784. Chapter 784

“Ever been in space, Alex?” Carol asks as they all buckle in, quick and efficient and battle-nervous.

Kara flinches, because she remembers it as well as Alex does.

Her father. Her father’s attempt at genocide. Alex nearly hurtling across the galaxy because of it.

Kara saving her. Saving all of them.

And that wasn’t even the first time.

Because Kara Danvers isn’t the only badass in the family, and when Alex piloted her little sister’s pod into space, she’d been convinced it was a one-way trip.

She’d done it anyway.

Carol catches the movement between the sisters, the flashes of PTSD on Alex’s face, and she nods, more to herself than anyone else.

“First thing you have to do?” Carol advises, gentle and welcoming. So unlike the way she was taught. Alex turns to her with big eyes and need written all over her face. “You have to believe you’re coming home to them. Me, to Maria and Monica. You two, to Maggie and Lena. You’ve gotta believe it.”

“Just like that?” Alex asks.

“Isn’t that how you do it on a planet-based battlefield?” Carol returns, because she already knows.

Kara squirms somewhat.

She never wanted to be a soldier.

Well, she supposes none of them did, not really.

But it seemed the only way they’d let you save the world.

Which Carol could be doing without this ship, without a hull of metal around her body.

They all knew it. But she’d leave the ship when she had to; she’d support the operation as it was, until then.

And this was the DEO’s op.

Different than SHIELD, but not different at all, not really.

Carol didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing; but she knew she could have worse flight partners than the Danvers sisters.

“Taking her out of the atmosphere,” she guided the ship up, and Kara leaned over her sister, staring out at the atmosphere.

“See anything yet?” Carol asked, because Kara didn’t need Kree technology to see through the fabric of reality, right past the visual spectrum and into the truth of things.

“Just like we thought,” she reported, adjusting her cape and wondering vaguely if it was overkill, campy, childish, next to Carol’s efficient suit.

But she remembered all the lives her cape alone had saved, and she allowed herself a small smile.

“They’re flying in attack formation, so they’re probably getting ready to -”

“Well, if it’s attack formation, you’d think we’re getting ready to attack.”

All three Danvers women turned to see Lena Luthor on board their ship, a kryptonite gun aimed right at Kara.

Kara froze. Carol worked out some tension in her jaw. Alex stood, stun gun already drawn, mind already made up.

“How?” is all she asked.

“Do you honestly think my daughter is the only one in the family with a hint of science genius?”

“Leave Lena out of this,” Kara practically growled, and Carol knew that voice; it was the same one she used whenever anyone tried to bring Maria into a fight.

“You know you never came over for a family dinner, Supergirl. She never thought to introduce her girlfriend to her own mother.”

“You know she’s down there, on the planet you’re about the level,” Alex put a hand on Kara’s arm, weapon still drawn. Carol trusted her team, and kept maneuvering through the vertiable minefield of automated ships Lilian had drawn up.

“Yes, with your wife, I believe. Or is it still fiancee, Agent Danvers? I can never keep track. And you, you’re Kree, aren’t you?”

“Human,” Carol growled, not giving Lilian the decency to turn and look at her.

“Well regardless, I believe your very human daughter’s down on the surface as well, isn’t she?”

Carol’s hands glowed, and Kara’s eyes did the same.

Alex shot first.

“So no need to bring out the fireworks, then,” Carol deadpanned, glancing over her shoulder to where Alex was dragging Lilian off to the side of the ship to be unconscious without actually being in anyone’s way.

“Save it for bringing those ships down,” Alex grumbled.

“With pleasure,” Carol smirked as she and Kara got ready for a light show.

Their light show.