Tales of Supergirl, Last Daughter of Krypton
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful then a locomotive and able to soar across the sky like a bird Supergirl has dedicated her life to fighting for truth, justice, and our planet. Sole survivor of her home world Supergirl poses as mild mannered secretary Linda Kent…
The Defeat of Supergirl
She was wearing a black sweater and matching slacks. Her dark brunette hair was tied in a ponytail and covered by a black workman’s cap. As she put the necklace into a bag Lena swore to herself, damn it I’ve been reduced to this…because of Supergirl! Only a few months earlier Lean Luthor had been a scientist on the move at STAR Labs. Few women had approached her achievements. Only thirty years old if things had kept going she would have become the most famous scientist of 1940 that was till her failed experiment.
It wouldn’t have failed, she thought taking a few more things from the Ancient Egypt Exhibit, if that damned Slater hadn’t been so chicken. Lena had been trying to attempt nuclear fission in a controlled state. However Dr. Slater the head of STAR Labs got worried as radiation levels rose inside the lead containment chamber. Eventually he panicked and called for Supergirl. She arrived just in time to take Lena’s experiment and throw it into outer space.
After the whole incident she had argued passionately (actually yelled quite a bit) with Slater. Her process would have worked had he not interfered. Then she was lectured by Supergirl! Lena had been insulted, who was this twenty year old in a ridiculous costume to talk to her about nuclear physics. Slater pointed out that Supergirl was correct. When he did that she quit right there and walked out. Only Lena planned on returning that evening and stealing all the information she could. Then she would sell it to another research group along with her services. Lena had nearly gotten away with it till Supergirl showed up and stopped her.
Then after her trial and during short prison stay (she escaped) Lena swore revenge on the Girl of Steel. Of course that would take time and money. So she was putting her scientific skills to work for crime. Helping the Mob would get some money in her pocket as she continued to study Supergirl. After all there had to be something she could do get even on that wretched superheroine. Robbing the Museum of National History was another small step of this plan.
“Are we on a late night shopping run Miss Luthor?” Lena turned to see the source of the voice and her misery, Supergirl! The Girl of Steel was standing confidently in her blue and red costume with her hands on her hips.
“Supergirl! I’m only reduced to this because of you.” The former scientist shot back, slowly reaching inside her bag.
Shaking her head Supergirl replied, “You brought this upon yourself Miss Luthor. I’m sorry but this theft ends here.”
“I don’t think so.” Luthor pulled out a .45 pistol and fired. The big slugs exploded out of the firearm. Supergirl stood her ground as the bullets bounced or flattened themselves on her body. The scientist after empting her pistol reached into her loot slash tool bag and pulled out a hand grenade. Supergirl moved after Lena not noticing the move.
Luthor took the pin off the Army grenade and yelled, “Here Supergirl catch!”
She tossed the bomb at Supergirl who caught it. There was not time for Linda to do anything with the grenade since it exploded seconds after she caught it. Lena was running at full speed away from the smoke cloud that marked the explosion. So focused on getting away she failed to notice the sign proclaiming she had entered the Outer Space section of the museum.
Lena ran pass models of the planets and glass displays holding different meteorite samples. Nearly a minute had passed since her little stunt, had the grenade taken care of Supergirl? She looked back the way she came to try and spot any sign of the Girl of Steel when she ran head long into something. Bouncing off and landing on her butt Lena looked up to see what stopped her. It was covered in blue tight spandex.
“Hello again, that wasn’t very nice Lena.” Supergirl smirked.
The older woman cursed as she got up, “Damn you Supergirl. I’m not going back to prison.”
“It is over Luthor, except it.” Supergirl countered. Lena began to back up with Supergirl walking towards her. The scientist looked for any way to escape the situation. Little did she know that her salvation was in plain sight.
Linda continued to close the distance with the former STAR Labs scientist when she suddenly felt light headed. She stopped and tried to clear he head, suddenly Supergirl realized that she had never needed to do that before. Now she was feeling even stranger. A wave of nausea gripped her churning her stomach. Supergirl slightly tripped her boots scuffing the floor as she regained her footing.
Luthor stopped moving and watched Supergirl’s strange motions. What’s happening to her, she thought. Instantly her scientific mind went to work, she looks tipsy…no not that she’s actually dizzy, and her balance is off…and is that sweat?
Supergirl had never felt so bad in her life. Her limbs were getting heavy and a sense of weakness and fatigue gripped Linda’s body. What’s happening to me? She thought. Supergirl leaned against a display case for balance. However it didn’t help, suddenly her legs turned rubbery unable to support her body. With a sigh Linda slipped off the case and Supergirl tumbled to the floor.
Observing all this, Lena smiled, something is affecting her…something in here. Lena’s eyes scanned the room for some obvious sign she spotted it. Instantly the woman decided not to do anything now. Instead she’d use the opportunity to escape, “Well Supergirl I won’t keep you any longer, so long.”
Linda grunted through the pain gripping her now and saw Luthor running away. I have to go after her! Summoning the strength she got to her feet and started stumbling after Lena. Surprisingly as she did this, the sickness gripping her began to fade. All her weakness faded as she left the Outer Space exhibit. Unfortunately Lena was gone.
“I need to find her.” Supergirl leaped to fly but fell to the ground.
What’s wrong with my powers? Linda thought. She tried to fly several more times but only managed an uneasy float. For the first time in her career as a superheroine, Linda felt like she had failed.
Quickly speeding away from the scene of the crime, Luthor was smiling. She had finally found something that could affect Supergirl. It would require more study but Lena was confident, “and once I get my hands on it I’ll finally be able to destroy Supergirl!”
…………..
The next day at the Daily Planet, Linda was relieved and ashamed. A story on the break in at the museum had been filed. However there was no mention of Supergirl being there or her failure to apprehend the thief. Just thinking about that left a sour feeling in her gut. I should have caught Luthor, what happened to me? Linda wondered for the millionth time since she woke up this morning.
“Linda you okay, you look sad honey.”
Linda looked up to see star reporter and good friend Lois Lane, “Oh I am fine Lois. Just a little under the weather this morning.” It was true too; her powers still didn’t feel right.
Lois nodded, “I understand the feeling Lyn, Perry again rejected my request to go over to England. The Nazis are bombing the Brits into dust and I’m stuck here writing about city hall and isolationist rallies.”
The young secretary made sure to pay attention to another of Lois’s long complaining sessions. However Linda’s mind was other places, trying to figure out what had happened to her last night.
……………….
It had been ridiculous easy.
Lena had snuck into the museum staff area when the building had opened that morning. The sight of her robbery the night before was still blocked off by the police. With many of the staff and visitors to the museum distracted by the police investigation, Luthor had easily walked into the staff area, stolen a lab coat and ID, then a set of keys. Wearing the outfit she waltzed into the Outer Space section and went after her prize.
Using the keys she opened the display case and removed her item, a meteorite, however it was different then the others. First it was a mixture of dark greens and black stone, the signs of its fiery re-entry. It was also heavier then the others. Finally there was warmth coming from the meteorite, suggesting alpha decay. Once she had the rock Luthor walked back to the staff section, ditched her stolen coat and keys and made off with the rock right through the front door.
Now back in her hideout/lab she studied the rock. She subjected the meteorite to a variety of tests. Lena learned the chemical combination was exotic. Some of the rock was a combination of minerals and rocks formed on earth, however much of it was unknown. Lena’s mind quickly reached a conclusion. The meteorite was from an alien planet, the same one as Supergirl. Of course there was no official information on Supergirl’s origins. However Lena could think of no other possibility, Supergirl and all her amazing abilities had to mean she was from space. Now why had the rock weakened her?
A quick scan with her radiation detector confirmed her earlier belief. The meteorite gave off a low radioactive signature. Lena paced thinking aloud, “So it has a low level radiation. I know it was this rock that affected Supergirl last night. It glowed when she got close, maybe the radiation is the key.”
Luthor thought some more, Supergirl could be weakened by the radiation emitted by the rock. Just as uranium was harmful to humans, this was harmful to Supergirl. Lena deduced that the radiation was harmless to humans. The rock had been on displayed for years according to its informational plate. So the museum would have noticed people getting ill from it.
“It won’t harm me but to Supergirl this is poison!” Lena concluded to herself. She let out a loud laugh, “Now I just need to right bait for my revenge!”
……………………
Police detective Richard Malverne (Dick to his friends) parked his car outside an alley in the warehouse district. Dick had gotten a tip on his office phone from someone claiming to have information on the Museum robbery. He made sure to look around for trouble. This part of the city was not one where you stayed any longer then you had too. Dick also made sure his service revolver was in easy reach but hidden from view.
The hard working detective had no idea that a second person had also arrived at the alley. Only she had the taxi drop her off on the opposite side of the building. Lois Lane took a quick look around just as Dick had. She was trying to see if she could spot this source. A note had been left on her desk, saying that they had information on the robbery. Although she hadn’t wrote the first story, Lois was more then happy to scoop her fellow reporter with a new angle and better information. Both of them walked into the alley and then met in the middle.
“Dick, you’re my source?” she asked.
He was just as confused, “Lois you’re mine?”
“What are you talking about.” The abrasive reporter demanded. He explained. Lois shook her head, “I has the same thing happen to me.”
“Why would someone want to…” Dick realized it, but it was too late.
Lois heard two quick high pitched whistles. She recognized the sound as compressed air. Then she winced as something struck her in the thigh. A quick glance down showed a dart sticking out of her stockings. Reaching for it the reporter only got a hand around it before her vision became all cloudy.
“Dick…help…” she managed to get out before falling against the alley wall. Dick wasn’t doing any better he got hit in the neck and was down faster. To his credit the detective had his pistol out, but it slipped from his fingers as the drug took effect.
Lois hit in the leg was awake longer. She slid down the alley wall and onto her side. A figure appeared between them. For a moment Lois thought she saw a rope but it wasn’t important. Finally the reporter gave into the powerful drug in her system and fell asleep.
Standing in between the two unconscious friends of Supergirl was Lena Luthor. Having slid down from the roof she slung the small tranquilizer rifle over her shoulder and took Detective Malverne’s revolver. With a smile she said, “Excellent, now let’s get ready for the guest of honor.”
……………….
Linda Kent was hard at work filling away the paperwork for the day. Luckily the Planet’s bullpen was deserted. As a result she was able to work at speeds faster then a normal mild mannered secretary. It also felt good to exercise her powers, zipping back and forth on the floor. She had felt better as the day went on so she made sure all her abilities were back to normal. Thanks to her powers she would be able to finish early and actually test how well she was feeling as Supergirl.
As she filed the last of the day’s papers a sudden screeching rang in her ears. Linda covered her ears with both hands and dropped the papers all over the floor. Just as quickly as the horrible noise had begun, it was now gone. She quickly collected the papers on the floor and put them into the file cabinet when the voice began.
“Hello Supergirl.” Linda turned to see who had spoken. Panicked she looked for who had figured out her secret, but no one was in sight. The mysterious voice explained.
“Only you and every dog in the city can hear this Supergirl. Of course figuring out how to transmit this very low frequency radio transmission was not that hard, not for someone of my genius.” Supergirl frowned; she now recognized the voice through the scratchy radio like transmission, Lena Luthor.
“I have taken the liberty of inviting some friends of yours over to my place. Lois Lane who is so fond of writing about your exploits and Detective Malverne, who was so kind to arrest me after you stopped my theft from STAR Labs.” Linda was furious, how dare Lena endanger her friends. Already she was heading for a storage closet to change.
“Right now they are being well treated. However should you fail to join us, they might not be do well in say an hour? I know you’ll come soon Supergirl. Wouldn’t want their deaths on your conscious right?” Luthor laughed as she ended the transmission.
Inside the closet, Linda removed her glasses and blouse. Next she slipped out of her skirt and shoes. Finally she put on her cape, belt, and boots. Standing now was Supergirl. She opened the window and flew out at top speed, only to fly right back to the Daily Planet. Linda landed through an open window on one of the upper floors and then zipped down to the bullpen. She surprised Frank the janitor.
“Supergirl? What are you doing here?” the young man asked.
“No time to talk Frank, I’m sorry.” Supergirl answered moving to Lois’s desk. She searched the cluttered area. A quick search through her friend’s poorly scripted notes showed that she had taken down an address. Inside the warehouse district, Linda thought. She turned away from the desk and headed for a window. Frank just watched surprised by the Girl of Steel’s appearance. He was a little upset though when she opened and then took off through that window, causing papers to blow everywhere in the bullpen.
“Good grief.” He mumbled.
……………………..
Lena Luthor stood in the center of the warehouse eagerly awaiting Supergirl’s arrival. She wore a dark suit with matching black stockings. She wanted to look her best for the occasion. A quick glance below reminder her that the bait, Lois and Dick, were tied securely down in the basement. One she had specially prepared and picked. Everything was going to plan. Now when will that retched girl show up, Lena wondered.
There was a crash and she looked up to see Supergirl descending through a hole in the roof. Luthor smiled the superheroine looked no worse for ware from the previous night’s events. Which pleased the villainess, she wanted to destroy Supergirl while the blonde fool thought she was all powerful.
“Luthor!” the heroine barked upon landing. Again she stood in her ‘power pose’.
Lena made sure to give her own. She stood tall with her arms crossed over her chest, “Supergirl a pleasure to see you again.”
“I’m in no mood for games Luthor. What have you done with Lois and Detective Maleverne?”
“Why they’re fine Supergirl. For now.” She answered with a grin.
Linda grew tried of this and rushed forward. She lifted Luthor off the ground with one arm. Lena was a bit taken by surprise kicking with her feet as she was lifted. All this did was cause her black pumps to fly off.
“I’ll ask you again Luthor, where are they?”
Lena sighed and knew she had to play her part, “Oh they’re right below us Supergirl. In a room that is filling with a deadly odorless gas. In fact they are probably feeling the effects right now.”
Supergirl dumped Lena on the ground. Luthor coughed as the wind was knocked out of her. She didn’t watch as Supergirl cut a hole in the floor with her heat vision and then leap into the hole. Lena got up still struggling to get her breath back, she had to act fast. A quick sprint over to the wall revealed a series of levers and a view plate. Sticking her face into the view plate she was treated to a view of the lower level. A single hallway ran down the middle of a maze of pipes leading to the boiler room and Lois Lane and Dick Malverne.
“Good thing the people who built this place were so paranoid. This little spy periscope is just what I needed.” Lena watched as the Girl of Steel raced down the hall and to the massive door which lead to the boiler room.
Supergirl easily opened the heavy door. Inside the large room she saw two boilers, both were cold. Pipes ran from them to the walls. In the middle tied together were Lois and Dick. They were both struggling against the ropes. Lois saw her first, “Supergirl!”
“Hang on Lois and Dick I’ll have you both out of there quick.” Linda simply used her strength to break the ropes and freed the two.
“Now for Luthor.” Supergirl commented turning to go back the way she came. Suddenly the heavy door closed. Locks could be heard activating.
“She’s sealing us in.” Lois said.
Supergirl walked up to the door, “This is the best you can do Luthor? I’ll take this door and turn it into your prison cell.” She remarked to herself.
Lena’s voice answered much to Linda’s surprise, “No Supergirl. As you’ve found out there is no gas down there. However there is this.” With glee Lena pulled the final lever, and quickly went back to the other spy periscope that let her see into the room.
Dick heard something open above them, an old coal shaft maybe? Lois heard something banging against the metal of the shaft traveling down to them. Supergirl prepared for whatever Lena had cooked up, a bomb, gas, whatever. She stood right near the open shaft above them. Finally the source of the noise was revealed.
A green rock fell from the shaft and landed in between all of them. Lois was unimpressed, “That was it?”
Dick too thought it was funny, “Well that was anti-climatic, right Supergirl? Supergirl?”
Supergirl backed away from the rock, because now she knew what had caused her to feel so weak last night. Unlike last night however there was no slow build up. This time the sickness hit her like a tidal wave, weakness and pain washed over her. With a gasp she fell forwards onto her hands and knees. Lois ran over, “Supergirl what’s wrong?”
Lena let out a victorious cry on the PA and returned to the mike, “What’s wrong Lois? Nothing Supergirl is dying! That meteorite is the one thing that can destroy her and I Lena Luthor discovered it. I will destroy Supergirl!”
Dick rushed over to the rock and kicked it to the other side of the room but that didn’t work. The Girl of Steel fell forward onto the ground. Lois lifted and then cradled Supergirl in her arms pulling her away from the rock, but it too wasn’t helping. Linda was so weak her powers felt like they were being drained away and pain ran up and down her body. Supergirl’s breathing was heavy. The meteorite’s radiation poisoning her, just as Luthor theorized.
“Your efforts are useless Detective. That meteorite gives off a particular type of radiation harmless to you and me, but deadly to Supergirl. In such a small space it doesn’t matter where the meteorite is. It’s useless you two, she’s finished.” Lena mocked them.
Dick came over and asked Lois, “Any bright ideas?”
“No! Oh my god Dick she’s so pale.” Lois cried.
Linda struggled to stay awake. She needed to snap out of this, otherwise Lois and Dick were doomed. Supergirl focused on Lena’s comments, radiation, that rock is weakening me with radiation…then she remembered something. It was something Dr. Slater at STAR had told her. She mumbled it but not loud enough to make sense.
Dick heard Supergirl and tried to get her to say it again, “What was that?”
Lois pulled Supergirl up and brushed hair out of her face, “Please Supergirl tell us how to help you.”
Supergirl’s eyes opened, she looked at Lois and said, “Lead…” She collapsed as if saying that one word had used up her remaining strength. Quickly checking for a pulse she was relieved to find one, but then to her horror, “Dick her heart! It’s slowing down.”
“Calm down Lois.” Dick ordered. They needed to stay calm and think with clear heads, “What did she mean by lead?”
Lois thought about it, she didn’t know. Damn you Lois, she thought, you just did a report about radiation and all the work at STAR Labs and how they have safety…
“Dick the lead it might block the radiation, they use it at STAR for shielding!” the reporter exclaimed with glee.
Dick nodded and ran over to one of the boilers. He knew the old pipes in these buildings were often made up of lead. I guess that year of contracting paid off after all, Dick thought with a smile. He grabbed some of the rope that they had been tied with. Then he wrapped it around the one of the more flimsy looking pipes. With a grunt he pulled. Lois held Supergirl close, she was shocked to see some of the heroine’s veins were now green!
“Dick!” she screamed. With a cry of his own Dick ripped the pipe from the boiler. Then he went for the rock.
……………
Lena had been too in love with herself to notice the conversation between Supergirl and her ‘bait’. As she went to watch the final moments of Supergirl however she saw what the detective was up too. First she didn’t know what was happening then she figured it out.
“No!” she screamed. Reaching into a bag she pulled out her pistol and raced downstairs.
………………
With much cursing and heavy handed work, Dick had shoved the meteorite into the lead pipe. He was glad it had actually fit. Pushing it to the other side of the room he tried to keep the open ends of the pipe away from Supergirl. Lois still held her trying to wake the superheroine up.
“Come on Supergirl. We did what you said, please wake up!” the Girl of Steel still lay there unconscious. Lois was about to say something to Dick when the heavy door opened. They saw a very angry Lena Luthor standing there. In her hand was a forty-five.
Lena saw that her meteorite was gone. Supergirl still looked helpless however. Maybe she was already dead. Well if that was the case, she thought. The scientist raised her gun and aimed at Dick. He charged her hoping to get there before the shot. It was too late. Lois heard the loud bang of the gun shot and closed her eyes. Except she didn’t hear Dick falling to the floor, instead the reporter heard, “NO!”
An inch in front of Dick’s face was a hand. The hand held a crushed .45 caliber bullet. He followed the arm covered in blue fabric to the young woman standing beside him. Supergirl was back! Lena screamed as she turned the gun onto the now revived Girl of Steel. Linda simply yanked the weapon from Luthor’s hand and crushed it. The scientist screamed again and turned to run out of the room.
Lois happier then a child on Christmas morning leaped up and hugged Supergirl, “You’re alright!”
Supergirl returned it and then turned to Dick, “Thanks to you two.”
“What about Luthor?” the detective asked. Supergirl smiled.
“She won’t get far.” With a whoosh of air, Supergirl disappeared down the hallway and after Lena.
…………………
Supergirl stood inside the warehouse. Lena was safely locked up in Dick’s car outside. Some more cops had come to help secure the area but all of them were outside. Linda was all by herself at the moment. In her hands was the lead pipe that Dick had put the deadly meteorite in. She had crushed the ends entombing the rock and preventing any leakage of its radiation.
“What are you going to do with that?” she turned and saw Dick walking over.
“I don’t know actually. It’s just as much of a mystery to me as it is to you.” She answered.
Dick shook his head, “Well getting rid of it is a good start. After all the moment Luthor gets with the general population that little secret is going to be revealed.”
Supergirl frowned, “I know.”
The detective sighed he didn’t mean to make Supergirl upset, “Well it’s probably not that big of a problem right? Lois promised not to print anything about it. Plus I’d think since it’s from outer space its pretty rare right?”
Linda smiled, “Trying to cheer me up detective?”
He blushed, “A little.”
Supergirl took a quick look around and then planted a kiss right on the detective’s lips. He was taken by surprise but didn’t complain. After Supergirl pulled away he asked, “Might I ask what that was for?”
“Sometimes even Supergirls need saving. Thanks.” She turned and took off, leaving through her entry hole in the roof.
Dick was just left standing in mild shock. Then a big grin opened on his face, “I kissed Supergirl.”
…………………
Lena Luthor sat in the police car. She was quiet much to surprise of the officers on duty. They didn’t know what had gone down but they would be sure to find out. The rumor mill was already working overtime. Lena of course didn’t care for any of it. Her mind was elsewhere.
Supergirl and Detective Malverne had no idea that Lena had no intention of telling anyone about Supergirl’s weakness. No she’d keep that information to herself. Then when the time was right she would escape and use her resources to find another meteorite and finally destroy Supergirl!
The End