#lovable dorks

“Well, not sure really. I haven’t had a chance to flip through them yet. I say we start with the applicants first. It’ll be easier to narrow those down, then focus on the recruitments since those will take longer. Recruitments usually take more…convincing.” J’onn smirks as he reaches across the table and grabs the stack of folders, handing Cat half.

J’onn opens the first file in his stack. “The first applicant is Nia Nal. Areas of focus include psychology, cultural history, and paranormal science. Loki fae with powers of astral projection, illusion casting, and several other interesting things that could be very useful. I believe her mother was a professor of paranormal science and psychology here many years ago. Looks like she is currently attending National City University and is expected to graduate in Fall of 2021. Her skill set would definitely be useful. Let’s keep an eye on her. It’s a yes for me. What do you think?”

Cat grabs the file, flips through the transcripts with an impassive look on her face. “Mmm. Yes, I think she is worth keeping an eye on. Moving on. Applicant Lucy Lane. Areas of focus are legal, forensic, and investigative studies, elite research skills, and combat strategy. She is a pixie with teleportation, earth manipulation, magical misdirection, and…oh, nice - I like her other abilities, too.” She pauses to remove her glasses and places the arm on the edge of her bottom lip. “I believe her father was kicked out of here when he attended. If I remember correctly, he was a condescending asshole. Her skills are impressive, as is her transcript, but if she has her father’s ideals or attitude, I’m not sure she’d be a good fit. However, I’d like to keep an eye on her. She is scheduled to graduate Fall of 2021 as well. You agree?”

“I know her brother-in-law, Clark. He’s a bit of a know-it-all, but a good guy. Her sister, Lois, is a spitfire and nothing like their father so I am willing to bet Lucy is more like her. I think Lois mostly raised Lucy anyway. She could be a good asset.” J’onn pauses to look Cat in the eye and grabs his next file. “Next up, James Olsen. Hmmm, nope. His grades are terrible and he’s already been kicked out of one program for disruptive behavior and fighting. He sounds like a liability that we do not need. What’s your next one?”

Cat picks the next file from the stack, rolls her eyes, and scoffs at the folder in her hand as she flips through it. “Next applicant is Michael Matthews. Areas of focus are bartending, socializing, and…debt collection? Seriously? Like hired muscle?" She scoffs, again. "No real life experience. Still lives in his parents’ basement playing with himself because no one else will. He may as well have listed his preferred pronouns as frat boy dude-bro." She says haughtily, wrinkling her nose before tossing the file in the no pile. "Next up, Jack Spheer. Areas of focus are computer, investigative, and forensic sciences. He’s, oh, haven’t been around his type in quite a while. An Incubus with powers of manipulation, aura reading, accelerated healing, and mmmhmm, yeah, yes he’s quite interesting. His transcripts are all top level and he is scheduled to graduate Summer of 2021. He’s definitely a good fit. What do you think?”

“Agreed. We can add him to the stack to keep an eye on. What do you have next?” J’onn glances at his next folder with a shake of his head, slowly removes several from his stack, and pushes them aside. “Some of these are just…I have no words, Cat. I suppose they get points for the courage to apply?”

Cat glances over at the gentle faery, sighs, and grimaces at her stack as well, removing a few more. “Here we have applicant Imra Ardeen. Areas of focus are psychological and legal studies, combat strategy, and elite research skills. She is a nymph with powers of photosynthesis, scent/pollen air manipulation abilities, and regeneration of nonlethal injuries. Excellent transcripts and letters of recommendation. She is a yes to watch for me, graduates in summer of ‘21 and seems like a brilliant addition to bring aboard. Next applicant is…” She pauses to flip through several pages of the file. “Eve Teschmacher. Meh, she is just average. Her transcripts are good, but I have seen better applicants already so I think she’s a pass for me. And another one, applicant Dey, um, William. Also rather mediocre and his smile is…unnerving." She says, eyes scanning over the attached photo before thumbing through the rest of the stack. "And these three aren't very impressive either. Add these to yours and let's move on to recruitment. Perhaps there's something promising there."

Cat sets the files aside and pulls her glasses off to rub the bridge of her nose. These meetings always give her a monster headache. It baffles her how some of these folks even have the cajones to fill out an application, much less send it. She has to give them points for gall. She is pinching her nose when J’onn breaks into her thoughts.

Feeling her discomfort, J’onn gently prods her. “You want to take a break before we dive into the last few files?”

Cat sighs, “No. No. Let’s get through these so we have a better idea of what we are looking at for the next two years. If these recruits are anything like what they’ve been hyped up to be, we'll need to act quickly. The offers will be rolling in and I will not be one-upped by that pompous, egotistical man-child running Heatherwood Institute again."

“Alright, well, let’s dive in. First up, Querl “Brainy” Dox. Specialties include…” J’onn flips through the file for a quick look at the transcripts. “Mathematics, advanced tech,  probability, and statistics. Wow. This person has genius level intellect. I can see why that moniker would stick. No wonder they go by the moniker of ‘Brainy', it fits.”

Cat grabs the file from J’onn and parses through it herself as she taps her dainty fingers along the pages. “They’re Loki, too. That could prove quite useful. They’re able to shapeshift and it also says here that they have mastered molecular rearrangement. Fascinating.”

J’onn chuckles as he stands from the table to stretch and walk over to the refreshment bar at the back of the room. “They do seem to be a good fit for this recruitment class. Would you like some tea, Cat? I need something to get through the rest of this stack. I’m starting to get a headache from staring at all these files.”

A deep, dramatic sigh escapes Cat’s mouth as she drops her glasses onto the dark wood in front of her. Rubbing her temples, she leans back in her chair. “Yes. Please, J’onn. Fortunately, we only have…” She pauses to count. “Five more files to sift through. From the looks of it, these are the best of the best of the recruits.”

J’onn sits a steaming mug of tea in front of the feisty woman and heads back to his chair with his own cup. A mischievous grin crawls across his face as he chuckles. “Then let’s get on with it. I have professors to visit and trainees to torment.”

“So, this Querl is definitely a yes for me. They are set to graduate in Fall of ‘21. Seems like most of these, no, all of these applicants and recruits are two years out from starting. That could be good and bad for us.” She shuffles Querl’s file to the ‘yes’ pile, picks up another one with a dramatic flick of her wrist, and tosses one to J’onn.

“Winslow Schott, Junior, also known as Winn.” Cat rolls her eyes and sips her tea before continuing. “Set to graduate in Summer of 2021 with specialties in computer science and software engineering. Says he has high level coding and hacking experience. Wonder how that was determined? And do I want to know what kind of government watch list Mr. Schott is on?”

J’onn reaches for the file and scans over the paper in front of him. “Hmm, his father was the notorious Pixie that caused the deaths of all those workers at that toy factory several years ago. Looks like he has done everything he can to distance himself from that. His abilities would certainly be useful. Teleportation and hallucination inducement. He’s a yes for me. Thoughts?”

Cat purses her lips and taps her chin as if in deep thought. “Yes. He seems like he would be useful to have around. As long as he doesn't share his father's questionable viewpoints, he'd be a great addition. Next." She drops the folder onto the modest pile of acceptable candidates and looks to J’onn for the next one.

“Samantha Diane Arias. Goes by ‘Sam’. Specialties are economics, business, chemistry, and linguistics. Graduation date of Summer, 2021. Excellent grades and looks like she got her bachelor’s degree in business at the same time she finished high school. Powerful too. Rare elemental nymph with control of all four elements. That would certainly be useful in dimensional crises." He nods to himself, impressed. "There is very little limit to what she can do. This list likely barely scratches the surface, Cat.” J’onn can’t believe what he is looking at. He’s been around a long time and hasn’t seen a fae that can command all four elements in hundreds of years.

Cat shakes her head and rests the arm of her glasses against her bottom lip. A habit she loathes, but can’t seem to break. “Her expertise in chemistry paired with her abilities could prove unparalleled. Definitely add her to the stack.” She agrees. “Now, moving on. God, this gets more tedious every year. Here we have Alexandra Marie Danvers. Goes by ‘Alex’. Specialties include biology, chemistry, and biomedical engineering. Graduation in Fall of 2021.” She pauses to sip her now cold tea with a shuddering grimace. “Looks like she’s a shapeshifter, but, oh, she’s not just any shapeshifter. Unusual, she can shift into both human and animal form. Also has advanced healing abilities. Right. Yes. These are absolutely an asset to us. J’onn, these candidates are quite impressive.”

She closes Alex’s file and places it on top of the other seven that have made it to the ‘yes’ pile, her mind racing with all the possibilities of what these potential trainees could accomplish. She is broken out of her marathon of thoughts by J’onn’s light gasp. She hears him murmur across the table and looks up.

“Kara Zor-El Danvers. Wait...” J’onn scratches his head and his mouth drops open for a moment. He’s heard of this kid. If he remembers correctly, this one is from one of the most powerful, ancient families known to their species, but the last name doesn’t match.  He knows that middle name though. Zor-El. As in, one of the original families of their kind. Cat must pick up on his thoughts. She grabs the folder from his hand and flips through it with increasing interest and barely contained excitement.

Cat is very impressed with this Kiera person’s file. Not only is she from one of the most powerful families of their kind, her intellect is quite impressive as well. “We definitely want her here and need to do whatever we can to make it so. According to this, she is a Valkyrie with seer and oracle abilities. J’onn, if this is true, she is one of the most powerful fae alive right now. The ability to cause doubt, confusion, and intimidation while also being able to see the past, present, and future? We need her on our side, in our ranks. Look at this.” She hands the file back to J’onn, mouth open wide in awe.

J’onn sifts through the transcripts and lets out a low whistle. “Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Masters in Physics. Set to graduate with PhD’s in both Biomedical Engineering and Physics by Fall of 2021. Barely 24 years old? I’d say we need to make her our number one priority in this recruitment class. I don’t see how there will be anyone else that could compare.”

Across the table Cat lets out an inelegant snort-laugh, then clears her throat. “Hold that thought, Mr. Jones. Lena Kieran Luthor. Yes, from that family." She pauses for dramatic effect. "Bachelors in Business - achieved before she graduated high school, might I add. Masters in Computer Science. Set to graduate with PhD’s in both Biomedical Engineering and Physics by Summer of 2021. And she’s 22." Cat lifts her pristinely sculpted brow at the dark-skinned man across from her.

J’onn raises a dark brow in return and slides the file across the table, pulling it into his eyeline. “I guess the rumors were true. This is the most elite class we’ve had in centuries. Miss Luthor is a Succubus. And a powerful one at that. Powers of seduction and manipulation, of course, but aura reading and enhanced strength are not typical. She’s on par with the power of the Kara Danvers kid we just saw. Could you imagine what the two of them could do together?” The possibilities are endless, he thinks. “Cat, I think we’ve found our top two recruits.”

January, 2020 - Somewhere near the border of Scotland; Carterhaugh-Wood Academy & Training Center, administration conference room.

There’s a quiet rustling in the crowded conference room as Cat takes her place at the head of the deep mahogany table. J’onn quietly sits to her right observing the other women in the room. The rest of the room falls into silence giving the tiny, yet fiery woman at the helm the respect she commands. She glances around the table at the collection of six women with a knowing smirk on her lips. Each of the formidable professors were hand-picked by her for this precise reason and it makes her almost giddy to see it coming to fruition. Every one of them attended this academy and learned with and from J'onn and herself throughout several years, then each were offered a lucrative contract to step into their current roles. Dual roles, really. Professors and trainers, first and foremost, but also seats on the committee about to commence at this very table. The decision and preparation committee for the most impressive and elite class of candidates to cross the threshold of this building in a very, very long time. Cat nods her head and makes eye contact with each of them as she prepares to begin.

“Well, now that we are all here and settled, let’s get started, shall we?” She smiles as she pours water into the glass in front of her, sips it and lifts a perfect brow. “I see that some of you have been poking around in the files in front of you. Good. Each of you has a copy of the files on our next class of students. These ten candidates are set to comprise the most impressive class I have seen in decades, likely longer. Two in particular, are the most powerful of our species to set foot through these doors, ever. We have roughly two years before we start to prepare for them. One year before their acceptance and recruitment letters go out. That means, you have very little time to create a curriculum to teach, guide, and mold them.”

She glances sideways at J’onn and tilts her head. “Do you have anything to add, Mr. Jones?”

J’onn folds his hands across his stack of files before looking at each of the professors individually. “I do, Cat. Each of you will have a responsibility to teach and guide these candidates to be even better than they already are. They will need to hone their skills, fortify their knowledge, and make us all proud of who they become. They are the future of our kind and you have a highly coveted role in creating it. Don’t waste it.”

Cat nods and grabs her glasses to place on the bridge of her nose before digging into the process. “Each of the files have been separated into sets of two. These sets are how they will be roomed together. If any of them do not accept our invitation, we will address that on an as needed basis. One, and sometimes two, of you will be assigned as advisors to each pair. That is what we will be addressing now so you are better prepared to develop the required curriculum. Any questions so far?”

A dark-haired, olive-skinned woman raises her hand and brings all eyes to her. “Ms. Grant, Jessica Huang, or Jess, in case you don’t recall. Will we be teaching all of them or just the ones we are assigned to? Should we all work together to develop the curriculum? I guess I am unclear as to what exactly you need from us.”

“Yes, Ms. Huang, I indeed remember who you are. Excellent question. You will all need to work together on the curriculum. However, each of you will have your usual specialties and will be the primary advisor to the pair that are within that specialty. There will be some overlap, but please, work together to make it smooth and compatible as a whole. Anything else?”

“Leslie Willis. Ms. Grant. Mr. Jones. Is this going to be an accelerated program or the standard two years? That makes a difference in how we design it too.” A white-haired woman with a raspy voice asked. “When we came through the academy, it varied, but all of us had the full two years to get through it.”

This time, J’onn spoke up. “Ideally, Ms. Willis, we would like to keep it at two years with everything that needs to be covered, however, I think if you want to try to get it all in within eighteen months, give it a try. Nothing less than that though. I don’t want to rush through this. Not with the level of these incoming candidates.”

Cat lets the information settle in for a moment  as she taps her glasses on the files in front of her before continuing. “Okay. Now let’s get into who is doing what and advising whom.”

“To start, let’s direct our attention to the screen to my right.” Cat stands and walks toward the projection screen on the far wall. “Beside each of your names is the candidate or candidates you will be advising. Again, there are overlapping areas of study so I will encourage you to swap information and help each other. This is a team and we will be wise to work together.”

She pauses for effect and continues her pacing in front of the group. “Meegan Morris. You will be advising Winslow Schott and Jack Spheer. Their areas of study are your areas of expertise so I expect it will go well. You will likely also be assisting Andrea Rojas with Querl Dox’s advisement since there is some overlap.” The short blue-eyed woman locks eyes with Andrea and receives a nod.

“Next up, Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers, our top two candidates. They will be with you, Ms. Prince as they are both within your wheelhouse. However, you will likely have some overlap with Ms. Huang in advising both Alex Danvers and Samantha Arias." Diana nods in agreement. "That brings us to Lucy Lane and Imra Ardeen. They will be with you, Ms. Willis. You and Gayle will have some overlap as well. And Gayle, you will be advising Nia Nal. She has very unique capabilities, Ms. Marsh. Take heed.”

J’onn clears his throat and stands as Cat takes her seat again. “All of you were chosen specifically for this task and this committee. We expect a great deal from you and know you can rise to the occasion. Having said that, please know that we are here to assist you should the need arise. If you need help with anything along the way, no matter what it is, make sure you reach out. Is that understood?”

His dark brown eyes scan the room as his powers scan their thoughts to make sure he is indeed being understood. “Good. Now, I would suggest all of you stay and start working on some ideas. In the grand scheme of things, you really only have 18 months to prepare for their arrival. Cat and I will let you know if any of them decline our invitation. If you don’t have any further questions, the meeting is adjourned.”

With the continued silence in the room, both Cat and J’onn gather their files and head back to their own offices. Both lost in thought and wondering what the next few years will  bring. She does have a few concerns about what she knows are a few dark secrets lurking in the halls of this place and the two potential top candidates they're  recruiting, but she can’t deny that she is more excited than she has been in centuries. Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor could change the fae world as they know it. She just hopes some things remain secret.

January, 2021 - Apartment of Lena Luthor and Samantha Arias just off the MIT Campus; Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sam barrels through the door of the apartment she shares with her best friend, hands full of coffee and the mail she just collected on her way back from class. “Luthor! Lena!!” She yells. “Where the hell are you?”

“Jesus, Sam! What the fuck?!” Lena peeks her head around the doorframe of the office they share, eyebrow raised and arms crossed. “Is the building on fire? Is something chasing you? Why the hell are you screaming?”

Sam just chuckles as she drops everything on the island in the spacious three bedroom apartment they’ve lived in together since graduating high school. She sighs. She knows they will both be sad to leave it behind after graduation at the end of the summer. Neither have any idea what they want to do yet, but plan to take the rest of the year, September through December to travel and figure it out. They deserve a break, after all. As she drops everything on the island, she sees two letters mixed into the pile. One addressed to each of them from none other than the Carterhaugh-Wood Academy. Shaking her head she stares at the envelopes in curiosity.

“Hey, don’t get your underwear in a twist, princess! I was just excited to see you and wanted to know if you wanted to go out tonight. But first, look at this.” She glides over to the dark-haired woman still stationed in the doorway. “We both got something from Carterhaugh-Wood. Did you actually apply without telling your best friend?" Sam pouts.

Lena grabs the letter and stares at it with a very puzzled look on her face. “Of course not, Sam. I would have told you if I had. You know that." She says gently. "To be honest, it hadn’t occurred to me to apply. It isn’t a terrible idea. They have some archives and research I would love to get my hands on. I just hadn’t thought of it. What do you think it’s for? I mean, what could they want?”

Sam shrugs and grabs the letter opener off her desk to pry hers open, gently passing the piece of metal off to her best friend as she pulls the letter free. Her face scrunches and her lips purse as hazelnut eyes scan the words in front of her. “Wow. This is interesting. I never thought about applying either, but it looks like they want to recruit us anyway. According to this, they want me to start with the next class in January, 2022. If I accept…room, board, all texts and supplies will be covered. Plus, I will get a monthly stipend on top of it. Holy shit, Lena!" She exclaims, slapping at the ravenette’s arm. "They’re offering to give me $4,000 a month on top of covering all the usual living expenses.” Her eyes are wide as she glances up at her roommate. “What does yours say?”

Lena pulls her letter from the envelope and scans over it. She shakes her head and raises her emerald eyes to look at her friend. “More or less the same as yours. The last part says that upon completion of the two year academy, we are basically guaranteed a job within the realm of the fae or an undercover human role. Sam, this could be exactly what we have been looking for. Can you imagine the type of research we could do and how much good we could do in the world?! The type of technology that this academy has access to is unmatched! Why haven't we considered this before?!”

The brunette laughs at her raven-haired friend and shakes her head. The excitement etched across her porcelain features is one of the cutest things she’s seen from her in a long time. It’s almost child-like. Something she hasn’t witnessed on Lena’s face since they first met in boarding school all those years ago when Lena was only thirteen. God, that seems like eons ago. Here they are, both about to graduate with dual PhD’s from MIT. Warmth spreads in her chest and she suddenly has a lot of  hope for their future.

January, 2021 - Apartment of Alex  and Kara Danvers just off the CalTech Campus; Pasadena, California.

Kara lets out a dramatic sigh as she unlocks the apartment door after a dreadfully long day on campus. The workload is heavy enough with two PhD programs at the same time, but she just had to volunteer to tutor some of the undergrad students, too. To say she is relieved to be home is a gross understatement. She barely gets her shoes off and bag dropped by the couch before she hears Alex’s key in the door. She pulls the door back open and has to stifle her laugh when her sister almost faceplants on the floor.

“Seriously, Kara! I could have broken my nose! What’s wrong with you?!” The redhead scowls. “See if I bring you takeout again. Asshole.”

Kara lets out a breathy laugh as she takes the bag from her sister and closes the door. “I was just trying to help! Calm down.  Why are you always so, bristly, Alex? Gosh.”

Alex just glares at her as they both walk toward the couch and drop down onto it with a sigh of relief. “I cannot wait until the end of the year to be done with this and figure out what we’re going to do next. Speaking of, have you thought about it?”

The blonde glances at her sister and shakes her head. “A little, I guess. I talked to Eliza about working for her company, but I also kind of want to travel a bit or find something outside of what we’ve always known. Ya know?”

“Yeah. I get it. Me too. My friend Vasquez works for this agency that does a lot of research for various biotech companies. I may reach out to her and see what she thinks about me applying there. Not sure yet though. Oh, I grabbed the mail on the way in.” Alex reaches out to grab the mail as Kara starts dishing up the takeout.

She hears Alex grumble something and turns to see what she is griping about, popping a potsticker into her mouth. Realizing her mistake, she pauses to chew and swallow before asking. “What are you mumbling about, Alex?”

As she looks up and makes eye contact with her sister, an envelope gets shoved into her greasy hands. “What the heck, Alex?! My hands are greasy, you jerk.” She sits the envelope down to wipe her hands when she realizes who the letter is from. Her eyes bolt back up to Alex’s.

“Yeah. That’s what I was grumbling about. What do you think they want? I know we talked about applying there a couple years ago, but I never did it. Did you?” She asks the blonde with a concerned lilt in her voice.

“Alex, come on. You know if I did, I would tell you beforehand. Do you think they’re recruiting us? They recruited Clark when he was still in college. Maybe that’s what this is?” She could feel the dreaded crinkle on her forehead broadcasting her anxiety, but couldn’t do anything to stop it. “I mean, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. They have some of the biggest, most accurate archives known to the free world. Plus, can you imagine the technology and research we would have access to! Alex, we could do tons of cool things!”

Alex laughs and runs her finger underneath the lip of her envelope as Kara does the same. Both women scan over the words as their eyes collectively get wider with each passing second. The redhead lets out a soft gasp and looks back at her sister. “Kara, this is something we almost can’t refuse. Do you see this? We could actually make money while we are there! They want to give us a monthly stipend on top of everything!”

The blonde is blankly looking at the letter in front of her. She knows her mouth is likely gaping open without her permission, but she can’t help it. “Alex. I think we know what we're gonna be doing after graduation. Guess we better start getting our response ready. Holy wow! We’re going to Carterhaugh-Wood!!”

July, 2021 - Somewhere near the border of Scotland; Carterhaugh-Wood Academy & Training Center, administration conference room.

The clicking of heels and the sound of muffled voices fill the hallway outside the conference room as Cat glides confidently through the door. It’s more or less six months away from the beginning of the next round of training and the deadline for all candidates to give their responses has just passed. The committee is just beyond the doors in front of her and, thankfully, all of their coveted recruits and candidates have responded in agreement to attend. Now she has to make sure the curriculum is set and the texts, supplies, and whatever else is needed, have been taken care of. Nothing can stand in the way of these candidates’ success.

That reminds her, she needs to check in with J’onn after the meeting, making sure certain things are buried very deeply in the archives to prevent their discovery. She doesn’t necessarily want to keep the information hidden, just really hard to find. It seems more honest that way, but she knows it would be best if it remains where it is until this class graduates. Maybe even longer. She sighs. Cat is a lot of things, but deceit isn't a tactic she has employed in a long time. Her integrity is quite crucial for her role at the institution. However, she doesn’t think anything good will come from these secrets being discovered. She sighs again, straightens her spine, and opens the door with her usual haughtiness.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s get started. We all have important things to do and places to be.” She glances around and takes her seat. “J’onn, can you stay afterward for a few minutes or meet me back in my office to discuss a few things?”

Dark brown eyes lock onto hers. She can feel him pressing into her thoughts and allows it. He raises a brow and tilts his head to the side as he sifts through her mind. “Of course. I have to teach a class at one, but we can meet after. Your office at 2:30 this afternoon?”

She nods her head and turns her attention to the rest of the group seated around her. “Today is a good day. All of our candidates have agreed to start in January. Each of you has a copy of the acceptance letters. Please read over them and put them in the files you already have on each new trainee. Now is the time to let me know if there are any issues with the curriculum or related materials. We have just under six months before everyone will be at orientation. So, let’s get started, shall we?”

Cat looks up when she hears a soft knock on her office door. J’onn is standing there with his signature stern smile. She nods her head for permission to enter as he does so and closes the door behind him. The tiny woman leans back in her chair and taps the arm of her glasses on her bottom teeth.

She signals for J’onn to take a seat in the chair opposite her and places her glasses back on her nose. “I think you know what I asked you here to talk about, right?

Dark eyes connect with blue ones across the expanse of the desk between them.

“I do.” He nods and allows the silence to settle before speaking again. “Four of our new trainees have connections in their pasts that we have to be careful about. Given the skills and levels of intelligence they have, it will not be an easy task. We can bury them a little deeper in the archives and put an encrypted key on them. However, it will be a matter of time before they get to it. You and I both know they will, eventually.”

Cat knows he’s right. The best they can do is bury the information in an obscure place with encrypted protection and hope they are deterred long enough to at least get through the program first. “You’re right. We can only hope they are busy enough with the program and don’t have the time to focus on it. Let’s just hope they don’t get too curious. If they start pulling at the threads and team up, we’re screwed.”

J’onn can’t help the laugh that escapes him as he listens to Cat finish her thoughts. Not because it is even remotely funny, but because the truth in that statement scares the absolute fuck out of him. “Yes, let’s hope.”

September, 2021 - Somewhere in the Greek Isles on the beach.

Lena glances over the top of the book she is reading at her best friend lying next to her on the beach lounger. She can’t believe they are both doctors now. They’re finished with school, soaking in the sunny leisure of the Greek Isles, and set to start Carterhaugh-Wood in January. If someone had asked her younger self, she wouldn’t have believed this was possible.  Yet, here she is. Happy. Relaxed. Ready to begin the next chapter of her life. Getting her freedom from her evil brother and mother…no, not mother. She had a real mother. Lillian is a monster. Lex, well, he is just an extension of what Lillian is, but possibly worse if she thinks about it. He’s a lot more charming than Lillian. He’s more of a wolf in sheep's clothing.  

She shakes her head. How the hell did she go from thinking about how happy and relaxed she was to those two? They certainly don’t deserve her thoughts. Not after the way they treated her. She’s suddenly drawn out of her thoughts when something pelts her in the forehead.

“Oww. What the fuck, Sam?!” She rubs her skin and glares at her best friend. “Why are you throwing shit at me?! What are you, twelve?”

Sam just laughs. “Sorry, sorry. You were just staring at me and then I could tell you got lost in a thought spiral. So, I fixed it!”

She laughs even harder as Lena starts picking up random things and tossing them at her. It shouldn’t, but when she gets her best friend to act like this, it makes her seriously giddy. When they first met, Lena was the most serious and quiet thirteen year-old she had ever met. The teen was more mature than even she was at sixteen. While that isn’t saying much because well, she was sixteen, Lena acted more like an old lady than some of their teachers. So yeah, seeing her act her age right now is a source of tremendous joy.

“Hey, for real, what had you so stuck in your head, Kieran? I haven’t seen you like that in a while. Care to share?” She watched her friend closely. This could go one of two ways - deflection or sincerity. She wasn’t sure which would win out.

The green-eyed woman paused and dropped her eyes to her lap for a moment before subtly nodding her head. She locked her eyes onto Sam’s and shifted her body toward her before she spoke. “At first, I was thinking about how happy and relaxed I felt. But then Lex and Lillian crashed the party again." She says self-deprecatingly. "Getting my freedom from them truly couldn't come at a better time. I hate that I lost my father, but at least he made sure I wouldn't be dependent on them anymore."

The brunette reaches out and gently squeezes Lena’s hand. “I’m glad too, Lena. You didn’t deserve to be subjected to them and I hate that you had to live in that hellscape for so many years. I’m just glad we met and got to room together. You had me to corrupt you! What more could you ask for?”

They both laughed and let the silence and the warm breeze wrap them in an embrace that carried the somber thoughts away. They didn’t have much more time to enjoy themselves and wanted to soak up every bit of their freedom before entering the doors at Carterhaugh-Wood. They both somehow knew their lives were about to change forever.

Mid-December, 2021 - The Danvers home; Midvale, California.

Alex pulls into the long drive and takes a deep breath as she shuts off the moving truck. She and Kara didn’t have much time to get their whole apartment packed up and make the trip from Pasadena to Midvale. It isn’t a terrible drive between the two cities, but doing it in a moving truck makes it take longer and definitely makes it infinitely more stressful than either of them would have liked. Not only is the truck big and clunky, they also have their shared car attached to the back of it. To say that she is glad to finally be in their childhood driveway is an understatement. They now only have approximately five weeks to figure out what they are taking with them to Carterhaugh-Wood and what they need to store at the house in front of them. As much as the two of them want to travel a little before starting their training, they know it isn’t feasible.

“Hey, wake up, Kara. We’re here. Kara!” The redhead pokes her sister in the forehead and shakes her shoulder. ”Wake up! We have to say hi to mom and unload the truck.”

The blonde finally opens her eyes and blink owlishly at her surroundings before stretching. A giant yawn cracks her jaw before she is awake enough to speak. “Ugh. Unloading the truck sounds like a terrible idea, Alex. Why can’t we do it tomorrow?” She whines as they both get out of the truck.

Alex rolls her eyes, even though she knows her sister can’t see it, it’s the principle of it. “Kara, you know we have to have the truck turned in by ten in the morning. Do you want to get up early enough to unload everything and have the truck back by ten? Because I have known you most of your life and I know you are not a morning person. So, if you are okay with getting up at the ass-crack of dawn and unloading it, go for it.”

Alex makes her way around the back of the truck to unlatch the car and park it next to her mom’s car. The sooner she gets moving on this, the better. She really just wants to eat her mom’s famous lasagna, shower, and go to bed, but knows she has to prioritize. Now if she can just get her sister in gear. She peeks her head around the passenger side to see that the blonde is finally making her way to the back of the truck with their mother in tow.

“Hey, mom!” Alex says as she jogs up to give Eliza a hug. “I forgot how much of a pain in the ass driving a moving truck is.”

Eliza chuckles and gives her daughters each a kiss on the cheek. “Language, Alexandra. I am glad you made it safely. Was the drive okay?”

Kara chimes in as Alex unlocks the roll-up door on the truck. “It wasn’t horrible. Just long. It’s not so bad when we are in the car, but that truck is just a behemoth! Plus, the initial traffic getting off campus was gross.”

They make idle conversation as they unload the truck into piles of what needs to go where. A majority of the furniture is going into the finished basement since they had taken most of it from there when they left for college anyway. The rest of it is going into their bedroom and guest rooms to sort through over the next month. Figuring out what to take with them is going to be an exercise in patience. Especially since Kara is such a sentimental sap that struggles to part with things. Getting her to part with something for two years is going to be a serious pain in the ass for Alex. It took her longer than she cares to admit getting Kara to reduce what she took when they left for college. Now they're going to be continents away.

As the sun is setting, the truck is finally empty. The last of the boxes are stowed away and ready for them to deal with later. They head into the house and shed their shoes at the door. Both sisters sigh as their shoulders sag from the long day of travel and heavy lifting. The mouth-watering aroma of fresh pasta lures them toward the kitchen before either even realize it, too excited to have their first home cooked meal in a while. Conversation is light and jovial, catching up with Eliza and learning about all the new projects she’s working on. Kara and Alex help clean up, pack what little leftovers away, and tell their mother goodnight before heading up to their shared childhood bedroom.

“Phew, I am beat. I feel like I could sleep for a week, Alex.” Kara says, settling into bed. She shifts around for a moment, and then right on cue lets out a little squeal and kicks her legs like an excited toddler, completely contradicting her claims of exhaustion. “I can’t believe we’re finally doctors! I mean, I know we worked our butts off, but it still doesn’t seem real. Ya know? And, in a few weeks, we’re going to be a world away from everything we’ve ever known. I’m excited, but also a little bit scared. Are you?” Kara looked over at her sister as she rolled over onto her side.

Alex pulls the covers over herself and rolls to her side as well. “I’m definitely excited. Maybe a little scared too, but mostly excited. It’ll be cool to see new places and be able to learn more about our species. I mean, mom has taught us a lot, but being able to have access to some of the biggest and oldest research archives related to the fae as a whole will be so fucking cool.” Alex pauses before continuing. “Plus, part of me wants to see if I can find anything out about dad. He worked so closely with one of the headmasters so there has to be something there, right?”

“I’ve thought about that too. Wondering if there is anything there about my parents or Jeremiah. Surely there is something. Even if it’s just a tiny breadcrumb, at least that is more than we know now.” She makes sure her sister is looking her in the eye before she continues. “We just need to be careful, Alex. We both know that what happened to my parents and Jeremiah is shrouded in secrecy. I don’t want either of us to get in trouble before we even have a chance to make our way. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I can use the money we’ll be getting. It will go a long way in starting out in life and I don’t want to ruin it before I get the chance to enjoy it. So, promise me we will at least wait until we settle in and get a feel for the way things work before we start a side project. Okay? Promise, Alex.” Kara looks at her sister with wide blue eyes and her cute little pouty, puppy face.

“Ugh. Fine, Kara!” Alex sighs and pulls the duvet over her head. “Just put that fucking pout away. That thing is deadly!”

The blonde laughs and pulls her own duvet up as she snuggles into the mattress to try to get some sleep. She has no idea what the next two years will bring, but knows she is definitely ready to find out.

Mid-December, 2021 - The Arias Residence; Metropolis, New York.

Sam and Lena try to relax at the Arias Estate after storing most of their belongings in the basement. They’re currently sorting through their clothing, electronics, and books, trying to decide what to take with them for their journey to Carterhaugh-Wood. When Lionel died, Lena removed all of her belongings from the Luthor Estate as quickly as she could. She knew she had to get everything out of there before Lillian tried to get her hands on anything she valued. Fortunately, Sam’s father let her move everything here prior to the two of them moving to Cambridge for college. Storing everything here while they are at the academy is much the same and she is incredibly grateful Sam’s father has somewhat taken on Lionel’s role. As distant as he is from Sam, he at least treats Lena the same, much like his own daughter.

“Hey, where’s your dad?” Lena asks. “Have you talked to him since graduation?”

Sam looks up from her task and tilts her head. “I talked to him when we got back from our trip to let him know we were having everything delivered here, but not since. I figure we will see him sometime this week and for sure for Christmas. He’s probably at work. Same as always. That’s where he spends most of his time anyway.” The brunette hesitates for a moment before continuing. “I still can’t believe he went to work for The Luthor Company after your dad died. It doesn’t make sense to me. He left a lucrative position with a reputable company to work with Lex and Lillian? Something about that doesn’t sit right with me. Every time I try to ask him about it, he deflects and changes the subject. I know he’s a good man, but the fact that he is working with those two makes me wonder and I hate it.”

Lena quietly listens to the taller woman. She has often wondered that same thing and has no idea why a brilliant scientist and reputable man like Samuel Arias would choose to work for the devil and her spawn. It’s a subject they haven’t spoken much about, but have both often questioned independently. “Yeah, I agree, Sam. Something about it is suspicious. Have you ever wondered if he and Lionel figured something out before he died?” The dark-haired genius wavers a bit before continuing. “It’s just weird that Lionel dies and your dad leaves his position at Loki Tech to work for my evil family. I wish I had been able to get more out of the house after Lionel died. I know there was something in his office that they didn’t want me to get my hands on. Lex hovered around me like a buzzard when I went in there to get some of my father’s books. If I hadn’t wanted to get out of there as fast as I could, I would have poked around a bit more. There’s no way that this is just a coincidence, Sam.”

“We’re on the same page, Kieran. There is a rat somewhere and I think my dad might know something. We need to figure out a way to get some information from him before we leave. Let’s snoop around in his office while he is at work this week. There’s bound to be something we can find.” Sam sighs. She has often thought her father knows more than he is letting on. A mischievous smile spreads across her lips. “He’s pretty good at keeping his cards close to the vest, but between the two of us, I think we can get him to share something. Though, it might take a bit of the good scotch to get him talking.”

Lena chuckles and shakes her head at her best friend. “I won’t say no to the good scotch! And, snooping around in your dad’s office has always been fun, Sam. We both know he will be long gone when we wake up in the morning anyway. Do you think he knows something about Lionel’s death? The timing of him going to work for the family company is just weird. Add that to the fact that his death was suspicious…” She pauses to blink the tears away. “Anyway, I feel like there is so much that we aren’t being told and I fucking hate it.”

Sam walks over to her friend and wraps her in a warm hug. Releasing her, she lets her hands slide down pale arms, and latch onto delicate hands. “I know, Lena. Between both of our mothers disappearing, your father dying under odd circumstances, and my dad suddenly changing companies, there’s too much for it all to be a coincidence.” She rests a comforting hand on Lena’s cheek, pats it, and pulls away. “My gut says there is at least a connection between Lionel’s death and my dad going to work for the Luthors. The company my dad worked for prior to that did a lot of work for the fae elders. I know he traveled to Carterhaugh-Wood and met with Catherine Grant, one of the headmasters several times. We both know that he and Lionel were good friends. Do you know if Lionel ever traveled with him?”

“I don’t know for sure since I was at boarding school for so many of his trips, but I know he mentioned traveling with your dad a few times. Never about where they went, but he did talk about them traveling together.” The emerald eyed beauty tilts her head, grabs Sam’s hands, and stares at her best friend. “Wait, Sam, do you think we might be able to dig around in the archives at the academy? Do you think there might be something there? I want to see if I can find anything out about my mother, Elizabeth anyway, but if there is even a slight chance that there is anything about my father, I want to know.” The dark-haired woman squeezes tan hands and steps back to her pile of books. She desperately wants to know more about her mother, but she also wants to know what happened to her father. She is absolutely convinced his death was not of natural causes like it was claimed. Her gut instinct is that Lillian had something to do with it. Those archives could hold the key to unlocking years of unanswered questions.

The brunette sighs and locks her hazel eyes onto the hazy green of her best friend. “Who knows if that place has the answers we want. I think that if any place would, it’s there. But, Lena, we have to be careful. There is no telling what we could find and how much danger it could put us in.” She holds her hand up to stop the incoming protest. “I’m not saying we won’t look, but promise me we’ll wait until we adjust to the place first. We need to figure out how things work before we start pulling threads to things we don’t know about. Please, promise me. Okay?”

The pale beauty nods her head and reaches out to squeeze Sam’s forearm. “You have my word, Sam. We’ll wait, but just know that I plan to dig around in those archives. With or without you, I am going to be looking. There’s no way I can pass up an opportunity like that.”

She raises her eyebrow at the woman standing across from her and dares her to say anything different. They have both lived through some serious trauma and have helped each other achieve more than either ever thought possible already. If she has the chance to dig into the two evil monsters that are still alive and find out more about her biological parents or what happened to them, she’s taking it. Even if Sam doesn’t help, she’s going to dig.

Sam laughs, pulls her best friend close again, and squeezes tight. “Oh my dear Kieran, I would expect nothing less. Not even close.”

Remaining chapters on AO3: Carterhaugh-Wood Academy (Fae AU)