Chapter Text
According to the rules of Shakespeare, a comedy ends in at least one wedding. It seems fitting the reverse be true - and so our story begins with one.
Dusk began to settle over the venue, the encroaching darkness gently suggesting the guests return to the interior hall. With the bridal car having left hours ago, only the closest family still remained to enjoy each other’s company. The fairy lights strewn around the rafters softly twinkle, gifting a bit more magic to the lingering attendees; the “interesting few,” as Winn liked to call them. As she slid the glass door shut behind her, Kara couldn’t help but smile as she took in the scene unfolding before her.
James was showing off the birdhouse Esme crafted for him to anyone whose attention he could garner, an enormous smile on his face that persuaded even J’onn to chuckle along. Brainy discovered the grand piano on the hall’s stage, both to Nia’s delight and chagrin, for the last ten minutes or so had been filled with beautiful melodic underscoring to his truly chaotic poetry. Lena had taken immediately to her new godmother role, and somehow procured a deck of cards to teach Esme a game. This particular game required quick reflexes, Kara concluded, noting the sharp motions of their hands once Lena completed a quick countdown. Judging by Esme’s squeals of joy and Lena’s mock scandalized expression, Kara suspected Esme proved a fast study. Or, Kara reconsidered, perhaps Lena was not trying her hardest to win, as she had time to not only notice Kara watching, but also throw a conspicuous wink the Kryptonian’s way. Kara’s cheeks rose quickly, unable to contain her smile, and Lena continued to reflect her own, until a slapping sound drew her attention back to the table.
“I won again!” Esme giggled. Lena dropped her remaining cards in feigned despair.
“I thought you said you’d never played this before! You’re simply too good.” Lena gathered the cards up and began shuffling again. “Alright, you have to give me another shot; I’ll get you this time!”
“OK, Auntie Lena, if you say so.”
Kara was trying her best to refrain from completely breaking composure at her niece’s antics when she felt an arm gently settle around her.
“This has truly been such a beautiful day,” Eliza sighed, giving her adopted daughter’s shoulders a squeeze. “I know that Jeremiah would have been so happy to see it.”
Kara’s hand reached up and across to find Eliza’s, and tilted her head enough to meet hers as well.
“I know he would be, too.” Kara instinctively reached up to adjust her glasses, as she often did when she thought of her adoptive father. But as her hand touched her bare face, she thought back to the conversation with Lena earlier that night.
“I don't even know what that would feel like for me,” Kara mused, her eyes wandering as she pensively scratched her neck. “Connecting with someone as my whole self. To not be afraid to just be who I am.” She looked back up at Lena, who simply wore a calm and knowing smile.
“It sounds like it could be empowering.”
Kara’s thoughts snapped back to the present, glancing over at the barrel in the yard she left Jeremiah's safety net on. She thought of running over to them, to feel the lead-lined plastic rolling around in her fingers again, until Eliza’s voice interrupted her reverie.
“Sweetie, is everything okay?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes – sorry,” Kara stammered nervously, straightening up. Even as she still thought about retrieving them, Kara felt an immediate sadness at the thought of putting her disguise back in place.
“Well, it’s just that I, uh…” Eliza unwrapped her arm from around Kara and softly turned her around to stand facing her before letting her arms fall to her sides.
“Kara, honey, what’s on your mind?” Kara froze in her fidgeting, faced with the cold truth - if she wanted to make the future she imagined earlier a reality, she needed to take the first step. Knowing once she started, there was no going back, Kara took a deep breath to steady herself.
“It’s just…I’ve been thinking. About… the differences between Kara Danvers and Supergirl. How much it feels like…they’re both lies that I can hide behind, but neither are really me .” She looked up at Eliza, worried she was going to find concern, or even confusion. But, as usual, Eliza’s eyes were filled with compassion and understanding. Kara swiftly took another breath and continued.
“It feels like there’s still things about myself that I somehow don’t know, because I’ve split myself completely in two my entire life…and after everything that’s happened – after everything I’ve lost, that I’ve gained, and what I have before me…I don’t want to separate them anymore. I want to be one Kara. I want to know her, and find out every piece of her that I can’t find out because I’m too busy protecting myself from all of her truths. The beautiful ones, the ugly ones, the uncomfortable ones, all of it.” Kara shuddered as she let out the rest of her current breath, choosing to take her next inhale at a deliberate pace.
“I love you, and Jeremiah, and everything that you’ve done for me since I first landed on Earth. Even those glasses..." She waved her hand out to the barrel, Eliza following her gesture, “I loved those, because they helped me grow, and kept me safe over the years. But in spite of all of that, I’ve realized that they can’t help me grow anymore, and the safety they offer comes at my own expense.” She looked over at the lenses again, this time firmly saying farewell to them in her mind. As she looked back up at Eliza, she could feel the hints of a tear forming at the corner of her eye.
“It’s time for me to finally be me .”
Eliza’s hands first went to her mouth. Kara’s fear of disappointing her swelled, but that fear rapidly subsided as her adopted mother instead grabbed each of her shoulders in her warm grasp, a gentle smile upon her face.
“Since the day you came to us, Jeremiah and I only ever wanted to protect you. Somehow, even knowing your child is bulletproof doesn’t stop that instinct.” Kara chuckled softly, her hand quickly shooting up to catch her cheek, where the offending tear began to roll down.
“Every parent knows that eventually, they can no longer protect their child, and that it’s in their child’s best interest to let them become who they are meant to be. My girls are beautiful, strong, and I know beyond any doubts, Kara, that if this is what you want, you will continue to make me proud.” Kara immediately wrapped her arms around Eliza, a sigh of relief coupled with happy laughter escaping her.
A quiet moment passed between the two of them as Kara drank in the murmurs from the small group that still remained: her dearest friends, her chosen family. She was abruptly shaken from her reverie by a sharp yelp. Untangling herself from Eliza, Kara’s fight instincts were halfway into activation when she determined the source – one Brainiac 5 of Colu.
Nia, having clearly had enough of Brainy’s impression of Cyrano, had seized him by the tie and had begun dragging him away from the piano.
“Now, Nia – there’s no need to physically relocate me; I was about to complete the end of Sonnet 543, simply entitled: ‘How Sweetly The Rose of Naltoria Doth-‘” His protestations were cut off as, while resisting the pull at his neck, Brainiac 5 (a Twelfth-Level Intellect and master of Differential Calculus) was unable to prevent his foot from snagging the mic stand, upending it and sending the microphone hurtling towards the floor. Fortunately, Nia seemed to have preternaturally expected this disaster and her hand shot out, catching it before it hit ground. Her miraculous save, however, was insufficient to stop the massive feedback that surged through the speakers. Several pairs of hands around the room immediately slapped over each respective owner’s ears as the discordant thrum peaked. A moment passed in awkward silence as Nia and Brainy, now frozen center stage, held a comically uncomfortable position. Nia, while crouching to protect the audio equipment, had maintained her grip on Brainy’s tie, forcing him to tilt his head and torso to follow. The leg which snared the stand had shot up to counterbalance him, looking like a green and gold drinking bird toy as he finally reached equilibrium on his other leg.
Several soft chuckles circled through the room as the echoing ring subsided, but Kara shook with full laughter for her beautiful, wonderful friends. as a voice sharply rang out through the otherwise.
“Oh-ho-KAY, I think it’s time we got a little music going again, don’t you all think?” Winn shouted as he leapt upon the dais, swiftly recovering the fallen microphone and adjusting the couple upright. The two quickly and sheepishly shuffled off the stage as Winn quickly affixed the microphone back in place, and then slid onto the piano bench.
“I think I’ve got a few tunes still in me,” he said as he cracked his knuckles. “Let’s JIVE , people!” The next sound of the piano was an energetic glissando as Winn slid his hand down the keys and began to sing at the top of his lungs.
“Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising! ” A cry of elation swiftly rang out from the remaining guests, any awkwardness from the prior moments completely shaken away, and they started shuffling out to the dance floor. Kara’s smile now fully lit up, the joy of having Eliza’s blessing combined with the surge of energy from her friends. James had gently placed the birdhouse down at long last and was the first to slide out onto the dance floor. Lena stood up, and with a courtly curtsy extended her hand to Esme, who set the rest of her cards down and speedily hopped out of her chair. J'onn began clapping his hands together as he joined the throng, energetically reminiscing about seeing Elvis live. Brainy, his tie now correctly adjusted around his neck once more, extended his hand to Nia, who, after feigning a stern glance, broke into a smile from ear to ear and eagerly took it. As the two jumped out onto the floor, Nia noticed Kara and Eliza still off to the side and waved them over excitedly. Kara immediately turned back to her adoptive mother, one hand extended to her as she began to walk backward toward the circle forming on the dance floor. Kara waggled her fingers as she moved, and Eliza laughed and quickly followed her into the crowd.
The energy Winn put into the song was infectious. Even though it was late in the day, everyone shimmied with renewed vigor as Winn switched up his voice to his best Elvis impression. Kara found herself smiling so hard, her cheeks ached. At one point, J’onn had grabbed her hand and prepared her for a ballroom spin, knowing she knew the maneuver. Kara leaned in with gusto, twirling around the circle of the people she loved most. She instinctively reached up to catch her glasses as she stopped, but as her hand touched her bare temple, the joy surged within her anew.
This is me , she thought as she looked around at all of them, grinning. This is really, truly, just me .
With that thought in mind, she let out a high-pitched cry of “Whoo!” before diving back into the rhythm.
***
A few songs at that tempo had everyone a touch breathless, so Winn thankfully obliged requests for something slower to let everyone recover.
“Okay, okay then…let’s bring it down just a touch, shall we?” The next chord rang out softly and Winn began to croon.
“You need a friend, I’ll be around…don’t let this end, before I see you again… ” Nia presented her hand to Brainy this time, smiling contently as he took it. His expression matched hers as he drew her in, and they rocked slowly to the pulse. James reluctantly stepped away from the dance floor, his phone buzzing annoyingly. “The perils of running your own newspaper,” he lamented, excusing himself. Lena had lifted Esme up so that she should perch on Lena’s toes to dance with her. Jonn extended his arm to Eliza, who accepted graciously as the two blithely strode across the floor. Kara prepared to find a glass of water and sit down, when her niece’s voice caught her attention.
“Aunt Kara! Aunt Kara! Come dance with us!” Esme squeaked. Kara mounted her hands against her hips in mock suspicion.
“I don’t know, it looks like you’ve already got a dance partner…” Lena’s brow furrowed and her mouth knit itself into an “O” shape, a look Kara had long ago associated with Lena feigning indignation.
“Come on, Kara, you’re not getting away so easily now! Lady Esme has requested a dance, and so you must attend.” Kara failed to keep her face stern, and slid closer to the two of them.
“Well, if you insist ,” Kara said, sidling up to the pair, “But I won’t stand for leaving you without a partner either. I suppose I’ll just have to dance with the both of you then!”
“Well…only if Her Majesty approves?” Esme smiled, nodding as Lena looked down at her. Lena turned back to Kara, eyebrows raised and the hint of a smirk on her face.
“Then it seems to be your lucky day, Kara Zor-El.” Helping Esme dismount, Lena wrapped one arm around Kara’s waist as Kara helped Esme step across into a new perch. The trio now stood in a semi-triangle, Lena and Kara hip-to-hip as Esme balanced one foot on top of Kara’s left foot, and her other on Lena’s right. After some cautious teetering, the group found their harmony, rocking together with Esme beaming up at her aunts.
“I’m gonna hold you closer than before, ” Winn’s gentle serenading continued. As he flipped into his falsetto to soften the tone, Kara felt Lena’s hand squeeze her side.
“Did you know Winn was hiding this voice from us all this time?” Lena said softly as they swayed.
“See, this is what you miss out on by not coming to karaoke nights.” Kara chuckled. “Also, there was one time he was a lounge pianist in a mobster dive bar…I mean, that was a magic-induced dream world, but still.” Lena smirked again, appearing unsure if Kara was wholly serious or not. Throwing another glance over at the piano Winn was seated, she shrugged.
“Either way, it seems the font of never-ending talents continues to provide. Esme here was quickly developing her own talents in the art of Slapjack.” Kara offered an enthusiastic gasp as she looked down at her niece.
“Is that true, Esme? You’re good at Slapjack?” Esme nodded excitedly.
“I’m the champion! Aunt Lena didn’t beat me once!”
“Well Miss Esme, I’ll have you know that you’re currently dancing with the all-time Queen of Slapjack. Your mom couldn’t defeat me when we were kids either.” Lena narrowed her eyes, shooting Kara a glance laced with suspicion.
“Now, you weren’t just winning because you could move your hands at super-speed, were you?” Kara stuck out her chin defiantly.
“I resent the implication!” she huffed. “I would never tarnish the sacred art of Slapjack with such cheating.”
“Mmmm, well…I suppose we’ll have to challenge you for your crown next game night. Can’t have you resting on your laurels with new challengers like Esme around, can we?” As Esme giggled in response, J’onn and Eliza’s dancing brought them near the three.
“Honey, you know I love you, but I certainly recall a few instances I would have sworn your hand somehow ended up below Alex’s on the victor’s pile.” Lena immediately turned her gaze back on Kara, who immediately felt heat rise in her cheeks under the scrutiny.
“Okay, maaaybe once or twice? I didn’t want to break the streak!” Kara tried her best to hide a guilty expression as J’onn turned a very serious one to her.
“You know, we had a similar game on Mars when I was growing up. K’reehruk, it was called. Using our powers to cheat was strongly discouraged; if you were caught cheating, you would be forced to wear the vhi’sat – the cheater’s cap – for the rest of the day afterword.” As Lena continued to eye her with laser focus, Kara judged by the warmth in her face that she had already turned apple red.
“Ooh, tell me more about this cheater’s cap, J’onn,” Lena teased, “is it as atrocious as it sounds?”
“A truly hideous garment! Made with the tackiest of fabrics and color swatches, it is a patchwork vestment of absolute misery. Not to mention the tufted end…” Kara tried her best not to completely break out laughing as she saw Lena mouth the words “tufted end” at her, but only achieved minimal success as J’onn continued.
“If you can’t take this seriously, Miss Danvers, it seems I’ll be needing to dig one up for our next game night so you can at long last face the consequences of your actions.”
“Okay, okay! I promise to never, ever use my powers for Slapjack again! I swear! Just don’t make me wear the awful hat, please!” Kara shot desperate looks between Lena, Esme, and Eliza, all of whom seemed positively gleeful at her distress.
“Very well,” J’onn said, with only the slightest hint of a smile. ”But, know that I will be watching you carefully in the future.” Kara made a soft nod of her head in deference, happy to have escaped such a terrible fate. As she prepared to thank J’onn, she felt a tug on her dress as Esme gently pulled at the hem.
“Aunt Kara, I need to go to the bathroom.” As Kara was about to reply, she felt Eliza’s hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll take her, dear. I’ll be watching her tonight anyhow.” Eliza lifted Esme up off of Lena and Kara’s feet and set her down onto the floor. Esme turned back to her aunts and offered a curtsy.
“Thank you for the dance, Aunt Kara! Thank you for the dance, Aunt Lena!”
“You’re welcome, Esme,” Kara and Lena replied in unison, each taking a bow respectively. As Eliza led Esme off, J’onn turned back to the two women with a smile.
“It’s been so long; I’d forgotten how much fun kids can be to have around. I guess that’s a good sign, since…” He paused, and Kara could have sworn she saw a shadow cross his face when he did. But the moment passed, and J’onn cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. I believe I would like a drink; can I get you two anything?” Lena shook her head, and Kara followed suit. “Very well. Enjoy the rest of the song.” Without another word, J’onn shuffled away. Kara and Lena shared a pause as they watched him walk off.
“That was a little odd, right?” Kara said, gesturing in the direction J'onn left in.
“A touch,” Lena replied, her brows furrowing ever so slightly. A moment passed, and she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts as Winn finished the last notes of his song. Kara took another look after J'onn, and Winn’s voice rang out over the speakers again.
“Well, I think I’ve got two more left, so let’s keep it slow for just one more, and then we’ll close out on a bop. Promise.” Soft tones rang out anew as Winn launched into the next tune.
“Wise men say, only fools rush in…”
Kara turned back to Lena, ready to suggest they sit, when she noticed Lena holding her hand out.
“I…what?”
“What, you think you’d get out of a dance just because one of us left? I told you, you’re not getting away that easily.” Kara felt the rush of heat in her face again, and was about to begin stammering when she noticed one edge of Lena’s mouth turn up in the slightest smirk, eyebrow arching in tandem. Ah yes, she thought. Another Lena Luthor classic. The one that means, “I’m going to win.” Kara attempted another fake pout, testing if she could defeat her in a battle of wills, but Lena stood unphased. In response, she simply continued her smirk and wiggled the fingers of her extended hand. Kara couldn’t pretend to hold her resistance for even a second longer, her smile blossoming over the whole of her face as she took Lena’s hand. Lena’s other arm slid around her waist for the second time that night, the sensation causing the slightest of pleasant shivers to course her spine. Kara nestled her own arm atop, letting her palm rest against Lena’s shoulder.
Looking up from her hand, Kara found Lena’s eyes and realized just how close their faces were like this. Moreover, Kara realized she never experienced Lena’s eyes like this before; she’d seen them up close plenty of times over the years, but at that moment, Kara could see nothing else but them. A warm seafoam green ocean on one side, flecked with islands of hazel. The other, a pale crystalline azure - a cloudless afternoon, warm and safe. Rao, it’s like gazing into a nebula , Kara thought. A few more moments passed before Kara remembered to breathe, settling into the rhythm of the music.
“Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? ” Winn’s voice lilted as they swayed.
“I noticed you’re already living without your glasses,” Lena purred, her breath’s heat against Kara’s cheek causing another pleasant shiver. “Your courageousness is shining through.”
“It’s not easy,” Kara admitted, wondering if their current proximity was equally distracting Lena. “It’s…different to be in public without them. Well, in public and not in suit and cape, I mean. But I couldn’t have found the strength without you.” Lena tilted her head back, her cheeks pink as her face crinkled and beamed without flashing any of her perfect teeth . I know this one, too, Kara mused. That’s the “Lena Warm, Lena Safe,” smile.
“Well, I’m flattered, Kara, but you and I both know you don’t need me to be strong, or brave.”
“What if I do?” Kara blurted, shocked at the swiftness of her own reply. Judging by the open mouth stare Lena now wore, Kara estimated Lena was equally shocked. In the next moments, Lena’s mouth slowly closed and opened several times, not making a single noise. Kara, similarly dumbstruck at her own boldness, swallowed thickly and forced her own mouth to move.
“I-I mean,” she finally managed to stammer out. “It’s just…every time I’ve come up against something that scares me, that truly terrifies me…you have been right there beside me.” Kara couldn’t help but notice the pink of Lena’s cheeks darkening to crimson. Kara also noticed Lena’s eyes were still gazing deeply into her own as Winn’s next verse cut through the air.
“Some things are meant to be… ”
“So, what are you saying, Kara?” Kara froze again, lost in the nebulae of Lena’s eyes. Oh Rao, what am I saying?
“That…that you are truly courageous, Lena Luthor.” Even as the words left her mouth, a confusing swirl overtook Kara’s thoughts – a confusing jumble of emotions that left an undefinable, intense dissatisfaction. Lena seized the pause to recover some of her own composure.
“Mmm…you’re sure that’s what you’re saying?” Lena’s lips were drawn a little tighter than before, Kara noted. Oh no, not the “You know what I want to hear” face, Kara thought. But I’ve no idea what she wants…or even what I want, for that matter. Kara had begun mouthing words that wouldn’t come, and the jumble inside her head quickly developed into a panicked spiral. Kara's internal hurricane likely would have continued growing, except Lena’s pursed lips split apart in a mischievous grin.
“Don’t worry, Kara; I’m only teasing you.” Kara felt a soft tickle at the back of her arm as Lena’s fingers softly fluttered. Kara tilted her head and screwed up her eyes in mild shame.
“Ahh, no, you’re right – that was definitely not what I was trying to say. Why are words so hard?” She heard Lena’s laugh ringing in her ears, and Kara reopened her eyes to Lena’s bright smile.
“You know, sometimes I marvel at my ability to make the Girl of Steel falter over her words as I desire.” Kara threw on a playful scowl and put on a serious tone.
“Your evil machinations may have defeated me this time, Luthor, but you’ll never get away with it as long as I still live.”
“If I’d only known I could conquer Supergirl simply by flustering her, I’d have achieved world domination years ago.”
“Think it’s that easy, do you?” Kara’s retort was met by an assured glance, and the sensation of Lena’s fingertip pressing gently beneath her chin. Kara scowl immediately vanished as she unconsciously yielded to the pressure, eyes widening as her thoughts abruptly derailed. Lena’s cheek brushed Kara’s as the Luthor craned her neck up, and a sudden buzzing appeared in Kara’s mind where the hurricane lived a moment before.
“I’m confident,” came the whisper, the soft warmth against Kara’s ear sending yet another shiver cascading down her back. The buzzing overwhelmed Kara, her fingers tightening around the soft fabric of Lena’s blouse where her palm rested. If anyone asked for her name at that moment, Kara suspected, any response would be incoherent at best. Lena drew her face back into Kara’s view, holding close enough that Kara felt the touch of Lena’s nose brushing the tip of her own. The buzzing swelled, nearly drowning out the last line of the song. Kara narrowly summoned enough willpower, and avoided sinking into the nebula’s depths again just in time to hear Winn croon.
“I can’t help fallin’ in love with you... ”
Kara found herself desperately wishing she could force time to halt. This moment belongs to me, Kara thought, to us . The touch of Lena’s nose against hers grew from a tentative brushing into constant contact, and Kara let herself fall under the nebula’s magic at last.
The final chord rang out, and applause sparkled around the room. The sudden noise broke the spell between the two, reminding them of the rest of the universe around them. Slightly startled, both Kara and Lena snapped their heads upright, now far enough back to see the other’s face fully. Kara smiled sheepishly; certain her cheeks must be glowing rosier than Krypton’s sun ever burned. She noticed (with relief) she was not alone in this plight, the fairy lights offering just enough illumination to reveal a deep crimson shade above Lena’s similarly embarrassed grin. Kara finally released Lena’s sleeve, bringing her hand to her mouth and stifling a giggle. Lena’s finger tickled the underside of her chin before withdrawing, and Kara immediately found herself missing the sensation.
“Told you,” came Lena’s smug purr, cutting through the applause. “You’re lucky I’m not hellbent on world domination.” Kara dropped her hand, the buzzing subsiding enough for her to form sentences properly.
“Yeah, I am pretty lucky…I found you, after all.” Kara murmured, smiling softly. Lena beamed, and then chuckled quietly.
“I think that is what you were trying to say before.” Kara glanced at the ceiling like she would find the answer on it, but crinkled her brow and nodded.
“Definitely. Let’s pretend I said that the first time.” The applause died down, and Winn waved his hands to the tiny crowd.
“ALRIGHT GANG, LAST ONE!” He shouted excitedly. “Let’s make it count!” The energy swelled once more as Winn counted himself in, blaring out a tune Kara found distinctly familiar.
“Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand…put a little love in your heart! ” Kara’s jaw dropped, stunned Winn remembered (or learned) this. Lena curiously arched an eyebrow, and Kara chuckled.
“Mobster Winn’s best hit,” Kara offered mysteriously, untangling herself from Lena to take her turn at dramatically offering her hand for a dance. Lena shook her head, but enthusiastically seized the proffered hand.
“ You see, it’s getting late; Oh please, don’t hesitate… ” Winn sang out joyfully, and the Interesting Few joined him for the next lyric.
“PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART!”
***
The desert air stagnated in the middle of the night, only the occasional call of a wren breaking the silence. A coyote prowled atop a mesa split down the middle, a worn trail running the base of the chasm where massive vehicles constantly passed through. The coyote, familiar with the comings and goings of the vehicles, didn't spook by a sudden rumbling sound breaking the calm. The creature started, however, when a ball of lightning appeared in the chasm’s floor instead of a truck. The sphere, expanding instantly from nothing, began throwing orange bolts around it, breaking chunks of stone from the mesa, leaving scorched silt in its place. The coyote barked in terror, immediately turning away from the explosion and dashing as fast as it could in the opposite direction. The orb continued expanding, reaching a helicopter’s size in a few seconds. The orange bolts slowed, the ball solidifying into a solid glowing mass. The roar subsided into a high-pitched thrum, and the now stable sphere began dissolving from the apex, as though a pitcher of water emptied onto it and peeled away the shell. The thrumming sound ceased as the ball fully dissipated, leaving a dark figure in the space it occupied. Humanoid in appearance, the creature flexed its muscular arms, bare to the shoulders. It turned sharply toward the direction the coyote fled in, the dark navy cloth of its sleeveless duster billowing. It’s eyes glowed a vicious orange as it stared after the escaping creature. It opened and closed its gloved hand, as if gaining a sense of its ability. Holding up a palm in the coyote’s direction, the air distorted and filled with a low whine around the figure, and the orange glow from its eyes appeared again, in the center of its forehead.
Another eye had opened there.
More dots of orange appeared, and more eyes opened on the top and back of the figure’s skull, and again at the base of its neck, all aligned from the spine to the first eye on its forehead. Their glow grew in intensity for a moment, energy charging the air. The whine, however, abated as quickly as it came, and the figure withdrew its extended hand as its eyes ceased glowing.
“It is not your fate to die, mammal,” rumbled the figure stoically. The stillness did not last long, however, as the air suddenly filled with the sound of shouts and sirens. The figure turned towards their source, spotting several large vehicles approaching, bright lights atop their carriages.
“But there are others who do not share your destiny.”