Chapter Text
Lena read through the letter for the third time, then picked up the phone to call Sam. She still didn't quite believe it was real. She began reading it out loud to her best friend and colleague at Ravenwood Institute for Mesoamerican Studies.
"Dr. Luthor-
We are pleased to offer you partial funding for your proposal: "The Lost City of Azcapotzalco: In Search of the Arcata Medallion." Unfortunately, we not currently able to fund you for your 2-year request. However, your work shows promise and we would like to offer support for a 1-year pilot project. If you show sufficient progress during that time, then you are welcome to re-apply to receive an additional 1-2 years of funding for your research...."
"Lena, that's fantastic! They were really impressed - you've got your money!" Sam broke in before she could finish reading.
"Well, they weren't too impressed, or they would have fully funded me."
"It doesn't matter. You'll show them what you can do with those startup funds - I'm sure you can do it! It's as good as money in the bank."
Lena smiled to herself. She was sure she could do it too, given half a chance. Or a third of a chance, which was what they had given her.
"Thanks, Sam. Thanks for believing in me."
Lena knew her mother would scoff to hear how excited she was about getting about a sum of money that would seem paltry to her. And there was a time that Lena herself would have thought it wasn't much either. But ever since she'd gone into archaeology instead of the family business, her parents had cut her off, and she had quickly learned the value of a dollar.
"So, when do you start?"
"As soon as the semester ends. I have to finish teaching my archaeometry class, then I can go for the summer break. Which is perfect because there's a lot of logistics and ground work I need to figure out before I get there. And now I've got to completely re-work my budget plan for Year 1. I want to do as much as possible on this money, so I'm going to re-evaluate some of my more expensive costs to see if I can find cheaper options."
"Good thinking. What are your big-ticket items?"
"Well, the most expensive is the plane. I absolutely can't give up the plane. With all my equipment, the difficult terrain, and weather, I'll be too slow moving between search sites." Lena took a deep breath. "But maybe I can find a less expensive plane and pilot...Maybe there's a pilot that could also do outfitting, that would save on paying an additional person to take care of camp and food..."
"Ugh, I do not like the sound of that at all! You need to be safe, Lena."
"I'll be fine, Sam. I'll make sure I find a pilot with a lot of experience. Maybe I won't have the newest plane..." She insisted. "The other big ticket item is my field assistant. I'm thinking I just go it alone. It'll be a lot of work, but I can do it. If it's just me then I can get by with a smaller plane - some kind of 2-seat bush plane."
"Lena, that's a ton of work trying to do it all yourself! And that's a lot of pressure you'll be under to make it work. Do you really need to give up an assistant to make it viable?"
"I can do it, Sam."
"I know." Sam said and Lena could hear the smile of pride in her voice.
"Thanks, Sam." Lena said, taking a deep breath. "What would I do without you?"
***
That was how Lena found herself in the middle of the Tepanec jungle, watching the precarious landing of the cheapest bush plane available in the region. She held her breath as she watched it come to a rough landing in the pouring rain, then walked quickly out to the improvised runway to greet her pilot.
She stood under the wing of the plane and watched as the door opened and the pilot crawled out. Her mouth dropped open in amazement at the sight. Before her was a young woman wearing dingy khakis, a blousy white buttoned shirt, and a dirty red bandanna around her neck. She looked like something climbing right from "Out of Africa". Her hair was pulled back, but much of it had escaped and was framing her face. Backlit by the lights of the plane, it looked like a halo framing her face.
As the woman noticed her and looked up, Lena's froze as she came face-to-face with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She felt her breath catch in her throat as the woman's face broke into a wide smile.
"Dr. Luthor, I presume?" The woman said, much too cheerfully given the pouring rain and near-disastrous landing. She wiped her hand on her pants and reached towards Lena to shake.
They stood regarding each other in the relative quiet under the plane wing, out of the rain that was pounding down around them. Lena shook herself out of her amazement to shake hands and attempt to speak out loud.
"Yes. Precisely." She took a deep, needed breath as she shook the hand of the woman who seemed to have dropped out of the eye of the storm. "And you...don't look like Enrico."
"Right. Yes. Well, no. I mean...You're correct. I'm not Enrico..." The woman continued with her disarming smile. "My name is Kara. Danvers. I'm Kara Danvers...I'm your pilot!"
Lena tried to pull herself together. "Ms. Danvers. It's lovely to meet you. However, I was not expecting...I mean... I was expecting a seasoned and experienced pilot. I have a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time. There will likely be difficult weather conditions and rough landings on very sketchy..."
"Dr. Luthor, I assure you, I've had a great deal of experience flying under difficult conditions and especially in this terrain...I was a pilot for..."
"Excuse me, Ms. Danvers...I was promised a pilot with 20 years of experience. No offense intended...but, you don't appear to be much over 20 years of age. How much experience can you have flying a plane?!"
"Oh, yes. I understand. I know I look very young, but I...well. I'm older than I look..." Lena watched the smile fade from the woman's face and felt instant regret. Even though she was speaking her mind, suddenly nothing she had to say seemed worth the loss of that smile.
"I apologize, Ms. Danvers. I don't mean to judge you." Lena interrupted, unable to bear more of the woman's sad tone. "You're just...not what I was expecting. I'm sure you're a capable pilot. It's just that I have a very limited amount of time..."
"You're right. I am a very capable pilot." Suddenly the woman seemed to regain her composure and looked her straight in the eye. "Yes, the company originally planned to send Enrico. But he had a family emergency. His wife..."
Lena watched the pilot's face crumble at the thought of her colleague's family difficulties. Lena felt her day going from bad to worse. "Please. You don't need to explain. It's just...I have an important mission. This mission could make or break my career..."
"I have to ask, is this because I'm a woman?" The pilot broke in.
"What!? How could you think...? Ms. Danvers, I assure you that has nothing to do with my concern."
"Dr. Luthor, I have been flying since I was young. And I've lived in this region for years, ever since..." The woman seemed to catch herself and quickly changed the subject. She took a deep breath. "Please, give me a chance to prove myself." The pilot said hopefully. Lena felt a surge in her heart, suddenly feeling desperate not to say no to this woman.
Come on, Luthor! This is your dream, you can't let it get derailed just because the most attractive woman you've ever seen just dropped out of the sky. This is not at all what you were promised! A rookie pilot will put everything you've worked for at risk. You have to stand up for yourself! Lena thought to herself.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Danvers. I just can't afford the risk..." Lena watched as the woman's smile became a distant memory from her face and disappointment was clear in her eyes.
"I understand, ma'am. Tonight when I check in with Base I'll let them know that I am not acceptable for your mission."
Lena's gut twisted as she watched the woman turn and move back into the plane. She emerged a moment later with a large pack.
"Apologies, ma'am, given the weather, we should stay here tonight regardless of who is available to be your pilot. I won't be able to check in for 3 more hours, then I can update you on the situation."
"Thank you for understanding, Ms. Danvers. It's just...this mission is really critical to my career...to my credibility, to my future....I just can't..."
"Please. Doctor. I read you loud and clear. It's unfortunate that you won't give me a chance. I assure you, I'm an excellent pilot and would do everything in my power to get you where you need to go as quickly and as safely as possible."
Lena stood speechless as she watched her removing more gear from the plane.
"Dr. Luthor, if you don't mind, would you please sit inside the plane while I set up camp? There's really no other place where you can shelter out of the rain."
Lena stood speechless as the woman brushed past her with an incredible amount of stuff piled on her back and in her arms. Lena's heart thumped as she watched her stride into the rain. She wanted to call out and stop her - anything to remove her memory of that despondent expression. But she stopped, reminding herself that needed every advantage she could muster to make this mission succeed.
Half an hour later the pilot emerged from the jungle with a heavy duty raincoat and umbrella. She handed them over to Lena and asked her to follow closely.
She stopped in front of a drenched tent and pulled back the flap for Lena. "I found a good spot for your tent. It's relatively protected by tree branches and I think you'll be able to keep dry until morning. Go ahead and settle in and I'll be back after my check in. I should warn you, this is the busy season, it may take time to find another available pilot."
"Ms Danvers...I hope you understand that this is nothing personal. It's just...this is no joy ride for me. My career, my dream for finding..." Lena's voice dropped off. She could see she wasn't helping the situation.
"Here's some food. I'll be back as soon as I know more." She said, ignoring Lena's comment and handing over a bag. Then she was gone.
Lena sat in the tent she paged through her notes with a flashlight, waiting for the rain to let up or the pilot to return. She tried to shake the guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Two hours later the woman returned with the news that it would be 4 days before another pilot would be available and able to reach the area. Lena was speechless at the news.
"Well, good-night, doctor." She said. "Do you have everything you need?"
"No, I, yes...thank you." Lena said, still stunned. "Good-night Ms. Danvers."
Lena's heart sank as she watched the other woman leave, securing her tent flap on as she left. Every day that passed was reducing her chances for a successful mission. She had to be back on campus before the fall semester started in order to fulfill her teaching duties. She had a very limited time to make this mission work. She could hear the clock ticking in her head as she tried to sleep.
+++
Kara flopped down in her tent feeling soaked, frustrated, and exhausted. She'd worked double time preparing all the gear and provisions for this trip, then flown in difficult conditions to keep the archaeologist on schedule, which she understood was very important to her. The more she thought about it the more angry she became. After all that, to just be dismissed out of hand, not even given a chance to explain her experience! Just because she looked young. Or maybe it was because she was a woman? That thought incensed her even more. You don't know that She told herself, trying to keep calm. It was unlike her to get so worked up. Usually she was a very laid back and easy going person. It took a lot to rattle her, but this was too much.
It wouldn't be the first time someone underestimated me because I'm a woman. Kara thought. She couldn't help it, the woman had gotten under skin. Kara had let herself get excited about the idea of helping out on an archaeological mission. She'd looked up the woman's academic credentials and become even more excited because she was clearly brilliant. She'd even seen her picture on her university staff page, but none of that had prepared her for meeting the stunning woman in person. Kara tried to remain composed as they hashed through everything in the middle of the storm. She was proud of herself for remaining professional when the archaeologist absolutely refused to give her a chance. Now, alone in her tent she was free to wallow in her frustration and disappointment.
"Oh well, at least I got another gig lined up quickly." She said aloud, knowing her voice would be drowned out by the rain. "Great, now I'm talking to myself. This is what she's brought me to..."
Kara laid staring at the ceiling of her tent. "OK, Danvers, time to move on. Accept that you aren't going on an exciting mission with the brilliant, gorgeous archaeologist and start wrapping your mind around the next mission. And while you're at it, please stop talking to yourself." Finally, she was able to laugh at herself, accepting her fate and eventually falling asleep.
+++
Lena was having no such luck. She spent a fitful night, trying to figure out what to do. Eventually she decided she couldn't bear losing 4 days of her trip, if there was anything to be done about it.
The next morning Lena woke to the smell of a campfire and bacon cooking. She climbed out of the tent feeling damp and crumpled. She walked to the camp fire to find the pilot looking completely put together. And beautiful. Lena thought wistfully to herself.
"Good morning. Are you hungry?" The pilot asked. Lena detected a note of annoyance underlying her greeting. Putting herself in the her shoes, Lena couldn't blame her.
"Famished." Lena said as she was handed a plate piled with food, more than twice what she would normally eat for breakfast. Lena smiled sheepishly. Might as well bite the bullet and get it over with.
"Ms. Danvers. I...well, I've reconsidered my decision. I'd like to go ahead with my mission." Lena took a deep breath. "With you as my pilot..."
The woman looked up at her quickly. It felt like her eyes were piercing Lena's soul. "Oh? Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose."
"Yes, I, no...I'm very sorry about last night. I just...you're so young and...I'm sure you're a great pilot...I just..." Lena's voice dropped off and the woman stayed quiet. "I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance."
The woman continued eating her breakfast. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I accepted a different assignment last night when I called in. As soon as I can get you to the town near here I'm headed back to the city."
Lena cursed her luck. Stuck in some remote village for four days, more than a hundred miles from where she needed to be.
"Ms. Danvers, please. I understand you aren't happy with me for insisting on another pilot last night. As I've said, I'm on an important mission. A search for an important artifact. A map, rather, that could lead to even greater archaeological discoveries. And I've only got 7 weeks to do it. I can't afford to lose 4 days - that's nearly 10% of my trip! Please. Please, Ms. Danvers, will you reconsider?" At this point Lena was not above begging.
At that the pilot glanced up to look her in the eye for a few moments, as if weighing her decision.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Luthor. You clearly had your heart set on a very different type of pilot. And I'm better off working for a client that values my abilities. I've accepted another mission. How does that look for me to back out now? I need to consider my career as well."
"Ms. Danvers, please. I made a mistake. I promise, I do value your abilities. What if I offered you..." Lena caught herself. She realized she was about to offer the pilot a large amount of money, when it suddenly occurred to her that she no longer had large amounts of money to offer. And now that she'd been disowned, she was a long way from obtaining that type of money in the near future.
She decided to throw herself on the woman's mercy, without anything else to offer. "Please. I'm sorry I doubted you...I...is there anything I can say to make it up to you?"
The pilot stayed quietly stirring the fire.
"You could be a part of something very exciting and important! If my calculations are correct, well, this could be the biggest archaeological discovery of the decade." Lena took a deep breath. "Please. Ms. Danvers. I...I need you."
"I don't know, doctor. Seems quite risky for you to trust a green horn like me..."
Lena was relieved to see a very slight upturn in the corner of her mouth. She felt her heart skip at the memory of her full smile on her arrival the day before. Maybe she still had a chance after all.
"Is there anything I can say to change your mind?" Lena pleaded.
"Relax, doctor. I'll see what I can do. I can check-in with HQ in an hour. I'll ask whether it's too late to send your pilot on my assignment instead."
You're my pilot. The thought jumped into Lena's head unbidden as she searched the deep blue eyes for teasing.
"Really?" Lena asked, putting the thought aside and daring to hope.
"Of course. Far be it from me to stand in the way of a woman and her dream..." Kara looked like she was fighting a smirk.
Lena ignored her teasing and plowed ahead. "Thank you, Ms. Danvers. Thank you. I can't tell you what this means to me. Just...thank you!" Lena said, for once feeling at a loss for words. She reached out and squeezed Kara's hand, which was resting on her knee. Lena felt a jolt to her core. She saw Kara's eyes widen in surprise and she drew back her hand quickly.
"Sorry, I, don't know what came over me." Lena stammered.
"You know, something tells me that some day I'll be telling people about this trip- my trip with the famous Lena Luthor! Whether you find your thing-a-ma-jig on this trip or not, I can see you're going places." The pilot said with a full smirk. "Assuming, that is, that I don't get you killed due to my lack of experience..."
Lena started to protest, but realized she was being teased and shouldn't fall for it. Instead she enjoyed seeing that twinkle and a partial smile again. Lena wondered whether (hoped?) she might earn a full one again soon.
"Thank you, Ms. Danvers. You're my hero - you're really saving me!" Lena said. "And if there's anything I can do for you..." Lena stopped herself, realizing how suggestive it sounded. She hadn't meant it to suggest something physical. But Lena was well aware of how people reacted to her. Long ago she had learned to give off an air of unobtainability to discourage interest.
"What I mean is.." Lena stammered, trying to clarify her meaning.
"Save it, doctor." The pilot said, holding up her hand. "There is something I want from you."
Here we go. Lena thought. She couldn't help but notice the pilot's eyes raking over her body the night before. Suddenly Lena realized she was holding her breath, and that she was actually torn between wanting this breathtaking pilot to ask for something physical from her, and at the same time knowing that was not the type of person she wanted to put her trust in for the next 2 months.
"Anything you want." Lena said, shocked to realize she meant it.
"Just...please. Call me Kara."