There was a large crowd in front of city hall lots of kids and parents but a few people there just to see a famous face. Some had signs proclaiming, THANK YOU! YOU SAVED MY SON! I’M ALIVE TODAY THANKS TO SUPERGIRL! It was a great day for the event star reporter Lois Lane thought. She was standing with the other press members away from the crowd with a good view of the steps and podium set up for the event. Supergirl was going to receive an award from the mayor’s office. Recently the Girl of Steel had prevented the Children’s Hospital from burning down. Included in the patients saved that night was the mayor’s daughter. So Supergirl would be getting an award and it was unofficially ‘Supergirl Day’ for the city.
Lois smiled she knew Kara would hate all the attention. Unlike the mass of people around her, Lois knew Supergirl pretty well. Of course it helped that she was dating Kara’s only other relative. Clark was out of town on ‘business’, so she had invited Kara over for a day or two. While swapping stories at Clark’s expense, Kara had gone off and saved the hospital. Lois wrote the story and now she was being sent on the follow up. The mayor and his groupies had arrived. Checking her watch Lois saw it was time for the show to begin.
The mayor started his speech. Lois had heard similar things from a dozen different politicians so she tunned it out. No one really in the crowd was that interested either, they wanted to see the star. Finally it was time. “Now it’s my honor to introduce, a guardian angel of our city, Supergirl.”
A roar of cheers went up as everybody looked skyward. Lois titled her neck and spotted her. Descending gracefully from the sky Kara smiled and waved. Her red cape and skirt fluttered in the breeze along with her hair. A sectioned off area of street had been cleared to allow Supergirl to land. Silently her red boots touched the payment. People cheered and snapped pictures. Kara waved and tried to give her attention to everyone she could. Walking forward she had lots of kids wanting her autograph. They wearing shirts with the famous S symbol and jumped up and down. Supergirl stopped and signed a few Supergirls and then headed up to the podium.
She shook hands with the dignitaries and gave some hugs to some of the kids she had rescued from the hospital. Finally they got around to giving Kara her award. As Lois and hundreds of people watched, a lone woman advanced. Unlike the crowd she was not happy. Her face was set like stone. A long grey overcoat covered her up from the neck down. Maneuvering through the crowd she occasionally gave people a quick shove out of the way. Supergirl had taken the podium and Kara was thanking everyone for their support.
The woman in the overcoat looked at Supergirl up on display and her face turned into a sneer of hatred. It was time, the woman thought. Lois was finishing writing down Kara’s quote the mayor took the podium again. He turned to the Supergirl, “Once more Supergirl I’d like to express my sincere thanks. You are a true hero.” He produced a medal for her and Kara bowed as the mayor put it around her neck.
“Hero? Hardly.” A voice called out. Lois thought she was dreaming when she first heard it. The voice was loud and clear, but people were still clapping and cheering missing it. Lois looked at Kara, she could see the Girl of Steel had heard it and was surprised.
“She’s no hero. At best she’s a glory hog. When it came time to really save someone she couldn’t.” the voice said again this time louder. Now the crowd stopped making noise and turned their attention to the source, a young woman standing where Supergirl had landed. Lois saw the woman had a loud speaker. She tossed it aside since she didn’t need it anymore, everyone was listening to her, “Oh did I interrupt your little party?”
The mayor was turning red. His photo op was being ruined, and he was mad at what the girl was saying, “Officers.” He spoke into the podium mike.
Two MPD officers approached. One called out, “Alright lady shows over. Don’t know what your cause is but…” he never finished. As the officer reached for her wrist, the girl smiled and threw him across the street in a burst of strength. The second policeman reached for his weapon but she simply shoved her hand into the guy’s chest. He too went flying right towards the building until Supergirl flew up and caught him.
“Get everyone out of here!” Supergirl ordered the mayor at the top. He didn’t need to say anything, the crowd was already running. Lois was pushed away by the mass of humanity and reporters running in all directions. Years of practice though allowed her to navigate the panic and head towards the action.
Supergirl landed about twenty feet from the girl who stood still ignoring the chaos around her. Kara tried to see if she recognized the girl. Something was nagging at her brain, but she couldn’t place the face with a name. “You are entitled to your opinion and to protest.” Kara began walking towards the woman, “but I draw the line at attacking officers of the law and inciting a panic.”
“I needed them out of the way. It’s just you and me Supergirl.”
Kara continued walking towards her foe but suddenly felt strange. She was becoming woozy and lightheaded. Supergirl stopped and put a hand to her head, “What…” “Here let me shine some light on the situation Supergirl.” the woman closed her eyes and suddenly her skin began to glow.
Supergirl cried out in pain. She gripped her stomach and sank to her knees. Her face in pain looked at the girl. Green light broke through what turned out to be makeup on the woman’s face. Her overcoat began to burn and with a final blinding burst of green light, she revealed her true nature.
“Oh no….” Kara choked as she fell forwards onto her hands. “That’s right Supergirl it’s Lady K!” feeling victorious the deadly villainess put her hands on her hips, copying Supergirl’s power pose.
Lois finally had gotten through the crowd, “Oh crap.” Lady K aka Melanie Abernathy was a walking talking piece of kryptonite. Her skin glowed green. She wore purple one piece sleeveless leotard and green fishnets. She was killing the Girl of Steel. Supergirl was being racked with nausea, pain, and her powers were fading. Mel advanced slowly increasing the amount of kryptonite radiation. Kara was in agony, she collapsed onto her side and curled into a ball. Lady K stood over her.
“How does it feel Supergirl? Your skin on fire, pain in every part of your body, to suddenly be weak and helpless, how does it feel!” Melanie hissed. “Like…this…” Kara whispered and unleashed her heat-vision. Lady K was blasted back towards the other side of the street. Supergirl sighed with relief as the pain left her body. Kara stood up taking in the sunlight that gave her strength. Done replenishing, she took to the air to put some distance between her and Lady K.
“Stop this Melanie before someone gets hurt.” Kara pleaded. “The only one who is going to get hurt here is you!” Lady K snapped. Her eyes glowed green and then exploded outwards in a pair of lasers.
Supergirl blurred out of the way to avoid the deadly rays. Kara had to keep moving to avoid the constant barrage. She also wanted to keep Lady K firing. Each time she did it drained her kryptonite energy reserves. Melanie knew she was weakening, that Supergirl was playing her. No, Supergirl was not getting away, not this time. Lady K looked for something to give her the advantage. She spied a family who hadn’t gotten far enough away from the fight, hiding by a car.
“Supergirl, remember when I said you would be the only one hurt? I lied.” Lady K laughed. She fired off another blast of krypto-lasers at the Girl of Steel which Kara easily dodged then Mel turned towards the family. Mel fired at the car’s gas tank. Supergirl saw this and without thinking flew faster than a bullet to intercept the beams. Right before they struck Kara had put herself in front of the family.
Lady K watched with glee as Supergirl cried out from the lasers striking her. Kara was slammed to the ground a few feet away, her powers drained again. I’m so weak…Kara thought, she needed help. Melanie didn’t plan on letting Supergirl recover. She fired off her beams this time keeping them on Supergirl continuously. Under the green rays Kara moaned, she had never been this exposed before. Her viens began to turn green, the skin around them turning a sickly green color. Lady K would have loved to keep zapping Kara till she was finished but needed to stick to her plan.
Cutting off the rays she had her body emit enough radiation to leave Supergirl helpless. Bending down she lifted Kara up by her cape. “You are mine now, but I not going to finish you, not yet Supergirl.” Mel threatened. She stood and lifted Supergirl all the way up. Kara was barely awake.
Lady K let the Maiden of Might fall into her arms and then whispered in her ear, “Now to take you where it all started." She ripped off Supergirl’s award, tossing it aside. Then throwing Kara over her shoulder Lady K ran off at super-speed. A few people had stayed hidden watching the fight they came out quite shocked not able to believe what they saw. The heroine they had cheered for just moments before was defeated and possibly hurt.
Lois walked into the street. She stopped and picked up Kara’s award. A little girl came up to her. She was part of the family Supergirl had taken the kryptonite burst for. “Is Supergirl going to be alright?” the girl asked her eyes wet with tears.
Lois looked at her first not sure what to say, but then it hit her, “She is dear, don’t worry.” Lois handed the girl the award and ran for her car. If she hurried she might just get there in time to make good on her promise.
Three Years Earlier
“Come on it will be fun.” Melanie insisted.
The two other students weren’t so sure. Kara Kent pushed her glasses up and shook her head, “Mel that place is dangerous, and it’s been closed since the first meteor shower.”
Mattie Reynolds wasn’t as afraid, “Kara it’s the middle of the day what could go wrong.” Kara looked at her best friend in Smallville. The red head had recently made friends with Melanie who had come to the town with her father. Kara was trying to do her best to be friendly with Mel. However her idea of fun was not running around in a destroyed coal mine and refinery. It had been wrecked when Kal’s ship had come crashing into the Earth.
She could make up any number of excuses to leave but, if her friend and Mel were going to be doing something dangerous, who better than a daughter of Krypton to look after them. “Alright let’s go.” Kara said with a sigh. They started walking.
Twenty minutes later the three girls were outside the old coal building. Nobody had cleaned it up much from thirty years earlier. Mel remarked on how cool it was, like a set of ancient ruins. Melanie wanted to become an archeologist after college. She loved climbing around old buildings and going places she wasn’t supposed to. Mattie was enjoying herself as well following Mel up a pile of bricks.
“Careful.” Kara warned like a mother hen. She stuck her hands inside her jacket and looked around. Trees and plants had taken the area back with a vengeance. It was pretty but Kara didn’t want to hang around too long. Both Kara’s and Kal’s ships had brought down with them countless pieces of kryptonite. The government had conducted massive clean ups in Smallville, however they couldn’t possibly get every piece so she kept an eye out.
Following them over the fallen wall Kara saw the girls were looking at an old piece of machinery. Mattie waved, “Kara, take a look at this!” “Okay just a…” suddenly Kara heard the shifting of rock.
Mattie and Melanie fell as the ground collapsed beneath them. Kara shot forwards at super-speed. Stopping by the edge of the hole she tried to see through the dust. Switching to her x-ray vision, Kara could see their skeletal outlines. Six feet down was Mattie who had broken a leg. Further down was Melanie, she was in a tunnel. Scanning further inside the area Kara saw that old mine shafts ran everywhere underneath the building. The girls had fallen into one.
“You guys alright!” Kara yelled. Mattie answered. “Ow…Kara I’m hurt my leg…” she moaned. Mel could barely be heard by normal ears yelling. “Mattie I’ve got to go get help, I’ll be back soon promise!” Kara ran away for a little bit, to make sure Mattie thought she was gone. Then she removed her jacket and pulled up her shirt. Underneath was the top of her blue leotard with the large S on it. Moments later she was changed into Supergirl.
Taking to the air she landed outside the hole and called down, “Mattie Reynolds!” The dust and dirt had cleared enough for Mattie to see, “Supergirl! Please my friend and I were in trouble.” “I know, someone named Kent was screaming her head off for help, I heard.” Kara said somewhat with a smile. “Please my leg it hurts.” Mattie called.
Supergirl floated up and then down into the hole. Mattie was stuck near the top. Her left leg was curled up. Kara had seen with her x-rays that the bone was broken but not breaking through the muscle or skin. She could move Mattie if she was careful. “Mattie I’m going to need you to slide into my arms. Don’t use your legs your left one is broken.” Supergirl calmly spoke. Mattie was in pain but determined, “Okay…here I go.”
She slid towards Supergirl, who moved closer arms outstretched. Kara took Mattie into her arms, Mattie cried out a little bit as her legs moved. Carefully Supergirl tucked Mattie in close. “Here we go, hang on.” Supergirl shot up through the hole and into the open air. Flying as quickly that was safe for Mattie, Kara landed near Smallville Hospital. A doctor on a smoking break saw the Girl of Steel landing and dropped his cig.
Kara quickly laid out the situation, “Her left leg is broken. I have another girl coming shortly, call the Sheriff’s office and tell them to head for the old mine.” She handed the doctor Mattie. He took her and nodded. Kara x-rayed him real quick, “Quit while you’re ahead doctor.” He stared at her dumbly as Kara took back to the sky.
Supergirl flew fast back to the mine. She descended deeper into the hole. Mel was in the bottom. Her legs were buried by tons of rock. Much worse was water leaking from somewhere, quickly rising. Kara landed a few feet above Mel, “Melanie!” “Who…Supergirl?” she said quietly. “Its me. I’m going to get you out.” Mel winced, “I’m in so much pain, and this water is cold.” “Don’t worry you’ll be out of there soon enough.” Kara said carefully walking down. Suddenly however she felt like a sledgehammer slammed into her. Nausea ripped through her, Kara’s skin felt like it was being pinpricked, and her legs were becoming weak.
“What…” Kara looked around. All along the bottom of the rubble were small pieces of kryptonite. No one was bigger than a small stone, but combined they sapped her strength. “Supergirl what’s taking so long?” Mel cried out. “Nothing…just a sec…” Supergirl gritted through her teeth. The green K would slow her down, but couldn’t stop her. Kara headed down. She was still weakening, but Mel didn’t have much time, the water was still rising.
Finally reaching the bottom, Supergirl stepped into the water. It was a mistake. She cried out and jumped away from it. Her legs burned like acid. Looking down at her wet skin tone tights Kara saw a glittering piece of kryptonite. The water was filled with it. Kara couldn’t go in there; she wouldn’t last long in that. If Mel was going to be rescued it would have to be from above the rocks.
“Mel I’m going…to move these rocks…give me a minute.” “Hurry the water is rising!” she screamed.
Supergirl grabbed rocks. An electric arch of pain shot down her nerves, since the rocks had kryptonite on them. Kara kept going working through the pain. Mel was getting mad, “What’s wrong you have super strength or whatever, move the rocks.” “I’m trying…so weak….” Kara replied. “What!” Mel cried out as the water lapped up onto her chest. “Melanie…there’s poison….here…I can’t….”
Melanie couldn’t believe it. Supergirl was supposed to save her. That’s her job, now suddenly she couldn’t, “No! Help ME!” Water started to go over Mel’s head. “No…” Kara said weakly. She reached out but collapsed unable to help. Now Supergirl was in trouble. Kryptonite fragments were draining her, and the contained water was now rising towards her.
“Supergirl!” the local sheriff called out. He climbed down the last few feet. Supergirl was barely awake water creeping up to her skirt. The sheriff put his arms out under Supergirl’s and lifted her out of the water. After he had dragged her far enough away, Kara recovered.
“Sheriff! There’s a girl down there!” she screamed. He went back down. Kara heard some swearing and the Sheriff wet from the neck down pulled Melanie up. She looked dead her body soaked and skin had turned green. He began CPR and after a few moments, Melanie breathed again. Her eyes briefly opened and looked at the still recovering Supergirl. They grew wide for a moment then closed, Melanie was unconscious.
After Melanie was taken back to a hospital the doctors learned that while she had been submerged in the kryptonite laced water, Mel had been changed. The kryptonite had blended itself with every cell of her body. She emitted a low level of the alien radiation. Later after she had been released Melanie learned that if she absorbed kryptonite radiation, it made her stronger. If she had enough green K radiation in her system, Mel would process super-strength and speed. Plus she could shoot off the radiation in bursts from her eyes or hands. Something Kara learned when she first stopped Melanie who took to calling herself Lady K.
Sent to prison, Lady K went back to her normal kryptonite level. Mel bided her time till she had a chance to escape. Once free she began tracking down pieces of kryptonite to drain. Finally when she had charged herself to full power, she went after Supergirl.
Present Day…
Supergirl awoke with a splitting headache. Kara blinked and cleared her vision. She recognized the surroundings. It was the old mine in Smallville, where Lady K had been created. Supergirl rose using her hands for support. Sitting up Kara felt a weight on her leg. Attached to her left ankle over her boot was a large shackle connected to a chain. Sunlight was streaming into the building through the broken roof, but she still felt weak.
“Rise and shine.” Kara looked and found Lady K was sitting on an upside down mining cart. She held a piece of kryptonite in her hand, “So beautiful but so deadly.” Green energy flowed from the rock into Melanie. Soon it was dark and she tossed it aside. Her body shimmered green, the source of Supergirl’s discomfort.
“Remember this place?” Lady K asked standing in place, looking around. Kara went to a kneeling position, “I do. Melanie…” “Lady K. That’s my name now thanks to you.” “I tried…the kryptonite was killing me and I still tried.” Supergirl responded, “Yes it’s my fault Melanie, I’m sorry.”
Melanie laughed, “Sorry? You’re sorry?” She pointed both her palms at Supergirl and fired off a blast of green K energy. The bright pulses lanced out and slammed into Kara. Supergirl was knocked to the ground and cried out. “Stop please!”
“What’s the matter feeling a little pain? Ever wonder what it feels like to be drowning?” Lady K screamed. She grabbed Kara by her cape and lifted her up. Dragging her, Melanie brought Kara over to a hole. Supergirl saw that it was filled with water. Normally that wouldn’t frighten her, but when the bottom of the pool was filled with pieces of kryptonite.
“I wonder Supergirl? What will this do to you?” She threw Kara to the ground. Lady K walked over and picked up a heavy weight that the end of Supergirl’s chain was attached to. Mel tossed it into the water Kara’s leg stretched out but she wasn’t dragged in. Lady K came and lifted Supergirl up off her feet. With a scream she threw the Girl of Steel into the pool.
Kara went under the water, her skin on fire. It was like the day when Mel had been mutated, only much worse since her entire body was in the pool. Supergirl swam to the surface and took a breath. Her efforts only weakened her further. Trying to float she used up her strength, which was rapidly being drained by the deadly material below her.
“Mel…please….” Kara’s head went beneath the water then came back up, “Don’t….do…this…” Lady K just stared transfixed. Supergirl went back under the water she tried to break free from the chain. Pulling with all her strength, Kara hoped it would break or give. The metal moved slightly but didn’t break. Supergirl slowly headed to the surface, barely breaking it. She gasped for air. Melanie watched enjoying every moment. Supergirl would be destroyed in a few moments.
Her moment of victory was interrupted when a car came crashing through one of the weakened walls. A black small SUV came roaring at her. The horn barked and Lady K prepared to fire off her blasts. She was too slow the car hit her sending the kryptonite girl flying. With a crash Lady K landed into a pile of rubble.
“Well that worked.” Lois said as she climbed out of the car. She ran over to where Lady K had been standing. There she saw Supergirl, “Okay wrong clothes for swimming.” She kicked off her heels and removed her suit jacket. Lois then jumped in. Kara was almost out cold and losing breath. She saw that Supergirl was chained in place. There was no way she could break the chain, but maybe she could do something about the lock.
Lois pulled out a pin from her hair. If there one thing she had learned in her years of snooping it was how to pick a lock. She was so good at it; the lock was picked in under a minute. It fell off Kara’s ankle and Lois put the small time she had been a lifeguard in college to use. She got Supergirl’s head out of the water and pulled her onto dry land. Lois was soaked from her blouse to pantyhose but it was worth it.
“Kara…Kara…can you hear me.” Supergirl didn’t stir, “Supergirl…” Lois didn’t finish as she was hit over the head. Falling to the dirt she was then lifted into the air and tossed. She landed with an ouff and a sore arm. “You’re that reporter. The one following the two aliens around.” Mel said. “Yep that’s me.” Lady K’s eyes glowed, “Well its nice meeting you, bye.”
Melanie was slammed backwards by a flying piece of stone. Lois looked and saw Supergirl getting to her feet. Kara looked stronger and smiled, “Thanks not get out of the way.” “Don’t have to tell me twice.” Lois said scrambling away.
Kara stood in the sunlight for a few seconds, feeling better she looked for Lady K. Green beams shot from the area Mel had landed, Kara went skyward. Airborne she responded with her own beams, two solid red lasers from her eyes. Mel was knocked back as the blast shoved her along the ground. “Melanie it’s over.” Supergirl tried. “Oh no, it’s not Supergirl.” Lady K picked up a chunk of rock and threw it. Kara was going to let it hit her when she realized it was covered with kryptonite. She managed to move slightly out of the way but got clipped. It sent her down to the ground.
Lady K charged hoping to get on top of Supergirl while she was down. Her body glowed brilliantly. Supergirl took a deep breath and blew out. The blast of compressed air slowed Lady K, allowing Kara to get to her feet. However she couldn’t fly anymore. The radiation coming from Mel was close enough to defuse her powers. Kara moved away. Mel didn’t give her a chance, firing off a massive kryptonite blast.
It caught Supergirl in the chest and sent her rocketing back into a mine cart lay. Her body dented and deformed it. Kara landed on the other side in pain. Lady K sent another deadly blast at the cart. This time however, Kara didn’t feel anything.
“What?” Supergirl asked herself. Then she noticed, the cart was made from lead. Smiling she grabbed it and ripped off a side. Lady K fired again. Kara crouched behind the shield the rays washed over and around the lead, but it didn’t weaken her. “Impossible, you should be on your knees.” Kara peaked out from around her shield, “Physics aren’t they a bitch.”
Lady K charged at full power. Kara waited for the right moment and threw the lead plate at Melanie. It knocked her right to the ground. With her covered, Supergirl felt even better. Once again able to fly she zipped over to the mine cart. She ripped it into pieces and headed back at Melanie. Lady K was having a hard time lifting it off her, her own strength was weakening.
Supergirl managed to wrap the first piece of lead around Mel’s mid section, pinning her arms. Next Kara at full speed wrapped the remaining pieces around Lady K. In a few seconds before she could be degraded any further, Supergirl had cocooned Lady K in lead. The krypto-girl fell to the ground with a metal thud, struggling to get out.
“Good job.” Kara turned and saw Lois coming out. “Thanks, and that is not for the compliment.” She hugged the wet reporter. Lois held her tight, “Well I figured since I owe Clark about million favors over the past few years, this might be one way to knock some off.” Supergirl laughed, “I’ll make sure.” Lois looked at her dented car and turned to Kara, “Hey you know a good body shop?”
The End