CHAPTER 20

The referee's whistle shrilled through the crisp autumn air. The Crows in their red jerseys came trotting across the field and gathered in a huddle on their thirty-yard line.

"Okay, guys," Clark said. "There's a minute left on the clock, and we need a touchdown to tie the game and the point after to win. Freddy, I'll toss the ball back to you. You start running a sweep to the right and I'll go out for the pass. When I get the ball, the rest of you block for me while I make a run for the endzone. Got it?"

His teammates nodded.

"All right -- let's go!"

The huddle broke up, the players ran into position. Clark was adjusting the strap on his helmet when he heard Coach Stevens's voice behind him.

"Not so fast, Kent!"

Clark turned around. "Hey, Coach. What's up? We're going to run a quarterback eligible, just like you said."

"That's right -- but I'm pulling you out of the game."

"Huh? But, Coach -- "

"No buts. I'm bringing in a new quarterback."

"A new quarterback? But Pete's still benched on account of his ankle. Who -- ?"

A familiar voice chirped behind him. "Hi, Clark!"

His heart sank as he turned around. Aw, nuts ...

Suzy was hopping up and down in her cheerleading uniform, clapping her hands excitedly.

"That's right, Kent," beamed Coach Stevens. "Meet the Crows' secret emergency weapon -- Suzy Prentiss!"

"Isn't this exciting, Clark?" Suzy squealed. her blue eyes shining eagerly. "I've always wanted to play in a football game!" She thrust her pom-poms into Clark's hands. "Here -- hold on to these for me, will you? Wish me luck!" She stood on tiptoe and gave Clark a kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah," Clark mumbled. "Good luck." He trudged over to the benches and sat down next to Pete Ross. An excited murmur rose from the bleachers as Suzy ran into position. In her bobby sox and short skirt, the pretty blonde contrasted oddly with the hulking athletes in their padded uniforms who crouched menacingly on the line of scrimmage.

"How can she play, anyway?" Clark muttered. "She's a girl. Don't the state rules -- "

"Coach checked," Pete grinned. "The rules don't actually say a girl can't play. Now shut up. This is gonna be great!"

The referee blew his whistle.

"Nine ... six ... ten ... hike!"

Jeff Mortimer snapped the ball to Suzy. Suzy made a clumsy catch, nearly dropping the ball as she turned toward Freddy Muldoon. Clark rolled his eyes. She may be super, he thought, but she still plays like a girl.

Suzy drew her arm back awkwardly, clutching the ball in her slender fingers, and flung it at Freddy.

"Oof!" Freddy doubled over and staggered backward as the ball struck him in the stomach. Regaining his balance, he began running down the side of the field with two of the Middleton Mustangs close at his heels.

"Jeez, Suzy," he shouted. "Save it for the other team."

Suzy grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," she said, racing down the middle of the field, getting ready to catch Freddy's pass. "Sometimes I forget my own -- "

A 240-pound linebacker went tumbling toward the sideline as she brushed lightly against him.

" -- strength."

Freddy drew his arm back for the pass just as one of his pursuers knocked him to the ground. Clark groaned as he watched the ball soar in a high, wobbling arc across the fifty-yard line and deep into Mustang territory. Eager arms reached up to intercept it ...

The spectators rose to their feet, cheering. Turning around, Suzy had leapt after the ball. Soaring over the other players, she reached down and plucked the ball from the outstretched arms of a Middleton defender, then landed gracefully on Middleton's thirty-five-yard line.

Suzy paused for a moment, cradling the ball in one arm while she smoothed her skirt and brushed her windblown hair from her eyes. Middleton's defensive backs were scrambling into position. Just like a girl, Clark thought disgustedly. The clock's running out, and she stops to primp.

But Suzy was already running forward. The Mustangs' defense closed in on her, hoping to slow her down long enough to stop her from scoring a touchdown before the clock ran out ...

"Ow!" ... "Oof!" ... "Ugh!" Suzy burst through the defensive players, knocking down her opponents like so many bowling pins. Clark was on his feet, adding his shouts to the roar of the spectators as Suzy charged down the field. "Go, Suzy! Go!"

Suzy's legs were a blur, sending clods of turf high in the air behind her as she raced toward the goalpost. There were five seconds left on the clock ... four ... three ... A Middleton safety threw himself at Suzy in a flying tackle, only to land face-down on the ten-yard line as she put on a final burst of speed. Two ... one ...

The buzzer sounded. Suzy was hopping up and down excitedly in Middleton's endzone. Half a dozen athletes in blue jerseys lay scattered on the field. Groaning, they began picking themselves up as the Smallville band struck up the school song. Clark glanced at the scoreboard: HOME 20 VISITORS 20.

A hush fell over the crowd as the referee placed the ball on the two-yard line. Suzy took her position on the ten. The snap was good and the hold was down as she trotted forward. Her leg swung out, her toe struck the ball ...

The ball shot between the goalposts. Ooh's and aah's rose from the bleachers as the ball rocketed up, up into the clear autumn sky, dwindling to a speck and vanishing from sight. Suzy turned, beaming, as the spectators began pouring across the field, their cheers filling the air. The Crows had won the state championship, 21 to 20.

The other cheerleaders had gathered round Suzy, chattering excitedly.

"Way to go, Suzy!" said Tami. "Too bad we don't all have super-powers. Then we could really show the boys something!"

"I thought that last guy was going to grab you for sure," chimed in Melissa. "But you had him eating your dust. That was amazing!"

"Well," said Suzy. "I've had a lot of practice -- dodging Clark's rushes!"

The girls burst into giggles. Red-faced, Clark looked away. The Mustangs were shuffling off the field, nursing their bruised limbs and battered egos "Hey, Kent," one of them snickered as he passed Clark. "Nice pom-poms."

"Huh?" Clark glanced down. Oh, man ... He was still holding the pom-poms Suzy had handed him before she joined the line of scrimmage.

He turned away. His shoulder bumped against something -- something big and heavy. He glanced up.

Uh-oh. Glaring down at him was "Haystack" Calhoun, Middleton's six-foot-six linebacker.

"Hey!" The behemoth was clearly upset at losing the game and ready for any excuse to take it out on somebody. "Watch where you're going!"

He drew his arm back, clenching his hand into a ham-sized fist. Heart pounding, Clark stepped back, getting ready to duck as the massive fist came swinging toward him. There was a sudden breeze ...

"YE-OWW!"

Clark blinked. Suzy was standing beside him, one hand resting on her hip, the other wrapped around Haystack's fist. The linebacker's face was twisted in surprise and pain. Clark winced.

"Shame on you!" Suzy scolded. She bent her wrist forward; Haystack dropped to his knees, howling in pain.

Suzy's blue eyes were flashing with indignation. "Losing your temper like that! Why, anyone could see it was just an accident. Isn't that right, sweetie?"

"Uh ... yeah," Clark mumbled. "Sorry."

"There! Now what do you say?"

Haystack averted his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered between clenched teeth.

"Excuse me?" Suzy's slender fingers tightened around his fist.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" he said, louder.

"That's better," said Suzy. She released his hand. Haystack stood up, nursing his fingers and glaring sullenly at Clark.

Clark smiled weakly. "No hard feelings, huh?"

The linebacker stomped off. "Just wait'll the next game, Kent," he muttered.

Great, thought Clark. Now that gorilla's got a grudge against me.

Suzy tossed her head as she watched the chastened giant trudge off the field. "Honestly," she giggled. "You boys and your testosterone."

The wail of a siren cut through the noise of the crowd. People stood aside as Smallville's one and only police car came rolling down the field and stopped a few feet away from where Clark and Suzy were standing.

Chief Parker stuck his head out of the open window. "Suzy!" he said. "Thank goodness I found you. The Mammoth Lake dam is about to burst. People are being evacuated, but -- "

"It's all right, Chief," said Suzy. She turned to Clark. "So is our date still on for tonight?"

"Yeah ... sure."

"Great. You can pick me up at 7:30. I should be finished with my evening patrol by then." She stood on tiptoe and gave Clark a hasty kiss on the cheek. "But right now there's a job for -- Supergirl!"

She threw up her arms and sprang into the sky. Clark watched glumly as she flew off, a streak of red against the blue. People craned their necks, gazing after her, pointing and talking excitedly. The murmur of the crowd grew louder and louder in Clark's ears, swelled to a deafening roar ...

Huh? Clark sat up in his bed, blinking, and threw the blanket aside. Sunlight was streaming through the bedroom window. Outside, the noise of the combine stopped abruptly. Pa must have taken it out of the barn. Clark remembered that he and Pa were going to finish the haying today.

He glanced at the alarm clock. It was nearly nine o'clock. Sighing, he got out of bed and put on some work clothes. Then he trudged down the stairs to the kitchen.

Pa was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Crawford County Courier. Ma was over by the stove, reheating the coffee pot. They must have finished their breakfast hours ago. "Morning," Clark mumbled.

"Well, look who's here," said Pa, hidden behind the open newspaper. "I was starting to wonder if you'd ever be coming down."

"Now, Pa," said Ma. "We agreed that Clark should sleep in, after all those doings yesterday -- the kidnapping and the football game and talking to the police." She took down the skiddle. "Sit down, Clark. I'll fix you some ham and eggs."

Clark sat and put two slices of bread in the toaster. "Thanks, Ma." He looked at the front page of the newspaper Pa was holding open.

A banner headline ran across the top of the page:

SMALLVILLE TEEN REVEALS: "I'M SUPERGIRL!"

In smaller type, at the top of a column on the right side of the page, Clark read:

Union Boss Tony D'Amato

Charged with Kidnapping,

Armed Robbery

And down in the left-hand corner:

Kent Leads Crows To

Last-Minute Victory

over Martindale Rivals

"Well," Clark sighed, buttering a slice of toast, "I guess we know where my powers went."

Ma cracked an egg against the skiddle. "Now, Clark, we don't know that for sure. Suzy might've come to our world on a rocket when she was a baby, same as you."

"Your Ma's got a point," said Pa, putting down the newspaper. "The Prentisses moved to Smallville about a year after we adopted you. And they already had Suzy. Maybe they didn't want to explain to their old neighbors where she'd come from."

Clark chewed a mouthful of toast. Maybe they were right. But if -- if -- his powers had somehow gotten transferred to Suzy, that day at Gopher Gulch ... well, maybe now he could find out how that happened -- and figure out a way to get them back ...

Pa gazed quizzically at Clark over the top of his spectacles. "You've been going out with Suzy for two years now, Clark," he said. "And in all that time, you never had an inkling that she might be Supergirl?"

"No! Sure, some of the guys at school used to say that, but they were just blowing smoke." Clark took a large bite of toast as Ma set a plate of ham and eggs in front of him.

Pa shook his head. "Well, that beats all," he grinned. "I never heard tell of any woman that could keep a secret -- "

"Now you hush up, Jonathan Kent," Ma scolded, shaking the spatula at him. "If you ask me, you men-folk are just as -- "

She was interrupted by the honking of a horn out on the driveway.

"Now who do you suppose that could be?" asked Ma.

Pa scowled. "Some newspaper reporter, more'n likely. I saw them parked along both sides of the road outside the Prentiss house when I drove through town this morning."

"Oh, I hope not," sighed Ma. "They started phoning us before you'd even got back from the police station yesterday, Clark. It got so's we had to take the phone off the hook."

Pa stood up. "I'd better put a stop to this right now, or we won't have a minute's peace all day. Maybe if I step outside with my shotgun -- "

"Don't bother, Pa," said Clark. He was standing at the kitchen window. "It's just Pete."

"Pete Ross?" Ma frowned. "Well, why's he making all that racket out on the driveway instead of walking up to the door and knocking? His mother raised him better than that."

Clark opened the kitchen door. The Rosses' pick-up was idling on the driveway. Pete was leaning out of the window. Four or five of Clark's teammates were sitting in the bed of the truck.

"Hurry up, Clark!" Pete yelled. "Suzy's going to be making some kind of announcement at the football field in half an hour."

Clark blinked. "What kind of announcement?"

"Beats me. We thought maybe you'd know. I tried to phone you, but I kept getting a busy signal. You coming?"

"Just a sec." Turning, Clark strode back to the kitchen table. "Did you hear that? I'm going to the football field with Pete."

"Not before you finish your breakfast," Ma said firmly.

But Clark wasn't listening. He forked a slice of ham onto a piece of toast, slapped another piece of toast over it, and shoved the impromptu sandwich into his mouth as he ran out the door.

* * * * * * * *

"Holy cow.”

Pete squinted through the windshield of the pick-up. Traffic had come to a standstill on the two-lane road leading to the high school; cars were lined up bumper to bumper as far as the eye could see. Just ahead of them was a van bearing the logo of a Chicago television station.

“So how does it feel, buddy?” asked Pete, grinning. “You’re gonna be famous. Clark Kent -- Supergirl’s boy-friend.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Clark wasn’t listening. He sat beside Pete, tapping his feet impatiently. He had to get to the football field; he had to hear what Suzy was going to say. Now that she was letting everyone know that she was Supergirl, maybe she’d explain how she got her super-powers -- and that might give Clark some idea how to get them back.

Pete was still talking. "I gotta hand it to you, Clark. All that stuff about Suzy not being Supergirl -- you really had me believing it. 'Course, now you don't have to keep it a secret -- "

Clark couldn’t sit still any longer. He opened the door and hopped out onto the side of the road. “Thanks, Pete,” he said. “I’m gonna hoof it from here. It’s only about a half-mile to the school. See you there.” Without waiting for a reply, he shut the door and strode off.

Walking briskly, occasionally breaking into a run, Clark was soon within sight of the bleachers that lined the football field. His heart sank as he gazed at the throng of people crowding through the gate. An excited buzz of voices filled the air. Clark trotted up to the rear of the crowd and began shouldering his way forward, ignoring the angry glares and indignant protests of the people he shoved aside.

He jostled a heavy-set man in a brown suit. The man turned, scowling, and removed the cigar clenched between his teeth. “Great Caesar’s ghost!” he expostulated. “Watch where you’re -- “

He stopped to regard Clark appraisingly. "Say, you're Clark Kent, aren't you? The Prentiss girl's boy-friend, right? I saw your picture in the photo files over at the Courier."

"That's right," said Clark. "Sorry I bumped into you. I'm in kind of a hurry -- "

The man held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Clark," he said. "I'm Perry White, from the Daily Planet in Metropolis. How about an interview? The Planet will pay top dollar for an exclusive. Supergirl's boy-friend -- it'll be a great human-interest story. What do you say?"

"Maybe later, Mr. White." Clark was already pushing his way through the crowd again. "Supergirl's boy-friend," he thought bitterly. Is that all I'm going to be from now on? Stupid reporters ...

Moments later, he stood staring at the scene on the football field. People sat shoulder to shoulder on the bleachers, filling the air with their excited chatter. Chief Parker and six or eight other police officers -- probably sent from Crawfordsville -- were trying to keep the field clear of spectators. Men, women, and children were scurrying back and forth along the sidelines. On the other side of the field, Clark saw men setting up microphones and newsreel cameras. Was that Lex Luthor, setting up some sort of radio apparatus on a card table? He must be broadcasting this for KROW ...

Clark wandered about on the sidelines for a few minutes, dazed by all the noise and confusion. Faces were gazing upward; binoculars were scanning the sky. Suddenly a shout was heard above the murmur of the crowd --

"Look! Up in the sky!"

A few arms were pointing upward. Clark squinted in the direction they were pointing. Ooh's and aah's rippled through the bleachers. All Clark could make out was a tiny black speck. It might be a bird, or a plane ...

"It's Supergirl!" someone shouted. Cheers and applause thundered in Clark's ears. The speck flew in wide, slow circles above the field, gradually growing larger, more distinct ...

Moments later, a pretty blonde in a red cheerleading uniform swooped between the goal posts at one end of the field and glided slowly toward center field. The crowd began chanting: "Su-ZY! Su-ZY! Su-ZY!" The girl hovered for a few moments over the fifty-yard line, brushing a loose stand of hair from her face, smoothing the pleats of her short red skirt. She decended to the field and stood smiling at the jubilant crowd. Then she held up a hand for silence.

"I guess I know why you're all here," she said. "And I guess I know what you're all wondering. So I won't keep you in suspense."

She paused for a moment, letting her gaze sweep across the crowd.

"I am Supergirl -- "

Instantly, the spectators rose, clapping, cheering, whistling. Laughing, she held up her hand once more, waiting for the crowd to quiet down.

" -- but I'm not Suzy Prentiss!"

She began to spin round, slowly at first, then faster and faster, a red whirlwind in the center of the field. A puzzled murmur ran through the bleachers as the red changed to blue ... and suddenly, standing on the fifty-yard line, running a gloved hand through her red hair, was Supergirl in her familiar costume. Scattered around her on the grass were a red sweater and skirt, two sneakers and a pair of bobby sox -- and a blonde wig.

She gestured toward the far end of the field and called out:

"Now let's hear it for the real Suzy!"

Suzy was running across the field. She ran up to Supergirl and gave her a hug; then the two girls stood, hand in hand, smiling and waving as flashbulbs popped amid the murmur of the crowd.

"Let me explain," said Supergirl, her voice carrying effortlessly across the field.

"A few days ago, Suzy was crossing the road in front of her house when she was nearly hit by a car," she began. "Luckily, I was flying overhead at the time, on my way to answer an emergency call, and I swooped down at super-speed and stopped the car. But I had to fly off immediately, and neither Suzy nor the car's driver saw me.

"The driver was Louie Carlin. He's an associate of Tony D'Amato, and he was arrested yesterday, along with his boss, on a charge of kidnapping. Now when he saw that the front of his car was crumpled, and that Suzy had walked away unhurt, he figured that Suzy must be Supergirl -- and he told Mr. D'Amato that he'd discovered my secret identity.

"Well, Mr. D'Amato came up with the idea of kidnapping Suzy's boy-friend Clark Kent. He figured that by holding Clark hostage, and by threatening to expose my secret identity to the world, he could force me to look the other way while he robbed an armored truck carrying a union payroll."

The crowd was silent, hanging on Supergirl's words.

"So Suzy and I came up with a plan," Supergirl went on. "We fooled Mr. D'Amato and his partners by making it look as if Suzy had super-powers. You'll learn the whole story later, after Suzy and I make our statements to the police. But there's something I want to say here."

She paused, gazing round the bleachers.

"A lot of people have wondered why I go around in a costume and call myself 'Supergirl,' instead of using my real name. Well, I think the events of the past couple of days have shown why I need a secret identity. If people knew who I am, criminals might hurt my loved ones for revenge, or threaten to hurt them to force me to do their bidding. And if you've driven past the Prentisses' house lately -- "

A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd.

"Yes, well, you see my point. Without a secret identity, I could never have a moment's peace and quiet, my family could never enjoy a moment's privacy. So please -- not just for my sake but for the sake of my family, my friends, my loved ones -- please understand that I need a secret identity."

Silence hung over the bleachers for a moment. Then someone rose to his feet and began clapping. Others stood up and joined in, then more and more, until a long, sustained rumble of applause filled the air.

Supergirl turned to Suzy. "Ready?" she asked.

"You bet!"

Supergirl wrapped an arm round Suzy's waist and sprang into the air. A thousand pairs of eyes gazed after them as they flew off in the direction of the town hall.

* * * * * * * *

Chief Parker let out a sigh as he settled into the creaky chair behind his desk. Supergirl and Suzy were sitting across from him, sipping Cokes.

"My phone's been ringing all morning," he said. "I've asked Mabel at the switchboard to hold my calls for the next half-hour."

Suzy nodded sympathetically. "It's been the same at my house. My dad's thinking of changing our phone number."

"Maybe we should all have secret identities." Chief Parker rose to fill his chipped coffee mug. He stirred in a spoonful of sugar and sat down again.

"All right," he said. "I know the outline, but I've asked you girls here to fill in the details for me."

"Well," Supergirl began. "It started yesterday, when Suzy got a call from Mr. D'Amato."

"That's right," Suzy chimed in. "He said he knew I was Supergirl, and that he was holding Clark hostage, and he told me to come to that old meat-packing plant. I didn't know what to do."

"Lana Lang was with Suzy when she got the call," said Supergirl. "She went to get help. Luckily, I spotted her, and she told me what had happened."

Chief Parker nodded.

"I didn't know what Mr. D'Amato was planning," Supergirl went on. "And I didn't know where he was holding Clark. So Suzy and I came up with a plan."

"I lent her my spare cheerleading uniform," Suzy explained. "And a blonde wig from the theater. We're the same height and build, and we figured we look enough alike to fool Mr. D'Amato and his gang."

"Yes," said the Chief. "I can see a resemblance."

"So then Supergirl flew me to the old plant. She kocked down the door with a couple of punches, and then she flew around to the side of the building."

"There was a broken window, high up in the wall, where I could watch what was going on," Supergirl explained. "If anything had gone wrong, I would have stepped in at super-speed. So Suzy was never in any danger. But everything went according to plan. Suzy's a great actress, in case you didn't know."

"I know," said the Chief. "My wife and I saw you in Romeo and Juliet. You were wonderful."

Suzy blushed. "Thanks. Anyway, I pretended that I was the one who'd knocked down the door, and then I went in, trying to act just like Supergirl. When I squinted at a piece of paper lying on the floor, Supergirl set in on fire with her heat vision. And when one of the men fired his gun at me, she used her heat vision again, to vaporize the bullet."

"That was amazing," Supergirl said. “You didn’t even flinch.”

Suzy grinned. “My director always said ‘Never let 'em see you sweat.’”

"All rght," said the Chief. "Then what?"

"Well, then Suzy insisted on speaking with Clark, so Mr. D'Amato used the CB radio in his car to contact the men who were holding Clark hostage. I followed the signal with my super-vision -- a lot of people don't realize that I can actually see radio waves -- and I saw that Clark was being held captive in a farmhouse on the Old Mill Road."

Supergirl took a sip of Coca-Cola.

"By this time, I knew that Mr. D'Amato was planning some big robbery, so I flew back to Smallville to talk with you. You figured he must be planning to hold up the Brinks truck carrying the union payroll to Shelbyville, so while you phoned the state police to set up the decoy truck, I flew back to the plant and freed Suzy and tied up the two men who were watching her. Then I disguised myself as Suzy and flew off to stop the robbery -- "

Chief Parker shook his head. "Sounds like you had a busy day."

"You can say that again. Well, after the state troopers arrested Mr. D'Amato and the other men, I picked up Suzy and flew her to the farmhouse. I was the one who punched a hole in the wall and blew a gust of super-breath into the cellar from behind a tree, but Clark and the two men holding him captive thought it was Suzy. Then Suzy went in and bluffed the two men into dropping their guns and surrendering."

"Now that's what I don't understand," said Chief Parker. "Why did the two of you keep up this charade once you learned what Tony's plan was and where he was holding Clark?"

"You heard what I said at the football field," Supergirl replied. "I wanted criminals to see that they can't get away with threatening my friends and family. And I wanted to show people why I need a secret identity."

"Besides," said Suzy, grinning, "I insisted on it. I wanted to see the look on Clark's face when I came smashing through the wall to rescue him."

"I imagine he was rather surprised."

The two girls looked at each other and burst into giggles. "It was priceless!" said Suzy. "I'll never forget it as long as I live. Anyway, he came running out of the cellar just in time to see the real Supergirl fly off. He didn't see me hiding around the corner of the house."

Chief Parker set down his coffee cup. "Well," he said, "I guess I've got the picture. I'll probably need you both to come by later, to answer a few more questions and sign some depositions."

"What do you think will happen to Mr. D'Amato?" asked Supergirl.

"We've got him for kidnapping and armed robbery," Chief Parker said. "And his associates are practically falling over themselves to turn state's evidence. So I think it's safe to say that Tony D'Amato is going to prison for a long, long time."

He chuckled. "I almost feel sorry for him," he said. "To think that the toughest racketeer in the state was taken down by a couple of teen-age girls. The other inmates will never let him live it down!"

A few minutes later, the two girls stepped out onto the front steps of the town hall. Supergirl turned and gave Suzy a hug.

"Thanks again for all your help," she said.

"Are you kidding?" said Suzy. "Yesterday was the most exciting day of my life. Any time you want me to be Supergirl again, let me know!"

"I'll do that!" said Supergirl, laughing, as she sprang into the air.

Suzy gazed wistfully after her. Posing as Supergirl sure was exciting, she thought. But I wonder what it would be like to have super-powers for real?

* * * * * * * * * *

NEXT: LEX LUTHOR FACES A SUPER-DILEMMA--AND

NOT EVEN SUPERGIRL CAN HELP HIM! DON'T MISS

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