Adam dreamed, as always, of flying. The dream was never the same. Occasionally, he was skimming across the sand dunes on an open top pod with the sound of engines roaring in his ears. Often, he dropped down from orbit into the atmosphere on the way to war. In this particular dream, he was deep in space, in a small shuttle, and travelling at incredible speeds. Adam always loved the sensation of flying, but sometimes there were other emotions that took hold in his mind as his dream took over his body.

He was angry. Angry because his usual confidence had been taken by surprise. The pilot in front of him had inconceivably evaded him again and again in his odd shuttle with four outstretched wings.

"...is strong with this one!" He could hear himself say. Adam was also surprised by the steady mechanical sounding breathing that surrounded the small space he was in. Is that me, he thought.

Again, he was confident. Adam fired off another laser, and, though the pilot maneuvered away from a mortal strike, the beam damaged the astromech droid imbedded in the hull.

Astromech. What a strange word.

The rebel pilot was near the end of the trench. There was a trench, Adam discovered. Made of metal and electrical apparatus, it towered high above him. It was imperative that Adam stop him from reaching the end, but he wasn't sure why. It didn't matter too much, however, since the pilot was not firmly locked in Adam's targeting screen.

"I have you now!" Adam cried in a deep, robotic voice. Suddenly, one of his wingmen vaporized in the silent heat of a deep space explosion.

"What?!" Adam raged, as his own vessel was tossed out of the trench in a collision with another wingman. Images flashed in the glass in front of him as he spun haphazardly out into space-

Adam woke with a gasp. It was still dark in the apartment; the sun must not have risen yet. Adam looked at his clock: Five-thirty. Adam sighed and reached for his sketchbook to begin to draw. It was several minutes until Adam could grasp the general shape and it was almost half-past six by the time he finished the picture.

It was a spherical shape, with a perfect circle located on the top half. It made a sort of dent into the whole structure, and there was a line under it that bisected the entire sphere. That, he knew instinctively, was the trench. It was the trench in a gigantic space station that would be roughly one hundred fifty kilometers wide. Adam sighed helplessly and closed the book. He noticed that it was almost full and he would have to get a new one soon.

Adam did not dream so vividly every night, but when he did, strange images assaulted him until he drew them out. They were often fantastic machines that were beyond any development that had been made by science. They seemed to come right out of a science fiction novel. Adam did not have enough money to actually see a therapist, but he suspected it was some form of OCD.

By the time he was dressed, the sun was shining through his only window. Adam might have regretted getting up so early on a day off, but he was actually glad that his morning ritual was out of the way because he had made plans.

Well, he had made plans to make plans.

Adam had spent the last nineteen years of his life in a gray. He had been orphaned early enough in his life that he could not remember his parents. He was between foster families for the rest of his childhood. Nothing ever seemed to stick. It wasn't his fault- mostly- but every few years, he had entered the house of a new pair of foster parents. Sometimes, they were bothered by the drawing obsession; sometimes, they couldn't afford to foster any longer; sometimes, they just decided being foster parents wasn't what they wanted it to be.

Adam held no grudge against them, but it caused him to be detached from much of his life. He did decently in school, but never developed strong friendships. He never felt like part of anyone's family. He didn't know what he wanted to become when he grew up. After graduating a high school near the orphanage- his latest caregivers divorced only three months before- he struck out on his own and took an easy retail job in Metropolis. It was the only city near enough that he could afford the bus ticket.

But life in the city of the future was still in the gray for Adam. Work was monotonous and unfulfilling, and he soon decided that he wanted to do something different. He made it his goal that he would go out today and find whatever it is that he was meant to do.

Today, Adam was going to make something of himself.

Today, Kara was going to make something of herself.

The Justice League had been ordered to the Watchtower for an emergency matter. What it was, no one knew, but Kara was excited and the opportunity. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an inappropriate emotion- a crisis that probably put Earth in the balance was at stake. Instead, she was anxiously excited to hear what the news was.

Flash was late as usual, but Batman was being patient. Batman was never patient unless things were super-serious, so Kara took this as a good sign that things were going the way she wanted. Batman was not the official leader of the Justice League- no one was, officially. But when it came to leadership, you could always count on one of three people: Batman, Wonder Woman, or Superman.

Batman was strategy to the core. He had no super strength, nor laser eyes, but his mind was one of the most dangerous on the planet. If there was a plan, Batman had it. Wonder Woman was there in the heat of the battle. When things went wrong, when a horde of Brainiac bots surrounded you and all the air support was in flames, Wonder Woman would fight on and win the day. She was crazy good with any weapon and she was near indestructible with those Amazonian bracelets.

Superman, however, is the Justice League. He is indestructible, infallible, and always there when danger threatens. After every battle, he was talking to every news outlet, emergency professional, and government official; reassuring that the danger was past and ensuring that it would not return. Before the battle, Superman was what every villain thought of when facing the League. That man- that indestructible demigod- we are going up against him.

Superman was also Kara's- Supergirl's- cousin. She wanted nothing more than to honor the giant 'S' they both wore on their chests.

Flash finally arrived and walked into the mission room at a lazy pace.

"Morning, everyone," he called with a wave. "Which world are we saving today?"

"Sit down, West, we're starting." Batman said, without looking up from the monitor he was fiddling with. That's another thing with those three, Kara mused. They always call everybody by their real names.

Flash sat down in the space of time that it took Kara to blink, and then she herself turned to the holoprojection on the table. The image was relatively neutral: a field of stars with some unnamed planet near the bottom taking up the same amount of room as a ping-pong ball.

Superman gestured to Green Lantern and said, "John, I'll let you start. You have the closest link to this information." G.L. nodded and stood up, taking the center of the room. He was taller than most Earthlings, and well built. Kara always thought the green attractive against his dark skin.

"A week ago," he began. "The Lanterns of sector 1241 recorded this footage on their rings while on patrol. The planet you see is Anaxes VII. Earth scientists have their own name for the star, but I won't bore you with the letters and numbers. What the Lanterns saw, however, took them entirely by surprise."

G.L. waved his hand at the projection and the holo came to life. At first, nothing happened. Then, as Kara was taking a breath to ask a question, four, huge ships appeared in the middle of space above Anaxes VII. They were triangular in shape and rugged around all their edges as if mechanical protrusions were embedded across the entire surface. The holo stopped.

"That was fast," Flash declared to fill the silence.

"That was instantaneous," Cyborg corrected. Kara turned to face the half-man. She was surprised to see him there. Of all the members of the League, only Batman was more solitary. "Did they use Boom Tubes?"

"The Green Lantern rings are able to detect, and more importantly track, the spontaneous teleportation that Boom Tubes provide. There are also no recorded, natural, wormholes in the area. The Lanterns on patrol did not recognize the invaders, or the technology they were using."

"Hold on," Kara interjected. "'Invaders' is a strong term to be throwing around. Just because you don't recognize the Alien, doesn't automatically tag them as evil. I mean, look at Superman and me!"

Green Lantern stared at me, solemnly for a moment before reactivating the holoprojection. All the triangular ships turned towards the planet, and green light emitted from every protrusion. They must have dozens, hundreds of turrets on each ship, Kara thought. In seconds, visible explosions could be seen on the planet's surface.

"You can barely see to the right, here," Green Lantern continued; his voice automatic and detached. "A streak of light headed toward the opposite end of the planet. That was Lantern Krossis. This is his home planet, and he told his partner to remain and record the rest." Kara did see the streak and sat on the edge of her seat to watch the rest. Seconds ticked by and more of the continent was torn from the planet's mantle. A sudden, planet-wide flash indicated that the Atmosphere had caught fire. There would be no one left. When life had been purged from the planet, the ships ceased fire, pointed away from the burning husk, and disappeared as quickly as they had come. The holo stopped entirely and the room lights came up.

Batman took the center of the room. The serous business was beginning.

"Stewart. You said that the Lanterns on patrol had never seen this type of craft before?" Lantern nodded and Batman continued. "The Green Lantern Corps is a policing force that has divided the galaxy into thirty-six hundred sectors. Earth is in Sector 2814 and Stewart has seven other habitable systems in his sector that he patrols."

"We all know this," The Martian Manhunter stated. "What does that matter?"

"It matters because a force that has the whole galaxy mapped doesn't know what we are dealing with here. This is something from outside the galaxy."

There were a few murmurs in the room as the gravity of the statement settled in. Flash, though, had no compunctions about speaking up again.

"So what? Why involve the Justice League in a war on another sector of space?"

Batman, surprisingly, did not reprimand Flash. Instead he answered the question to the entire League.

"There are four main reasons we care about this incident," he said, ticking the points off on each finger. "One: This is an assault from another galaxy and we happen to live in this one. Two: The Anaxes system is only twenty lightyears away. That is extraordinarily close in galactic terms. Three: We cannot track these aliens and we don't know the limitations of their travel. They could be across the galaxy tomorrow- they could be on our doorstep this afternoon.

"Four- and this is the most important- These beings are extremely powerful. With four ships, they annihilated an entire planet in the same amount of time it takes Flash to eat breakfast. This is an unknown force with unknown technology and they potentially have the capability to destroy any fleet set against them. Superman informs me that these advancements were even beyond that of Krypton's in its prime. I hate unknowns and I hate the idea that billions of lives were just wiped out without repercussion."

Every one was taking the issue seriously now. Batman could always work a room that way. Batman turned his attention back to Green Lantern.

"Stewart. I want you to travel to this sector and learn everything that you can. See if the invaders left anything behind."

"If it's alright, I'd like Superman with me. I wouldn't mind the extra muscle and his microscopic vision is more efficient than the rind's scanners."

"Understood. Kent, I want a full spectrum scan as well. Can you handle that? Good. Take the Javelin. J'onn, I need you to use one of your Pentagon disguises and see if any intelligence has shown up in the higher level of government."

"Bruce, you know I don't like breaking in to the gov-"

"I tried asking nicely and their keeping their lips shut. I don't want to was time with bureaucracy."

Batman was handing out assignments. It was Kara's time to shine. Time to prove herself to the League.

"How can I help?" she interrupted. Batman and Superman exchanged a silent glance. Superman spoke.

"Kara, while I'm out with John, I need you patrolling Metropolis. This is a serious matter, but the League's day-to-day duties still need tending."

"But this is a matter concerning aliens!" Kara argued. "Unlike you, Kal, I actually grew up in Krypton. I know more about advanced tech and interstellar warfare. I can help!"

"Supergirl," Batman interjected. "We all have our assignments. The League needs you on the ground. Keep Metropolis safe and I promise the rest of the galaxy will be taken care of."

Kara wanted to argue further, but it was hard to meet eyes with Batman for too long. Instead, she turned away and stormed towards the nearest airlock. She needed time to cool off and the teleporter worked too fast.

It was true. She had grown up on Krypton, not Kal. When Krypton was destroyed, her city of Kandor had been preserved temporarily in her father's- Kal's uncle's- force field. Eventually, Brainiac stole that last piece of Krypton, but before that, Kara had been sent aboard a spaceship that Jor-el had given her father. Fifteen-year-old Kara had been told that she was being sent to protect her little cousin who had been sent as a baby.

Apparently, Kara's father was not as skilled at shuttle launch. When Kal-el had landed on Earth, Kara Zor-el had missed and ended up in orbit with her suspended animation intact. When she finally woke up, her baby cousin was a full adult and had been protecting himself just fine. For the past four years, Kara had tried to make her way in this primitive, backwater world, but Kal had had decades.

This was going to be a chance for Kara to finally show her worth, to prove to everyone that she was just as good as her cousin, but now she was stuck suspended on Earth again.

Kara looked down at the enlarging planet above her, and sighed silently into the vacuum.

Well, maybe next crisis.

Adam walked down the street with a spring in his step. It was time to look for a future. It took several blocks of walking before he began to see more people. His apartment was not located in a popular portion of Metropolis.

After about twenty minutes, Adam passed a homeless man on the sidewalk. The disheveled and unkempt man was peddling sketches and caricatures that he did by hand. Feeling compelled, Adam reached in his jeans for what little change he had on hand. When offered, the homeless man attempted to give away one of his treasures, but Adam shook his head and reassured that he was just being charitable. Besides, the pictures weren't exactly what Adam would want hanging up in his apartment.

The encounter was briefly inspiring. Perhaps Adam could take up artistry. Not as a street peddler, but as a professional business. The images he drew in his notebook were often drawn with staggering levels of detail which would certainly catch someone's eye. For that matter, Adam could try to make his way as an architect, or an inventor. The designs were futuristic and potentially world-changing in their scientific advancement.

Unless they were so futuristic that they couldn't work. And Adam wasn't exactly in control of what he drew. And he had no idea how to start building the things he designed.

Perhaps I should start writing science fiction, Adam thought dourly.

To lighten his spirits, he turned into Mr. Martinez's shop. El Pueblo was owned by a middle-aged man named Joaquin Martinez. It was part convenience store, part deli, part coffee shop and it barely made Mr. Martinez enough to keep the lights on. But it was a fixture in this side of town and Mr. Martinez catered to many regular customers. One of whom was Adam.

Adam liked the friendliness of the owner and also appreciated the wares he sold. They were almost always the cheap brands, so Adam could afford to get a little more food for his buck. In addition, the turkey clubs were to die for.

"A turkey club, please," Adam requested as he laid a loaf of bread and several bags of chips on the counter.

"Excellent choice!" Mr. Martinez replied. When he turned around, he was holding out a thickly laden sandwich and a small square package that Adam knew would hold a chocolate chip cookie. When the store owner was in a good mood, Adam was always slipped a free cookie.

"You seem to be in a good mood today, young man," Mr. Martinez said after I finished making my transaction. He propped his elbows on the counter and aimed a smile at me. "What is the occasion?"

"Nothing, really," Adam replied. "I just feel sorta- y'know- hopeful. Like there's about to be change, but good change. Do you know what I mean?"

Mr. Martinez nodded solemnly. "I do indeed! My advice: smile at everyone you meet. You have a winning smile and it will make you look more handsome when you meet the girl of your dreams."

Adam laughed. "I don't think I'm meeting any new girls today, Mr. Martinez."

Adam grabbed his purchases in their plastic bag and made to leave through the door. At that moment, a black clad couple- a man and a woman- shoved past him and rushed at the counter. On instinct, Adam knew what they were doing before he saw the gun pulled out of the woman's pocket.

"Open the register!" she screamed; the gun held shakily in her hands. Mr. Martinez tried to speak, but his collar was suddenly grabbed by the man and he was lifted in the air.

"Do as she says!"

"Okay! I will! Let me down!" Mr. Martinez sounded more annoyed than scared, oddly enough.

Adam was scared. Fear was all he could think of. Fear was keeping him in the store when he should be running. Fear was keeping him from acting whatsoever. All he could do was look at the armed man in front of him and think, I want him gone! As Mr. Martinez open the register Adam raised his hands to protect his face and-

Suddenly, the male thief was flying across the room and slamming into the wall. Adam was stunned, but a pulling at his instincts told him to duck! When he lowered his head, a shower of drywall exploded over his head as he heard an impossibly loud handgun fire. Adam ran forward and sought cover in one of the wire racks. Stupidly, he reached out his hands to rip the woman's gun away as he ran, but she was still several feet away.

The woman cried out, and Adam was amazed to find that the gun had flow into his hands of his own accord. Adam was terrified of wielding the weapon, but at a thought, it disassembled itself and the parts clattered to the floor. He stood from his crouch and saw that the man was unconscious and leaning against the far wall.

The woman had a knife against Mr. Martinez's throat.

"So, you're a super, huh?" She shakily uttered. "I know how you think. You won't let me kill an innocent, but if you don't let me go, I will. I-I'll kill him."

Adam spoke with a confidence that was not his own. "You don't want to do that."

The woman's eyes spaced and her shoulders relaxed. "I don't want to do this."

"Just calm down."

"I will calm down."

"Uh, sit and wait for the authorities?"

"I will sit and wait for the authorities." The woman did exactly as she claimed. Adam was shaking but he didn't know where to go. Just as he was about to sit down himself, he heard a voice behind him.

"That was amazing!"

Kara flew through the sky on her usual patrol. Naturally, se was distracted, but her keen Kryptonian senses were on full alert. It wasn't long before she heard the distant sound of "Open the register!" in her super-hearing. Immediately she darted towards the sound at sonic speed. It was probably a small-time affair that the police handle just as well as she could, but she needed the diversion.

Besides, who didn't want Supergirl to save their day?

When Kara arrived, however, she soon discovered that she might not need to save anything. Inside the store of the attempted robbery, she could see a young man fighting off two people in black clothing. The young man hurled one robber against the wall with some invisible force and used that same force to rip the gun away from the other. Then, to Kara's bewilderment, he used some sort of mental persuasion to make the robber give up.

Man, Kara thought. That's like Martian Manhunter good.

"That was amazing!" she announced. The young hero was apparently shocked to hear her voice and nearly got whiplash from turning to see her.

"You're Supergirl." He stated numbly.

"Wow, telekinesis and ace detection. I'll have to tell Batman he's out of a job," Kara playfully mocked. "Wanna tell me how you did this? I don't remember seeing you fighting crime before."

"I'll be honest," he truthfully replied. Kara could tell from his pulse and breathing that he was in shock, but not lying. "I've never done that before. It just kind of happened. Is there anything I'm supposed-"

The confused man was interrupted by the shop owner who grabbed him in a huge embrace.

"Thank you! Thank you, Adam!" he cried. "You are now Customer Numero Uno! Free turkey club any time you want. Here, something else," The mature Hispanic man then reached for his wallet and pulled out several bills. "It is not much, but I know you aren't exactly well off, and it's the least I can do. No, no. Don't give it back. It is a gift. Let an aging man reward his hero. Speaking of age, I think this morning has been enough excitement, so I am closing up for the day. Supergirl, thank you for arriving. Please help Adam- I think he is in shock. And Adam? Don't forget to smile." With one last wink, the shop owner left.

Kara crossed her arms and studied Adam. He was dressed in simple clothes and his light brown hair was a mess. He was scared, shocked and in need of direction. Then it hit Kara. This would be how she proved herself to the League. No one saw her as an equal because she was perpetually the newest to the superhero job. If she could take someone under her wing and demonstrate that she was able to become a teacher, they would have to take her seriously. That's how the others did it! Batman had Robin; Aquaman had Aqualad; Green Lantern had other Green Lanterns; Superman had- well- her.

"Adam, I have an idea. I've been looking for a new partner that could help me in patrolling the streets of Metropolis. You've proved that you want to use your power for good. Will you join me?"

"So, like a sidekick?"

"Well, I will be showing you the ropes, and helping you understand your powers, and leading the way in every mission, but partner sounds a little less demeaning doesn't it?" Adam mulled it over and then nodded his head. "Great. So, what's it gonna be? Do you want to be a superhero?"

Adam looked down at his hands, and something seemed to steel itself within him. He stood straight and set his shoulders. Adam looked her straight in the eyes and smiled with a confidence and dazzling intensity that could compete with the Man of Steel.

Adam watched Supergirl leave. They had agreed to a time and place to meet tomorrow to learn about the different patrol routes in Metropolis.

A superhero.

Adam was astounded at what he was discovering he could do. He wanted to believe it was some dream, but- no, he could still feel the power that flowed through him. It seemed to flow into him from all his surroundings. It was a lot to take in, but he would make this work. This was what he was meant to do.

He looked down at the folded bills in his hand. It added up to fifty dollars. Adam sighed. It was probably more than Mr. Martinez had made this morning, but he was nothing if not generous. Adam opened the bills and a small slip of paper fell out.

It looked like a fortune cookie paper. It must have been stuffed in with the bills in the shop owner's wallet. Adam read the flowing script on the page, and furrowed his brow.

There is no death...

Now, what could that mean?