Chapter 96 - Leviathan

Kara slowly opens her eyes, and as she does, she immediately can tell that her body feels better than before. The last thing Kara remembers is crashing to the ground, and some of her bones breaking, when the shadow woman teleported them out of wherever Lex Luthor was holding her. As Kara opens her eyes, and her vision clears, she realises that a lot of the pain has subsided, as she now has the Earth's yellow sun shining down on her, recharging her cells. Even though the sun has been doing its job in healing Kara, she still is in some pain, and continues to not have her powers.

"I see you are awake." The shadow woman says, stepping into Kara's view, and handing her a bottle of water.

Kara takes the water and desperately drinks it, very thirsty and hungry right now.

"I got us some donuts for breakfast, as not much else is open right now." The shadow woman says, and then places a large box of a dozen donuts in front of the blonde.

As soon as Kara finishes drinking the entirety of the bottle of water, she quickly goes about eating the donuts. A few minutes later, Kara has eaten all twelve of them, and is honestly still hungry.

"How are you feeling?" The shadow woman asks, who has now taken a seat in a chair, having just watched Kara eat for the last few minutes.

"Better." Kara replies, and then turns to look at the woman.

Kara's eyes go wide, as she recognises the shadow woman's face, seeing it clearly for the first time.

"You!" Kara says, "I've seen you before! You.... you have been following me and my daughter!"

The shadow woman looks at Kara for a moment, remaining silent, before she nods her head.

"Yes, I have." The shadow woman replies.

"Why!?!" Kara asks, annoyed.

"I.... I cannot say..." The shadow woman says.

Kara now gets even more angry, and tries to get to her feet, but she realises she still doesn't have enough energy to do that just yet.

"You have been watching me, my daughter, working with Lex Luthor and Leviathan, stealing tech from the DEO and L-Corp. Do you expect me to be okay with that?" Kara asks, angrily.

"No. I do not." The shadow woman replies, "I have so many regrets.... But I have only done what I have had to."

"What does that mean?" Kara asks, "Is Leviathan threatening you, or your family or something? Are they making you do all this, and spy on us?"

The shadow woman sighs.

"I..... do not have a family.... not anymore...... I gave that up a long time ago...." The shadow woman replies, "But watching you and your family..... it has nothing to do with Leviathan, or Lex Luthor. I have just been..... keeping an eye on you all.... Making sure you are all safe."

"And why would you be doing that?! I am Supergirl!" Kara replies.

The shadow woman huffs.

"Yes, you are. But there are people out there that are more dangerous than you realise. And your current predicament proves that." The shadow woman says.

"Okay. But why watch us?" Kara asks, "Did you just take an interest in me being Supergirl or something?"

"No." The shadow woman replies, "My reasons are my own. I cannot say anymore. I wish I could. But I have already disclosed more than I should have."

Kara looks at the shadow woman, just studying her, trying to figure out what this person's angle is.

"Then if you were keeping an eye on my family and I, why did you provide Lex Luthor with the kryptonite he used to turn James into Metallo, and then use against me?" Kara asks.

The shadow woman sighs once more.

"Unfortunately there is only so much I can do. I provided the kryptonite to Lex Luthor at orders from Leviathan. If I were to disobey them, and not carry out that order, someone else would have just done it, and I would have been punished." The shadow woman says.

"But what about now? You just saved me from Lex Luthor. Are you telling me Leviathan have allowed you to do this?" Kara asks.

"No. They have not." The shadow woman replies, "I will be punished for freeing you from Lex Luthor. But once you are free, I will take my punishment, as I have done in the past. Then Leviathan will move on, and have another use for me."

Kara remains silent again for a moment. "What sort of punishment will you get?" Kara asks.

"I do not know." The shadow woman replies.

"I can tell you are lying." Kara says.

The shadow woman chuckles.

"Can you hear my heartbeat? Have you already recovered some of your powers?" The shadow woman asks, with a slight smile.

"No." Kara replies, "But I don't need to be able to hear someone's heartbeat to be able to tell that they are lying to me."

The shadow woman nods her head, and then sighs.

"Honestly the punishment I will receive is unknown to me. I have only been punished a few times in the past. The first time I was punished, I was stripped naked and beaten and whipped for.... a day or so." The shadow woman explains.

Kara's eyes go wide in horror.

"Then the second time.... I was.... locked in a room.... in the dark..... for..... I don't know how long...... But when I came out.... I had forgotten who I was before I entered that room.... Leviathan had.... remoulded me.... or something. I am unsure." The shadow woman explains.

Kara now grows a confused look on her face.

"So.... you do not know who you were before they put you in that room?" Kara asks.

The shadow woman shakes her head.

"I didn't for a while. For several years I believed everything that Leviathan told me. That I was a tool, or a weapon, to be used for their benefit. But over the last few years, things began to come back to me. Memories of my life before I was a pawn in Leviathan's game. I of course did not make Leviathan aware of that. But I do now have most of my memories from before." The shadow woman explains.

"That sounds horrible... Why would you risk such a punishment to save me?" Kara asks.

"Because of your daughter." The shadow woman replies.

"Alura?" Kara asks.

The shadow woman nods her head.

"Your.... girlfriend told her that you are missing..... and your daughter has been upset ever since.... I could not allow another daughter to be separated from her mother." The shadow woman says.

Kara doesn't really know what to say next. Kara on the one hand is very grateful that this shadow woman helped her escape from Lex Luthor. But on the other hand, Kara is absolutely devastated to know just how upset Alura is, and it is her being that upset that has led to this woman breaking her out in the first place.

"Anyway..." The shadow woman eventually says, after several moments of silence, "You need to rest, regain some of your strength."

"Can't you teleport me back to my girlfriend? Or to the DEO?" Kara asks.