think I want anything?"
“You said this wasn’t about ransom. But you must want something. You must, otherwise you wouldn’t have brought me here.” Lena said coolly. “We can negotiate, but only after you let her go.”
The guard still held his hand on Kara’s throat. His fingers pressed tighter and she choked, eyes watering as she fought to breathe.
“Just don’t hurt her.”
Gabriel grinned. "Me? Hurt her? Oh no, Miss Luthor. That's going to be all you."
Lena stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What does that mean?"
"You always want to prove you're better than the family name, that you're not really as bad as them." His smile tightened. "I happen to disagree, and I'm going to prove it."
He nodded to the guard who loosened his grip ever so slightly, but kept Kara against the wall.
Break free, just get out of this, she thought. But there were so many cameras, there'd be no way they could hide her identity after this. Besides, she could cope with a little torture. As long as they didn’t hurt Lena, she could bear the brunt of it.
If only Kara could reassure her. She threw a look at Lena, seeking desperately to remind her that none of this was her fault.
“What is it you want me to do?” Lena asked determinedly. She could get money; she had vast resources at her fingertips. She didn’t want to do anything illegal, but to save Kara, she wasn’t sure there was anything she wouldn’t do.
And then Gabriel said, almost casually, as though it hardly mattered at all. “I want you to fuck her.”
Lena froze. “What?” She must have heard him wrong. There was no way that was what he had said, what he wanted her to do to Kara. Six little words that tore at her heart and made her want to scream.
“I said, I want you to fuck her. Show me what you’re capable of, Miss Luthor, and perhaps I’ll let your friend,” he sneered the word, “live after all.”
Lena looked over at Kara in horror. “I can’t…I could never do that.”
“If you don’t, I’m going to have Carson over there simply snap her neck in front of you. So please, at least consider it.”
Lena couldn’t say anything. She just pressed her lips together and looked away from him.
“I’ll give you a little while to think it over.” He smiled graciously and went out.
Silence filled the room after the door closed, stretching between them like an abyss.
“Lena.” Kara started to say, and then paused. What could she possibly say to make this okay? Surely this was the moment to disregard J’onn’s orders and show Lena she was Supergirl. She couldn’t put her through this.
“They obviously meant to take you too.” Lena leaned her head back. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have had any leverage to even make me try to, to….” She trailed off, unable to look at Kara. “That’d they even think I was capable of such a thing.” Lena sat very still. “They must think I’m truly a Luthor to believe that.”
“It doesn’t matter what they think.” Kara told her. "I know you would never hurt me.
"How can you be sure?" Lena whispered.
* * *
“Time’s up.” Gabriel stood in the doorway. “Have we made our decision?”
Lena pushed herself to her feet, bracing her cuffed hands against the wall. “I’m not going to do this. It’s inhuman. You can’t make me.”
“Very well.” Gabriel accepted her response. “Then we’ll just take her out and have her shot.”
“No!” Lena cried desperately. "Ask for something else. Anything else and I'll do it."
“If you can’t do what I want, that’s what will happen next, Miss Luthor.”
Lena shook her head. “I can’t."
“Are you sure about that?” Gabriel murmured.
“Lena. Lena,” Kara made her meet her gaze. “I can take it.”
Lena looked back at her with shocked eyes. “Kara, I’m not going to do this to you.”
“Very well.” Gabriel hit the button and the guard came in again. He went over to Kara and pulled her up. She pulled free.
“Let go of me.”
The guard slapped her hard across the face, and grabbed her by the arm. He started leading her towards the door.
“Kara!” The anguish in Lena’s voice cut her to the core.
Kara tried to get her to understand she could do this, she could survive this; they would survive this. All Lena had to do was trust her.
Lena gave her one last searching look and then, in a voice barely audible. “I'll do it."
“Sorry?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
Lena gazed at him with hatred in her eyes. “I said I’ll do it.”
“How noble.” Gabriel murmured. “How utterly self-sacrificing. How completely unlike a Luthor.”
“Shut up.” Lena said.
“Please keep a polite tone, Miss Luthor. I would so hate for matters to become unpleasant.” He inspected his watch. “I have something I have to attend to first. In the meantime, Carson will get you both ready." He looked at the guard. "Prep the blonde in here and take Miss Luthor next door.” He left the room without another look.
“Don’t worry about me,” Kara said as the guard grabbed Lena, forcing her over to the door. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”
Lena looked at her over her shoulder, her face shadowed. “How can you be so sure?”
“I have faith in you.” Kara told her softly.
Lena gazed back at her, as long as she could, until the door closed and Kara was left alone.