#directorship

“I know!” It’s the same conversation that Lucy and Alex had months ago. They’d meant it to be a celebration night. A homecoming of sorts. Alex had overdone it, gotten piss drunk and told Lucy, begged her actually to never step foot in the DEO again. It’s dangerous, Lucy, Alex had muttered into her beer bottle, I care too much about you to see you get hurt.

All that had gone down the drain tonight. Alex had run out of options, the threat was overwhelming, and as soon as she’d explained what happened, Lucy drove to the DEO. Alex hadn’t asked but she didn’t say no. “She’s going to be okay,” Kara can be a really loving person but sometimes, it can be too much. Too hopeful.

Alex knows how much it’ll hurt if Kara is wrong this time. “I can hear her heartbeat.” That isn’t much of a saving grace but it’s something. General Lane does back off. He slinks into a corner and waits like everyone else.

They all look like a useless bunch of idiots, even after saving the world. All they can do is wait and wonder. The wondering is the worst part. 

The doctor emerges, bloody but a look of relief on her face. “She’s stable,” she tells J’onn. “Family only.” It’s a blow right to Alex’s heart, watching General Lane ushered into Lucy’s hospital room. That’s the last person she wants to see when she wakes up, Alex knows that for a fact.

Alex wants to stop him. She wants to tell him that she’s more family than he ever was. That Lucy had returned to National City and before she showered or changed her clothes or took a nice little Instagram picture, Lucy had taken an Uber to Alex’s apartment. They didn’t quite kiss. Didn’t quite fall into each other’s arms. But they said enough to remind them of the possibilities they’d abandoned two years prior. 

“I need to talk to her.” Alex refuses to get held back by Kara, not that Kara’s trying all that hard to stop her. When Alex makes it to the door, General Lane is leaving, a frown firmly on his face. He says nothing to Alex and Alex doesn’t care.

She pushes past him and rushes into the room where Lucy is looking up at her from the hospital bed. She looks small, delicate, which aren’t the words she would normally use to describe her. There’s a cut on her head that’s been stitched up, she’ll probably have a scar from the surgery too. 

Lucy will wear both with pride.

Alex struggles with what exactly to say but she holds Lucy. That’s almost enough. “Fucking hell, Lucy.”

“I know..”

“You dove in front of me, you...maniac.”

“I couldn’t let you get hurt. I knew what I was doing.” Her voice is hoarse. Tired. “Do you think they have jello here?”

“Lucy.” Alex wants to make Lucy take this seriously. But Lucy has stone-cold defense mechanisms. “You were supposed to be in a courtroom, not...I know you didn’t ask for this. And you were only there because of me.”

“I’m good with a gun. Can’t help it.”

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you…”

“I didn’t though.” Lucy touches Alex’s hand. “I lived to annoy you another day.”

“Yeah. Right.” Alex sits in the chair next to Lucy’s bed. “I wanted to tell you, that day you came back...how much I missed you.”

“You never called.”

“Would that have changed anything?” The question is genuine. Alex has always thought that Lucy left for more reasons than one. She wasn’t sure if Lucy wanted any reminders of what she was leaving behind. 

“It would’ve changed everything.” Lucy touches Alex’s cheek. “I came back for you, stupid.”

“Me?”

“They offered me a promotion. More money, great living situation, easier hours. I considered it, but I was never as happy as I was in this shitty city with you.” Nearly dying has opened Lucy’s eyes. Made her words come out softer. Even under this fluorescent light, Lucy has this unmistakable zeal. Totally unafraid, completely free. “Whatever you think you are, you’re so much more. Braver. Beautiful. I love everything about you.”

“I’m such an idiot. I thought you were just being friendly.”

“You are an idiot. Yeah. I love that about you too.” Lucy laughs. “You’re hurt.” Lucy touches the cut on the back of Alex’s neck. “Get yourself checked out.”

“I will.” Alex starts to stand but decides to kiss Lucy instead. Something she’s been longing to do for years. “And then I’m coming right back.” Everyone looks at Alex like she’s grown three heads when she asks to see a doctor and has a smile on her face. 

When she woke, it was to a peal of thunder. She swore she could smell the crackle in the air of the lightning she knew would be splitting the stormy gray skies in two. Everything around her resounded with deep rumbles of thunder. As she fumbled for the blanket, she felt the first raindrops hit her skin—an almost welcome feeling after the days of scorching heat. But within seconds they were coming faster, harder, and the blanket was a rather ineffective protection against the torrential downpour the rain had become. Wind whipped at her face as strong waves rocked and lifted her little boat, sending it crashing back down to the ocean with a force that nearly unseated her. 

Somehow she’d imagined her end at sea to be more peaceful than the battle that had sent her seeking refuge there in the first place. She should have known better. Or maybe she should have made some sort of offering to Posiedon for a safe voyage first… Temperamental gods and their gigantic fucking egos. 

She closed her eyes and braced herself, letting herself hope that maybe she’d make it through the storm, enjoy another few days of sunshine and warmth, a reminder of all the happy memories she still had to cling to. 

Instead of sunshine, she found shores, her boat suddenly slowing as the hull dragged along wet sand, finally grinding to a stop. Once upon a time, she would have been grateful, would have armed herself and strode onto the shores to find shelter for the duration of the storm. Now she could only see safety in the familiar contours of her ship, so there she sat, rain cascading down her shoulders, every inch of her soaked through, hoping it would end soon enough.

---

Lucy watched from shelter as a boat came closer and closer to her shores. As anger simmered inside her, the snakes began to hiss—every part of her preparing for the newest battle.

“Play nice,” came a voice from beside her, and Lucy might have startled if she didn’t recognize it from too many surprise visits.

“Hermes.”

“I’ve brought you a friend.”

“Another friend here to kill me? Or, well, try.” She rolled her eyes as she looked out onto her veritable graveyard of statues.

“I suppose she might try… But I was thinking more of a companion.” He smiled too broadly, fluttered his eyes too innocently. 

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’re lonely, and I can’t be here at all times, no matter how much I know you wish I could be.” 

“I—”

“So I fetched a warrior from the seas for you. A traveler who didn’t even know where she was headed. The least you can do is say thank you.” 

“Hermes.”

“You’re welcome.” And, with a little wave of his hand, he was off again, leaving Lucy to grumble under her breath about unwanted visitors and gods who liked their little jokes to much and attempted murders and companions who would need to stay blindfolded at all times. 

She peered back at the ship, finding it grounded on her shores. Only, the warrior hadn’t moved, was sitting perfectly still, half-drowning in the storm. Not much of a warrior after all. 

Lucy resolved to ignore her guest, heading back inside to the dry warmth of the fire.

Eventually, as the sound of the rain slowly petered out, curiosity got the better of her. She crept toward the entrance again, finding the warrior still seated in the boat. It was as if she’d already been turned to stone—no intervention on Lucy’s part needed. 

Even still, she slept uneasily, aware that she was at her weakest with her eyes closed. What she wouldn’t give for a full night’s rest… 

The next morning, the sun shone brightly once more, and Lucy spotted the warrior seated on the shores, facing out to sea. For hours, she sat, too, sat and watched the woman watch the sea. It was only when she herself grew thirsty that she startled at the realization that this woman might require sustenance of some kind. And although she was no longer bound to be hospitable, living in fear of god’s visiting, masquerading as a mere mortal, something inside of her urged her to action. 

She crept up slowly, silently. Placed a bowl of water and one with food on the ground, nudged them forward with a stick, her back turned lest she kill her first ever visitor who hadn’t (yet) tried to kill her. 

When the woman didn’t move, Lucy moved a safe distance away and threw a stone, watching as she startled, her whole body tensing. Still, she didn’t get up, seemed to curl in on herself even more. 

Eventually, though, she moved slightly higher up the shore to avoid the tide and found the bowls of food and water. She hesitated, but then seemed to give in as she ate and drank. 

For days, that was their routine. And Lucy found it was almost fun as she experimented, watching to see which flavors her guest liked most. More like having a pet than a companion, but it was something. 

---

Food and water kept appearing, as if some god was replenishing all that Posiedon’s storm had sent overboard. At first, Alex hadn’t wanted to take it, had wanted to sit, the seafoam bubbling at her feet, and live out her days with a quiet resignation. But she knew better than to refuse a gift from the gods; she wouldn’t risk another god’s wrath after that storm. 

She even enjoyed the food, most of all the fresh fruits whose flavors seemed to burst across her tongue. The water was always cool too, the perfect complement to the warmth of the sun against her skin and the sea breeze ruffling through her hair. After a full day of sunshine, her blankets were finally dry, so she spent her nights sleeping in the sand, wrapped up just enough to keep the chill from becoming uncomfortable. 

It was after many, many days of this that she decided to acknowledge the deity who must be leaving her sustenance. She heard the scrape of the bowl in the sand, pushed closer and closer, and cleared her throat, her voice hoarse from so many days of disuse. “Thank you. Whoever you are. Thank you.” 

If she didn’t know better, she’d have sworn she heard a squeak. There were no more sounds after that. 

Not until the evening, when more food arrived. She turned around at the sound of the bowls, as if she might see anything. But maybe her gifter would appreciate a more direct thanks. 

She heard the sound of muttered curses, then a gasp. 

“You still live?”

“Yes?”

“You do not… oh.” 

“I wanted to thank you for your generosity. All of my supplies were lost to the storm, and I can no longer—I would not have been able to scavenge for new ones. So thank you.”

“Right. Yes. I should go.”

---

That night, Hermes appeared once more. “Did I not pick well for your companion?”

“Who is she?”

“Do you not yet recognize… No matter, you will know soon enough.” 

“I could know now if you would tell me.” 

“Isn’t it so much better when these things come as surprises?”

Lucy pouted, but Hermes simply laughed. “You know, if you weren’t my only visitor for decades, I wouldn’t put up with you.” 

“I doubt it. But tell yourself what you must. Now I have a soul to conduct to Hades, but I’ll be back.” 

Lucy spent much of the night wondering about her new visitor. Not that the visitor knew she was here to visit Lucy. Or Medusa, as she’d surely know her. She probably wouldn’t be thanking Lucy once she found out the truth. 

---

Over the next several days, Alex found herself conversing with the god who’d seen fit to spare her life. She knew almost nothing about her—only that she asked to be called Lucy, the name she’d once been called by, and that she was the only inhabitant on the island. Then again, she hadn’t revealed much about herself—that she was Alexandra, but preferred Alex; that she had been a warrior, no details about her past beyond that. 

One day, Alex asked Lucy to describe the island. 

“Well, you’ve spent most of your time on the beach. But back behind you is an area of dense vegetation. There are lush trees and bushes. I gather the fruit I’ve been feeding you in there. And there’s a spring with fresh water deep in the forest.”

“It sounds beautiful.” 

“Do you need more detail? I’m not sure if…”

Alex swallowed heavily. “This is new. An injury from battle. So I can picture it well enough.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Alex shrugged. She tried not to think about it, knew there were other Amazons who had been injured permanently in combat, had found new ways of being in the world, ways they swore were fulfilling and rich. But being a warrior had been Alex’s whole life; her precision with a bow and arrow had been legendary. The idea of losing that, or having to find some new way to relearn it all… She hadn’t been able to bear it, had run, too cowardly to face this latest challenge. 

Lucy seemed to understand that Alex had no desire to speak further on the topic, so she continued on, describing the forest and the sea and a bit about her dwelling place. Alex could hear the hesitation in Lucy’s voice as she paused. “If you ever wish…I have shelter. Should it storm or grow too cold, you would be welcome.”

“I like the beach.” It wasn’t a lie. She liked the period of stillness, when the world was dark enough for her not to think so much about all that she could no longer see. She felt grounded, almost peaceful. Her skin wrapped in the soft warmth of the blankets; the sand giving way to the dips and curves of her body; the gentle breeze stirring the earth and blowing through her hair; the sounds of the wildlife, sparse but still there, becoming audible in the still silence of the night. 

“But when it rains?”

“Perhaps I will join you.” 

---

Despite her promise to herself not to grow overly attached to the warrior who had never intended to arrive on her shores, as the weeks passed, Lucy found herself spending more and more time out on the beach with Alex. Sometimes they spoke. More often they kept each other company in silence.

Every so often Lucy watched as Alex practiced some sort of ritual, her body moving—lithe and strong despite weeks of barely moving. Sometimes she stumbled. Sometimes she seemed to rage at the skies. Other times she turned that rage in on herself. After several days of watching the rituals, Lucy asked if she might join, listened as Alex taught her to ground herself, to find balance, to hone her strength, reacquaint herself with all the lines and muscles of her body, feel at home in it. It had been so long since she had felt truly at home in her body—not as a temporary dwelling that made her feel safe in some way, but as something that belonged to her instead of that thing she had been made to bear. She wondered if Alex felt the same. 

It was after many weeks and two nights of Alex’s presence in the cave during storms that Lucy offered to take Alex on a tour of the island. She tried to ignore the way her skin tingled at the feeling of Alex’s hand finding hers as she led her across the unfamiliar terrain. Her heart stuttered at the sight of Alex standing still in front of the spring, her hands raised slightly, palms facing the sky as she took in deep breaths, inhaling the rich scents of the forest. The air was thicker in here—humid, trapped amidst the dense vegetation—and it smelled of soil and rain and growth. It was Lucy’s favorite place on the whole island, and she’d never imagined that sharing it with another could fill her with such happiness. 

---

“I need you to come with me, and fast.” Lucy’s voice was an urgent whisper, and Alex felt two strong arms wrapped around her. 

“What? Why?” Her heart pounded in her chest. There was an urgency to Lucy’s voice she’d never heard in it before. 

“Someone is here to kill me, and I don’t want you harmed in the process. Sometimes they manage to be a little crafty.” 

“I can help!” The fact that she hadn’t seen combat in ages seemed to matter little in the face of danger threatening Lucy’s life. 

“These men stand no chance, trust me.” Lucy’s confident chuckle was warm against Alex’s cheek, and despite the circumstances, Alex felt a pang of longing, want pulsing through her in a way she hadn’t felt in many months. 

And then Lucy was scooping Alex up and running with her, and Alex’s memory flashed back to the shows of strength amongst the warriors. It was there that she had learned desire, learned to love and be loved in turn. And apparently her body craved that once more. 

It felt like a short eternity before Lucy returned from battle, and Alex ran her hands all up and down Lucy, checking for injuries, broken bones, spots that would make her hiss. It wasn’t until her hands were wrapped around Lucy’s back, trailing a bit low, that she heard the first sharp intake of breath. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t—it’s fine.” Lucy cleared her throat. “I am fine.” 

“I worried.”

“You would not if you knew…” 

“Knew what?”

A moment’s hesitation. “The truth. About me. Who I am. Or now am. Have been for a very long time.” 

“You don’t know of where I came from either. And I know who you are now.”

“You don’t, Alex. Not really. I am a monster.” 

“No.”

Lucy let out an incredulous sound at that. “I think I would know what I am.”

“You welcomed me when you did not need to. Showed me hospitality. Gave me food and water and shelter.”

“Men do not call me Lucy.” 

Memories of Lucy’s first introduction pulled at Alex. “Right. But you prefer Lucy.”

“It was my name. Once.” 

“So then you are Lucy.” 

“Oh, Alex. Will you run when you know the truth? I will not stop you, no matter how much better my life has been these last few weeks. Better in ways I don’t think you’ll ever realize.” 

Alex reached out, fingertips brushing along Lucy’s arm. “I think I might. I left my home not for adventure, but for an ending. Now… I do not think I would do that again.” 

A tear rolled down Lucy’s cheek. “Men call me Medusa.”

“Oh.”

“You have heard of me.”

“I’ve heard what those who fear you say about you. But that is not you, not the woman I’ve come to know.” 

“I’ve killed many men. More than I can count.”

“As have I.” Lucy froze at that. Alex chuckled. “I suppose my name hasn’t traveled as far as yours has. I am Alexandra of the Amazons.”

Lucy gasped. The woman’s hair was longer now, shaggy, and she had grown slimmer from her time on the island, though the strength was clear during the morning exercises that had become more complicated with each passing day. “The archer?”

“Once.” 

“A warrior.”

“Once.”

“Now, still.” Before Alex could object, Lucy placed a hand on her arm, let it slide down until their hands were tangled together. “You are brave, Alex. Brave enough to survive in a new land, brave enough not to run from me at the sound of my name. You are strong, in and out. You still face the world with a kind of determination rare among mortals and gods alike.” Lucy’s free hand came up and brushed through Alex’s hair. “You have given me something to fight for, like any leader should.”