Nestled in a quiet country setting, the institution offered a place for its patients to recuperate in relative peacefulness. The high, barbed wire topped walls insured that many of the 'distractions' of the outside world wouldn't intervene while, at the same time, insured that the outside would not be troubled by some of the more 'disturbed' patients.
Standing deep within the shadows of the trees and bushes that all but obscured the walls from the sight of the patients, the tall man wondered for perhaps the hundredth time what he was doing here. What force had drawn him here from his home and labs in upstate New York?
"I see that I am not the only one to be called." The voice deep and rich whispered from further in the shadows. The tall man's body never moved, yet his head spun a hundred and eighty degrees, his eyes narrowing as he searched the shadows. A soft chuckle emerged, followed by the hazy outline of a man, his clock billowing in the early morning breeze. "I swear, Reed Richards, no matter how many time I see you do that I get chills."
Reed Richards, AKA Mr. Fantastic, smiled and allowed his body to turn. "Echoes of the Exorcist, Dr. Strange?" he asked, a mischievous gleam in his eye. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme of the Universe, smiled and shook his head in mock despair. He then cast his gaze on the distant building of the mental institution.
"You said called." Richards prompted, following the look.
"Yes." Strange nodded slightly, his expression becoming one of both concentration and puzzlement. "Perhaps to you it was an overwhelming urge to come here. To me it was nothing less than a command that I could not fail to recognize." He looked at Richards. "And I suspect that, had you attempted to repress that urge you would have found yourself here in any case."
"Probably." Richards agreed. "As it was, it was an urge stronger than any I had ever felt. And since I had never heard of this place before, my curiosity was aroused." Strange nodded.
"I was in my Sanctum Sanctorum, in ritual circle, when the summons was, uh, delivered, so to speak." Strange rarely discussed his beliefs. Richards knew, however, that the Mage was pagan and that he would often spend his time in the Inner Sanctum communing with his Goddess.
"So we were called." Richards summed it up. "For what purpose?"
"Perhaps that will be revealed when we arrive at our final destination." Strange replied. He moved closer to Richards and moved his hand in an intricate gesture. "Come, I will take us there." Before Richards could protest, both men winked into nothingness.
"Okay, that was payback for the Exorcist remark, wasn't it?" They had materialized in a small, darkened room, Richards putting a hand against a wall to steady himself as he regained his balance. Strange allowed a slight smile to cross his lips, but otherwise gave no indication that he had heard. His attention was on the room's only occupant. Richards moved quickly to the bed and began an examination.
"A young woman, late teens or early twenties, I would say." He whispered. He brushed blonde bangs back and examined the wide-open eyes. "No recognition, no movement other than that common to involuntary system functions." He felt her arms and his eyes widened. "A very dense muscular structure. Athletic and yet," His eyes examined the contours of the young woman's body, "she does not have the muscular definition of a body builder."
Strange contemplated the woman while Richards continued his examination. Then, stepping forward, he placed the fingers of his left hand on her forehead, just above and between the eyebrows, where the so‑called third eye is positioned. He closed his eyes and concentrated, his face devoid of expression. After a moment, he stepped back.
"She is not human, Reed." His voice was soft. "She is humanoid, but her origins are most definitely not terrestrial." He paused, "Nor is she native to this Reality."
"What?" Richards stopped his examination and looked at Strange. "Explain that."
"Perhaps I should be the one to give that explanation." Both men turned as a third seemingly stepped into the room from ‑ nothingness.
"Access." Dr. Strange nodded, as if his suspicions had been confirmed. Richards looked from the woman, to Strange and finally to the newcomer.
"What is your connection to this woman, Access?" He asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer. "Is she some how connected to the Amalgam incident?"
"Yes, in a round about way."
"She is from the other Reality, is she not?" Strange inquired. "I thought I caught some residual images in her mind, though the images did not quite correspond with what I know of that Reality."
Before Access could answer, Richards cut in.
"Images?" He bent and peered again into the young woman's empty eyes.
"Residual images only." Strange clarified. "Images retained within the brain itself." He knew what Richards was asking and shook his head. "There is only that. There is no activity, no…soul, if you will." He sighed and turned to Access. "This is nothing more than an empty shell. A shell, I believe Access is going to tell us comes from the other Reality, but, at the same time, does not."
"I know from viewing that the other Reality is, in actuality, a Multiverse, much like our own." Richards mused, partially to himself, "If she is from that Reality, it is entirely possible that she comes from a similar version of that portion of the Multiverse that we contacted during Amalgam." Richards frowned as he once again contemplated the impossibility of such an event. It was, by all he knew, against all the rules of science. Yet here, in this young woman, was more proof that science did not have all the answers.... yet!
"Dr. Strange is correct." Access confirmed. "It is a long story, and I am afraid that time is not something that we have an abundance of. If I might, I would ask that we forestall lengthy explanations until we have transported this young lady to Mr. Richards' Lab." Richards raised his eyebrows, but nodded.
"Will not the orderlies miss a patient should she suddenly disappear?" Strange asked, though he was already preparing to transport them all to Headquarters of the famed Fantastic Four.
"Hardly." Access snorted. "They do not even know she is here. As far as they are concerned, this is an empty room."
"Curiouser and Curiouser." Strange muttered. With a minute gesture, all four figures faded.
Fantastic Four HQ"Now I believe explanations are in order." Reed Richards demanded. The four had materialized in the Fantastic Four's headquarters at Pier Four and Richards had immediately enlisted the aid of his wife, Sue Richards, A.K.A. Invisible Woman. Using a floating stretcher, Sue had whisked the young woman to the Examination room of the infirmary.
"Yes, I believe that now would be an appropriate time, Access." Strange agreed. "Who is that young woman and why, if she belongs in the other Reality, is she here?"
"To begin with, she is from that Reality, that much is true, yet she no longer belongs to that Reality." He looked at his questioners. "Over there, she no longer exists. In fact, she has never existed, according to their current history."
"I don't believe I understand." Dr. Strange admitted. Access sighed.
"It is difficult to explain." He stated. "Over there events transpired shortly before the Amalgam incident that caused tremendous upheavals in the fabric of space and time."
"I recall taking readings on two such events in that universe." Richards confided. "Once I determined that there was no danger to our universe and that no action on our part could help I moved on to other projects. In essence..."
"The universe re‑booted itself." Sue interjected, sensing a technical explanation that neither Strange nor Access would understand. Reed looked at her and then smiled somewhat apologetically.
"Yes, reboot is a good term. A very apt term, in this case. As I said earlier, it is a Multiverse over there. During the first period of upheaval, several dimensions merged into one."
"Correct. That woman is, or was, a clone of a heroine of the other Reality." Access continued. "A heroine that existed prior to that merger. A heroine that gave her life to save her Reality and her kinsman from the entity causing the upheavals that made the merger necessary. As it was, she was only partially successful. Her sacrifice, however, gave the remaining heroes time to come up with a plan to defeat the entity and to repair the damage done. Yet, in that repairing, time had to be restarted. Rebooted, as Mrs. Richards so aptly put it. History was rewritten." Access paused, shaking his head. "When history was rewritten, the heroine that gave her life was written out. Yet there remained some anomalies. A few paradoxes remained. This young lady is one such paradox."
"You said she was a clone of the original?" Richards prompted. With the other two men, they watched as Sue quickly and expertly attached sensors and liquid tubes to the woman in question.
"Yes. And that is the paradox." Access acknowledged. "The original, according to that Reality's current time line, did not, in fact could not, exist. Yet here was the clone."
"And the cosmos itself will eventually work to correct any paradox." Strange concluded. "At least in this Reality."
"And in that Reality." Access nodded and brushed a lock of blond hair from the young woman's face. "First to go was any knowledge of her origins." He looked up. "Oh yes, she was quite aware of where she came from. You see, she was originally created to be a foe of the original. During a battle, the original exposed the clone to a type of radiation that nullified her powers. Then with the help of her kinsman, she corrected a mental imbalance in the clone's mind, gave her a new identity and helped her make a new start as a regular person. But, as I said, her knowledge of her origins was the first to go. As events progressed, she eventually devolved to the shell she now is. This is nothing but the physical, empty container."
"Why bring her here, Access?" Richards demanded, frowning at the figure on the examining table. He swung his gaze back to Access. "If, as you say, this is but a shell, wouldn't it have been kinder to let the cosmos finish what it started?"
"Perhaps." Access surprised them by agreeing. "Unfortunately, Amalgam happened before that could be done."
"Amalgam." Strange rubbed his chin with one hand while the other fingered his medallion. "When our two Realities briefly merged. I can but assume that during this merger, she was stranded over here."
"Right. When things were straightened out, there was no place for her on the other side. Paradox corrected. So she remained."
"And if we send her back?"
"She will cease to exist." Access confirmed. "Unless she is clearly and firmly anchored in this Reality."
"However, that is not all there is to this, is it?" Strange questioned. "You think there is something that Reed Richards and I can do to help this young woman."
"What is it you think we can do, Access?" Richards demanded. Access smiled
"Why, restore her, of course."
"Restore...what?" Sue demanded. "You said your self she is gone. There is nothing to restore. The best we can do is keeping the body alive. But would that really be a kindness?" Access looked extremely uncomfortable.
"I have reason to believe that the...essence, soul if you want, of the original is also on this side." He finally blurted.
Both Sue and Reed Richards looked at the dimensional traveler as if he had suddenly sprouted a second head or a third hand. Strange, however, contemplated first Access and then the young woman.
"I believe you might be correct." He said finally, moving closer to the young woman.
"Stephen!" Sue exclaimed. "Even if he is, what can we do about it?"
"What evidence do you base your conclusion on?" Richards demanded.
"We were both called to that institution, Reed Richards." Strange explained, his eyes never leaving the woman. "Who or what called us there? Not Access. That is not among his abilities." Whatever retort Richards had planned died unspoken as he realized the truth of Strange's statement.
"Are you saying a disembodied soul urged us to go there?"
"No. Such a soul could not possess the power of the summons I received. Such power would have to come from some other entity. An entity immensely more powerful."
"Great. So now you're telling me God called us to be there."
"No. Not god in the Christian sense. But a god, nonetheless. In fact, I would wager that it was this woman's God."
"Rao." Access whispered. Richards looked at the traveler, his eyes thoughtful.
"I have heard that name before."
"My God, Reed. Look at her!" Sue exclaimed, her eyes wide with recognition. "Really look at her." She turned to Access. "You mentioned her kinsman." Then to Richards. "Reed, you can see the family resemblance."
Richards bent closer to the girl, studying her facial features.
"Perhaps." He muttered to himself.
"Mrs. Richards is correct, sir." Access stated. "The original was indeed a cousin of that Reality's Superman." He paused. "Or rather, she was a cousin of the Superman that existed prior to the reboot, as Mrs. Richards called it. When time and history were changed, so too were many of the histories of the inhabitants of that Reality." He motioned towards the young woman. "For instance, this woman had her powers stripped from her by a radioactive substance that does not exist in the rewritten history. More, though she was not more powerful than the Superman in that version of their history, she is definitely more powerful than the current incarnation."
"Hmmm, I don't think Bruce Banner would care to hear that. " Strange mused. "If I am not mistaken, it was his lot to battle Superman." He smiled thinly. "Though the brain of Dr. Banner and the brawn of the Hulk have been merged, He still does not take defeat gracefully." The tension that had been building was broken as they each got a chuckle from that. "Access, tell me." Strange continued. "How is it that you know the history of this young woman. If, as you say, these events happened prior to Amalgam, then there is no way you could have gotten that information from anyone living now."
"True." Access acknowledged with a shrug. "All I can say is that I was given this information by the same entity that called you to the institution to meet me."
"And the entity's interest in this young woman?" Richards pressed.
"Call it the act of a loving parent that wishes to see justice done." Access pointed at the young woman. "Rao wishes only that this daughter be restored and be allowed to live as she was meant. Rao, the god of an exploded world in that Reality wants nothing more than to reward her for her sacrifices and nobility.
"And nothing less will suffice than the rebirth of Kara Zor‑El! The resurrection of Supergirl!"
Chapter 2 Fantastic Four HQThere was a stunned silence for a moment after Access' proclamation.
"Now wait a moment, Access." Reed Richards turned to a nearby wall screen and began calling up data. "Both during and after Amalgam I worked to establish a database on those various individuals of the other universe that we interacted with." He stepped back as a figure appeared on the screen. Frozen in apparent conversation with a contemporary, the photo showed a young blond woman, her blue and red garb a feminine version of the suit worn by Superman. Referring to the picture, Richards continued. "As you can see, Supergirl does exist in that Reality."
"A Supergirl exists, Mr. Richards." Access corrected. "That Supergirl was originally a construct created in a pocket universe to fill the void left when that pocket universe's hero, Superboy, was killed." He held up a hand to forestall any interruption. "Yes, I am aware that the Superboy of the other Reality is still very much alive. To make a long story short, during a period of upheaval between reboots, a scientist, by the name of Lex Luther, created this Supergirl. A man I imagine would be on par with you, Mr. Richards and your peer, Dr. Doom, in his intelligence. In the pocket universe, he used that ability to aid his fellow man. In the main universe his alternate self was every bit as evil and callous as Dr. Doom." He paused to take a breath. "Needless to say that this Supergirl is in no fashion related to Superman. Her powers are not even the same." He smiled in a whimsical way. "It is amusing to see history, though rewritten, take similar paths." He pointed to the woman on the table. "When her original came to Earth, she was found by her cousin and eventually adopted by Earth people in the small town of Leesburg. She took the secret identity of Linda Danvers." Now he pointed at the picture. "That Supergirl, in order to save the life of a young girl named Linda Danvers, merged with her to create a single being. So now HER secret identity is Linda Danvers."
"This is all good and well." Strange broke in. "But what exactly is it you wish us to do. Or perhaps I should ask, how do you expect us to do it?"
"I don't know." Access shrugged. "I only know that her soul must be joined with this body." This said while looking at Dr. Strange. Then to Reed Richards "and that the powers belonging to the body be restored to it."
Their attention centered on their conversation and the young woman on the table, none of the four noticed the small spider like shape that slowly crept out of the shadows in a corner of the ceiling. Scurrying quickly, the spider thing moved down a wall, moving behind machinery and out of site. Once at floor level, it moved around and under the machinery, getting as close as possible. Finally, again hidden in the shadows it stopped and settled to the floor, it's multifaceted eyes locked on the quartet. After a moment, a fissure appeared on it's back.
From the opening arose an apparatus that resembled nothing more than a very miniaturized version of a satellite dish. The spider thing would record events and then, using every anti detection device at it's disposal, make it's way out of the Fantastic Four's Headquarters. Once clear it would fulfill it's programming. It would ready it's recordings for transmission and then, in a single, micro second burst, it would send it all skyward, bouncing the signal off a satellite. From there the signal would be transmitted back to another portion of Earth. In this case, Latavia.
The Rebirth: Resurrection
"Dear?" Sue moved into the darkened Lab, frowning at the sight of Reed sitting at his console, seemingly lost in thought.
It had been just two days since he had agreed to work on the problem of restoring the powers to the young woman. "Kara." Sue reminded herself. "I have to get used to that." He had worked almost non stop since then, taking blood samples right then and there. And now here he was, simply sitting there.
"Reed, is anything wrong?" She moved up next to him, running a hand through his hair.
"Wha?" Reed shook himself from his contemplation and looked up at his wife. "Oh, not really, dear." He said. "I've isolated the type of radiation that caused her power loss. " he reached over and flicked a switch on the console. Before him a screen sprang to life, showing and enlarged cell, lightly outlined in a yellow glow.
"Access was under the impression that her powers had been stripped from her." He explained. "That is not entirely accurate. It would be more accurate to say that they had been masked. See the glow around the cell? Each and every cell of her body is covered with that. Basically it is a type of radiation that, while not harmful, attaches itself to the cells of persons of her origin. " He stood up, stretching. "To restore her powers, I simply have to cleanse her system."
"Is that a problem?" Sue asked, not understanding Reed's moodiness.
"In itself, no." He admitted. "In fact, I have already developed the apparatus needed to perform the procedure." He stared at the view screen. "Just a matter of minutes and her powers would be restored."
"I don't understand, then." Sue tried not to let the exasperation she was feeling show. "What is the problem? What is troubling you?"
"I can't fool you, can I?" Reed smiled and, stretching and arm out to encircle his wife he pulled her close.
"Not usually, Reed Richards!" Sue smiled to take the sting out of her words. "Now tell me what's wrong."
"I can restore her, physically, at least." Reed explained. "But I am not now sure that it is a wise thing to do."
"What do you mean?"
"You heard Access, Dear. That young woman..."
"Kara, Reed. Her name is Kara."
"Okay, Kara. Kara was, will be, more powerful than the other Reality's Superman. Will we be doing the right thing in releasing that kind of power in our own Reality?" Sue stepped back, clearly shocked.
"Reed Richards how dare you!"
"What? Dear I am just concerned..."
"No, you are moralizing. You are trying to play god!" Sue was clearly angered. Taking a breath, she calmed herself...somewhat. "Reed, Kara is not one of your pet projects. She is a living being."
"Sue, look at this." Reed adjusted the controls on his console and the yellow infused cell was replaced with another cell...sans the yellow glow. "This is a single cell that I cleansed." He explained. "I then ran tests on that cell." He looked at Sue, the worry clear in his face. "Dear, that wom...Kara, is virtually invulnerable. According to the tests I ran, only radiation similar to that yellow radiation," He adjusted the controls again, this time depicting several multi colored substances. "can harm affect her. I was able to reproduce the yellow radiation and discovered that, by slightly modifying the wavelength, which, incidentally changes the color of the radioactive substance, I could produce radiation that have other affects." He pointed to a green substance on the screen. "For instance, exposure to this substance could kill her. Though once removed from the proximity of the substance, her regenerative abilities would quickly nullify the affects. Provided, of course, the substance were removed before she was irrevocably poisoned." He pointed to the yellow substance. "Exposure to this substance will, as we have seen, mask, or nullify her powers." He grimaced. "The affects of this were permanent and instantaneous. No longer. Once cleansed, the cell developed a form of resilience. Now exposure to the yellow radiation will only mask her powers temporarily. A few hours at the most." He pointed to a red substance. "This will have unpredictable results. Each one different." He shook his head and pointed to a white substance. "This has no effect whatsoever on her, but is extremely deadly to earth plant life. The blue substance had no affect on anything, so far as I can tell."
"It sounds as if you have been hedging your bets." Sue remarked dryly.
"What do you mean?"
"Reed, you were worried that you would be releasing something that could not be controlled. A power of tremendous destructive capabilities. So you made sure you had some insurance." She pointed at the screen. "If something does go wrong with Kara, you have made sure that we have methods of stopping her." She turned her finger to him and poked him in the chest with it. "That being the case, Reed Richards, you have done what you could to safe guard our world. Now you get busy and cure that young lady." She turned and stalked towards the exit.
"Yes dear. Oh and Dear?"
"Yes?" Sue whirled around, ready for another confrontation.
"Kara, dear. Her name is Kara."
"Oh!" Sue glared at him and stamped out, Reed's laughter following her. Just outside the lab, she allowed the scowl to disappear to be replaced with a smile.
Sue gone, Reed returned to his work. In a matter of moments, it would all be up to Dr. Strange.
In the shadows, a small spider like thing settled down to watch and wait.
Sanctum Sanctorum!Stephen Strange pushed away from his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
Since taking his leave of Reed and Sue Richards and Access, he had been poring over his tombs and grimoires. He had initially, decided upon a course of research and, so far, had obtained nothing that would give him the results needed.
The problem was not in the act of restoring the soul. There were multitudes of spells and gimmicks for trapping or stealing a soul that could be reversed. But in each case, such a spell or gimmick required that the soul in question be contained or, at the least, readily available.
But how does one go about restoring a soul that is wandering free? Strange looked up, his brows arching. One doesn't. One first locates the soul and then proceeds.
Okay then. So how to locate the soul? His first thought was to travel to the other Realty (an ability he suspected Access knew he had) to get more information. He dismissed that however, after more contemplation. He already knew more about Kara than he would be able to discover over there. As far as they were concerned, she did not nor had she ever existed.
He had also contemplated enlisting the aid of Adam Warlock. He dismissed that notion as well. For reasons of his own, he was reluctant to trust Warlock.
Perhaps it's the name." He had mused, at one time. In ancient times, a Warlock was an oath breaker, a betrayer. Not a male witch. Today, no self-respecting witch would claim to be a warlock and would instantly shun one who did claim to be one. Today, both male and female practitioners of the old religions used the term witch. Old Religions.
Strange stood and walked to the center of the room. Perhaps there was a way to gather more information. And he would not have to travel to the other Reality to get it. Quickly setting up an altar, Strange began Casting a Circle.
Lighting the candles and incense, he picked up his athame and moved to what would be the Northern boundary of his circle and began. Raising the blade up and outward, he used it to trace a pentacle in the air, the blade leaving purple trails.
"Guardians of the North. Lords of Air. I call you forth to guard and protect the circle. Let nothing evil enter within. By my will, so mote it be!"
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then, slowly, a bluish fog seemed to stream in from nowhere, covering the northern quarter. Lowering the athame, Strange slowly traced a curving line in purple flame as he moved to the east. Once again he raised the athame, again tracing a fiery pentacle as he called out.
"Guardians of the East. Lords of Earth. Rise up and come forth. Guard and protect this circle and all within. Let no evil enter. By my will, so mote it be!"
Twice more he called the quarters, calling forth the Guardians of the South, Lords of Fire and the Guardians of the West, Lords of Water. Each time leaving a purple pentacle blazing in the air and connecting each quarter with a fiery boundary until he once again stood in the north, the Circle closed.
Relaxing for a moment, Strange gathered his thoughts as he moved back behind the altar. Usually, after calling the Quarters and raising the Circle, he would call upon the Lord and Lady, using those aspects of the God and Goddess he felt most comfortable with. For, like most followers of the Old Religions, Strange was of the opinion that no matter what names one used to contact the Deities, one was still contacting the same being or beings. The name used was merely a focus for the person calling. If a person wished to obtain divine aid in matters of the heart, one would naturally call upon Aphrodite. In such a way, a persons energies would be focused towards the desired results.
In this case, Strange felt he would get better results by calling upon that aspect of Deity known to the orphaned Kryptonian.
Raising his athame, Strange once again traced a pentacle and began the Call of the God. Rao!
The Rebirth: Resurrection
All was quiet in the Sanctum Sanctorum. In a circle of purple flames, Stephen Strange sat cross legged, eyes closed. Had there been any witnesses, it would seem as if he slept. In actuality, he was not present at all.
His call had been answered instantly and with more forcefulness than he had expected. As if the Deity in question had been waiting for just such a request (request, not summons. One does NOT summon Deity.)
The presence of Rao had filled the circle, enveloping him, whispering to him. He had felt himself forced to the ground. Presumably to save him from falling when his astral self was detached from his physical self.
Though no words were clearly spoken, Strange recognized that he was being commanded to follow. So follow he did. The trip was not long, but then distances and times meant absolutely nothing in this astral place. It seemed no more than a blink of an eye and Strange was soon standing over the huddled figure of a young woman. With a shock, he realized that he was seeing Kara.
"Kara? Kara Zor‑El?" Though speech, as used in the mundane world was impossible in this place, communication was just as simple. The woman, who had been crying, looked up at him through tear filled eyes.
"You know me?" Was the hesitant response. Strange knelt down beside her and took one of her hands, his heart going out to her.
"No." he answered honestly. "But I know of you. And I know what has happened to you." He stood and pulled her to her feet. Pulling her close and holding her tight. "And I am here to help!"
Chapter 3 Sanctum Sanctorum!With ease that comes from practice, Strange retraced his path until he stood just outside his body.
"Kara," He pushed the young woman back slightly and tilted her head, forcing her to look at him. "I need you to stay here."
"Where are you going?" Her question was frantic and her grip on his arms was almost painful.
"Look. You must remain calm if I am to help you."
"Help me?" Now her voice had a hysterical note to it. "How can you help me? I'm dead!" The last was shouted as she tore away from him. "Dead. The Anti‑Monitor killed me." She started to laugh. "I always wondered where Kryptonians went when they died. Now I know. Nowhere." She whirled around to face him. "So tell me, how are you going to help me? Can you raise the dead?"
"Usually, no." Strange's reply was dry. "But in this case, I think I will be doing something similar."
"In the name of Rao what are you babbling about?"
"Actually, Rao has had a hand in this." Strange took Kara by the arms and gave her a shake. "Think, Kara. Do you remember defeating a clone of yourself? Do you remember stripping her of her powers?"
"Y‑yes." Kara whispered, her anger and defiance drained.
"Good." Strange stepped back. "I can't give you the whole story. I don't know the whole story. Suffice it to say that I have that clone and I propose to unite you, the spirit, with it." Kara stepped away, a horrified look on her face.
"NO!" She shook her head. "I can't let you do that. As much as I want to live again, I can't condone destroying another's life to restore mine."
"There will be no destruction." Strange explained, inwardly pleased at this sign of nobility. "She is an empty shell, Kara. Whatever spirit she may have once possessed, has long since been extinguished. All that is left is the physical container. It must be filled soon or we will have no choice but to let the body die as well."
"I don't understand..." Kara began.
"I know. But soon you will." And may the gods help you when you realize the whole truth. Strange thought to himself. "Let me assure you that, if there were any danger that restoring you would cause harm to the previous inhabitant, then I would not be a party to this. But as it stands, you both benefit. The body regains it's spirit and you regain your life."
"A life with out my powers." Kara said, somewhat bitterly. Then she smiled. "But it will be a life. That will be enough."
"You must remain here." Strange told her again, deciding not to reveal what Reed Richards had done. "I must make some preparations. When you next hear my voice, all you have to do is follow it. Just follow the sound of my voice and do not struggle. When you do, it will seem as if you are falling asleep. When you awaken, it will be in your body. Do you understand?"
Kara nodded. She reached out and grabbed his hand before he could pull away.
"Thank you." She paused. "I don't know what to call you."
"To the world at large, I am known as Dr. Strange." He gripped her hand in both of his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You can call me...a friend."
After returning to his body, Strange had cut an opening in the circle, carefully sealing it behind him as he stepped out, rather than dismissing it altogether.
First he called Reed Richards, informing him that he was ready. He then left instructions with his houseman, Wong, that Richards and company be shown straight to the Sanctorum when they arrived. He then he began opened one of his many grimoires and began studying while he waited.
Though not long, the wait was longer than he anticipated. He had just closed the grimoire and stood when a soft knock sounded on the room's only door. The door then opened, at a gesture from Strange, to allow his guests entrance. Reed came first, pushing the floating stretcher bearing the young woman before him. He was not surprised when Sue Richards entered behind him. The third figure startled him somewhat. More startling was the fact that he had not sensed his presence to begin with. "Too deep in study." He muttered to himself.
"Charles Xavier." Strange bowed slightly to the man in the floating chair. He then turned questioning eyes towards Reed.
"Sue suggested that he accompany us." Richards explained. "After I told her what you had told me about her mental state she suggested having him here would be a wise precaution. And I agree." He smiled wryly. "I don't imagine that you want some one as powerful as her to be throwing a tantrum in your Sanctorum."
"Hmmm. Quite right. I am ashamed that I failed to consider the need."
"Have no worries, Dr. Strange." Xavier spoke up. "I will not interfere unless I sense the need to calm the subject." He smiled. "Though I feel that before long both I and the X‑Men will be more involved."
"Possibly." Strange mused. "Perhaps at your school she well be able to adjust to life in this Reality easier."
"My thoughts exactly." Xavier nodded.
"Very well then." Strange moved to the stretcher and pushed it closer to the circle. "Once I am in the circle, I must ask you to remain quiet and to remain outside. No matter what you see or what happens, do not cross into the circle." He waited for each of them to acknowledge his instructions and then turned to Xavier. "I am sure that if your talents are needed, the circle will not hinder them. So long as you do not physically cross the barrier."
"Understood, Dr. Strange."
"Good." Turning his back to the observers, he raised his athame and carefully cut an opening in the circle. He pushed the stretcher through first and then, once inside reversed his actions, once again sealing the ritual space.
That accomplished, he turned to the stretcher and studying the controls for a moment, killed the power, allowing it to float gently to the floor. A quick examination of the sacred space, making sure all was ready, he began.
Sinking down to his knees beside the stretcher, he lifted the athame high, point upwards. Softly at first, he began to chant, his voice growing louder with each repetition. As he raised the energy needed, he turned the athame down, its point to the woman.
Outside the circle Sue shifted uncomfortably.
"Not to worry." The voice sounded in her head and she turned to see Xavier looking at her. "The knife, or Athame as it is called by Practitioners of Wicca and other old religions, is used merely as a focus. He will not use it to harm her. What he is doing now is focusing the energy he has raised through himself and out, via the tip of the athame, into the woman." Sue nodded her understanding and looked back at the circle.
Strange's chanting had grown almost to a shout. He slowly gained his feet, careful to keep the blade of the athame pointed at the woman. He repeated the chant one last time and then called out.
"Kara! Kara Zor‑El! I, Stephen Strange, summon you forth. I, Sorcerer Supreme, do command you to come forth. Kara Zor‑El, I, Stephen Strange do command you to live!" He called out again and yet again, each time growing more forceful in his summoning.
Outside the circle Xavier grew alert and bent his attention not on Strange but on the woman in the stretcher.
Sue, watching closely, stifled a gasp and gripped Reed's arm as first a hand and the a leg twitched.
What happened next was both terrifying and awing.
A strangled, horrified scream erupted from the throat of the woman, her eyes flying open wide with fear. Then, in an instant, she was in the air, streaking straight for the ceiling.
"NO!" The thought blasted into her mind, sweeping past the fear and the confusion. "Calm! You are safe. You are with friends. Calm, Kara. Calm!"
At the same moment, she felt herself caught and held, unable to move, unable to escape.
"It appears." a voice she dimly recognized was saying, "That not only is she vulnerable to those radiations, Reed, but she is vulnerable to magick as well." She felt herself being pulled down.
"Rest, Kara." The voice in her mind was saying. "Sleep. Soon you will awaken and all will be explained. First you must rest and give yourself time to adjust. Sleep."
Adjust? Adjust to what? Her mind grew hazy as the voice droned on. As the light faded she felt herself being gently lowered back into the stretcher.
"Now that was interesting." Reed commented. After making sure that the woman was, indeed sleeping, Strange had ended the circle, dismissing the four Quarters. Then he, with his quests, had moved the patient to a vacant room in the vast mansion. In a sitting room just outside, Reed, Sue, and Stephen had gathered. Xavier was with the woman still, doing what he could, while she slept, to help.
"It will not be much." He had warned. "I will not intrude unnecessarily." He had looked at them, wondering if they truly understood what the woman had gone through.
"Indeed." Strange now agreed. "I fully expected to be repairing the ceiling of my Sanctorum. I reacted purely on instinct. I never expected that she would be powerless against magick."
"That is interesting. Though not totally unexpected if you think it through." Sue replied. "Magick is not physical. "
"That hold Strange had on her was indeed physical, dear. She was not going anywhere." Reed countered.
"I believe I understand what you are saying." Strange nodded to Sue. "And you are quite correct. It is not physical in the sense that we are used to calling physical. Had I used magick to throw something at her, say a chunk of wood, I am sure that she would have shrugged it off as she would any physical or energy attack. Yet magick works differently. I believe that she is just as vulnerable to magick as any normal being."
They were interrupted as Xavier entered the room. Behind him to door swung closed gently, as if pulled by an invisible hand.
"She is resting peacefully now." He informed them. "She will awaken calmer, but still somewhat confused. If it is no bother I would like to remain and be present when she does awaken. She will probably sleep for a couple of days."
"It will be no problem at all. I will have the room next to this one readied for you." Strange said.
Sue and Reed soon departed, heading back to Pier Four, but not before getting Strange's word that he would contact them should anything new arise and informing him that they would return soon to, as Sue put it, smiling: "be formally introduced to her."
"And now?" Strange asked, once the couple had departed.
"Now we wait." Xavier answered. Turning his chair he regarded the closed door that led into the young woman's room. "We wait."
Chapter 4 Home of Dr. Strange"Physically, she is in the peak of health." Calling on his past as a surgeon, Strange had insisted on examining Kara after a light breakfast. "What we are seeing now is the process of her psyche taking up residence."
"Which would account for the fact that she has yet to realize that she has full use of her powers." Xavier mused. He and Strange observed Kara through a window of Strange's mansion as she wandered slowly through the immaculate gardens of the estate. How Strange had contrived to create a vast garden estate, apparently open to the sky, within a brownstone in Greenwich, Xavier did not even try to understand. Wong, keeping a discreet distance, trailed her in the off chance she would need anything.
"Which brings to mind another question." Strange looked down at the chair ridden man. "Her lack of knowledge does not mean the powers are not there. What is stopping her from accidentally crushing something or suddenly taking off in flight?"
"Habit." Xavier stated. "For many years she existed in dual roles. One as Supergirl, the other as a normal Earth woman. To maintain her identity as the latter, she was forced to exhibit extreme caution, allowing none of her unique abilities to show. I would imagine that, eventually, it became so ingrained that it was subconscious on her part. She no longer had to think about it. Both the body and the psyche know this and are reacting accordingly. Merely on a subconscious level."
"So, once she has 'settled', so to speak, she should be come aware that she has those abilities?"
"Perhaps not." Xavier countered. "At this point in time, her own psyche is keeping her from questioning what has happened. For the moment, much of what she knows has been blocked off from her conscious mind. For the time being perhaps that is for the best. Yet when she does begin to recall and can work through the shock, she will naturally assume that she is powerless. She herself had exposed the clone to the Yellow Kryptonite."
"The yellow what?" Strange turned and looked at Xavier, puzzled.
"The yellow radiation that masked the clones powers." Xavier explained. "I learned during my brief contact with her that the substance was known to her as Kryptonite. A radioactive substance, I do believe, from her home world."
Totally unaware of the men discussing her, Kara walked through the gardens, stopping now and again to admire a piece of art work and a beautiful floral arrangement.
Prof. Xavier, as the man in the floating wheel chair had introduced himself, had been correct. Though Dr. Strange had seem extremely familiar, she could not recall at any time meeting him.
Breakfast had been wonderful. She had not realized she was so hungry until the smell of food caused her mouth to water and her stomach to rumble. She smiled now, remembering her embarrassment, hoping neither of the gentlemen had heard the grumbling.
She swayed slightly as the world wobbled again. She had asked Dr. Strange about the dizziness when he examined her and had been extremely relieved when he informed her that the periods of dizziness would eventually diminish in frequency and in duration.
Moving carefully, she found a spot near a small fountain and settled to the ground, her legs tucked up under her. What had happened to her? From the way Dr. Strange and Prof. Xavier talked, she had been .... unwell.... for some time.
She couldn't recall coming down with any illness. She sighed heavily. The truth of the matter was, she could recall very little of anything. But something kept nagging at her. Puzzled she looked up in the sky...as if searching for something.
"Kal, where are you?" She whispered.
When Xavier grew tense, Strange picked up on it instantly.
"What is it?" He demanded. He looked out the window, but all he could see was the girl, looking up into the sky.
"She is starting to remember." Xavier announced. "Slowly, and in fragments, at best. But starting, nonetheless." He turned sad eyes to Strange. "She is starting to wonder where her cousin is."
The Rebirth: Resurrection
Lit primarily by torches set in holders along the walls, the throne room was cast in shadows that danced in counter point with the flickering flames. The medieval affect was, however, ruined by the flat view screen that extended from the ceiling before the throne and the robotic servant/guardians that stood to either side of the throne, their metallic bodies burnished and painted so as not to cast any form of reflection
On a stand to the right, a metallic mask/helmet rested. It's cold, dark visage a mere reflection of the inner turmoil of the throne room's single, living, occupant.
His horribly disfigured face hidden in the shadows, Dr. Victor Von Doom once again replayed the recording he had received from his spy‑spider.
"A Supergirl." He mused. Already his twisted, genius mind was running through possible advantages and problems this new player could cause him. In the end, he decided simply to wait and watch....for now. "It shall be interesting to see what comes of this. " The picture on the screen zoomed to a close up of the blonde woman on Reed Richard's examination table. "By now she has been taken to Stephen Strange." With a wave of a hand he dismissed the viewer, allowing it to retract into the ceiling and out of sight. "Supergirl. A woman to watch for. Yes. This could be interesting indeed."
The Rebirth: Resurrection
Gods she hurt! She could never recall hurting so much in her life. She could not stifle the groan that passed her lips as she struggled to her feet.
The battle still raged, though now some distance from her. The Anti‑Monitor's last blast had knocked her for a loop, that was sure. Taking stock of the situation she winced as first Green Lantern and then Superboy went tumbling away. Soon, the battle area was cleared with the exception of two combatants, steadily slugging it out. Kal and the Anti‑Monitor.
She gasped as Kal was forced to his knees and then sent tumbling head over heels to lie motionless some distance away.
"KAL!" Fear for her cousin swept through her, kicking her in to action. In a single leap she had cleared the distance between them, landing lightly by her cousin. "Kal." His face was a mass of bruises, blood trickling from between tight clenched lips. He groaned, trying to rise.
"Have to stop him." The words were forced out as if he had to physically wrench them out of his mouth. Fear turned to rage as Kara turned her eyes to the rapidly approaching Anti‑Monitor. Coming to finish the job.
"You Bastard!" She screamed, launching herself over the still struggling form of Kal‑El. She became a blue, yellow and red streak as she vented her rage in an all out attack. With this bastard there was no holding back. For the first time, Supergirl unleashed every ounce of her power ‑ and aimed it at the Anti‑Monitor!
With heat vision streaming from her eyes and her powerful fists moving in a blur to fast to follow, she pummeled the startled Anti‑Monitor. Bringing him to a stand still and then backing him up.
She had no idea what any of the other heroes were doing. Right now, the only thing that concerned her was the complete and utter destruction of this vile being that threatened her, her cousin, her entire adopted world, her very reality. She smashed her way through the Anti‑Monitor's guard, her fists battering him non‑stop.
"NO!" The Anti‑Monitor's defiant shout was tinged with fear as he steadily felt himself being beaten back and then, as his footing became unstable, lifted and thrown by a single massive punch. Yet even then he was not granted a respite. Launching herself like a missile, both hands extended in white knuckled fists of rage, she struck the Anti‑Monitor again, the sound of the impact ringing throughout the battle field.
Again and again she struck, knowing instinctively that her foe was weakening. Yet this foe had at least one more trick. As she swooped in for another smashing blow, she was caught in a tremendous surge of energy.
Things became blurry after that. She was aware of striking the ground and of Kal yelling her name and then nothing for several long moments. She knew she should get up, get back into the fight, yet no matter how much she willed it, her body would not respond. Finally, she felt gentle, shaking hands, lift her head. She opened her eyes, looking up at Kal's tear streaked face.
"I tried." She managed to whisper.
"You weakened him, Kara." Superman replied, emotion constricting his throat. "We stopped him here."
She tried to smile but had no way of knowing if she succeeded. As everything began to fade she could hear Kal crying out.
"Kara! KARA!"
"Kara?." The voice was calm and sounded nothing like Kal's. "Kara, wake up. You are having a nightmare."
Her eyes flew open and she looked up at the concerned face of Prof. Xavier. Standing just behind him, his concern equally apparent, was Dr. Strange. With a sob, she turned her face away from the men, allowing the tears to flow. She felt the bed shift as Dr. Strange sat on the edge, a hand touching her shoulder gently.
"Kara?"
"I died." She whispered. She turned her head and looked at the men, their faces blurred by the tears in her eyes. "I remember. I died and you brought me back.." She lifted a hand and looked at it. "I remember it all." She clutched Dr. Strange's sleeve. She missed his nervous glance. If she lost control, the last thing he wanted was his arm in her grip. "You found me and brought me back. In this body. The clone's body."
"This is true." Prof. Xavier replied before Strange could say anything.
"Kal must not know. He must still think me dead."
"Superman does not know that you live." Xavier answered. Truthfully.
"I have to get to him, let him know." She started to rise, her eyes widening with surprise when she felt herself being held in place, by....nothing.
"First you must rest. And heal." Xavier told her. "You realize that this body is not the one you were born with, even though it is an exact duplicate. You must give your body and psyche, or spirit if you will, time to merge fully. It is that process that is causing your dizziness."
"Soon," Strange spoke up. "You will be able to do what ever and go where ever you please." He covered the hand that still clutched his sleeve and smiled. "But for now listen to your doctors and take care of your health first. Get settled with yourself first and then we can tackle other things."
Leaving Kara to return to sleep, both men exited the room and conferred.
"She is coming along nicely." Xavier commented. "And rapidly. I believe her restorative powers are finally beginning to kick in." He glanced back at the closed door, rubbing his chin with one hand. "I believe it is time to let her get acquainted with another woman. Some one she can identify with."
"Sue Richards, perhaps?" Strange inquired.
"I think not." Xavier shook his head. "For one thing, it would require a lot of her time. Besides, I believe a single female would be more appropriate."
"You have some one in mind, I presume?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Xavier nodded. "That is, if you do not mind extending your hospitality to one more person."
"Of course not." Strange waved the suggestion that anyone was imposing upon him away. "I shall inform Wong that we have another guest coming and ask him to prepare a room for her."
"Let her have my room." Xavier said. "I really must be getting back to my school." I shall check in from time to time and keep a mental watch on her." He smiled and turned his chair towards his room. "In fact, I shall be leaving at once and informing my replacement of her new duties." As his chair moved off, Strange could swear he could hear Xavier chuckling to himself. "Gambit's going to be a lonely boy for a while."
Chapter 5 Home of Dr. Strange"I'm going stir crazy!" Kara complained. For the first week after her...resurrection...she had been satisfied with alternating between her rooms (Dr. Strange had moved her into a suite of rooms consisting of a kitchenette, bath, two bedrooms, and even a hot tub) and the gardens. The next week he had run her through test after test. Sometimes Prof. Xavier or Reed Richards or both would join him.
Meeting the Richards had been a delight, more because of Sue than Reed. She had an instant liking for Sue but Reed, with his aloof, intellectual manner had taken some getting used to.
Yet even with all the activity, she felt she would have snapped had it not been for Rogue. Rogue had been a lifesaver. When Dr. Strange had introduced her and mentioned that she would be staying with them for a time, she was aware that the woman had been called in specifically to act as a companion. To help her get over her period of adjusting. Yet despite the reasons, both women had hit it off, becoming friends quickly.
It had been another week since the tests had ended and, for the past couple of days, neither of the girls had even seen Dr. Strange.
"Yeah," Rogue nodded, staring out the window, her chin propped by one hand. For reasons Kara did not know, Rogue always wore gloves. Always. Though she had wondered, Kara had elected not to pry into Rogue's business. A fact for which Rogue was grateful. Prof. X had cautioned her not to reveal anything about herself or to even broach the subject of meta-humans.
"Dammit, I have got to get out of here." Kara jumped up and began pacing, stopping occasionally to look out on the garden. "You know, I tried to find a gate out there yesterday. I couldn't even find a wall. No matter what direction I walked, I eventually wound up right out there, as if I had simply traveled a circle." She stooped and looked down at the seated Rogue. "And you know what else I have not seen in this place? A phone." She plopped down on the couch beside Rogue, shaking her head.
"Listen to me." She whispered. She looked down at her hands and then up at Rogue. "What the hell is wrong with me? I've faced villains that would make your hair curl. I've flown through distant parts of the galaxy, seen sights no one should ever have to see. And here I sit, allowing others to rule my actions."
"Chile, your jus' doing what the doctors tell ya to do." Rogue broke in. "The both say that you are doing extremely well."
"If I'm doing so well, why can't I contact Kal?" Kara spat. "Are they afraid that I am going to go crazy? And why can't I leave here? I need to get out, Rogue. I need to do something, anything!"
Rogue looked at the girl that had quickly become a friend and silently agreed with her. Prof. X had given her instructions on what she could and could not talk about, but nowhere had he said anything about...
"Honey, ah believe ah have the answer." She stood and pulled Kara up with her, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Let's go shopping!"
"How...." Kara was stunned as, after taking just a few moments to get ready, Rogue had led her straight to the front door. She had tried her best to find it and had never come close. Always ending up either in the garden or back in her rooms. Rogue ignored the question, not wanting to hurt the girl's feelings by telling her that Strange had laid an enchantment that had kept her, specifically, from finding the door on her own.
"Come on," she said, pulling the door open. "My jeep is parked right out front."
The Rebirth: Resurrection
Wong was not a happy person. Some how, the girls had gotten out without him noticing. He placed a call to Pier Four, speaking with Sue Richards, and then waited. Dr. Strange would be returning anytime and he would have to inform him of his negligence.
The Rebirth: Resurrection
Rogue realized her mistake the instant she stepped out side and turned to say something to Kara. The stunned look on her face stopped anything she might have said as she cursed her own stupidity. Prof. X had expressly told her not to talk about meta humans of any kind. She didn't know if Dr. Strange qualified, speaking strictly, yet she was sure that Prof. X had been speaking of any extra normal humans. And here she had thrown it up right into Kara's face. There was absolutely no way that she would consider a huge multi-room dwelling, complete with vast gardens under an open sky, all existing within the confines of a small brownstone, as being normal.
"How....what..."
Rogue placed a gloved hand on Kara's arm, waiting until she looked at her.
"Ah can't explain it right now." She hedged. "All ah can say is that Dr. Strange has some, uh, unusual abilities." Kara looked at her, clearly wanting a more in-depth explanation. After a moment, still stunned, she nodded. "Good." Rogue smiled again. "Now let's get going before that busy body Wong comes looking for us. Ah know this great little shop......."
The Rebirth: Resurrection
"She did what?" Sue Richards smiled as Reed's head and neck stretched out and over the equipment he was working on so that he could see and hear her better.
"I said, Rogue just left with Kara. She left a note for Wong. It appears they went shopping."
"Shopping?" Reed sighed. "Sue I can't leave right at the moment..."
"I'll go look for them." Sue waved at him. "Besides, I need a new bikini. The one I have is..."
"Sue!"
"Just teasing, Love." Sue laughed at the exasperated expression on her husband's face. "I'll call Prof. Xavier and fill him in. Then I'll take Johnny with me and get started looking."
The Rebirth: Resurrection
"Pretty good, If ah do say so myself." Rogue looked at the outfit she was trying on in the mirror, turning to see at a different angles. Then she stepped out of the dressing room, to show it to Kara and get her thoughts on it. "Kara, what do...Kara? Kara?"
She looked round frantically then ducked back into the dressing room. She quickly changed back into her own clothes and charged out, stopping the first store person she came to.
"Hey, did you see where my friend went? About my height, long blond hair?"
"Why yes," The store clerk smiled. "She asked for directions to the nearest public phone. So I told here there was one just down the street on the corner." The clerk turned towards the front of the shop as several police cars screamed by, sirens wailing. "My goodness, those sounded like they stopped just up the street."
"Thanks." Rogue sprinted towards the front of the shop. "A phone. Damn."
Out on the sidewalk, Rogue looked both ways. She spotted the phone, the hand unit hanging by the cord. Beyond that, a crowd of people were gathered behind a hastily thrown up police line. She jogged up behind the crowd, tapping a man on the shoulder.
"What's going on?" She asked, her eyes searching for a head of blond hair.
"A bank robbery!" The man answered. He stood taller than most of the people of the crowd and so could see over their heads. Rogue allowed herself to float upwards a few inches, trying to get a better view. "Looks like the crooks have a hostage." The tall man went on. "One of them has a gun to the head of a young woman."
"What?" Rogue gave him her full attention, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Yep. A young woman. Blonde hair. Pretty good looking. She doesn't look scared, but man, does she look pissed."
Chapter 6 New York"I can get the leader with a head shot!" One of the surrounding police officers whispered to the sergeant. The sergeant looked at the rookie as if he were an idiot.
"You see that thing in his hand, son?" He whispered back. "That's a Metalifed Colt Python. Mag‑Na‑Ported. .357 Magnum. In short, a damned gun. Now let me tell you what is going to happen if you make that head shot. His finger is going to twitch by reflex and you are going to have that girl's brains spread over the place." The young officer gulped as the consequences of his proposed actions were pointed out to him.
The sergeant turned his attention back to the bank robbers. Right now, they were at a stand off. So long as they had the girl as hostage, the police were not going to rush in, but neither were they going to let the criminals pass. So now it was a time of waiting. At least until the police negotiator arrived.
"I'll be damned." The sergeant swore as he came to a sudden realization. These were obvious street punks, but the weapon the leader held was not the type the average thug could get his hands on. It was expensive. He tried to check out the weapons of the other four would‑be bank robbers. His eyes narrowed as he spotted several more high quality weapons. "Somebody's bankrolling these guys. They're a front."
The lead punk was ecstatic as he pushed the barrel of the Python into the temple of the blond girl.
"Now you just keep quiet and do what yer told and we'll let ya go, sweetmeat." He told her.
"But not just yet, Jocko." One of the other punks called, leering. "She's a prime piece."
"Hey, sweetmeat." Jocko taunted. "Helio, he want to party with you. You want to party with us?" His laughter was cruel.
Enough was enough. Kara could barely see through the red haze of anger. All she wanted to do was make a damned phone call. She had no sooner taken the phone off the hook and dialed the operator to make a collect call to the Daily Planet when these punks came along and grabbed her. The operator had not even had time to answer. And if this jerk called her 'sweetmeat' one more time......
"Hey, I'm talking to you." Jocko pressed the Python harder in to her temple. Strange that it was not hurting. "You want to party with us, sweetmeat? Sure you do. We show you a good time and then let you go."
That did it!
"Sweetmeat this, jerk!" She snarled, her right hand moving faster than an eye could follow. She grabbed the point where gun and hand joined and squeezed.....hard. She ignored Jocko's sudden screaming and spun around, jerking her arm back and letting go, sending Jocko smashing face first into the wall of the bank building. Blood splattered and teeth popped and Jock slid to his knees and then keeled over on to his side....out.
"Prof. X is not going to be happy with me." Rogue sighed. She sailed over the heads of the crowd and landed lightly at Kara's side. "Girlfriend, you are going to get me in trouble." She hissed.
Kara was not listening. Her attention was already on her next target. As he raised what looked to be some type of machine gun, her eyes narrowed.
To the crowd and police officer's watching, it seemed as if two thin, red beams flared from her eyes, striking the weapon at the base of the barrel. The punk's yelp of pain was cut off as the sudden, intense heat caused the round in the chamber to cook off. The weapon exploded as the projectile jammed forcefully in the suddenly melting barrel. His face, hands, and chest a bloody mess, the punk fell to the sidewalk.
Another of the street thugs raised his weapon and then gasped in surprise as he felt himself lifted off the ground.
"Didn't your momma ever teach you it's not nice to point." Rogue quipped as she soared a bit higher. The punk screamed in fear, the front of his jeans suddenly wet. The gun in his hand sailed off in to the air as he began flailing his arms and legs.
Rogue deposited him in the midst of a group of officers and headed back to where Kara was taking care of another.
This punk had time to get off three shots before Kara closed the distance between them. He stared in shock at the ragged holes in the sweater the girl was wearing and the apparently unblemished skin beneath.
"You ain't human!" He had time to screech before Kara grabbed him by the front of the shirt and lifted him. She turned and sent him rolling head over heels to land at the feet of some very startled police officers. She turned to the last punk and smiled. It was not a reassuring smile.
"Well, Helio?" She said. "Are you ready to party now?"
Big, brave Helio stood where he was, frozen with fear, a growing wet stain growing over the front of his jeans. He made no move as Kara closed the distance between them. She lifted a hand and flicked a finger, catching him on the temple. Helio dropped unconscious.
"Okay girlfriend." Kara felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Rogue. "Let's get out of here." Keeping hold of Kara, Rogue leapt straight up and out of sight of the flabbergasted on lookers. She then angled around and down, heading back to Dr. Strange's brownstone.
The Rebirth: Resurrection
"I remember it all. Everything."
Kara stared down at the table, tracing a finger through the ring of wetness left by a glass of water. Around her sat Prof. Xavier, Dr. Strange, Reed and Sue Richards, and a young man Sue had introduced as her brother, Johnny Storm. To her left Rogue stirred somewhat restlessly.
Johnny had met them as they had approached the brownstone. The Human Torch had ordered them to enter through the double windows into Dr. Strange's study rather than through the front entrance. Prof. X and Sue had been waiting on them.
Whatever they had planned on saying had gone unsaid when, as soon had Rogue had released her grip, Kara had fallen, sobbing uncontrollably. Prof. X had calmed her somewhat, but had otherwise left her alone, knowing that she had to work through the memories that were flooding her mind, overloading her emotions.
Hours later she had pulled herself together enough to meet with the recently returned Dr. Strange and Reed Richards.
Kara shook her head.
"The nightmares I had in the beginning were not really accurate. Just jumbled memories. In the end, it had been only Kal and Dr. Light that had faced the Anti‑Monitor. The rest of us, Mon‑El, the Earth‑2 Green Lantern, the E‑2 Superman, Firestorm, Captain, Atom, Wonder Woman, and the others had been held up by the Anti‑Monitor's guardians. Until I heard Kal scream. With my super‑hearing I could hear his heart beat racing, his labored breathing." She paused to draw a ragged breath.
"The Anti‑Monitor was killing him." She shrugged. " I lost it. I cleared a path and broke into the inner chambers before the Anti‑Monitor could deliver a death blow. I fought him and stopped him. I remember telling Dr. Light to get Kal out. To make sure he was safe." She lifted her head. "I destroyed the machinery that the Anti‑Monitor was using to destroy our worlds and was going to finish him off. Then I made a mistake, I looked away to make sure Kal was safe." She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. She was thankful for the comforting touch of Rogue's gloved hand. "I remember the Anti‑Monitor fleeing. I had hurt him too much. There was no way he could have stood against the Earth‑2 Superman and Mon‑El, and they were getting closer. I remember Kal cradling me in his arms, crying. I remember dying."
"About that." Reed cleared his throat. " I did a bit of research, going back through my records." He nodded. "Yes, I was aware that something was happening over in that Reality. I believe it is possible, given the description of the machinery you said you destroyed, that you released an energy that somehow trapped your spirit in a state of limbo. Existing yet not existing at the same time. It was that which, in all likelihood, keep your spirit alive, in a manner of speaking, when the recreation, or reboot as Sue calls it, occurred. It could also be the cause of your seemingly non‑existence after that recreation."
Kara looked at him and nodded. It had not been difficult to accept the concept that she was in an entirely different Reality. For one who could, at will, traverse time and space it was no big thing. What had been hard to accept had been the knowledge that, however much she may want to, she could never return to her own Reality. For, in essence, that Reality no longer existed. Had never existed.
"So now what?" She asked, not looking at any one in particular. She straightened and looked first at Strange and then Reed and then Xavier. "I should thank you for giving me my life back. Perhaps later I will be more thankful. But now what do I do? This Reality seems to have a surplus of heroes."
"And more than it's fare share of super criminals, I dare say." Xavier said.
"Girlfriend, there is always room for one more hero. Especially one with your unique abilities." Rogue told her.
"Indeed." Dr. Strange agreed. "Though you have weaknesses that will plague you here more so than in your Reality, namely magic, your powers are formidable."
"But do not make the mistake that your powers will allow you to return to the other Reality." A new voice broke in. Everyone turned as Access stepped out of the shadows. Behind him could be seen another two figures, their faces hidden. Xavier tensed, looking quickly at Kara and then back at Access. "Yes, Prof. Xavier, I know what I am doing. What must be done." He turned to Kara. "I know it hurts. But you must believe me, there is no way, under your own power that you could cross the boundaries between Realities."
"He's telling the truth, Kara." Kara's face paled at the sound of the voice of one of the figures. The man stepped forward, his red cape flowing behind him.
Superman strode around the table, stopping at Kara's chair.
"Access has told me about you." His voice was soft, full of compassion. "I am not the Superman you knew, Kara. For that I am sorry. But, from what I have heard, he must have been very proud of you. As I would be." He touched Kara's cheek. "Live well here, Kara." He smiled. "Show them what it is to be a Kryptonian. Give them a Supergirl." He looked at her long and Kara could swear she could see tears welling in his eyes as he turned away. She looked towards the other figure and realized who it must be. She looked at Access, her eyes pleading with him.
"I met the Supergirl of the 20th century and fell in love with her." the other figure stepped forward, his green skin shining in the dim light of the study. He looked at Kara and though there was understanding in those eyes, there was no love. Not the love she had seen in those same eyes countless times during her trips to the 30th Century to be with the Legion of Super Heroes. "You are not that Supergirl. I am sorry." He turned away quickly.
"I am sorry for this Kara." Access told her, "But I had to impress upon you the truth of the situation. There is no place for you in that other Reality. This is your home now."
"Just go. GO!" Kara yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. She waited until Access had left, taking with him a Superman and a Brainiac 5 that she had never known. Then she turned to the others, not bothering to dry her face.
"I guess I should learn about my new Reality." If she sounded bitter, no one blamed her. "Where do I start?"
"First we need to get you a legal identity." Sue offered. "You'll need a lawyer and I know a lean, mean, and green one that would love to help."
"I believe," Prof. Xavier spoke up, "that I can help with the learning. If you would like, you can join me at my school until you feel confident enough to head out on your own."
"Do it, Girlfriend." Rogue whispered, squeezing her shoulder. "We'll have a blast!"
Kara sat mute for a moment and then stood, moving to look out the double windows. For a long moment she gazed out and then, forcing a smile she turned.
"Okay, but first, I need to find a seamstress." She held her head high. "I need to be dressed appropriately when Supergirl is unleashed!"
End of The Rebirth Part One: Resurrection! Story continues in Part Two: New Beginnings.