Supercorptober 2021

Day 3: Luthor

"Miss Luthor-Danvers, this is Van Kull Max Security Prison. You have a phone call in regards to inmate 327. Do you accept the call?"

"Yes, sir."

It had been 15 years since Lena last heard from Lillian, and though their last meeting had been on complicated - but not entirely bad - terms, Lena had needed a clean break from the Luthor family. Lillian had played a part in Lex's scheme with Nxyly to take out the superfriends - HER friends - and had fought with them the day of their biggest battle - one that had destroyed much of National City Park and its surrounding area. She was loyal to Lex up until the moment that Lena harnessed her powers and defeated Nxly, sending Lex - who had ironically fallen in love with the imp - into a frenzied state. The moment he pointed his kryptonite cannon at her, Lillian had a change of heart and tackled Lex to the ground, causing him to fall into a broken piece of scaffolding, killing him instantly. The shot from Lex's cannon struck a nearby tree causing a limb to fall on Lillian which left her paralyzed from the waist down, but alive.

The call from the prison was from the physician in charge of Lillian's care, calling to inform Lena that her mother had become very ill and would likely not make it much longer, and that she was begging to see her daughter. Lena, being kind hearted as she was, said that she would be there as soon as she could. Kara, who was standing beside her in their home when the call came in, scooped her wife into her hands and took off towards Van Kull, simultaneously taking her time in order to let Lena process what was happening and trying to get there quickly in case Lillian didn't have as long as they thought. Their relationship had been rocky, yes, but Kara knew that Lena loved Lillian and after watching her save the woman she loved, Kara had seen Lillian in a new light as well.

The moment they touched down in front of the prison, they were greeted by 4 guards who - after going through the motions of protocols for entry into a Maximum Security Prison - escorted them to the Medical Wing where Lillian had been kept for more than 2 weeks. The sight before them made Lena's heart break. There lay the once strong and proud Matriarch of the Luthor Family, worn and frail with illness and age struggling to keep her eyes open, perking up only after hearing her daughter's voice.

"Lena? Lena dear, is that you?"

"It's me mom," said Lena softly, taking Lena's hand into her own. A guard stepped forward to remind them of the no touching rule but was brushed away by the physician and ordered to leave the room. She knew their exchange was putting no one in danger. "I'm here."

"I'll give you too some privacy," whispered Kara.

"Karal? Is that you?"

Normally, the mention of her name while in her Supergirl Suit would have been cause for concern, but the Physician was a former DEO Agent and knew Kara's identity already.

"Yes, mom. Kara is here too. She flew me here."

"Hi Mrs Luthor."

"Hello dear."

This was the first time that Lillian had ever spoken to Kara without even the slightest hint of bad feelings or intentions. Her tone was affectionate, almost motherly.

"Mother the doctor said you've been asking for me, that you had something you wanted me to know before you..."

Lena couldn't finish the sentence. While she and her mother's relationship was rocky at best, the idea of her dying was breaking Lena's heart.

"I've wanted to tell you something for a long time, Lena, but I never got the chance."

"What is it mother?"

"Please, please sit down Lena, you too Kara. I fear I have much to say to the both of you."

Kara and Lena shared a reluctant look before sittin on the small bench beside Lillian's bed.

"First to you, Kara. I wanted to thank you for looking out for my daughter and protecting her when I couldn't - even sometimes from me. You had every reason to take her straight to prison the moment she stepped foot into your city - to paint her as just another 'Luthor' like the world did before Lex changed the world after crisis. But you saw through to her heart and defended her against everyone who thought her to be evil. Even through your fight you still protected her, and I am so happy that you two made it to the other side of that. I see how happy you make my daughter, and although I was too set in my ways to see it, YOU are what is best for her. I want to apologize for the parts I played in the difficult moments in your life."

"T-Thank You, Miss Lu...Lillian."

Once again Kara shared a look with Lena, this time in disbelief.

"Now you, my precious Lena. I fear I have hurt you most of all. From the moment you came home with Lionel, I saw you as nothing more than an extension of his affair and I let that poison me against you, even though you were just a defenseless child. And though I tried to convince myself that I was doing it for your good - as well as mine - I knew it was selfish of me. A child needs a mother, and you had none."

"Mother please..." Interrupted Lena, her eyes filling with tears.

"Let me finish Lena, please. I have always been proud of you Lena, even if I didn't agree with your actions. You've always been your own person, dear. Always brave enough to stand on your own two feet, no matter who opposes you. I know that the Luthor name has been hard for you to bear, and has caused you so much pain, and I am truly sorry for my part in that. But..."

Lillian began to struggle to speak, coughing and finding it difficult to breathe. Kara and Lena both tried to help her, even offering to get the doctor, but Lillian was adamant that she needed to say her piece so after taking a few breaths with her oxygen mask on, she removed it and continued to talk.

"Lena, I told you once that you didn't deserve the Luthor name, and Kara corrected me that day. It is only in the last decade of my life that I have come to see that she was right. The Luthor Family doesn't deserve YOU. You have always been and will always be a TRIBUTE to the Luthor name. You are the bright star of our family, a flower among thorns. I love you so much, my beautiful girl."

Lillian's cough became worse, until finally she was unable to breathe without the help of the oxygen mask. Lena held tightly to her mother's hand, no longer trying to hold back the tears as the woman who raised her from took her last breath.

"Mother? No, please mother, please wake up... Mom?"

Kara wrapped her hands around her wife to comfort her as they both started to cry.

"I love you too, mom."

For the first time in her life, Lena found herself unashamed of who she was.

A Luthor.