The first sound Lena hears is the sound of something getting dropped to the ground.
It echoes through the sterile setting of the lab, and when she turns to see the source, she sees Mon-El, staring at Rhea like he had seen a ghost. Not in a pleasant way, mind, but in the way that gives her the feeling that all hell was about to break loose.
“Mon-El?”
“You were supposed to leave.”
Lena knows he didn’t direct those words at her – he would never – but the tone was cold enough that it sent a chill through her all the same. Whoever Rhea was to him; it wasn’t friendly. That didn’t make it any easier to stay still when Rhea steps closer to her.
“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? Especially not when I learned you had made such an exceptional choice in a mate.” Lena feels Rhea’s fingers close over her shoulders, and she tenses. “She’s magnificent, Mon-El. I have to say; you chose so well.”
“Let her go, Mother. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Mother?” The word tears from Lena’s lips in the shock of it all, and the look Mon-El gives her is a genuine apology. He’s never lied to her, not truly. She knew he was an alien from the start, though she didn’t realize that their mothers were so similar in drive and purpose.
“Oh, but she is just what we need to solidify our power here.” Rhea forces Lena back into her chest, holding her firmly in place. “And unless you want something terrible to happen to her, I think you should do as Mother exactly says. Don’t you?”
Mon-El tears his eyes from his mother to look directly at Lena, and his face softens. “I’m so sorry, Lena.”
“It’s not your fault,” is all she can get out before she’s struck hard from behind and everything goes black.
- - - - - -
Mon-El meets Lena in a bar. Kara is trying to get him to integrate into the world, trying to help him adjust to his new Earth life, and he doesn’t think that her kind of fun is what he seeks. No offense intended to Kara, but he likes actually to have fun, and her kind of fun is well … not.
Fortunately for him, he’s not the only one that Kara is trying to integrate into her friend group. Left sitting across from him at the table while the rest of them darted off to pick karaoke songs is a raven-haired beauty with a knowing smirk that in his limited time on Earth has never shown to be anything but precisely what Mon-El wants to see.
Before he can even open his mouth, she already has his number.
“Kara doesn’t like you very much, does she?”
He laughs, reaching for his beer. “No, Kara does not.”
“Then why did she bring you here?”
He shrugs. “She’s trying to help me make friends. See the error of my reckless partying ways.”
Lena laughs. “Well, you are the type.”
“What can I say? I love a good time.”
She takes a long pull from her beer before shaking her head. “I have a feeling that there are many people who would think I’m allergic to them.”
“Oh, really?”
“I’ve been told I’m quite the frigid bitch.”
Mon-El shrugs. “I think that means you know what you want. There’s nothing wrong with that.” It happens to be incredibly attractive to a man who doesn’t have any idea what he wants. Then again, he only just recently received the news that his planet was dead, so he might be excused.
“It’s a rare man who thinks so.” She holds a hand out to him. “I’m Lena.”
He reaches over to take her hand, and for a moment, he’s ready to parrot back his usual Earth alias, but he stops himself. Mostly because he’s tired of pretending to be something he’s not. “I’m Mon-El.”
- - - - - -
“Lena? Lena, sweetheart?”
Lena comes to with a groan, one hand coming up to rest against her forehead as she looks down at what she’s wearing. The long black gown stretches to her ankles, and the bodice she’s been stitched into shows far more cleavage than she usually would show. If anyone but Mon-El were in the room, she might have been self-conscious in the moments after waking, but that fear quickly evaporates when she learns they’re alone.
“Where are we?”
“On my mother’s ship.” His hands come up to cradle her face gently, looking for any sign of injury. “Are you alright?”
“Oh, there are so many answers to that question, but physically? I’m fine. Or I will be, as soon as we get out of here.” She swings her legs over the side of the bed to stand, a momentary wave of dizziness sweeping through her, and she reaches out to steady herself on his shoulder. “What does she want with us?”
“I’m fairly certain, knowing my mother, it’s something terrible.” Mon-El’s hand moves to her waist to help, his eyes continuing to scan around the room. “She’s not incredibly fond of how Earth has changed me. And with Daxam gone, I think Earth might be on her ‘To Conquer’ list.”
“Supergirl is not about to let that happen.” Lena takes a breath as her legs finally steady under her. “And neither am I. If she thinks I’m going to help her …”
“Oh, I doubt she thinks we’ll do it willingly. But my mother is not above applying the proper leverage to get what she wants.”
Lena’s eyes scan the room before landing on one of the doors. “Can we get out the door?”
“We could, but it’s heavily guarded. We might be better off trying to bide our time and looking for opportunities while they transfer us between rooms.” Mon-El looks over at her, arms pulling her closer in a way that might have been romantic, were they anywhere else. “Do you trust me?”
“You know, I do.”
“Trust me enough to follow my lead?”
Following has never been Lena’s strong suit, and he knows it. But Lena is also aware of the fact that this is a race and a queen that she has no context for and Mon-El is increasingly familiar. She swallows hard before nodding.
“Just let me know what you need me to do.”
The doors behind them slide open, with two Daxamite soldiers standing at attention, and Mon-El’s face sobers. “I think we’re about to find out.”
- - - - - -
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
If he had done this when they were somewhere less intimate, he might not have been able to notice the subtle way her face shifts, a wariness that slides back into place when she thinks someone might have been hiding something from her. He knows better than anyone how deep those wounds go, from what she’s told him. He doesn’t want to be another one of those people.
“Something wrong?”
“No.” He shifts to lie next to her, propping himself up on one elbow. “There’s … something I haven’t been entirely honest with you about.” She arches an eyebrow, and he continues. “I’m …”
“An alien.” In an instant, her entire body language relaxes, and she smirks. “Is that all?”
He blinks at her as she shifts to slide out of bed. “You knew?”
“You’re not exactly subtle about it. Especially with a name like Mon-El.”
Mon-El considers, before nodding. “Okay, fair point.”
“But is there anything more specific you want to tell me?”
He takes a deep breath and tilts his head up towards the ceiling, trying to decide how far he wants to take this. “The planet I’m from is Daxam. It was a sister planet to Krypton.”
Lena turns away from her closet to face him again. “Superman and Supergirl’s Krypton.”
“The same. Turns out it died when Krypton did. I got shoved into a pod and shuttled off into space before landing here.”
“I’m sorry,” Lena slips a nightgown over her head before returning to bed, curling up in the space next to him. “That must have been horrific.”
“Oh, it was awful. But I think I’m starting to like it here. Earth is different from Daxam, but … it could be home. Maybe.” He pauses. “Not that there’s much choice, considering space travel isn’t your planet’s strong suit.”
She laughs. “We’ll get there one day. I’m sure of it.” She props herself up on one arm, before turning to look at him. “Anything else you want to share with me?”
He pinches his eyes closed, weighing his options, before turning to face her more. “I was the prince of Daxam?”
“Oh.” The amusement in her tone is evident, and she shifts to fold her arms over his chest, getting in close. “Good to know, Your Highness.”
“You know, you say my title like that, and it’s like you don’t take me seriously at all.”
She laughs, almost as though she’s sealing the deal in that respect, before looking up at him curiously. “Wait – does the sun affect you the same way it does Kryptonians?”
“Yeah?” Mon-El raises an eyebrow at her curiously.
Her face lights up, as though something childlike has come over her. “Can you fly?”
He takes a deep, dramatic breath before shaking his head. “No. But I can jump really, really high?”
Lena laughs, and honestly, he prefers those reactions over admiration. “So, you fall with style.”
“Something like that,” he grins, leaning in to kiss her softly. “So … we’re okay?”
“We are good,” she agrees, brushing one hand against his cheek. “In fact, I think we’re amazing.”
- - - - - -
“We are not getting married.”
“You know, you don’t have to say it quite like that.”
Lena winces as she glances over at him, her face sympathetic before turning her back to zip up the ridiculous dress she’s wearing. “I’m sorry. It’s not as though I don’t want to or haven’t thought about it …”
“No, I one hundred percent agree with you. Being forced to get married so my mother can take over the world is not what I was going for either.” The zipper closes, and he turns her around to face him again. “I know down below Supergirl is coming up with a plan to get us out of here, but right now, I think we need to do a little planning ourselves.”
“Is it a good idea to plan when they’re pretty much watching our every move?”
“Also, a good point. Which is why you’re the brains in this relationship.”
She smirks. “Don’t sell yourself short. Besides, plans are my area of expertise. Winging it is yours, and you know this ship better than I do.”
Mon-El nods, and he squeezes her hands. “So … follow my lead?”
She nods. “I’ve got your back.”
The doors open, and one of the guards is standing at the ready, holding the door open for them to make their way through. It seems like there’s only one, most of the halls empty and likely waiting for their upcoming nuptials. Mon-El gestures for her to head through first, and she does, keeping her head high as they head into the fire.
At first, things are quiet, nothing but their footsteps echoing against the walk. About halfway to the bridge, Mon-El reaches for her wrist to stop her, and they both turn around.
“As your prince,” he begins, “I command you to let us go.”
The guard doesn’t go for it. He pulls a gun on them. So, naturally, Mon-El punches him in the face.
The gun skitters across the pathway, and Lena darts forward to grab it. Mon-El wraps the guard in a headlock, and she finishes things with a shot to the chest. The guard goes down quickly, and Mon-El grins up at her.
“Thanks, babe.”
“Anytime,” she laughs, before moving closer. “Where do we go now?”
He reaches for her free hand and tugs her down one of the hallways. They hack through a few panels, shoot down a few more guards, and eventually, Mon-El forces one of the external doors open. The wind whips past their heads as they gaze down into the city sprawling beneath them.
“That’s a big drop.”
“That it is.” Mon-El turns and glances back over his shoulder. “But unfortunately, we’re going to have to take a big risk.” She turns to see the guards coming up behind them and then glances back to the city below.
“Are you saying we … ?”
“Do you trust me?”
“But you can’t—”
“Do you trust me, Lena?”
She looks up at him, eyes bright, and nods. “All the way.” It’s not an easy thing for her to say – it has never been – but she’s trusted Mon-El to get them this far. She can trust him the rest of the way. He grins back at her, before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in closer.
“Hold on tight.” As she wraps an arm around his neck, letting him pull her as close as possible, he grins back at the guards advancing on them. “Nice seeing you boys again. Tell Mother I hope Supergirl kicks her ass.”
And without a second thought, they both jump, Mon-El’s enhanced Daxamite abilities propelling them both out into the air.
It turns out, it is a lot like falling with style.
then i saw you like a summer dream ~ dctv ~ 2258
It echoes through the sterile setting of the lab, and when she turns to see the source, she sees Mon-El, staring at Rhea like he had seen a ghost. Not in a pleasant way, mind, but in the way that gives her the feeling that all hell was about to break loose.
“Mon-El?”
“You were supposed to leave.”
Lena knows he didn’t direct those words at her – he would never – but the tone was cold enough that it sent a chill through her all the same. Whoever Rhea was to him; it wasn’t friendly. That didn’t make it any easier to stay still when Rhea steps closer to her.
“You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? Especially not when I learned you had made such an exceptional choice in a mate.” Lena feels Rhea’s fingers close over her shoulders, and she tenses. “She’s magnificent, Mon-El. I have to say; you chose so well.”
“Let her go, Mother. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Mother?” The word tears from Lena’s lips in the shock of it all, and the look Mon-El gives her is a genuine apology. He’s never lied to her, not truly. She knew he was an alien from the start, though she didn’t realize that their mothers were so similar in drive and purpose.
“Oh, but she is just what we need to solidify our power here.” Rhea forces Lena back into her chest, holding her firmly in place. “And unless you want something terrible to happen to her, I think you should do as Mother exactly says. Don’t you?”
Mon-El tears his eyes from his mother to look directly at Lena, and his face softens. “I’m so sorry, Lena.”
“It’s not your fault,” is all she can get out before she’s struck hard from behind and everything goes black.
Mon-El meets Lena in a bar. Kara is trying to get him to integrate into the world, trying to help him adjust to his new Earth life, and he doesn’t think that her kind of fun is what he seeks. No offense intended to Kara, but he likes actually to have fun, and her kind of fun is well … not.
Fortunately for him, he’s not the only one that Kara is trying to integrate into her friend group. Left sitting across from him at the table while the rest of them darted off to pick karaoke songs is a raven-haired beauty with a knowing smirk that in his limited time on Earth has never shown to be anything but precisely what Mon-El wants to see.
Before he can even open his mouth, she already has his number.
“Kara doesn’t like you very much, does she?”
He laughs, reaching for his beer. “No, Kara does not.”
“Then why did she bring you here?”
He shrugs. “She’s trying to help me make friends. See the error of my reckless partying ways.”
Lena laughs. “Well, you are the type.”
“What can I say? I love a good time.”
She takes a long pull from her beer before shaking her head. “I have a feeling that there are many people who would think I’m allergic to them.”
“Oh, really?”
“I’ve been told I’m quite the frigid bitch.”
Mon-El shrugs. “I think that means you know what you want. There’s nothing wrong with that.” It happens to be incredibly attractive to a man who doesn’t have any idea what he wants. Then again, he only just recently received the news that his planet was dead, so he might be excused.
“It’s a rare man who thinks so.” She holds a hand out to him. “I’m Lena.”
He reaches over to take her hand, and for a moment, he’s ready to parrot back his usual Earth alias, but he stops himself. Mostly because he’s tired of pretending to be something he’s not. “I’m Mon-El.”
“Lena? Lena, sweetheart?”
Lena comes to with a groan, one hand coming up to rest against her forehead as she looks down at what she’s wearing. The long black gown stretches to her ankles, and the bodice she’s been stitched into shows far more cleavage than she usually would show. If anyone but Mon-El were in the room, she might have been self-conscious in the moments after waking, but that fear quickly evaporates when she learns they’re alone.
“Where are we?”
“On my mother’s ship.” His hands come up to cradle her face gently, looking for any sign of injury. “Are you alright?”
“Oh, there are so many answers to that question, but physically? I’m fine. Or I will be, as soon as we get out of here.” She swings her legs over the side of the bed to stand, a momentary wave of dizziness sweeping through her, and she reaches out to steady herself on his shoulder. “What does she want with us?”
“I’m fairly certain, knowing my mother, it’s something terrible.” Mon-El’s hand moves to her waist to help, his eyes continuing to scan around the room. “She’s not incredibly fond of how Earth has changed me. And with Daxam gone, I think Earth might be on her ‘To Conquer’ list.”
“Supergirl is not about to let that happen.” Lena takes a breath as her legs finally steady under her. “And neither am I. If she thinks I’m going to help her …”
“Oh, I doubt she thinks we’ll do it willingly. But my mother is not above applying the proper leverage to get what she wants.”
Lena’s eyes scan the room before landing on one of the doors. “Can we get out the door?”
“We could, but it’s heavily guarded. We might be better off trying to bide our time and looking for opportunities while they transfer us between rooms.” Mon-El looks over at her, arms pulling her closer in a way that might have been romantic, were they anywhere else. “Do you trust me?”
“You know, I do.”
“Trust me enough to follow my lead?”
Following has never been Lena’s strong suit, and he knows it. But Lena is also aware of the fact that this is a race and a queen that she has no context for and Mon-El is increasingly familiar. She swallows hard before nodding.
“Just let me know what you need me to do.”
The doors behind them slide open, with two Daxamite soldiers standing at attention, and Mon-El’s face sobers. “I think we’re about to find out.”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
If he had done this when they were somewhere less intimate, he might not have been able to notice the subtle way her face shifts, a wariness that slides back into place when she thinks someone might have been hiding something from her. He knows better than anyone how deep those wounds go, from what she’s told him. He doesn’t want to be another one of those people.
“Something wrong?”
“No.” He shifts to lie next to her, propping himself up on one elbow. “There’s … something I haven’t been entirely honest with you about.” She arches an eyebrow, and he continues. “I’m …”
“An alien.” In an instant, her entire body language relaxes, and she smirks. “Is that all?”
He blinks at her as she shifts to slide out of bed. “You knew?”
“You’re not exactly subtle about it. Especially with a name like Mon-El.”
Mon-El considers, before nodding. “Okay, fair point.”
“But is there anything more specific you want to tell me?”
He takes a deep breath and tilts his head up towards the ceiling, trying to decide how far he wants to take this. “The planet I’m from is Daxam. It was a sister planet to Krypton.”
Lena turns away from her closet to face him again. “Superman and Supergirl’s Krypton.”
“The same. Turns out it died when Krypton did. I got shoved into a pod and shuttled off into space before landing here.”
“I’m sorry,” Lena slips a nightgown over her head before returning to bed, curling up in the space next to him. “That must have been horrific.”
“Oh, it was awful. But I think I’m starting to like it here. Earth is different from Daxam, but … it could be home. Maybe.” He pauses. “Not that there’s much choice, considering space travel isn’t your planet’s strong suit.”
She laughs. “We’ll get there one day. I’m sure of it.” She props herself up on one arm, before turning to look at him. “Anything else you want to share with me?”
He pinches his eyes closed, weighing his options, before turning to face her more. “I was the prince of Daxam?”
“Oh.” The amusement in her tone is evident, and she shifts to fold her arms over his chest, getting in close. “Good to know, Your Highness.”
“You know, you say my title like that, and it’s like you don’t take me seriously at all.”
She laughs, almost as though she’s sealing the deal in that respect, before looking up at him curiously. “Wait – does the sun affect you the same way it does Kryptonians?”
“Yeah?” Mon-El raises an eyebrow at her curiously.
Her face lights up, as though something childlike has come over her. “Can you fly?”
He takes a deep, dramatic breath before shaking his head. “No. But I can jump really, really high?”
Lena laughs, and honestly, he prefers those reactions over admiration. “So, you fall with style.”
“Something like that,” he grins, leaning in to kiss her softly. “So … we’re okay?”
“We are good,” she agrees, brushing one hand against his cheek. “In fact, I think we’re amazing.”
“We are not getting married.”
“You know, you don’t have to say it quite like that.”
Lena winces as she glances over at him, her face sympathetic before turning her back to zip up the ridiculous dress she’s wearing. “I’m sorry. It’s not as though I don’t want to or haven’t thought about it …”
“No, I one hundred percent agree with you. Being forced to get married so my mother can take over the world is not what I was going for either.” The zipper closes, and he turns her around to face him again. “I know down below Supergirl is coming up with a plan to get us out of here, but right now, I think we need to do a little planning ourselves.”
“Is it a good idea to plan when they’re pretty much watching our every move?”
“Also, a good point. Which is why you’re the brains in this relationship.”
She smirks. “Don’t sell yourself short. Besides, plans are my area of expertise. Winging it is yours, and you know this ship better than I do.”
Mon-El nods, and he squeezes her hands. “So … follow my lead?”
She nods. “I’ve got your back.”
The doors open, and one of the guards is standing at the ready, holding the door open for them to make their way through. It seems like there’s only one, most of the halls empty and likely waiting for their upcoming nuptials. Mon-El gestures for her to head through first, and she does, keeping her head high as they head into the fire.
At first, things are quiet, nothing but their footsteps echoing against the walk. About halfway to the bridge, Mon-El reaches for her wrist to stop her, and they both turn around.
“As your prince,” he begins, “I command you to let us go.”
The guard doesn’t go for it. He pulls a gun on them. So, naturally, Mon-El punches him in the face.
The gun skitters across the pathway, and Lena darts forward to grab it. Mon-El wraps the guard in a headlock, and she finishes things with a shot to the chest. The guard goes down quickly, and Mon-El grins up at her.
“Thanks, babe.”
“Anytime,” she laughs, before moving closer. “Where do we go now?”
He reaches for her free hand and tugs her down one of the hallways. They hack through a few panels, shoot down a few more guards, and eventually, Mon-El forces one of the external doors open. The wind whips past their heads as they gaze down into the city sprawling beneath them.
“That’s a big drop.”
“That it is.” Mon-El turns and glances back over his shoulder. “But unfortunately, we’re going to have to take a big risk.” She turns to see the guards coming up behind them and then glances back to the city below.
“Are you saying we … ?”
“Do you trust me?”
“But you can’t—”
“Do you trust me, Lena?”
She looks up at him, eyes bright, and nods. “All the way.” It’s not an easy thing for her to say – it has never been – but she’s trusted Mon-El to get them this far. She can trust him the rest of the way. He grins back at her, before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in closer.
“Hold on tight.” As she wraps an arm around his neck, letting him pull her as close as possible, he grins back at the guards advancing on them. “Nice seeing you boys again. Tell Mother I hope Supergirl kicks her ass.”
And without a second thought, they both jump, Mon-El’s enhanced Daxamite abilities propelling them both out into the air.
It turns out, it is a lot like falling with style.