Chapter 75: Chapter 75
Winn slowly begins to build up a tolerance for walking for so long. Each day, he makes it farther and farther after lunch until Kara takes pity on him and carries him on her back. And all this walking is taking it's toll on everyone (except Kara).
They keep talking (using sign language) everyday, but the exhaustion creeps up on them and has them fall asleep right after dinner each night.
It's the second to last day of walking, and the walks are getting progressively shorter, this day's the shortest yet. And it also happens to be the day they split up from Winn, who will be staying nearby with the reinforcements. The split up is a bit later on, but they can all feel it weighing heavily on their minds. This reminds them that they're almost at the castle.
It's as though the reality sinks in as they march, for once not signing to each other. The battle they've been dreading is coming up soon, and they have prepared all they can. There's not much else they can do besides march and wait.
Winn starts their next conversation, wanting to have his last time seeing them for a couple days not tainted by the battle they have looming over them. He signs, asking them all which sci-fi book they think is better out of two relatively popular ones. He knows they've all read them.
It's funny, and exactly what they need, to playfully argue over which book is better. Especially since Lena, Vasquez, and Alex agree on one, and the others agree on the other. What makes everyone chuckle (not laugh, because they are trying to be quiet) is when Kara signs to Lena, "you're wrong, but I'll still kiss you, babe."
Then the time comes for the reinforcements to split off from the rest of the group. Agents all around are saying (signing) goodbye and hugging their friends.
"Group hug!" Kara signs.
Alex huffs out a breath, but they all comply anyway, converging on Winn in a giant family group hug. They all pretend not to notice the tears glistening in his eyes from happiness. After the group hug, they all take turns signing to him to be careful and their goodbyes. He gets more hugs, which Winn is ecstatic about because he loves hugs almost as much as Kara does.
Winn tears up again as a knight puts his hand on his shoulder and reminds him they have to go soon. He hugs them all one last time and urges them to be careful too, reminds them he can't lose any of them. Then he follows the knight, who has been politely waiting nearby, to the large group splitting off from the main one.
The agents and knights watch them go for a moment before J'onn urges them to keep moving.
Alex lets out a breath as they walk. "That was harder than I expected," she signs.
"Yeah," Lena signs in agreement. "But he's a good kid, he'll be fine."
"Lena," Maggie signs, looking amused. "You know Winn is older than you, right?"
"Of course I do. He's still like a little brother." Lena signs back, winking at her when Maggie has no response to that.
That night is the hardest yet. Though everyone falls asleep relatively quickly because of the leftover exhaustion of all that walking, their minds race as they sleep, provoking dreams and nightmares from the most experienced of agents.
It helps that Kara and Lena, and Maggie and Alex are sharing tents so their girlfriends can wake them up if they seem like they're having a nightmare.
Lena has one where the tiara thing Kara has doesn't work like they expected it and she... She shudders just thinking about it. She's awake now, has trained herself to wake up during a nightmare before she screams. But Kara's awake, she's slept next to her often enough to hear the subtle difference in her breathing.
"Sorry, just a nightmare." Lena whispers, brushing it off.
"It's never just a nightmare. What's wrong?" Kara asks.
"It was your device, the one you have in your crown thing. I dreamt that it didn't work the way we expected and you..." Lena swallows harshly.
Kara opens up her arms and Lena scoots over, resting her head on Kara's chest. They have been cuddling all night, but this feels far more intimate. Kara whispers to her about how the device works, and how unlikely it is that it'll fail. Unless, of course, it's hit with an electrical charge with enough power to damage it. But even then, it'll still work. Mostly. She doesn't tell Lena that, though.
Alex too has a nightmare in her and Maggie's tent. She sits bolt upright, dislodging Maggie, who's head was resting on her shoulder. Maggie's head falls toward the ground and the falling sensation wakes her up before her head hits the ground. She doesn't hit her head hard enough for it to be something to worry about, but it's enough for a small headache.
Maggie sits up, taking in Alex's sweat soaked naked back and how she's panting hard, hunched over. She places her hand on Alex's shoulder. Alex flinches at the touch, then relaxes into it.
"Hey," Maggie murmurs. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Yeah." Alex breathes out. "Sorry for waking you up."
"Don't be sorry, Danvers. What can I so to help? Do you want to talk about it?"
Alex purses her lips and contemplates. She doesn't want to tell Maggie that she had dreamt about Maggie dying, and that in her dream she had gone on what she can only describe as a rampage, leaving only a few Cadmus agents alive for information purposes. And gods, she would do that. If Maggie were hurt. Or... But she won't be, she can't be. Not now, not when Alex has just found her. Not when they've been talking about being together forever, getting married.
"No. Just... hold me?" Alex asks.
"Of course."
Alex lays on her side and Maggie scoots up behind her as the big spoon ("I'm not the little spoon, Maggie, that makes no sense. Two differently sized spoons wouldn't - stop laughing - two different sized spoons wouldn't fit together. I'm the front spoon." "Sure Danvers.").
Maggie presses a kiss to Alex's shoulder and they fall back asleep quickly.
***
The days pass quickly until it's the day of the battle. They're waiting until night, so they can move under the cover of darkness. They're going to wait until it's the early hours of the morning, so that the Cadmus agents' are at their most vulnerable, assuming their circadian rhythms aren't messed up. That had been Lena's idea. So they're going in at three in the morning, and all sleeping much earlier than usual so they have the advantage.
It's going to be tough on their long range people, their archers. It's hard to see from a distance through trees anyway, but add in the fact that it's dark? It's not going to be easy. But DEO archers are prepared, have trained for something like this. And so has Lena.
It won't be easy for Alex, Maggie, and Vasquez either. They're part of the few groups going in the side entrances for servants, which is going to be interesting to find in the dark. At least it's nearly a full moon, so they'll have some light.
And Kara's going to be part of the most dangerous fight, right up front attacking the front gate. Everyone was hesitant to let her go, but she insisted. Kara said she can help stop fatal blows from Cadmus people, as well as it would be suspicious to have DEO agents trying to get in without her there.
Alex is just glad her sister has Lena nearby. The archers are going to be positioned all around the castle, with the bulk of them in the front so they can help take down Cadmus people.
Some agents go around at one thirty in the morning, waking everyone up. They all get dressed in their armor and put on their holsters and weapons. They pack up the tents and store them nearby under a camouflaged tarp.
There's still time left for them all to say goodbye before they go their separate ways. Lena hugs Vasquez, Alex, and Maggie, promising them that she'll keep an eye on Kara. In return, when Kara hugs them, she says that she'll keep an eye on Lena for them. They know they'll all look out for each other, but it's always nice to have a verbal confirmation.
"Be careful." Kara signs to them. "I love you guys."
They sign back that they love her too and give each other one final hug before it's time to get with their groups. Lena and Kara walk off hand in hand towards the archer group and Kara's group. They kiss slowly before parting to go to their respective groups. Alex, Maggie, and Vasquez join their group.
Next chapter, the battle begins! And I actually have it planned out! Kinda. I have Lena and Kara's parts and there will be some angst, but no one dies, I promise! Well, not a good character ;) Thank you all for reading and for your amazing comments! Stay awesome!
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