#background supercorp

Homemade

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Lex sighed, looking around his old notes and research before looking towards the Kryptonian lexical device Kara had on her coffee table. 

“No, it's sweet, Lex,” Kara said, looking over the corrections she had made. “Plus Kal needs the help,” she added, clicking through the view screen before adding, "I think a physical lexicon would help him.” 

The older man groaned, sitting back on her sofa. “I didn't think it would take so long,” he sighed his own Kryptonian was basic, enough to get around the fortress without blowing it up but nothing more. “How long do you think my sister can stall your cousin?” He questioned, flipping through the documents Martha had sent him. 

Kara laughed, smiling. “Please, he doesn't stand a chance.” She snorted slightly at Lena's plan for their 'bonding' weekend. “I think Ms. Grant is joining them for lunch today.” 

Lex laughed. “Now I feel bad,” he put his papers down to look at her. 

“It'll be fine.” Kara waved a hand at him, grabbing her chopsticks and take-out carton. “Lena was really looking forward to it. I don't think they've ever spent time together.” 

Lex hummed, thinking about it. “It makes sense, I suppose,” he started. “We don't spend much time together, Lena and I.” Due to their age differences and how much time they all spent apart, none of the Luthor children spent much time together. “Actually,” he looked at the blonde eating beside him. “Until I had the idea to make a physical Kryptonian lexicon for Clark, I don't think I've ever called you.” 

“Yeah,” Kara said as she swallowed, head tilting to the side. “I was surprised you had my number… and then not very surprised,” she added. The Luthor's have always had a way for obtaining information they wanted, reformed or not.

“At any rate,” Lex's smile was sly as he grabbed an egg roll. “I appreciate your help teaching me and helping me put this together before Christmas.” 

“Of course, Lex,” she looked back at his notes. “You got pretty far on your own,” she squinted suspiciously at him, lips swishing from side to side. “But I get the feeling, you really didn't need my help or this,” she said pointing at the projected Kryptonian she was double-checking herself with. 

“No, probably not.” Lex's sly smile crooked up into something smug. “But your help makes it go faster, and Clark won't snoop through your apartment for gifts.” 

“He better not,” she teased, smiling as she finished the last of her food, looking back down at the next section she was working on. 

As she settled back into continue translating, she paused. Despite the thoughtful gift, she wasn't quite sure why the billionaire was spending so much time on a gift instead of buying one. 

“Can I ask, what made you think to make this for Kal?” She asked, looking over her girlfriend's eldest brother. “You guys could buy each other anything, why make something?” 

Lex's smile faded, lips twitching as he looked from her towards the finished pages and the glow of the Kryptonian viewer between them. 

“My mother and I used to always trade homemade gifts,” he started with a drawn out breath. “As opposed to the overpriced and impersonal gifts Lionel preferred.” A sad smile flickered across his face, reaching for the remains of his take-out carton. “Clark and I decided to renew the tradition this year with Martha,” he added, looking back to her saddened expression. “We’re making her a set of clay cookware.”   

“It's good that you’re reclaiming it,” she said, sharing the somber smile. Kara sighed, remembering past holidays with her parents on Krypton and Christmases past with the Danvers. “You know,” she said, sitting up straighter as she thought of her mother. “If we took J’onn’s car out for a spin, we could probably get it bound somewhere on New Krypton and be back before Lena releases him.” 

Lex considered the idea, it would make it more personal than taking it to the book dealer he'd found. “That would be perfect, thank you, Kara,” he said, his smile returning before looking at his empty take out container and the mountain of words, rules, and notes they still had to check through and retype. “Ugh, but first we need to finish all this.” 

Kara blew out a soft breath, nodding as she adjusted her glasses, looking around them. “We can do it,” she said confidently, “but how about,” she stood with a stretch heading towards the kitchen. “Hot chocolate? ‘Cause, you know, I heard that hot chocolate makes everything better.”

Lex smiled at her. “I heard it was especially true with marshmallows,” he added, stretching his own spine. “They can be very motivating.” 

Inside the dream realm is where things get interesting. Nia almost immediately recognizes where she is, but her powers don't really work. She's taken on a tour of her greatest emotional fears: failure, loss, etc. But she conquers them all fairly quickly, and is able to transport herself back to the real world.

Except it's not the real world. It's Lena's nightmares. But where Nia's fears were all kind of abstract and existential, Lena's are far more tangible. Like being snatched off the street and pulled into a dark alley. Like brutal home invasions. Like bombs in the office. Just all these really violent real-world fears based on all the threats she's received over the years and across realities.

Nia isn't able to interact with Lena until she's pulled into one of her nightmares, with both of them trapped in a bare room flanked by guards, with Lex gazing at them like a predator regards its prey.

Lena stands in front of her, shielding Nia.

"Just let her go, Lex," Lena tries to bargain. "This is between you and me."

"Lena..." Nia grips her hand tightly. "Lena, listen to me, this isn't real--"

"I don't think so, sis. In fact, I think I'll start with her, and let you watch. As a lesson."

Before Nia can register what's happening, the guards wrench her away from Lena, thrusting her towards Lex while another pair of guards restrain Lena.

"Lex! Lex, don't, please don't do this!"

Nia ignores Lex entirely, and turns as best she can against the guard's grip to face Lena.

"Lena, this is not real. It's a dream. Remember the Phantom Zone, what Kelly said. Ground yourself. You control this, not him."

Lena doesn't seem to hear her. "Lex. Please. You have me. Let her go. Kill me."

Lex regards her for a long moment. Then he smirks. "I don't think so."

A knife flashes towards Nia, but suddenly Lena is in front of her. The knife connects with a quiet crunch, and Lena staggers, bumping into Nia before her legs collapse.

Nia catches her, stumbling to her knees under Lena's weight. Though she knows it's not real, the sight of the knife hilt deep below Lena's sternum makes her heart stutter in her chest, sending the cold fingers of fear reaching down her spine.

Is the dream world like the Matrix? Nia never thought to ask.

"Lena..." Her voice shakes. "Lena, it's okay. It's going to be okay."

Lena stares up at her with wide eyes, her breath coming quick with panic. "N-Nia... run. You have to run."

She doesn't seem to notice that Lex and his goons have disappeared, leaving them alone in a room that's slowly losing it's acuity. Darkness creeps in around its edges, the air turning hazy. Only Lena remains in sharp focus, her fear bright and tangible.

"Nia, please..."

"No." Nia's voice no longer shakes. She places her hands on either side of Lena's face, directing her friend's focus to her. "Even if this were real, I wouldn't leave."

Lena's hands clutch at Nia's shirt. Nia releases Lena's face to take one hand in hers, moving the other to rest on the crown of Lena's head.

"Listen to me. This is not real. We are in the dream world. And in this realm, you control what you see. What you feel."

The fear in Lena's eyes doesn't abate, but her focus seems to sharpen. She's finally listening.

"Listen to my voice. Feel my hands, and breathe. We can get through this... together."

Finally, Lena closes her eyes, squeezing them tightly shut. Nia feels her struggle to control her breathing. She doesn't quite succeed, but after a moment the knife disappears, leaving no wound, no blood, like it was never there.

"That's it," Nia murmurs, pulling Lena close. Lena continues to tremble in her arms, crying quietly, never releasing her grip on Nia's blouse. "It's okay... you did it. You did it, Lena. We're safe. We're get ourselves out of here, I promise..."

When they wake, Lena withdraws as soon as she's able, leaving the infirmary to escape to the balcony. Kara almost follows, but hangs back when Nia shakes her head.

"What happened in there?" the hero asks, hands itching to help.

Nia hesitates to answer. "It was... intense," she says finally. When Kara's features darken into deeper concern, she continues. "I'll check in on her. She won't be alone."

Kara nods, unhappy with not being the one to be with Lena, but satisfied that someone will be there for Lena to lean on.

Nia joins Lena in the cool night air, settling down to sit beside her with her back against the rail. She doesn't say anything, and neither does Lena. All Nia can do is take Lena's hand and give it a gentle squeeze.