Chapter Text
Lena was stunned. She was inspecting her newly acquired property - one of Maxwell Lord's old warehouses - with the intent of seeing what needed to be changed, to make a fully functioning laboratory for L-Corp's ventures into the medical industry. This was not what she had expected to find, in the basement area of the building
How the hell does someone manage to hide this much Kryptonite?
She was standing in the center of the room, turning to survey each of the shelves which lined every wall of the room. Every colour imaginable could be found on those shelves. Lena shuddered. What happened to Supergirl when exposed to Kryptonite was well-known; people still spoke of the Red Kryptonite incident to this day.
But there was more than just Red and Green Kryptonite here.
Orange, Yellow, Blue, Gold; and every other colour she could think of could be found in this room. Even differing shades of the same colour. It would have looked like a vast collection of precious gemstones, had each shelf not been marked with the word 'Kryptonite'.
Who knows what all of this could do, if Supergirl was ever exposed to it. What horrors would the hero endure if she stumbled onto this discovery?
Lena turned, walking briskly from the room, and shutting the door behind her. She triple-checked that it was locked; given that the cache was practically in the center of National City, she assumed the room was lined with something to stop the radiation seeping out, and she would be damned before she accidentally poisoned the city's hero by not being certain.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way to the elevator as she pulled her phone from her purse. She needed to talk to Kara. Sending a quick message to the blonde, she alighted the elevator, and headed to her town car; all the while planning how to break the news to the bubbly blonde.
Nervous, was not a word powerful enough to explain how Lena felt, as she waited in her office for her favorite person in the world. If she didn't word this correctly, it might seem as if she herself was behind the mass quantity of Kryptonite she'd just discovered. It wouldn't matter so much if she were talking with anyone else about it; they already believed the worst of her. But Kara had faith in her, believed in her, and the last thing she wanted to do was inadvertently break the blonde's trust. She sighed.
Moments later, a worried looking Kara stepped through the door, closing it behind her as she made her way to the couch Lena had made herself comfortable on
"That was a pretty huge sigh there, Lena. I heard it from outside the room. Is everything ok?" Lena smiled, it was tight, and didn't reach her eyes, but she was deathly worried about how this conversation might go
"Sit down, Kara. I need to talk to you about something important" Kara's brow furrowed as she sat down close to the CEO, revealing the crinkle that Lena had always found adorable. The blonde looked at her expectantly, and Lena sighed.
"I made a purchase recently, an old warehouse that had belonged to Maxwell Lord. I was intending to have it renovated to accommodate L-Corp's move into medical research, so I was taking a look around to see what would be required." Kara nodded along, still looking worried
"When I went down to the basement, I made a rather disturbing discovery. There were shelves upon shelves of various coloured Kryptonite..." Looking to the blonde to gauge her response, Lena found that the reporters's eyebrows had shot up so high that they were nearly part of her hairline. She would have laughed if the situation weren't so dire.
"That was my reaction. I know that you're relatively close with Supergirl, so I assume that you can contact her? I have no idea how to dispose of Kryptonite, and I don't want to accidentally poison her, or anyone else by attempting it." She stopped to consider her next words
"However, I would strongly suggest that each type be tested. At least then she'll be able to tell if she's exposed to one of these forms out in the field. I assume that the agency she aligns herself with has the ability to perform those tests safely, although I can make some suggestions if they find themselves stuck. Would...could you talk to Supergirl for me? I'm happy to explain the situation to her myself, but I think she's still a little wary of me. I'd rather not be accused of stockpiling the only thing that can take her out" Her voice had tailed off into a whisper by the time she'd finished, and she was currently picking at an invisible thread on her skirt.
She almost jumped when Kara's hand came to rest on top of the fidgeting fingers, and was surprised to see the soft smile the blonde had trained on her. She'd never get used to just how accepting and understanding Kara could be
"I'll talk to her, but I don't think you need to worry. She has faith in you, like I do. So I'll have a word, and we'll see what she wants to do from there, ok?" Lena nodded as smiled at her friend. She trusted Kara that things would be alright, so far, the blonde had never let her down. A distant yell of 'Ponytail' caused Kara's head to drop, as she huffed out a frustrated sigh.
"What's it gonna take for him to use my name?" She implored of Lena, as the CEO snickered.
"Want me to fire him?" Lena grinned mischievously, as Kara chuckled.
"Nah, it's fine. But thanks for the offer. Guess there are perks to being besties with the big-boss" Kara laughed back, as she quickly hugged the brunette and turned to leave, stopping to wave playfully at the CEO as she shut the door behind her. Lena chuckled, as she returned to her desk. Hopefully, this would all be taken care of without her being implicated as a bad guy. For once
Kara had made a decision about the situation before she'd even left the room; deciding that Lena was right about testing the varying forms of Kryptonite. However, the DEO had already proven themselves to be less-than trustworthy when it came to destroying Kryptonite when asked, so Kara had no intention of even telling them about the cache. There was only one person in the universe that she trusted to perform the tests...
Lena was just finishing up with the last of her CatCo paperwork when a soft 'thump' alerted her to Supergirl's presence on her balcony, and she was instantly nervous again. Talking to Kara was easy, it always had been; but Supergirl herself was a different issue. She tried to calm herself before she turned to face the hero, who leaned against the railing as she watched the CEO work. The easy smile on the Kyptonian's lips helped to ease Lena's worries, as she opened the sliding door to greet the blonde.
"Supergirl, I assume you've spoken to Kara?" The hero nodded as she pushed away from the railing
"She said you'd found a stockpile of Kryptonite, and weren't sure what to do with it. She also mentioned that you think I'm wary of you, and I want to assure that nothing could be further from the truth. You're one of the most trustworthy people I know, Miss Luthor, please don't doubt that" Lena was surprised by the revelation, especially when there were far more important things to worry about than assuaging her own insecurities. But Supergirl just smiled in that familiar way that always made Lena think of her best friend, and she couldn't help but believe the alien.
"This whole thing had me worried, it would be so easy to make it look like I'm the one collecting Kryptonite. I was concerned that you might think I was trying to follow in Lex's footsteps, or something." Lena wasn't usually so open about her fears, but being around Kara had made it so much easier to voice her concerns. Supergirl's familiar smile made it easy to open up to her, too. The hero's hand came to rest on the CEO's shoulder as she spoke
"There's no need to worry, I believe you. You've proven time and time again that you're not like your family. Plus, why would you stockpile Kryptonite, and then tell me about it? Seems counterproductive." She shrugged, and Lena chuckled.
"That's true, I suppose. I think my main concern was that I suggested that you test it; make sure you know what each form does, and how to treat the effects. It would be better to know how to work through it, should you ever come across any in the field." Supergirl nodded
"I agree. However, the agency I work with has a history of keeping Kryptonite, even after they've been asked to destroy it; and if I'm honest, I don't really trust them to get rid of it, if it proves to be dangerous. There's only one person I do trust to test these new forms, without trying to find a way to use it against me, should I ever decide to disobey orders, or whatever reason they want to keep the stuff." Supergirl looked away as a look of frustration overtook her features. By the time she turned back, it was gone
"That person is you, Miss Luthor. I know that you'll make sure every test is run in the most non-invasive way possible, and that you'll dispose of the Kryptonite in exactly the way I ask you to. So I trust you to help me figure out what all of these new forms do. Will you help me with that?" Lena was dumbstruck. Of all the things Supergirl could've asked her, a Luthor, testing Kryptonite on her was the last thing she ever imagined. She nodded dumbly when the hero raised an expectant eyebrow at her.
"Um, yeah, sure. No problem. Uh, how would you like me to set this up? I mean, we can't just test it all at once, that's dangerous, and this will take time. Plus, I need to have protocols and contingency plans in place for if any of it turns you into some rabid berserker. Is there anything I need to know? Any tips you can give me?" Supergirl tilted her head as she mulled it over
"Red sunlamps will dull my powers, while still allowing the Kryptonite to affect me; so I'd have a few of those around the testing area for safety. I don't want to hurt you, if I end up a 'rabid berserker'. Green K makes me weak enough that it'll put me out of action entirely, if the sunlamps aren't enough; I suggest keeping a small amount nearby, in a lead-lined box, so that it doesn't affect me unnecessarily. Make sure it's somewhere where you can grab it easily, though; and that there aren't any locks on the box that'll make it harder to get to. If I come at you, you need to be quick.
If you can get a piece with a sharp point, or edge, that would be best. Getting Green Kryptonite into my system, is so far the only way we've been able to successfully nullify the effects of other forms of the stuff. Yellow sunlamps will help me heal, after the Kryptonite exposure.
Otherwise, I'll leave the rest to you. Just let Kara know when you're ready, and we'll set up a schedule or something. You're a genius, you'll figure out how best to approach this. I trust you" She smiled at the CEO, who was already building a mental image of what the testing area will need to function properly. She nodded, more to herself than the hero, before she spoke again
"Ok, I'll get to work on it immediately." Supergirl nodded with a smile, before her head tilted and her eyes narrowed. Lena had seen the action once before, and knew that the caped crusader was about to leave her company
"I have to go, there's a rogue alien a few blocks away causing mayhem. Don't stress yourself with this project, Miss Luthor. As long as the Kryptonite is contained, there's no reason to rush. Take your time and don't overwork yourself. Kara tells me you're a workaholic, and I'd hate for you to make yourself sick. Get some rest, Miss Luthor. I'll see you when you're ready, if you manage to avoid assassination attempts in the meantime." The hero chuckled as she lifted off from the balcony. Lena smiled and nodded at the hero, watching as she flew off to deal with the violent alien.
Returning to her desk, she quickly jotted down the tips Supergirl had given her, and turned to leave; casting one last glance in the direction the alien had flown off to. Smiling to herself, she turned off the lights, and headed home for the night.
It took just shy of a month for the testing area to be complete. Red sunlamps lined the room, a partitioned area surrounded by bullet-proof glass with an inlaid drawer at waist height, stood in the center, and a multitude of screens, cameras, recording devices and computers were scattered around the area. There was a sunbed in the corner of the room, to aide the hero's recovery when the time came, and Lena surveyed the area with a feeling of pride.
She was awaiting Supergirl's arrival, after having set-up a meeting time with Kara, who seemed happy to facilitate the tests. Lena had asked if she wanted to be there, but the blonde had quickly refused, stating plans with her sister that day. Lena had simply shrugged and hugged her friend goodbye.
A soft 'thud' told of Supergirl's arrival, and she turned to the entrance to greet the hero. Supergirl looked around the room before locking her eyes onto Lena's with a soft smile.
"Hello, Miss Luthor. Ready to get started?" Lena nodded
"Yes, but I want to run through everything with you first; just in case I've missed anything" When the hero nodded, she began to explain the equipment and protocols she'd put in place
"So, that partitioned area will be where you'll be. It's bullet-proof glass - which I'm sure is about as sturdy as regular glass when it comes to your strength - but it's mainly there so that once the red sunlamps go on, I have a small buffer if we find one that makes you violent. Hopefully, the effects of the red sunlamps will ensure that the glass holds you back for a little, while I release the Green K gas I created.
I really don't want to have to stab you, so I've sublimated some Green K to filter into the glass box if things go sour. It's a heavily diluted form of Kryptonite, so it won't cause you any undue damage, but it will drop you if necessary" Supergirl nodded, an impressed look on her face as she smiled at the CEO. Lena smiled back as she continued
"However, if that fails for some reason, I do have a shard in this stylish lead-lined hip pouch" She paused to show off the pouch, and smiled when Supergirl indulged in the playful show by clapping quietly as she laughed.
"There's a sunbed over in the corner, there; so that you can recover. Otherwise, I think we're good to begin. Is there anything I've missed?" The hero looked around once more, surveying the room as she mentally checked-off the items she'd previously mentioned to the CEO
"No, you've got everything. I'm glad you've thought of that little containment area, too. It's a good way to hold me back while my powers are dulled." She smiled back at the brunette, who grinned.
"Would you like to begin today, or do you need to attend other duties?" Supergirl shook her head
"Now is fine. I've ensured that the city will be safe, so we have all day" Nodding, Lena lead the hero to the bullet-proof box, and opened the door panel. Supergirl entered without hesitation, looking around at the vents near the roof, where the Green K gas would likely spill from if she became unmanageable.
Kara worried about Lena's safety in all of this; if she lost control, or the red lamps and Green K weren't enough to subdue her, she could hurt - or even kill - her best friend. But Lena was a fighter, strong and too stubborn to let herself be taken easily. So she believed that the woman would be fine; especially when she'd been prepared enough to create a containment unit, as well as a gaseous form of Green K, and had a shard of it on her person, just in case. She smiled, Lena would be fine
Setting herself up near one of the screens, Lena turned on the red sunlamps, cameras and recording devices. She wouldn't be keeping the recordings, just in case someone like Lex managed to find them, but she needed to be able to look over every angle of the test, to ensure she didn't miss anything.
She quickly mentioned to the hero that she'd go and collect the first specimen, and waited for the replying nod before she headed to the basement. Retrieving one of the hunks that she'd since organized into separate lead-lined boxes with appropriate labels, she returned to the testing area.
Approaching the drawer she'd built into the side of the bullet-proof glass, she sent a quick glance at the hero, who simply smiled back at her with a single nod. Depositing the hunk into the drawer, she pushed it forwards and into the chamber; exposing the rock's abilities to the hero, as she returned to her former place to watch. She turned to the mic that she'd placed near the area, and recorded the first sound clip
"Beginning Kryptonite test one; using Orange Kryptonite."