This is my first fan-fic. I also wrote it rather hastily in about 2 hours so it's probably nothing special. The "T" rating is for the mild violence and content coming in later chapters. Usually I don't advocate violence in children's cartoons but I've been dying for Wordgirl to do some actual fighting. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this so the story could get rather long… I would appreciate it if the readers stick it out to the end. Please?

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 1: A Familiar Stranger

Wordgirl paced restlessly around her grounded space ship. She glanced at the clock for the millionth time and sighed in frustration. Five minutes until the marathon of Pretty Princess began. Even though she was almost 13, she still enjoyed a couple of good episodes of that show when there was nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon.

Bored, she flopped down on her favorite chair and turned on the TV. She flipped aimlessly through the channels until she had wasted away those five minutes. But just as the gaudy title screen of her favorite show flashed up, she heard a distant ringing sound. The alarm at the jewelry store was going off.

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "AWWW! Why does this always happen in the middle of Pretty Princess?"

Umm, maybe because that's the only show that's ever on?

She glared up at the narrator. "Why are you here? This isn't an episode? Is it?"

No, I just think you might need my help considering what's about to happen…

"Why? What do you know?"

Oh you'll see. But I think you'd better get going…..

"Right! Thanks!" Wordgirl leapt into the air. "Time to go Huggy!.. Huggy?" Then she remembered and slapped her forehead with her hand. The reason she was alone today was because Captain Huggyface(aka Bob) had to go to the vet with her parents for his annual "check-up." And he had definitely not been happy about it… "But there's nothing wrong with MEEEEEEEE" he had shrieked as Mr. Botsford dragged him into the car.

"Well, it's only a little robbery…..I can handle it alone…" She looked up, but the narrator had nothing to say.

She rolled her eyes and lifted her arm. Word-up!"

2 Minutes later

Wordgirl sped at top speed to the place where she had heard the bell go off. When she reached Ye Old Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store, she quickly landed in front of the door, drew a deep breath, and then threw the door open dramatically crying out as she did so: "Have no fear! Wordgirl is…. What..?" What had begun as a confident battle cry quickly faded to nothing as she looked around the shop. "What happened here?" The store looked almost untouched. The clerk was behind the counter, rifling through a bag of jewelry, carefully stroking each one and murmuring to them. The only thing slightly out of the ordinary was the new ceiling fixture: Ms. Question and Amazing Rope Guy, both unconscious and strung up in a cocoon of rope dangling upside-down from the ceiling.

"Ah, little super-girl." It was Reginald, the overly-ostentatious jewelry store clerk who didn't seem to ever improve security at his store even though it had been robbed or almost robbed close to 100 times. He came out from around the counter clutching a brilliant diamond in his hand as if he were afraid to let go of it. "I'm afraid you're a little late."

"I can see that." Wordgirl commented, trying not to lose her patience at his obvious condescending tone. "What happened?"

Reginald carefully stored the jewel in his pocket and began fiddling with his moustache. "Honestly, I don't know. I was in the back room sorting through a new order when the alarm went off. As I rushed towards the store-front, I heard some scuffling, some cries of pain and other strange sounds. But by the time I got out into the store, they were hanging there like that and the bag of stolen jewels was sitting on the counter. It's been about five minutes since I came out." He glared accusingly at her. "Where were you, if you didn't do this?"

"I got here as fast as I could!" Wordgirl exclaimed already looking for clues.

"Well, it obviously wasn't fast enough!" the snobbish jewelry store clerk said turning back to his precious jewels. "Someone else beat you to it."

Wordgirl gave up on trying to converse with Reginald and instead examined the trussed-up villains. The cocoon was tied in the same was she usually wrapped up Amazing Rope Guy and other villains. But she obviously hadn't done this! Who could have? As she continued to fly around the captured villains, something caught her eye. The cocoon was not exactly like hers. Where she usually tied the ropes shut with a quick and simple bow, there was instead a complex star weaving the trap shut. She leaned closer to examine the knot taking in the complexity and the uniform size. As she looked down she realized she was looking at the shield on her chest. She than looked back at the knot. It was the same size and shape as the star on her chest.

Before she could ponder this any further, her super-hearing picked up another alarm, this time at the bank. She sighed in frustration. What was it with criminals today? She quickly glanced back at Reginald who was carefully polishing the would-be stolen loot. He would be okay until the police arrived. She took off as quickly as she could eager to see (or maybe catch) this "new" super-hero…

She burst into the bank without even bothering to be dramatic. This time, it was the Butcher swinging from the ceiling. But instead of rope, he was wrapped up in his own meat. More of his meat was flung haphazardly around the bank, as if there had been a fight.

"Wordgirl! There you are!" he shouted actually sounding happy to see her. She quickly flew over to him, not at all in the mood for pleasantries. "Who did this? Where are they?"

"Oh, you just missed them, they left just a second ago…" she was already gone, back outside the bank scanning frantically for anything out of the ordinary. A quick movement in a side alley caught her eye. Someone was walking quickly away from the bank. Somehow she knew it was her mysterious new rival. She swooped over, landing right in front of the perpetrator in an aggressive stance.

"Hold it right there! Whoever you are…" She stopped. She was staring into a black mask. Behind the mask was (as far as she could tell) a female teenager. The girl was dressed in simple, dirty clothing and carrying a long bamboo stick. Her dirty-brown hair was pulled back in a tight pony-tail high on her head. But what was most surprising was that the girl didn't seem at all surprised to see another girl suddenly land in front of her. The stranger, looked Wordgirl up and down slowly, taking in her outfit, her stance and the look in her eyes (half aggressive, half confused). Then she began to chuckle.

"Well that certainly won't do if you're planning on taking me in."" She said. Confused, Wordgirl tilted her head. "What do you mean...?"

The stranger sighed and poked Wordgirl's arm with her bamboo stick. "Your hands are much too low." She commented, sounding like a school teacher explaining to a student for the millionth time that "supposably" was not a word. She effortlessly twisted the stick around Wordgirl's limbs so fast that it blurred and whistled in the air. It came to a rest, tapping on Wordgirl's right knee. "And your legs are much too far apart. That gives you no balance and no stability." She thwacked Wordgirl's forward leg smartly with her stick sending Wordgirl toppling over into the dust to prove her point.

Blushing furiously, Wordgirl sprang up into the air ignoring the stranger's smile. "Oh yeah? Well….well…. I've taken down villains far more dangerous than you and…. and I don't need balance when I fly!... so..ha..." Even as she said it she knew it sounded childish.

The stranger only smiled as if she knew something Wordgirl didn't (which drove Wordgirl crazy) and tossed her stick aside. "Alright, if you really think you can, go ahead. Take your best shot." She took a step back and spread her legs comfortably, arms at her side. "Or, even better." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I won't use my hands, just my legs, okay? Go ahead." She presented herself to the superhero.

Wordgirl wasn't sure what to do. No one had ever challenged her like this before. She was having second thoughts already. Maybe she should try something less obvious than a direct approach… She desperately wished Huggy were here. After all, Huggy was the kung-fu master, not her.

"What are you waiting for, a first round bell?" the girl taunted, bouncing on her toes a little and grinning devilishly. "I thought you were going to hit me?"

Wordgirl assumed her fight pose while flying. What was the harm? She was strong and fast and one good kick might make this stranger shut up. "I have to warn you," she said confidently, pumping her fists a little. "I have super-strength." She smiled haughtily at the stranger. "This might hurt a little…"

"I figured as much." The stranger said, not moving from her pose. "I think I can handle it. I've been told I'm quite strong for a girl."

"Trust me," Wordgirl said, trying to keep a grip on her temper while dealing with this incredibly irritating girl. "I'm pretty powerful."

"Maybe," the stranger said, eyes flaring mischievously. "But power is nothing without control."

The calm, superciliousness of the stranger finally got to Wordgirl. Without warning, she dashed forward in a quick flying-air kick aimed at the girl's chest. She was moving too fast to be seen…

Something smacked into her side and she went careening off-course, smashing into a building wall, causing it to crumple inward. As she shook off the pain, she saw the stranger facing her, slowly placing her right foot back on the ground.

"Well now, that's no good." She said in that annoying conciliatory tone. "Why don't you try again?"

Without even thinking, Wordgirl threw herself at the stranger, intending to use her strongest punch to knock her down. But the stranger simply stepped aside and again, Wordgirl found herself sprawled on the ground. She sprang up again, this time trying to hit her opponent from the side only to find her punch blocked by a leg. She tried again, to no avail. She flew right at the girl and grabbed her by the shoulders meaning to throw her up in the air than hold her there until she gave up. But as her hands closed on her shoulders, both of the girl's legs came up and kicked her square in her stomach, breaking her grip and sending her flying into the other wall. As she struggled to free herself from the twisted bricks and debris, the stranger spoke again. "Well, I think that's enough fun for today." Wordgirl glared at her as she unlaced her hands (which, true to her word, she hadn't used), retrieved her bamboo stick and began to walk away. "Wait! I'm…" But she couldn't break free. Hot tears stung her eyes as she struggled. Why couldn't she win?

The stranger was suddenly right in front of her. Gently, she lifted Wordgirl's chin with the end of her bamboo rod. "There is no shame in losing." She said, all humor and aggravating edification gone from her voice. Her deep brown eyes stared into Wordgirl's who stared back, unable to move. "There is only shame in not learning." She dropped Wordgirl's chin and stared down at her. "It's not your fault you never learned these things."

Startled, Wordgirl looked up, but the girl was already walking away. "Wait!" she called desperately. The Stranger stopped and turned, a bored (or was it angry?) look on her face. "Who are you? What do you know about me?"

"If you truly want to know, you'll realize you already know my name. Beckyan." The last word was spat out how one would say the name of an enemy. Having said that, the masked teenager turned and in a single leap, jumped onto the roof of the nearest building, disappearing form sight. Wordgirl stared at the place she had jumped to, transfixed and more confused than ever. What had she called her? Why had she said it like that? The name had sounded so familiar….so much like her own…. She shook her head. She must've had her brains shaken up from all this crashing into things.

See? I told you you'd want me along!

She glared up at the narrator as she struggled to free herself. "What do you mean? You didn't even do anything!"

Oh, right sorry about that. I was distracted watching you get thrown around.

Her cheeks burned at that but she wasn't in the mood to argue with the voice in the sky. Twisting and pushing, she finally managed to free herself from the wreckage of the wall. But she knew it was too late to follow the stranger. It was then she realized she had never asked the stranger why she had been fighting crime in the first place. Or how. Or even where she had come from. The instant she had seen her, she had forgotten everything important and focused only on fighting her.

She screamed in frustration and punched the wall she had just freed herself from, creating another dent.

So what now?

She sighed. The voice was anything but comforting right now. She felt so lost, so useless. "I don't know."

The sun slowly set over the city, throwing golden rays and long shadows up the sides of buildings and over their rooftops. One rooftop in particular was painted a brilliant shade of gold by the light. But the shadows were quickly spreading as the sun died. On this brilliant rooftop, the very same one where she had leapt away from the one called Wordgirl several hours before, the female alien removed her mask and shook her hair out of its braid. She stared at the dying sun, not really seeing it.

"Don't you remember me at all?"

The sun slipped behind the sea, and the shadows quickly swallowed up everything in sight.

So there you have it. I must admit, I was on edge about keeping the narrator in but he's my 2nd favorite character (after Leslie) so I figured why not. He's good for comic relief and gives Wordgirl someone else to talk too. Stay alert for part 2 and the rest of the story!