Chapter 13: Dragonfly

I was shocked by Lauren's words. This place meant everything to her. How could she leave it, just because of me?

"Lauren... I'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel anything when you kissed me, but we can't... I mean... this is the life you wanted. Right here."

"I'm sorry for kissing you without asking, I shouldn't have and it my life. I've been thinking about this too."

"How can you say that? You've always told me you'd stay here."

"You know our symbol is a dragonfly right?" Lauren said.

"I know, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It symbolises change, growth and adaptability. Three things I thought I stood for, up until you left. The thing is, I haven't been adaptable and I was afraid of change. As for growth, there might have been some, but not that much."

"Even if we leave Lauren. So much has changed... I have changed, and I'm not ready to start over again with you. I'm not saying never, but at the moment it doesn't feel right. I'm sorry"

"I've changed too y/n and I get it , but we were best friends once. We can try that at least. At the moment the most important thing is for you to stay safe. If that means leaving the Night Zone, then so be it. I've already talked to Lexa and Mikaela about it. If I ever were to leave, one of them can take over for a bit."

"Thanks Lauren, I appreciate that. But I need to find a way to stop whatever is happening to me. I don't know where else to find any answers besides Lena, and we can't trust her."

"I know someone in Oxford who might be able to help. She's a medical expert, who has... let's say worked for projects that wanted to enhance humans, a bit like what you talked about, but with willing participants. We just need to take a plane to England. Once we get there you'll be safe from Lena."

"Are you sure Lauren?"

She shot me a smile and squeezed my hand. "I am y/n, but now I've got to go make some calls. Take a nap, bab...y/n , and I'll wake you up later to get dinner." She misspoke, but it made my cheeks flush a bit.

Even though I couldn't get the thought of Lena being close out of my head, my eyelids were heavy.

The next thing I knew, I was woken up by Lauren. "Hey ba..eh..y/n, you wanna go get dinner? Do you feel ok?"

"It's gotten a bit better, I just feel so tired. Is Mikaela coming too? She asked me before if I wanted to get dinner with her."

"Maybe we can go together, I'll call her in. She's outside the door. MIKAELA!"

"Yes?"

"Come on, let's grab something to eat."

As I tried to stand up, my legs felt really wobbly, but Mikaela must have noticed because all of a sudden she swept me off my feet.

"I'll carry you! Let's get some pizza! We haven't been to Jade's pizza place in ages! Since you left all of us hehe... They still got your go to pizza on the menu though!"

"Sure let's go there." Lauren smiled as she grabbed her keys. "You called Lexa and her group to prepare everything in case of emergency?" She asked Mikaela.

"Yeah, everything's in place. We can go."

The dragonfly...

Right the Nightzone! ... She must've been able to enter it! I vaguely remembered y/n had ties to it but my memories were still hazy thanks to my mother.

"We found an entrance to the Nightzone Kara."

"What?... are you sure? I've been trying to find this place for a long time. They say it's the most well protected place in the city. No one gets in without permission. That women Jauregui... she's running that place. Been trying to catch her and that gang for a while now."

"Jauregui... Lauren Jauregui? Why does that name remind me of something?"

"You don't know her? Black hair, green eyes, latina and rumour says she used to be a singer who got screwed over by the industry. She stole all the money they took from her back though. That's how she revived the Nightzone. Threw out all idiots and made it into what it is now."

As she described her, I remembered an old picture I had out of y/n's file. I took it out of my bag and showed it to Kara. It showed y/n and the girl next to a beautiful waterfall, and the girl was holding her.

"Is this her?"

"Yes.. wait... Lauren's her girlfriend?! She's with a criminal mastermind?"

"They're probably just friends." I grumbled.

"Are you jealous again hehe?"

"Am not! They're not a thing! I'm sure of it!"

"Ooo this is going to be interesting" kara grinned. "Lena Luthor vs the famous Lauren Jauregui... who will y/n choose?"

"Oh Kara quit it already, we've got to find a way in there! Quickly! Can't have y/n be around people like that!"

"I can smash the pillar, you know?"

"And make the whole bridge collapse? Kara you're an idiot. See that small opening? Looks like a coin slot. I bet we can use it to open the entrance."

"I bet we don't have the coin."

"Well at least you got an intelligent CEO and engineer with you"

We were all sat on beautiful baroque style high chairs. The Nightzone really was something different. Instead of a classic italian restaurant, this place was decorated with beautiful neon signs and the most outrageous decor. Punk music was blasting trough the speakers.

 Even Jade the owner herself stood out for a pizza chef with her bright pink mohawk and her amazing collection of piercings. That was the beautiful thing about this place though. No one gave a fuck about norms or expectations. If you wanted to have a pizza punkbar and rock a neonpink mohawk, no one gave a fuck.

"So y/n. What have you been up to?" Mikaela asked.

I told her everything, from the day I left to today. The kidnapping, Cadmus, art, working at Lena's office.

Even Lauren was listening with her mouth agape. 

"Wow I'm impressed" She smiled. "So you really have changed. Starting a gang, breaking into Luthorcorp, working for her to spy on her... You used to get frightened when you saw a spider."

"Well to be honest. Spiders still frighten me. Even more than Lena" I laughed.

After a we finished the pizza and ordered another set of drinks, Mikaela spoke again: "Well I already told you, but I'm so glad to see you again, y/n." 

"I'm glad to see you guys too. You know I was scared of coming back. This used to be my home too. In some ways I love this place. So many memories, but you guys most of all. Doing stupid things with you guys and Lauren, I truly missed it."

"You don't have to leave again." Mikaela said. "If Lauren were to get tired of you and doesn't want your ass around anymore, you can always stay at my place." she laughed.

"I know" I spoke, almost a whisper, but I felt something else nagging me. It wasn't even the thought of leaving Dinah, and the rest of the Black Rose. For some reason I couldn't get Lena out of my head. Sure I was afraid, but it was something else. Leaving Lena felt the most frightening to me.

Suddenly Lexa's voice sounded trough Mikaela's earpiece, but not loud enough for us to hear what she was saying.

"Fuck" Mikaela mumbled "Lauren, Y/n. We got to leave now."