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Chapter 14: Back on Track

Written by willow :: [Thursday, 18 May 2017 04:21] Last updated by :: [Thursday, 18 May 2017 08:13]

Back on Track


I arrived back in Los Angeles without incident. The flight gave me time to process everything that I had learned in Aurora. It was time that I brought Superior Girl down. I would not be able to search for the people responsible for killing my mother until she was out of the way. Superman’s work on those hard drives was taking too long. It was time that I took a more direct approach into bringing Superior Girl out into the light. I landed in the patio of Cheryl’s apartment. It was just getting dark in California. I was also no longer worrying about being seen or not. Cheryl was home, and greeted me as I came in.

Cheryl spoke excitedly, “I am so happy that you are home! How was your trip?”

I gave a small smile, “I learned more about who my parents were. However, I can’t stay. It is time that I take down Superior Girl.

Cheryl got a shocked look on her face, “Are you going to take her on directly?”

“Not yet. I need to get her off balance, first. In order to do this, I need to meet with Superman to discuss my plans.”

“Oh, I so wish that I could help you!”

“You can, actually.” I handed Cheryl my bag that had everything that I had learned in Aurora inside them. “I need you to keep these safe and in a secure location.”

Cheryl took the bag and held it tight. “I will keep it safe for you.”

Still in my power suit, I turned back towards the patio. I took out my phone from the hidden pocket under my suit’s sash. I sent Superman a text message that simply said “Meet me at the Fortress.” With that done, I returned the phone to its secure pocket, and walked onto the patio. Before Cheryl could even say goodbye, I took off into the sky.

====================

Finding the Fortress of Solitude was getting easier and easier with my repeated journeys back to it. I landed at the front entrance and entered into the Fortress. I had flown at what felt to be my maximum velocity, and clearly arrived before Superman had gotten here. The Fortress was empty. I decided to try and find out more information about this person who was my father. I went to the computer station that Superman had been working on. Thankfully, Superman kept the system unlocked since he never had to worry about intruders stealing his secrets. I clicked on the icon to perform a voice query.

I spoke only two works “General Zod” to which the computer began to recite the following.

“General Zod, also known as Dru-Zod, was the leader of the Kryptonian Military Guild. General Zod attempted to lead a coup against the Ruling Council of Krypton. His ultimate goal was to end Krypton’s isolationism, and return his people to the days when Krypton was the center of an interstellar empire. The coup attempt began a brief period of civil war on Krypton, but was ultimately defeated by military forces loyal to the Ruling Council. General Zod, along with his lieutenants Ursa, Faora, Tor-An, and Non, were exiled into the Phantom Zone.

I interrupted the monologue, “Pause. Describe Phantom Zone.”

“Phantom Zone is a dimension discovered by Krypton’s Science Council to be totally devoid of time, substance, or life. The Ruling Council of Krypton decreed that the Phantom Zone be used as a form of punishment for those committed of high crimes against Krypton and its people. Escape from the Phantom Zone was considered impossible, and access to the Phantom Zone was a state secret controlled only by the Ruling Council.”

That was enough for me, “Continue on General Zod.”

“General Zod, Ursa, and Non escaped the Phantom Zone through unknown means three Earth years ago. They tracked Superman to Earth, and attempted to defeat Superman. Their stated goals had been to capture remaining Kryptonian technology secured in this location, free other Kryptonians trapped in the Phantom Zone, and establish Earth as the home world for a New Krypton. Given comments by General Zod and his companions, humanity itself was seen more as a pest or potential slave labor force once his conquest was completed. Psychological analysis estimated that peaceful co-existence would not be possible. General Zod, Ursa, and Non were each killed during their fight with Superman after multiple attempts by Superman to encourage peaceful co-existence proved futile.”

Speaking to myself, I said, “Sounds like my father may have been a different man than the one in this dimension.” I remembered the infamous fight that Superman had with General Zod and his two companions. While I had not heard their names mentioned before, it was certainly the same people being discussed. Those three had appeared about three years ago out of nowhere. They tore through the Midwest until arriving in Metropolis. There are parts of Metropolis that are still being rebuilt after Superman defeated them.

While I waited for Superman, I decided to check up on Terri and see how she was doing. I left the main room of the Fortress, and went down the corridors to the jail that Superman had setup earlier. The prison area of the Fortress of Solitude was well maintained. It had twelve large cells in which to hold prisons, all except one were empty. As I entered the area, I noticed a hidden door closing on the far wall. Superman’s robotic servants who kept the Fortress running were keeping themselves hidden when I came around.

I stopped by the jail cell that was holding Terri. Terri had been given large overalls that were designed to fit her massive frame. Terri sat on the bed that was inside the cell. Her body was a gigantic mass of pure muscle. Her biceps looked bigger than my head. When she moved her arms, her biceps naturally bulged to the point that it looked like her sleeves would split open. Terri looked up from what appeared to be a book that she was reading. She glared at me before speaking.

“What do you want, gweilo?” Terri said emotionlessly.

I smirked at Terri. “I did not come here to fight you, Terri. I wanted to see how you are doing.”

Terri stared at me for a few minutes with clear anger and frustration in her eyes. She then closed her eyes, and exhaled loudly through her nostrils. When she opened her eyes, it was clear that the fight that she wanted to put up had gone out her. The mask was dropped to show someone who had had enough time in this cell to realize a few things.

Terri just muttered, “Yeah, okay.”

I responded back, “I see you have something to read.”

Terri looked at the book in her hand, “Superman’s robotic servants make sure to get me whatever I want to read when they bring me my meals. However, I have to return each before I get something new.”

I crossed my arms under my chest, “I am surprised that they get within arm’s reach of you.”

Terri smiled at the comment, “I crushed five of them with my hands when they first started coming. Their metal frames squished between my fingers like putty. However, other servants just came, cleaned up the mess, and returned to their normal routine.”

“That drug has clearly not worn off in the slightest then.”

Terri put the book down and made her hands into fists. Her biceps bulged and stretched her sleeves to their maximum limit as she held up her arms, flexing her gigantic muscles. Her breasts expanded outwards as well to the point of almost splitting her overalls open. Terri looked at her muscles with what looked like a sense of pride and trepidation. She said, “I love these muscles! I love the strength that flows through them. I feel like I could toss tanks into orbit. Steel bends effortlessly against my grip.” Terri lowered her arms and signed loudly. “But …”

I crossed my arms underneath my breasts and nodded at her statement, “But you don’t like that you are a gigantic freak now.”

Terri just nodded her head. “When the change first hit me, all I could feel was the overwhelming power flowing through my body. I felt that I could take on the world. But my body has never returned to normal. According to those robots, I am nine feet tall now and weigh nearly a ton. I can’t even walk through a normal doorway now.”

I felt sorry for Terri. Terri had always been about personal power, but the fact that she was now a nine foot, one ton muscular freak really seemed to affect her. I had to admit that it would be hard to revel in all that power if the normal world was unavailable to you. Sure, Terri probably could throw a tank into the stratosphere, but she also could not walk into a fancy restaurant and eat a meal without unintentionally tearing the place apart. I wondered if this was similar to how people confined to a wheelchair after an accident might feel. For them, it was the rush of realizing that they were still alive, but then confronted with the reality that they would never live a ‘normal’ life ever again. I somberly said, “I am sorry, Terri.”

Terri appeared to get angry at my comment, “You and Jessie won the superpower lottery. All the power of Superman without any side effects like I have.”

In a strange way, I agreed with Terri about that. If I did not publicly use my powers, then no one would ever be able to tell that I was a goddess among mortals. To someone spotting me on the street, I was just a very attractive female who may or may not have had some cosmetic work done to look how I do. Terri could not walk down the street with getting stares from everyone around her. She could never fit into a cab or normal car in Metropolis. Even riding the subway might be off limits to her massive size.

“What if there was a way to reverse this process?” I asked.

“What do you mean? How?” Terri, still despondent, responded as she looked up.

“Jessie was not born as Superior Girl. She stole those powers from Supergirl. What if there was a way to change you back to normal?”

Terri looked at her gigantic hands as they closed into fists and opened again, “I don’t know. Part of me would love to go back to my normal size. However, I do love the strength that flows through my veins. Would I be able to keep my strength?”

Not if I could help it was my first thought, but I refrained from saying that openly to her. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

Terri sighed at my answer, “I need to think about it.”

I knew not to push Terri any further. Seeing that she appeared to be at least open to the idea was encouraging, even if we did not have any idea how to reverse the process. I decided to leave things at that for now. I ended our talk by saying, “Think about it, Terri. It might be the only way that you are ever able to lead a normal life.” I turned to leave the holding area.  As I entered the main room of the Fortress of Solitude, Superman was just coming inside from the main entrance. He wore his usual Superman outfit as he strode through the doors. He spotted me as he came in, and gave me a smile. We greeted each other among the couches and chairs that made a sitting area in the main hall. Superman moved to embrace me in a hug that I reciprocated.

“I hope that you found what you were looking for,” Superman said as he embraced me.

As I held the embrace, I responded “Thank you. I found what information that I could, but need time to process it.”

Superman pulled back from the embrace, “Jimmy told me as much after you left very abruptly. I can’t imagine how difficult this has been for you, but I am here if you want to talk.”

I smiled at Superman’s genuine sincerity, which was a stark contrast from what may have been under Terri’s motivations. I nodded, and then sat down in one of the white couches. Superman took a seat in a couch opposite me. I asked, “Have those hard drives given any more insight into Lex Luthor’s operations?”

Superman nodded, “Yes, they have been quite eye opening. Most of them have been decrypted so I think we have all the information that we need. I wanted to give you time to look into your family before I brought this to you.”

I smiled at the sentiment, “Thank you for that. I want to focus getting back on track with Superior Girl. It will help me to process things about my family.”

“Of course,” Superman leaned forward, “the drives have clear evidence that Lex Luthor has been working against Superior Girl from day one. He setup the explosion at one of his plants to see how she would react. He even found a way to kidnap her along with her secretary, Caroline Hunter, to see what kind of leverage he could exert through Caroline.”

“Which only helped create the Ambrosia Amazons.”

Superman nodded, “Which he then used to his advantage to begin researching a synthetic version of the miracle liquid. All while using each crisis to help bring Jessie closer to him.”

I loudly exhaled as I shook my head, “You have to hand it to him how much of a master manipulator that man is. How did he capture Superior Girl? I thought Kryptonite did not affect her.”

Superman looked at me with a deadpan expression, “Trust me. I have had years to figure that out. For every plan that man has, he has three other contingency plans ready to go at a moment’s notice. It is one of the reasons why he has never spent a day in prison, despite my efforts. As for how Lex captured Superior Girl, he stumbled across some gas that could temporarily disable her. Unfortunately, the creation of the gas is an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming process. I am having some made here at the Fortress ever since I found the formula in the hard drives.”

“That sounds promising. Could we use it to knock Superior Girl out without a fight?” I was enthusiastic on the idea that I am sure that my face reflected.

Superman shook his head in a negative, “Unfortunately, not. It wore off sooner than expected, and subsequent tests appeared to have diminishing returns on effect. The gas will help us briefly contain her once captured, but it won’t be powerful enough to take her down without a fight.”

I nodded at the statement, “Too bad. It sounds like it is time the world knew about the real Lex Luthor.”

“What are you thinking?” Superman asked.

I spread my arms out as if the world should have realized my idea, “You are a reporter. Let’s publish everything from those hard drives.”

Superman thought about it for a few seconds, “I can’t. It puts everyone at the Daily Planet in danger.”

I leaned forward, “Only if Superior Girl is free to do something about it. I plan on keeping her too busy to read the local papers.” Superman leaned back with a quizzical look on his face. He was clearly intrigued. I continued, “You remember the data vault that I broke into. Lex has got to have other safe houses and facilities out there. All this research that he is doing about Superior Girl has to be happening somewhere.” Superman’s face seemed to show that he was starting to get where I was going with this. I continued, “Superior Girl is actively looking for me. I show up one place; she is there a couple hours later. What happens if I show up and trash the facilities that are researching ways to stop her?”

Superman clearly understood, “Jessie will fly over there to stop you as soon as she hears about it.”

I nodded as I continued to explain my plan, “But by then, I will be at some other facility. I lead Superior Girl on a wild goose chase across the globe. At worst, we simply keep her busy while the Daily Planet publishes as expose on how Lex Luthor is working with and against Superior Girl at the same time. At best, Superior Girl gets led on a goose chase across the globe and learns how her employer is also working against her.”

By now, Superman was rubbing his chin as he thought about my plan. He finally spoke up, “It sounds good. I can also make sure that the major cable news networks’ pick up the story. However, everyone at the Daily Planet will need to go into hiding just for their own safety. This would also put both Lex and Superior Girl in the public’s crosshairs.”

“If Jessie reacts how I think she will react, it will also put them at each other’s throats.”

“What about the people of Metropolis? Aren’t you putting them in danger?”

I could see that Superman was simply trying to play devil’s advocate rather than suddenly wussing out on my plan. I responded, “Probably, but I can’t see any other way to stop Superior Girl without putting everyone in even more danger. We could try calling Superior Girl out to some empty part of the world for some battle royale. However, there is no guarantee that she would show or just do something else to play our hand. Besides, I am tired of waiting for opportunity to fall in our lap.”

“We could be turning Metropolis into a battlefield.”

“Metropolis is in just as much danger right now with Superior Girl hanging out at LexCorp Tower. We can’t rely forever on Jessie’ mood to not just declare herself Empress of America, go on some killing rampage because someone pissed her off, or some hotshot politician ordered the military to take her out.” I leaned forward to emphasize my point, “Look, if you tell the world about the evidence we have, everyone will turn on Lex Luthor. Lex is nothing without this business empire, and the people that follow him won’t want to go down with the captain.”

Superman gritted his teeth. He clearly had reservations about the plan, but he also knew that it was probably one of the better options at this time. Sure, we could both fly to the moon, and send an ultimatum to Superior Girl to show up for some final battle. However, Superior Girl could easily say no and destroy part of Metropolis as a threat to not ever try that again. We had to force the issue on her. Publicly humiliate her and Lex Luthor to the world, and then try and split her relationship with Lex Luthor. After was felt like forever of waiting, Superman agreed, “Alright. We will do it your way.” Superman got up and walked over to the computer. “Let’s try and find a good target for you.” Various sheets of information flashed on the computer’s main screen. Finally, the screen settled onto a map showing the Indian sub-continent. “There. Several documents discuss anti-Superior Girl and anti-Superman research projects going on at a facility just north of Mumbai in India. The facility sits on the banks of the Vaitarna River.”

The map on the screen was replaced with what appeared to be satellite images of very high quality. The facility was surrounded by trees, and far away from any local villages or farms that far north of a major city. A dock and helipad were both clearly visible through the images, but there did not appear to be any roads heading towards it. Clearly, anyone who worked there likely lived on campus or travelled in via boat or helicopter. Clear lines tracing the facilities borders also easily indicated that it was walled from the outside world and likely highly fortified. It did not take a tactical genius to figure out how to tackle that facility. I looked at the map as I spoke up, “Fast and hard looks like the best approach.”

Superman nodded in agreement, “If you want to draw the attention of Superior Girl, then that is what you need to do. I will make sure to get some tips over to the news media. Anonymous calls spotting you tearing apart a rumored LexCorp facility. If luck is with us, someone will panic and let Superior Girl know what is happening.”

I nodded in agreement. “Do you know where Superior Girl is right now? If she comes after me, can you give me a direction that she is coming from?”

“Last sightings had her heading back towards Metropolis. If our friends can spot her leaving, then we can let you know her path. However, if you make your next target something north or south, then that might help you avoid her regardless of her flight path. Superior Girl usually flies east or west like thinking of the world as a two-dimensional map rather than a three-dimensional globe.”

I laughed a little bit, “Is that common?”

Superman smiled as he worked, “For someone who just gained their powers, quite.”

“So, I hit this place outside Mumbai, then somewhere north in Russia, then go east or west from there?”

“Exactly. If we do this right, then we can lead Superior Girl around Asia for a while. Lex has a couple of holdings in the former states of the old USSR. Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, etc. By the time that Jessie realizes how we are leading her around, it should be too late.” Superman reached to the computer desk, and grabbed a small ear piece that was lying there. “Here. Take this. This will allow us to keep on touch with each other so I can tell you the next target after Mumbai.”

I took the ear piece, and placed it in my ear. It fit snugly inside with little evidence that it was even present to a casual glance. Superman sat down at the computer desk, and began working on what appeared to be a newspaper article. As Superman typed, he said “It is going to take me a few hours to put together the articles along with the corresponding data.”

“Alright. Any news on the machine that sapped Supergirl’s powers?”

Superman stopped typing, and turned to look at me from his chair. “I have the robotic servants here in the Fortress working with the data. Based on the data from those hard drives, we might be able to put together a prototype machine. However, there is a comment in the notes about the law of conservation.”

“Law of conservation?” I asked.

Superman answered, “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather it transforms from one form to another. In other words, even if we steal Superior Girl’s powers away from her, we can’t just let it dissolve into the ether.”

I nodded in understand, “Meaning someone else has to become Superior Girl.”

Superman winced a tiny amount at my comment, “Not exactly my choice of titles, but you are correct. To me, Lois Lane seems like an obvious choice. We can finally be together.”

I offered another suggestion, “What about Lana Lang? Weren’t you two close at one time?”

Superman got an uncertain face before he hid the emotion, “I am not sure. Lana and I were a long-time ago with both of us moving on. Don’t you have any suggestions? Maybe that Cheryl whom you are living with?”

The idea of giving Cheryl super-powers was enticing. However, while my gut felt good about her, I was not absolutely certain that she was the best candidate. I did not want to create another Superior Girl. However, Superman was a complete Boy Scout. If he vouched for Lois or Lana, that was a pretty strong bet. I finally responded, “Cheryl is great, but I just don’t know her as well as I would like. I don’t want to risk just creating another Superior Girl.”

Superman nodded at my response, “Fair enough. I will contact you when I have these articles ready for publication. Once they are ready, you will fly to India to take out the facility. I will let you know as soon as Superior Girl leaves Metropolis, and will call an emergency press conference to reveal all that we have on Lex Luthor and Superior Girl.”

“Alright. I want to check up on a few things before we begin. I might not get another chance until this is over. What about those friends that have been helping us in the shadows?”

Superman smiled, “I will let them know what is about to happen. There are a number of research sites that will need to be secured while Lex Luthor’s empire comes crashing down. We don’t want critical evidence getting destroyed, or allowing his weapons tech to get into the wrong hands.”

I put my hand on Superman’s shoulder as he returned to his work, “Alright. Sounds like we have a plan then. Call me when you are ready to begin.” I turned and flew towards the main entrance of the Fotress.

====================

I flew out from the Fortress of Solitude, and headed back to America. If Superman was right, we could remove Superior Girl’s powers but they had to go into someone else. Dr. Mendenhall’s machine had been designed for the strict purpose of sapping or cloning Kryptonian abilities and transferring them into a human. Unfortunately, stealing those powers from a Kryptonian meant destroying the Kryptonian in the process. However, moving those powers from one human to another would not be fatal since they are not actually tied to that person’s essence. That was, at least, the thought process behind the method that Dr. Mendenhall had developed. As I flew through the sky, I wondered how Lex Luthor had planned to handle his hired thugs having powers like Superman. Either he did not anticipate for Kryptonite to not work on them, or had some idea of stealing their powers from them once the experiment proved successful. That sounded more like the Lex Luthor that Superman had described.

As I thought about it more, I began to feel that I had deduced what Lex Luthor’s original plans had been. The hired thugs steal Superman’s powers, but the power of one Kryptonian is split between four men. The men go on to defeat Superman, and possibly cause some chaos around Metropolis. After these new super-thugs cause enough chaos and show the world that Superman is gone, Lex agrees to meet with them to help mediate the violence. At first, he would probably have tried to steal the powers from his henchmen. If that had failed, Lex could deploy his anti-Superman weapons against four thugs who are only a fourth as powerful as a single Superman. Lex could then emerge into the world as the hero who defeated the men who took down Superman. Then it all went wrong when Jessie Nelson became Superior Girl. However, Lex has certainly proven the phrase “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

I flew over the American Midwest until I finally reached my target. According to the computer at the Fortress of Solitude, Lana Lang was currently working as an electrical engineer at a wind farm that was being built just outside of Smallville. It felt strange returning to this small town after so many months. It was the first place that I had gone to after obtaining my powers. As I flew over the town, I scanned the nearby forest and found the clearing that I had first landed in. The destruction that I had left was still there, but nature was slowly erasing the damage that I had done. I passed over the town too quickly for anyone to see me in detail. If anything, someone probably would think that it was Superman rather than that new Power Girl. People see what they want to see.

The gigantic wind turbines were hard to miss. They were absolutely massive in size, much bigger than I would have ever guessed. An old farm house was nearby that gave a pretty good idea of scale from a distance away. If a turbine fell on that house, the house would be flatter than the flattest pancake you could imagine. I scanned the area with my enhanced vision. I quickly spotted Lana Lang near the farmhouse. She was looking at some plans for the turbines that she was helping to setup. The farmhouse appeared to be acting as an on-site base of operations for her. A peak through the walls with my x-ray vision showed a sleeping cot, some bags of clothes, and food in the kitchen. It was not living the high life, but it was close to work without having to drive back into town.

I did not bother with any secrecy of hiding my identity. Lana knew and kept Clark’s secret so I had no reason to believe she could not keep mine. Lana was fairly tall at 5’9, but I still had a good three inches on her. She had green eyes and red hair that was tied into a long ponytail. She wore jeans, t-shirt, and a jacket since working in the field demanded something more practical than proper office attire. She even wore a yellow hard hat, but that seemed totally useless in defending her against one of those turbines falling over. Lana looked up from her plans as I casually glided down to land in front of her in my power suit with my red cape flapping in the wind.

Lana did not seem surprised in the least, she just ran me over with her eyes and smirked. “I was wondering how long it would be before I met you.”

I was somewhat surprised at her nonchalant attitude, “You aren’t surprised to see me? Did Superman tell you about me?”

Lana laughed, “You mean, Clark?” My eyes opened wide showing my shock at her bluntness. “No, we have not spoken in quite a long time. I don’t have to be the world’s greatest detective to deduce what is going on in the world.”

I crossed my arms under my breasts and smirked back at her, “And what exactly is going on in the world?”

Lana began counting down with her fingers, “Ha. Let’s see. Supergirl disappears over a year ago, and suddenly some woman wearing her outfit and calling herself Superior Girl shows up. Clark clearly cannot defeat her since she is still flying around to this day. Then some woman calling herself Power Girl shows up in Syria and saves a photojournalist working for the Daily Planet named Jimmy Olsen. A photojournalist whom I know for a fact is on good terms with Lois Lane and Superman. Now the same woman who saved Jimmy shows up here.”

I must have been standing there with my mouth open as Lana broke out laughing. I walked closer to her. “How are you the only person on this planet to figure this out?”

“Please. I have known Clark throughout most of his childhood. What I don’t understand is why you are here?” Now Lana crossed her arms underneath her chest as she stared back at me. For a normal human mortal, she had supreme confidence when staring me down.

I started to feel uncomfortable under her stare, “Could we talk inside about this?”

Lana knew that she won this round. She smiled back at me, “Sure. Let’s grab some coffee.”

The inside of the farm house was completely barebones. It had been gutted whenever the previous family that called this place home had moved out. There were a couple of thrift-store furniture pieces set inside. An old couch, table, a few chairs, old television that probably gone zero signal our here. Upon entering, I could smell a pot of coffee being kept hot on a hot pad. Lana walked in and set her blueprints on the table next to her laptop. She then headed into the kitchen to grab two mugs and coffee.

“Make yourself at home,” Lana said.

I looked around, “Do you live here?”

“Ha. You mean, do I live in this dump? Sort of. I use it as a field office while I help get these wind turbines setup for the county. The house gets power from the working turbines, and the county kept the water service turned on while I am here. Beats having to drive back and forth to town every day.”

“What happened to the family that was here?”

“The Russell family sold the farm and land once they got too old to actually farm. Kids moved off to the big city, and the parents wanted to be closer to town as they got older. Lowell County purchased their farm for their new clean energy initiative.”

I asked, “Clean energy initiative?”

Lana came back into the living room with two mugs of hot coffee. I took one from her as she continued, “County’s way of showing the rest of Kansas that we aren’t some country bumpkins out here. The hope is that wind farms like these will help bring more high-paying jobs to the county.”

I took a sip of the coffee and then said, “Sounds like a worthwhile endeavor.”

Lana sat down at the table by her computer, “I hope so. I was the one that sold them on the idea. So, what brings you out here?”

“I wanted to learn more about you and Clark.”

Lana drank more of her coffee, and placed it on the table. “Me and Clark? Ok. Just keep in mind that I have kept his secrets for years, and don’t intend on breaking that trust any time soon.”

I sat down at a chair by the table opposite Lana, “Clark has been telling me about his past to help me come to grips with having these powers. I was originally found by Superior Girl to join this inner circle of other women called Ambrosia Amazons. However, something happened that neither Superior Girl nor myself ever knew. My father was Kryptonian, and the Ambrosia liquid that Superior Girl gave me activated my powers to their full extent.”

“Your father was from Krypton? Did Clark know about this?”

“No. My father was from a Krypton in a completely different reality than this one. He came here by accident, and then my mother helped him return back home.”

“After which, your mother realized that she was pregnant with you, correct?”

I laughed, “Not much seems to get by you.”

Lana smiled as she drank more coffee, “How do you think I realized that Clark Kent had superpowers even before we started dating? Besides, if she had known then I suspect that your mother would have gone with him. Or we would have heard about some interdimensional invasion of a Kryptonian looking for his child. Clark was always trying to find evidence of other survivors. I am sure your father would have moved Heaven and Earth to get back to his daughter, if he knew.”

I nodded in agreement, “You probably saw the result of my transformation on the news. I was the cause of the supposed terrorist bombing on LexCorp Tower in Metropolis. I actually woke not too far from here where Superman found me.”

Lana drank more of her coffee, “So why work with Superman? Why not go back to Superior Girl?”

I briefly looked into my coffee cup before returning my gaze to Lana, “I was always worried about working for Superior Girl and LexCorp. The Internet is full of stories that don’t make either look like very good people.”

“Trust me, those stories are not even the half of it,” Lana said with firm confidence.

“I was not really into becoming an Ambrosia Amazon in the first place, but how do you say no to Superior Girl? I was positive that my boyfriend back in Boston would be killed along with me if I denied her. The serum itself was just supposed to make me stronger, but nowhere near how I am now. How would Superior Girl react if I came back just as powerful as she was? She has never seemed to be a person to tolerate possible rivals.”

Lana drank the last of her coffee and nodded in agreement, “All fair points. So why were you selected in the first place?”

“Superior Girl saved me one night in Boston while I was walking home. She discovered that I was inhumanly strong even before my transformation. I think that she wanted to see what the Ambrosia would do to someone much stronger than the average woman.”

Lana laughed at the idea, “Be careful what you wish for. So, what got you under Superman’s wing then?”

I continued, “Superman promised that he would train me to use my new powers. He also said that he would help protect my boyfriend in Boston from Superior Girl. However, helping keep my boyfriend safe seems to be slowly translating into forgetting that he exists.”

Lana turned very serious as she responded, “I know it is hard, but I am certain that you have already experienced the changes those powers do to your senses. Several years ago, while Clark and I were still together in Smallville, I briefly got a taste of what it was like to have those powers.” Lana closed her eyes and bit the bottom of her lip.

I smirked at Lana, “Overwhelming, huh?”

 “Like nothing I had ever experienced before or after. It was like becoming a goddess. Both of us got a bit carried away. If you look far back enough in local papers, you might find a couple stories about mysterious low-level earthquakes in the area.” Lana gave me a knowing smile. I smiled back and looked down at my cup of coffee.

Lana got up and moved her chair over so that she was sitting right in front of me. She took my hands into her own as she looked into my eyes, “Look, it is different. I only had those powers for a brief time, but I was with Clark for years before we went our separate ways. A Kryptonian man with those powers needs to be extremely careful around any human woman; but it is completely different with a Kryptonian woman. There are things that your boyfriend will never be able to fully do to you. If you want my advice, you need to let your old boyfriend move on with his life. It was the decision that Clark and I made together in an effort to protect me from harm.”

I looked back at Lana, “Is that what you did with Superman?”

Lana removed her hands from mine and leaned back in her chair. She got a pensive look on her face, “In many ways, yes. I know he loves me deeply just like I still love him. However, he needs to find someone that can truly satisfy him in ways that a human woman will never be able to.” Lana gave me a knowing smirk as if she had already deduced my past dalliances with Clark.

“What about Lois Lane?”

Lana scoffed, “Lois Lane. Clark is just repeating the same mistakes that he always does. I don’t think he really sees what is going on with that woman.”

“What do you mean?”

“Lois Lane has always been in love with Superman; she barely registers that Clark Kent is even a red-blooded human being. She might develop feelings for Clark over time. Clark has that way with women who give him a chance. However, I always wonder if Lois would ultimately love Clark for being Clark or because Clark is Superman.”

There was a still quite among both of us for several minutes. Each of us were lost in thought about missed opportunities. I knew from our discussion that Lana Lang still had deep feelings for Clark. I was also trying to come to terms with what Lana had told me about Mike. That it would be better to let him get on with his own life. Sure, he would be delighted for a night with Power Girl. As I straddle his naked frame while effortlessly holding a train engine above us. Or watch him touch himself as I stand in front of him naked crushing steel against my invulnerable body. We could experiment and play around, but could a mortal like him truly deeply satisfy me as I wanted. Both Jimmy Olsen and Cheryl were fun to be around, but there was a certain something that was lacking in the depths of pleasure they could give me. Superman had linked a trail of bodies of men whom he believes were failed attempts by Superior Girl to have sexual intercourse with a mortal human. The results were often horrific. The idea that I could do that with Mike made my stomach into knots. After what felt like an eternity, I looked back up at Lana who also looked at me. I smiled at her, “Thank you for your time. You have given me a lot of think about. Would you mind if I stopped by sometime to talk more?”

Lana smiled as she stood up with me, “Not at all. It was good to remanence. Feel free to stop by anytime.” I turned to walk out the door of the farmhouse. As I was just outside, ready to take off, Lana appeared in the doorway. “You seem like a good girl for him. One little secret for you.” I turned to look at Lana. “Clark has been the strongest man on Earth since he was a child. He can get a bit crazy for a strong woman.”

I smiled at the comment, but could not hide my face turning beet red in front of Lana. I quickly turned and flew into the open sky. My super hearing could hear Lana laughing at my embarrassment, and unwitting revelation that I had already discovered that about Clark.

====================

As I floated in the sky a few miles outside of Smallville, I checked in with Superman at the Fortress of Solitude through my little ear piece. Superman was still working on putting the articles together. He was trying to be as extensive and thorough as possible to make sure there was no doubt in anyone’s mind. The evidence had to be airtight; otherwise LexCorp lawyers would tear both Superman and the Daily Planet apart. Clark clearly needed a few more hours so I had time for one more stop. My heart skipped a beat as I considered my destination. This would be the first time that I returned to Metropolis since my transformation. The chance of Superior Girl spotting me seemed high, but the words from Lana Lang about Lois Lane haunted me. It was a risk that I had to take if things went in the direction that I thought they were heading.

I turned eastward and flew off towards Metropolis. I kept high into the stratosphere as possible to ensure that no one would easily spot me. I came over Metropolis after the sun had completely set. Not my fastest, but I wanted to make sure that I was not hovering over the city in daylight. Dusk had clearly come and gone over Metropolis as I hovered thousands of feet above the city. Rush hour traffic had begun to subside, and people were starting to fill up local restaurants all over town. No sign of Superior Girl flying around the city.

It was easy to think of Metropolis as this city under siege by Superior Girl. That she floated above them like some dark goddess or evil empress, ready to delivery deadly vengeance on any who say mean things about her. In truth, the city operated just as it had normally functioned. People went to work and back home every day. People ate in restaurants and visited local nightclubs for dancing and music. People could freely talk about how bad Superior Girl was for the city, or how they thought she might rule them better than those people elected to Congress or City Hall. To Superior Girl, it just did not matter. She did what she wanted. As long as the city kept out of her way, they were none the wiser. In that regards, it was almost like some kind of cold war between Superior Girl and Metropolis. If Metropolis did not interfere with Superior Girl, then Superior Girl did not interfere (mostly) with Metropolis. The peasants just had to live with the fact that every now and then, the dragon would fly off her mountain perch, swoop down, and eat a local cow or farmer.

My heart felt like it would burst through my chest as I flew into Metropolis. It was a crazy and stupid idea. I was banking on the fact that Superior Girl did not patrol the city for intruders like some dragon circling her mountain. I was gambling on the idea that the dragon was happily asleep in her lair, laying on her pile of gold, and not really concerned about any mountain climbers unless they stumbled directly into her lair or somehow caught her attention. Of course, I was not about to tempt fate by trying to search for Superior Girl. I was nervous enough as it was, and did not need to go poking the dragon just to make sure it actually was asleep.

I used the transmitter in my ear to directly contact the Fortress of Solitude’s computer system. This time, I requested the home address of Lois Lane to which the computer complied. Lois lived in a somewhat trendy part of Metropolis off the island of Manhattan in an area known as the East Village. I decided that the longer that I stayed up in the sky; the greater chance that someone would spot me. Using my telescopic vision to zoom in on local streets, I found Lois Lane’s building and zoomed down to land on the roof of the building opposite hers. Dusk had fully turned into night, which made hiding up on the rooftop a lot easier.

As I stood on the rooftop, I looked over the city around me. The smells felt overwhelming as I tasted dishes being served at three different restaurants. I heard the gossip and chatter of a hundred conversations at once, but found that I could pick out individual threads to follow like picking out a strand of hair. My eyes saw dozens of different people going about their business blocks away from where I was standing. I felt like a goddess among mortals. I also felt my nipples hardening at the sensation.

I looked over at the building across the street that Lois kept her apartment in. The walls bled away as my x-ray vision revealed all that was inside. A boyfriend screwing his girlfriend doggy style over a dinner table. A family just sitting down for dinner with a homecooked meal. Some others browsing around channels on their television sets. Finally, Lois Lane was inside her bedroom. She had just come home, and was changing out of her work clothes. Lois’ apartment was a modest affair of decent size for one person. It was not the rat-infested basement closet or efficiency shoebox that Metropolis and Boston were famous for. The place was furnished with more furniture from Ikea that I knew what to do with. The walls had various art pieces hanging next to some of Lois’ prize-winning articles. For a woman to whom Superman was in love with, the apartment seemed oddly normal almost bland.

I turned back towards Lois who had removed her blouse and skirt. She stood in her bedroom and looked at a full-length mirror in her bra and panties. I had to admit that I had done the same thing countless times. Stand in front of a mirror, pulling in my stomach or feeling the size of my biceps after a hard workout. I don’t think there was a woman on this planet that had not done that at some point. I could see why Superman had a crush on Lois. She was in good shape with raven black hair just below her shoulders. She had long, toned legs, well-defined arms, and a flat stomach. She clearly worked out, but was nowhere near the buff muscular levels that I could reach. Her bra was somewhere in the mid-C cup range.

Lois tired of looking at herself in the mirror, and went into the bathroom to put on a robe. I decided that this would be a good time to announce myself. I floated over the street towards the balcony to Lois’s apartment. Thankfully, no one looked up in this town. I quietly landed on the balcony, and tapped on the glass door as Lois was coming out of the bedroom in her robe. She jumped at the tapping sound, but was immediately shocked when she saw me standing there in my power suit. Lois quickly came over and opened the door for me. I slipped into the apartment without a word or invite from her.

Lois seemed shocked at my appearance, “Oh my god! You’re Power Girl!”

I did a power pose with my hands on my hips, which only caused my chest to push even further out. I could not help notice how Lois’ eyes lingered on my cleavage.

“This is amazing!” At that moment, I was not sure if Lois was talking about my presence or my cleavage. Maybe a little of both considering her racing heartbeat.

“I thought it was overdue that we finally meet.” I replied back to Lois.

Lois composed herself over her shock at my arrival. “Yes, thank you very much for coming. Would you like something to drink?”

Lois walked over into the kitchen area that was just a sectioned off part of the living room. She pulled out two wine glasses before I could respond, and also broke out what appeared to be a decent bottle of white wine. I am by no means a wine expert, but I could smell a rich flavor immediately after Lois removed the cork. Past experience with Cheryl and others had shown that wine would not do anything to me, but it might help loosen Lois up to get some good information from her. Lois returned with the glasses and bottle. I took my glass and laid down on the couch in her living room with my legs draped across it. Lois took a seat in a comfortable chair next to the couch. She had brought a notepad and pen, and readied them to record her first interview with Power Girl.

Lois spoke after we had both enjoyed our first taste of the wine, “How did you find me? What brings you to my apartment?”

I tapped the wine glass to the side of my head near my eyes, “Superman suggested that we should talk.”

Lois wrote something down, and continued, “Is this your first time in Metropolis, then? Are you worried that Superior Girl may show up?”

I nodded in agreement, “I have been to Metropolis in the past, but this is the first time that I have been here since gaining my powers. I won’t lie and say that I was not nervous about running into Superior Girl. It is why I snuck into the city at night and came directly to your apartment. From my own search of the area, we are safe to talk for the moment but I won’t stay terribly long.”

“Are you worried that Superior Girl could defeat you like she did with Superman?” Lois asked pointedly.

I tried to skirt the obvious journalistic trap, “I am more concerned with the safety for the people of Metropolis, which is a concern that Superman shares. Superior Girl is most often sighted in this city. A full-blown battle between her and either Superman or myself would potentially cause massive collateral damage. Both Superman and I have tried to avoid a direct confrontation in Metropolis to protect its citizens from harm.”

Lois was definitely on the attack, “But doesn’t that effectively cede Metropolis to Superior Girl?”

With my brain working a million miles a second, I responded as deftly as I could, “There are no perfect options, and the safety of Metropolis’ citizens has to be paramount unless they are in imminent danger. For the time being, Superman and I have been watching Superior Girl as I learned to use my new powers.”

Lois wrote some more notes and changed gears, “So, you have been working with Superman? To learn how to use your new abilities?”

I nodded in agreement, “Yes, Superman found me when I first gained these powers. For the past few months, he has been training me in secret so I could help him take down Superior Girl.”

“How did you get your powers?”

“It’s a long story that I would prefer not to go into right now. All I would prefer to say is that one of my parents was from Krypton.”

“One of your parents? So, are you are half-human, half-Kryptonian, then?”

“Yes, I found out about my real parents after my powers activated.”

“If one of your parents was from Krypton, why have we not heard about them on Earth? Or were they one of the Kryptonians that Superman has fought in the past?”

I smiled, “No. Superman never fought my parents, nor has he ever met them. It is still a sensitive topic for me, but my parents are no longer on Earth. I am hoping to seek them out once Superior Girl has been finally defeated.”

Lois took a drink from her glass, “Are you and Superman getting ready to take her down?”

I smiled at the question, “Yes, Superman and I both agree that Superior Girl needs to be stopped. We believe that by working together we can stop her without causing too much destruction to Metropolis.”

Lois was clearly in full reporter mode right now. She kept the questions coming, “Superior Girl has been around for over a year now. Why has he waited so long?”

“When we first spoke about it, Superman always said that he was worried about the kind of extensive damage and casualties that a fight between him and Superior Girl could cause. She appears to be his near equal in power so any fight to subdue her could cause massive destruction in a populated area. However, Superior Girl often stays in populated areas.”

Lois nodded in what I assumed to be agreement, “You are saying that Superior Girl is using Metropolis as a form of human shield?”

“Right. Even when Superior Girl leaves Metropolis, she is rarely far from any large cities in the world.”

Lois decided to ask a more probing question, “Do you believe that Superior Girl does this because she fears a fight with Superman?”

I laughed at the question, “From everything I have seen of her, Superior Girl is supremely overconfident in her own abilities. However, why bother encouraging such a fight. It is easier for her to hide in a large city and play off Superman’s desire to protect others.”

Lois took a drink from her wine glass and nodded, “That explains a lot about why Superman has not been able to stop her yet. You said that you have been in training. Was the fight in Aleppo your announcement to the world?”

I gave a half-smile at the question, “Sort of. I could just not sit back any longer while people there suffered. It was not planned so we have had to adjust.”

Lois emptied more of her glass and then refilled it with the bottle. “I see. Critics of Superman have often complained that he wants to help humanity, yet continues to let wars like the Syrian Civil War go unchecked. How do you feel about these kinds of involvements?”

I took a drink from my own wine glass before answering, “I had the same question for Superman soon after I obtained my abilities. He explained that there are some problems that humanity has to solve themselves. That his involvement would only complicate the problem further.”

Lois wrote more notes on her pad, “But you intervened anyway.”

I flexed the muscles in my arm and looked down at them, “I felt that I could not sit around, and let innocents die between two warring armies. I was granted these amazing abilities so I felt that I had to do something.”

“However, military analysts claim that this will only prolong the conflict in Syria, and lead to even more deaths and suffering,” Lois retorted pointedly.

I exhaled through my nostrils before responding, “It is a risk, but what other option did I have? Just let innocent civilians die? Superman has helped in these conflicts by protecting refugees fleeing the violence, and bringing much needed aid to refugee camps. I chose to end the fighting in Aleppo that was endangering the civilians still trapped in the city.”

Lois tapped her pen against her lips as she thought about her next question, “What about the Syrian government? Why not fly to Damascus and force Assad to commit to a ceasefire and talks?”

“The thought crossed my mind, but how would the world feel if I started imposing my judgement on how nations should resolve their conflicts? How would the rest of the world react if I openly sided with either the Israelis or Palestinians in their conflict? Or flew to North Korea and forced them to reunite with South Korea?” Before Lois could give a response, I pressed her, “Let me ask you a question. What if you had the powers of Superman? What would you do?”

I could hear Lois’ heart start racing at the idea of having powers just like Superman. However, she kept her face as emotionless as possible. Lois smirked as she answered my question, “Well, I am hardly the one being interviewed here.”

I waved my hand at the response as I retorted, “No, I understand that. However, how do you feel on the matter? Should Superman do more? Involve himself in these conflicts? I am curious on the opinion of someone who has been deeply involved in both world affairs and Superman’s activities.”

Lois’ heart began to settle down after its initial flurry of activity. Lois thought about her answer for a few moments, “I agree that the answer is complicated. However, I do believe that some events require a more direct intervention than others. Dictatorships that oppress or kill their people, wage wars on other nations, and stopping natural disasters.”

I responded, “This is where Superman and I have had hours of discussion. He argued to me about where those actions should begin and end. Stopping North Korea from threatening its neighbors with nuclear warfare is an obvious choice, but what about other conflicts around the world. Russia versus Ukraine. Israel versus Palestine. What about societies that oppress members of their population, like Saudi Arabia? Should Superman force them to stop? Overturn their government?”

Lois thought about my questions, “Superman has always said that he wants to be a symbol for a better humanity, but many of these problems issues that humans have to fix on their own.”

“Do you agree with that?”

Lois cringed her face a bit, “I would be lying if I did not want Superman to be more involved in some of these issues, but he can’t be everywhere at once. I also recognize that his involvement could only complicate matters further. It probably did not help that politicians often added the phrase ‘and the American way’ when talking about how Superman fights for truth and justice.”

There was a momentary pause in our conversation between us. Lois smiled at me as she broke the silence, “I have a feeling I am not the only one here doing an interview.” I smiled back at her knowingly. I had to say that Superman certainly liked smart and intelligent women. Lois continued, “Let’s get back to some of my questions. Superman has been silent on the fate of Supergirl since the appearance of Superior Girl. Do you know anything about what happened to Supergirl?”

I put up my hands as I sat to show my lack of knowledge on the matter, “I was not there, and I don’t want to go into too much detail on how it happened exactly. However, the woman who now calls herself Superior Girl found a way to steal Supergirl’s powers. Sadly, the transfer process killed Supergirl in the process.”

Lois drained the last of her glass at hearing confirmation that Supergirl was dead. She wrote some notes on her pad before responding, “That is very sad. I really liked Supergirl. Has Superman said why he has help this a secret for so long?”

I shook my head, “I know that the death of Supergirl has been extremely hard on him. It has been made worse by the fact that Superior Girl continues to use her powers irresponsibly while wearing Supergirl’s old uniform. Superman has told me that he feels that he needs to resolve the matter with Superior Girl to help restore that uniform to the honor it held when Supergirl wore it.”

“Is that why Superman has not sought help from other heroes?”

I nodded in agreement, “Yes, he told me that he feels that this is a matter that he has to handle as a Kryptonian, especially since Supergirl was his cousin.”

“And now he has involved also you since you too are Kryptonian?”

“Correct, although I can never replace what Supergirl meant to Superman. I can at least help him bring justice for her death.” I glanced up at the clock that was on one of Lois’ walls. I was actually surprised how long I had been at her apartment discussing the interview. It was clearly time to go. I turned back towards Lois, “Well, I hate to end our discussion, but I am going to need to be going. The longer that I stay here increases the chance that Superior Girl realizes that I am in Metropolis.”

Lois put her pad and pen aside as she stood up from her seat. She was experienced enough to know not to press the matter any further. Lois concluded the interview by simply saying, “Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. It has been a pleasure meeting you, and I hope that the world will be seeing more of you in the future.”

I walked forward to shake Lois’ hand, “That I can completely assure you that you will.”

Lois asked as she let go of my grasp, “Would you mind if I take a picture for this article?”

I smiled at the idea, “Of course.”

As Lois went over to her desk in order to get a digital camera that she had, I walked over to a nearby wall that had framed editions on her famous article “I Spent the Night with Superman” that was the first interview that Superman gave to a news publication. I wondered if this interview would be called “I Spent the Night with Power Girl” or if modern newspapers had finally moved beyond that kind of sexual innuendo to draw readers. However, in the age of clickbait, probably not. Lois snapped a couple of shots as I stood there in my power pose with my firsts on my hips. It was not runway quality photoshoots, but would serve well enough for a companion picture for the interview.

With the photos taken, I walked back over to the balcony that I came in on. I checked the skies once again to be sure there was no Superior Girl waiting for me. So far, the city was having a quiet evening. The restaurant crowd had moved on from eating dinner. Rush hour traffic was completely gone. It was now turning into the scene of dance clubs, bar hangouts, and late night strolls through the city. I took off into the sky as quickly as possible. My body was like a bullet, but I refrained from going fast enough to break the sound barrier. There was no need to tempt fate any further than I had.

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