"Blast it!"
Dr. Hank McCoy (A.K.A. The Beast) glanced up from the text book he was studying and, looking over the top of his reading glasses, watched as Logan stomped into the meeting room / lounge used by the X teams.
"What seems to be bothering you today, my friend?" He inquired, though he had a notion he knew the answer already.
"That.... that.... that blonde headed...one woman wreaking crew!" Logan (A.K.A. Wolverine) snarled. "She's totally wrecked the Danger Room.... again."
"Oh my." Hank removed the glasses from his blue furred face and cast an amused glance towards Scott Summers (A.K.A. Cyclops) "That's the third time this week, is it not?"
"Fourth!" Logan corrected with a grumble.
"Well, not to worry, my friend." Hand pointedly put his glasses back on and stuck his snout back in his book, saying, "She will no doubt have it back in working order in a matter of minutes. I believe it took her no more than five minutes last time."
"True," Scott interjected. "Man, that lady can move."
Logan looked first at hank and then at Scott, his eyes narrowing.
"Well, I think the Prof. Should say something to her. And if he won't, I will. Do you know that she has been teaching Rogue, Jenny Walters, and Jubilee some nonsense called Ko....ko....."
"Koh-Re." Scott helped him out. "From what I understand, it is a Kryptonian equivalent of Kung-Fu." He stood and stretched. "Jean was wishing the other day that she had the time to take the classes."
Logan again looked hard at Scott and then, with a final "Bah" spun on his heel and out the door.
An instant later, Jubilee entered, looking back over her shoulder. She looked in at Scott and Hank, a puzzled look on her face.
"What's got Logan's panties all in a wad?" She asked. Both Scott and hank gave her pained looks.
"Jubilee, that was one visualization I could have lived with out." Hank finally spoke up, his voice dripping with distaste. "Logan and panties. Ugh!"
"Hank, if you please." Scott moaned. Jubilee looked on as they both collapsed in fits of laughter. Shaking her head she left the lounge, wondering if she would ever understand men.
At that moment, the particular one woman wrecking crew was just putting the finishing touches on her repairs of the Danger Room.
"Girlfriend, you never cease to amaze me." Rogue shook her head as Kara zipped around the room, moving at speeds so great that, at times, she appeared to be several places at once. The first time she had seen that it had been a bit disconcerting. Kara would be moving and talking and it would seem that her voice came from a different direction with each word.
"I'm just glad that Prof. Xavier has allowed me to use the Danger Room when I'm not in one of his orientation classes. She grimaced. "I can not begin to tell you how boring those can be." She stopped moving and appeared, standing directly in front of Rogue, a hand held up to forestall her reply. "Yes, I know. Necessary." She paused and looked down at her clothes and sighed. "And another set of clothes bites the dust."
"I take it that is something that you're not used to?" the voice was not Rogue's and both women looked up as Prof. Xavier himself floated in on his air chair.
"Not really." Kara answered, shaking her head. "I ruined an occasional pair when I didn't have time to switch clothes before I had to take action, but even then I usually wore my suit underneath my regular clothes."
"And the suit itself was never ruined?"
"No. It was made from material from Krypton. That made it as invulnerable as me under the yellow sun of Earth."
"What has the sun got to do with it?" Rogue asked, somewhat bewildered. Kara shrugged.
"I believe that it was the differences in radiation wavelengths between various types of stars. Under a Red sun, I would loose many of my powers. On a heavy gravity world, I would be no different than any human. Under a Blue sun, my invulnerability and many of my other powers would be decreased and my vision powers would not work at all." She shrugged again. "An orange sun would cut everything in half. etc. Only under a Yellow sun and then only on a light world, such as Earth, are my powers at their peak."
"Interesting." Prof. Xavier nodded. "You should, perhaps, give this information to Reed Richards. I am sure he would find it an interesting puzzle. For a few moments, at least."
The women laughed at that, both well aware of Richards and his mannerisms. Over the past few months since her resurrection (see Part One - The Resurrection) they had both gotten to know the members of the Fantastic Four and Dr. Strange very well.
Another person they had gotten to know was Jennifer Walters, known to the world at large as the She-Hulk. Sue Richards had contacted Jenny in her capacity as a lawyer and she, once Kara's story had been told to her, had jumped at the chance to represent her. Since then, the three had become almost inseparable companions.
"So, it seems that we must either be sure that you have plenty of suits or find a way to create one that is as invulnerable as you are." Prof. Xavier steered the conversation back to the topic at hand. "Have you given any thought to the suit you wish?"
Again both women laughed.
"Prof. X, you just asked a woman if she had given thought to clothes?" All three turned as Scott Summers entered the room. He was holding hands with one of the most gorgeous red heads Kara had ever seen. She had been introduced to her as Jean Grey when she had gotten here and, though they had exchanged a few words here and there over the past couple of months, Jean was kept extremely busy.
"You better watch it, buster." The red head looked over at her husband, "Or I'll just release the blonde wrecking crew on you." She glanced over at Kara, smiling.
"What?"
"Oh, Logan just being his own charming self." Scott waved it aside..
"I think I intimidate him." Kara said, somewhat apologetically.
"I'll say you do." Scott chuckled. "And that is not something our dear Wolverine deals well with." Kara shook her head looked back over at Prof. Xavier.
"Anyway, I have given it some thought," She answered his question. Though she appeared not to move, there was a slight breeze and suddenly she stood there, decked out in a blue, red, and yellow suit. She wore red boots, the tops trimmed in yellow, and a short red skirt with a wide yellow belt. The long sleeved top, which seemed to cling to every single curve, was blue with the exception of a large yellow and red S symbol that spread out in a triangular shape from just below the center of her breasts to her shoulders, where it seemingly connected to a short red cape that still fluttered from the wind of her super-speed passage through the school to her room and back.
"This is what I was wearing when I d...when I fought the Anti-Monitor." She told them. "Or rather, a duplicate of what I was wearing." She looked over at Rogue and frowned as her friend shook her head.
"Girlfriend, We have to do something with your fashion sense." She was saying.
"Her fashion sense, " Prof. Xavier reminded her, "is about fifteen years behind yours, Rogue. Remember, when she fought the Anti-Monitor, the year was 1985." Rogue looked at him and then looked back at Kara.
"Like I said, we are going to have to do something about your sense of fashion, girlfriend." She repeated herself.
"Well, do so quickly." Prof. Xavier told them. "I mentioned the problem to Dr. Strange and he in turn mentioned it to Reed Richards. I do believe your weekly checkup is scheduled for this evening so Reed might just bring the matter up."
The Rebirth
"How long are you going to have to go for these checkups?" Rogue asked as the two climbed into the evening air. Rogue knew that Kara relished flying and that it chaffed her to be grounded during the daylight hours. At least for the present.
"Until Dr. Strange and Mr. Richards are convinced that there is absolutely no chance of problems with the union of my spirit to this clone body." Kara answered. "Though they both insinuated last time that it wouldn't be much longer." She looked over as Rogue spread her arms wide, her head thrown back, her hair trailing behind her. As they always did, her eyes settled on the gloved hands.
"Rogue, how closely do your Super teams and heroes work together?"
"Not real close at all." Was the reply after a moment of hesitation. "Though there is more cooperation, it seems between the non-mutant heroes."
"They tend not to be as cooperative with the mutants? Such as yourself?" Kara frowned.
"Actually, that is more of our doing." Rogue admitted. "There has been so much anti-mutant feeling that we have become somewhat reclusive. Keeping ourselves apart."
"And have you ever approached any of the other teams about your problem?" Kara pressed, eyeing the gloves again.
"Problem? Oh, you mean the absorption. No. There is nothing that can be done about that. It's in the genes." Rogue sighed. "Believe me, girlfriend, I wish that I could do something about it. To be able to touch again...."
Kara let the subject drop.... for now.
The Rebirth
As usual, Dr. Strange had left the windows and shutters open into his study for them. As they flew in, touching lightly to the floor, they saw that, as usual, Strange and Reed Richards were deep in conversation. What was out of the ordinary was the presence of two others. They knew one, her green skin and hair a familiar and welcome sight. She was the first to notice the arrivals and had jumped up to embrace them both.
"It's about time you two got here. I was just about to give up hope and was figuring I was going to have to entertain these fine gentlemen all by myself."
"Jenny, you are full of it." Rogue laughed as she returned the hug. Kara smiled at the She-Hulk and nodded.
"What's going on?" She gestured with her eyes towards the men. They had risen and were standing patiently, waiting.
"Well, I'll let them explain themselves." Jenny said, standing back. "Afterwards I need to have you sign I few papers and make a suggestion." Kara nodded and turned to the men.
"Kara, I would like you to meet some one." Dr. Strange stepped forward. "Kara, this is Tony Stark of Stark Industries. Tony, Kara Zor-El."
"My pleasure." Stark took her hand and smiled. Kara started to smile and then frowned. Her hearing had picked up a slight whirling sound, coming from the vicinity of Stark's chest. Narrowing her eyes, she focused her x-ray vision.
"Sorry for prying, Mr. Stark." She said. "You have heart problems?"
For a moment Stark appeared speechless, then he smiled and turned to Strange and Richards.
"It appears that you gentlemen were correct. She is a wonder." He turned back to Kara. "As a matter of fact I do. Would you mind telling me how you knew?"
"I picked up a sound coming from your chest with my super-hearing. I then checked it out with my x-ray vision to make sure you weren't carrying a bomb." Kara shrugged. "As I said, I don't mean to pry, but I would rather appear impolite than have to scrape up my friends after a blast."
"Perfectly understandable." Stark agreed. "Simple a mechanism of my own design to keep me alive, I am afraid." Kara did not press it, but could tell, simply from the manner of attachment places on the mechanism that Stark was not telling the whole truth.
"In any case," Strange broke in. "We, Reed and I, approached Mr. Stark on your behalf. I hope you do not mind."
"We let him know your situation and...." Reed broke off as Kara turned her eyes to him.
"Basically, Kara," Stark jumped in. "These two approached me for advice. They did not reveal everything they could have, but they did feel that you might need some financial aid or guidance." Kara looked back at him, frowning.
"My pride rebels against it, Mr. Stark." She said, finally. "However, if there is one thing my cousin impressed upon me it is to think things through. Dr. Strange and Mr. Richards are quite correct. Here and now I seem to be living on the charity of others."
"In that case, if that is a situation you would like to change." Stark drew her over the round table that Strange had sit up. "I might be able to help you out. Not charity. Basically, Stark Industries would like to fund you."
"I don't understand." Kara looked from Stark to Jenny.
"He talked it over with me first." Jenny nodded. "Basically, Stark Industries funds several heroes. What they wish to do, in your case, is give you what you need."
"And what does Stark Industries want in return?" Kara eyed Stark.
"Stark Industries ask only that we be allowed to acknowledge publicly that we are funding you and to use your likeness in some of our ads." Stark replied. "Nothing extravagant. Something along the lines of 'Stark Industries - proud sponsors of Supergirl!' That's all."
Kara thought for a moment and looked over at Rogue. She smiled a bit and turned back to the men.
"Okay." She nodded "On one condition. I would like Dr. Strange and Mr. Richards to do something for me." Rogue looked on, flabbergasted as Kara revealed her condition.
Chapter 2 Pier FourKara winced at the faint sound of screaming. No one else in the room, she was sure, could hear the wrenching screams that caused her stomach to tighten and churn. Sometimes, super-hearing could be a real disadvantage.
She paced the length of the room that Sue Richards had converted to a waiting room while her husband and Dr. Strange worked with Rogue. At a table Sue and Jenny talked in hushed tones. Jenny, Kara had learned, had been, at one time, a member of the Fantastic Four and was still carried on the rosters as an honorary and reserve member. Once Jenny had mentioned that, she had gone on to explain just who the Fantastic Four were.
Reed Richards, in addition to being one of the world's foremost scientists, was the leader of the FF, often called Mr. Fantastic. His unique ability: a super elasticity. The ability to stretch his body into tremendous lengths and widths. Sue Richards' powers were a bit more difficult to categorize. While she was often called Invisible Woman, she had more than just the ability to turn her body transparent. She could form a force field or deliver a physical blow using the strange energy that coursed through her body. A third member of the FF was Sue's brother, Johnny Storm. The Human Torch. Johnny could become a living, man shaped flame. While flaming, he could fly, generate tremendous heat, or shoot blasts of flame varying in strength from a match to an atomic blast.
With one exception, the radiation that had bathed the four original members of the Fantastic Four had simply endowed them with powers beyond their imaginations, leaving them, if they so chose, with a normal appearance. The exception was Ben Grim.
Grim, or the Thing, as he was called, suffered most from the radiation. He was given strength that, according to Jenny, rivaled that of her cousin, the Hulk. Unlike the others, however, Grim's appearance was hideously changed, his skin replaced with a bright orange rocky substance. Though the new covering made him virtually invulnerable, it also made living a normal life all but impossible for the Thing. Over the years, Reed had successfully, countered the radiation in Grim's system, allowing him to regain his natural form and appearance. The cures, however, would only last for short periods of time. Though the time would vary, he would always revert back into The Thing.
It was the equipment that Reed used to restrain The Thing when, as had happened, his changes produced temporary, violent, reactions, that he now used to restrain Rogue.
Both Strange and Reed had tried to explain to her what they were going to do, but it took Sue to put it into terminology that she could understand.
"Reed has developed a modification of your mutant gene that would, over a period of time, replace the original gene. He is going to introduce the modified gene and Stephen is going to use his magic to dramatically speed up the progress." She shuddered. "It is not going to be pleasant. I imagine that once it is started, you will decide against it. That is the catch, however. Once started, the process HAS to be completed. Once that process is complete, both Reed and Stephen will basically rewire you voluntary system. They will not touch anything already there, but they will have to open new pathways and…" she shook her head and smiled. "Beyond that it's tech talk. Put it simply, they are going to allow you to walk out of here able to control the absorbtion rather than let you develop control over a period of time."
Turning her back to the two talking women, Kara sighed and seemingly stared at a blank wall. Rogue had agreed to the procedure and, as Kara's hearing could testify, Sue had been correct. It wasn't a pleasant experience Rogue was having.
For reasons she could not put her finger on, she felt that a bond had been forged between her and Rogue and hearing her go through this was grating on her nerves. Perhaps Rogue had filled a void left in her life that had once been filled by Kal. She smiled as she recalled the past few weeks.
For hours on end her and Rogue would talk and gossip and were, for all practical purposes, inseparable. That would end soon. Soon she would be out on her own and Rogue would return to being a full active member of the X-men. Kara chuckled to herself at a memory that popped up. One member of the X-men that Rogue had introduced as Gambit had made a snide comment about Kara being Rogue's new lover. Rogue had played it up until Gambit, his face red with anger, embarrassment, or both, had stalked off. Only then had Rogue confided that Gambit was an ex-lover. Or rather, he had been the closest thing she could have as a lover with her inability to touch. As for the accusation, Kara had discovered that there was no revulsion to the idea but neither was there any inclination to test the waters, so to speak. She was no where near ready for such emotional entanglements, whether they be with a man or a woman..
"Dammit, how long is this going to take?" She startled herself with her out burst and turned to see a stunned Sue and Jenny looking at her. She waved them back as they started to rise. "Never mind me." She told them. "I think I just need a breath of fresh air." She started out the door. "I'll be back in a bit." Before either woman could protest, she was gone.
Now this is what she needed.
Kara stood on the end of the pier and took in some deep breaths, letting the sounds of the waves and the sea smells envelop her. Around her others took in the sites. Couples, families, and singles all walking along, taking in the view and, occasionally, gawking up at the tremendous Fantastic Four headquarters. Nearby, a little boy, dressed in a blue jumpsuit with a stylized Fantastic Four symbol on the breast pocket, pointed up a blazing trail that had materialized above the headquarters, heading east.
"I wanna be just like Johnny Storm when I grow up." The boy exclaimed, looking up at his mother with excitement dancing in his eyes.
Looking around, Kara noticed other things. A teenage girl with her hair dyed green and a T-shirt with a picture of Jenny on the front, a young man with a baseball cap sporting the Fantastic Four logo.
"Pretty disgusting, ain't it?"
Kara turned to see a young blond man, with somewhat of a yuppie appearance. On the breast pocket of his sports shirt were the bold letters: FOH.
"Disgusting?" She prompted.
"These people." The man indicated. "All a gaga over those freaks." He jerked his thumb back towards the FF HQ. Kara finally put the letters on his shirt with something Prof. Xavier had told her.
"You're with Friends of Humanity." She stated. The young man nodded. "I thought the Friends were anti mutant. The Fantastic Four aren't mutants."
"Actually, the FOH direct much of their activities towards spreading the truth about the mutant infestation, but we also concern ourselves with the possible contamination of the human race from other sources." The young man was warming to his subject. "Through no fault of their own, the Fantastic Four have been altered, their very genetic structure changed. What would happen if they were to mate with pure humans? Would their offspring inherit the changed genes?" Kara looked at the young man, her hands on her hips.
"Aren't you out of uniform?" She finally drawled. "Shouldn't you be wearing white sheets or a Gestapo arm band and clicking your heals together?"
"What are you? A mutie lover or something?" The man snarled, his face twisted in sudden hatred.
"Or something." Kara replied, turning her back to the man.
"Oh you must be sleeping with one of them. Are they good?" The man sneered, not knowing when to let things drop. Kara turned back to him, smiling.
"I think you need to cool off, a little swim will do you wonders." She took a deep breath and let loose with a focused blast of super breath. To any looking, it would appear as if the man suddenly sailed, under his own power, up and over the rail on the edge of the pier and into the waves below.
"HELP!" The man screamed as he hit the water, thrashing. "I can't swim!" Kara sighed and launched herself over the rail. She grabbed the FOH man's shirt as he was going under and hauled him up. Holding him in mid air, before dozens of watchers, as he hacked and coughed.
"You're a damned mutie!" He accused, spitting up more swallowed seawater as she deposited him back on the pier.
"Actually, I'm not." Kara answered, matter-of-factly. "I'm just from a different planet." She spun him around and poked him in the chest. "Now carry your butt on before I regret hauling you out."
The man scurried away, waiting until he was some distance before raising a fist towards her.
"I'll remember you. We'll get you and your mutie friends." He shouted. Kara ignored him and turned, facing a wall of stunned spectators.
"Miss?" a young blonde girl stepped forward. "Who are you?"
"Me?" Kara smiled. Of course these people wouldn't know her. She took the girls hand and shook it. "The name is Supergirl." She took a step back and, bunching her muscles, grabbed sky, soaring up and over to the landing pad on top of the FF HQ.
The Rebirth
"Well, it's done." A very weary looking Reed Richards leaned in the doorway, smiling faintly first at Sue and then at Kara. "Everything went as expected. Now she needs to rest." He passed a hand across his eyes. "That young girl is strong." He glanced over at Sue. "I never realized that Carol was that strong."
"Carol?" Kara glanced from Sue to Reed.
"Carol Danvers. The former Miss Marvel." Sue explained. "Rogue absorbed her powers, yet, because they were in contact for so long, the transference was permanent." She smiled a bit sadly. "Rogue was not always one of the good guys."
"So what happens now?" Jenny asked, bringing the conversation back to the present.
"Now she rests for a bit." Dr. Strange spoke up as he entered behind Reed. "She will probably sleep for the rest of the day. After that, I suggest she start retraining." He looked over at Kara and answered the question in her eyes. "Though she has gotten used to using her strength, invulnerability and ability to fly, she still used her absorbtion ability from time to time. Now, instead of just removing a glove and touching her bare skin to the skin of another, she will have to consciously activate the absorbtion ability."
The Rebirth
"I never want to go through anything like that again!" Rogue declared. She and Kara were soaring up and away from Pier Four, heading back to Xavier's school. Strange's prediction that Rogue would sleep the rest of the day had proved accurate. Yet when she had woken, Kara had been there at her side, holding her hand. HER HAND! With NO glove!
"I felt like my insides were on fire!" She exclaimed as they flew through the sky. "I thought it had gotten as bad as it was going to get, and then the fire reached my head." She shivered, unable to continue with a description.
"Was it worth it?" Kara asked, somewhat timidly.
"Oh yes. YES." Rogue insisted. "To be able to touch again!" Kara started to comment then shifted her attention to something below.
"What's going on down there?" Without waiting for a reply, she dove. Using her telescopic vision, she focused in on a confrontation between what appeared to be several police officers and a single, huge figure in a strange costume.
"Out of my way, puny ones!" The figure bellowed, charging forward. Bullets seemly bounced off the figure as he waded in, police cars scattering away like matchbox cars from the swiping hand of a child. Police officers dove away from the carnage, abandoning their efforts.
Kara took in the situation and touched down in the figures path, hands on her hips.
"Okay, Yo-yo." She called. "If you can't play nice, then you can't play at all."
The figure stopped, eyes behind a domed helmet widening. She was not, however, expecting the booming laughter that issued from within the helmet.
"You think to stop the Juggernaut, girl?" The voice bellowed, clearly amused.
Rogue paled as she closed in. Kara's departure had caught her unprepared and it was obvious Kara could move faster.
"Kara!" She screamed as the Juggernaut began to move forward. Kara was strong, but she had a weakness. And the Juggernaut's helmet was "MAGIC!"
Kara looked up at Rogue's shouted warning. By the time it had sunk in and she had turned her attention back, the Juggernaut was on her.
"Uh-oh." She felt the impact and felt herself lifted and thrown.
"Damn!" Rogue redoubled her efforts. Coming in fast, she hammered with both fists down on the top of the Juggernaut's helmet. Though it wouldn't stop him, it would stun him for a second or two. Long enough for her to activate her absorption ability. As the ability was activated, she felt a massive hand grasp her by the ankle "NO!" She yelled as she felt her self spun and tossed aside. She instinctively put up her hands as she flew out of control, straight towards Kara!
Kara gained her feet and shook her head.
"Now that was stupid." She muttered. She looked up to see Rogue flying at her, out of control. "Damn." Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed her by the hands, intending to pull them both up and away from the Juggernaut. Her scream joined with Rogue's horrified scream and then blackness enveloped them both.
Chapter 3 Fantastic Four HQ The InfirmaryConsciousness returned and with it came pain. Pain! Pain was good. Pain meant she was still alive.
Kara opened her eyes…slowly, squinting against the harsh overhead lights.
"Reed, she's waking up." Sue's face swam into view, leaning over her, though creased with worry; she was trying hard to smile reassuringly. "Keep this up, honey, and we're going to have to start charging you hospital fees."
"What…" Kara stopped cleared her throat and started over. "What happened?"
"From what we can piece together," Reed's voice came from somewhere out of her line of sight. Sue pressed her back down when she started to rise. "Rogue had activated her absorption and you grabbed her hands." His face appeared on her other side as he bent over her. "Johnny was on his way back to the HQ when he caught your final act."
"The Juggernaut?"
"Gone. When you grabbed Rogue and headed up, you got away from him and fell some distance away. " His face disappeared. "Now hush and try to get some rest while I run some test." Kara let her eyes slide shut and then forced them open again.
"Rogue?"
"Right next to you." Was Sue's soft reply. "She's still out. Now don't worry. You just rest." This last was said even as Kara slipped once again into unconsciousness.
"She back out." Sue announced, straightening.
"Good." Reed took the needle he had been holding and deftly inserted it into a vein, drawing blood. "Had I done this while she was awake she would have known something was wrong." He placed a drop of blood on a slide and bent to his microscope. For a long moment he studied the sample and then, straightening, he did some quick mental calculations.
"Well, there's some good news." He turned to Sue. "Within two hours she should be restored. Her genetic make-up, under the influence of this sun is already working to restore her. In fact…." He stood and took another needle out and jabbed it at Kara's arm. The tip of the needle entered and then stopped. The needle bent as Reed applied more pressure. "Her invulnerability is almost completely restored as it is."
"And the bad news?" Sue asked, turning from Kara to the stretcher that held the writhing form of Rogue. Reed stood over Rogue and shook his head.
"All I have is a guess, at this point." He said. "I have no idea how long they were connected. But I would have to say that Rogue absorbed Kara's Kryptonian powers, her memories, everything. Including her restorative powers."
"Then why isn't she improving like Kara?"
"Because Rogue isn't a Kryptonian." Reed answered, his face bleak.
"Which means what?"
"That the restorative powers see that as a problem, and are working to correct it."
"Oh my god." Sue put her hand to her mouth. "But won't the powers fade after a bit?" She tossed out as an after thought. Reed shook his head.
"Ordinarily, they would. But again the Kryptonian restorative powers are interfering. As the powers fade, the Restorative replenishes them." He sighed and stepped back to the microscope. "The way I see it, there are three alternatives. "One, we find a way to nullify the Kryptonian powers with out endangering Rogue. Two, The Restorative completes its task and we end up with not one but two Supergirls. There is a third possibility…." He paused.
"Yes?" Sue prompted.
"Rogue dies." Reed summed it up bluntly.
The Rebirth
"You knew she was going to do this?" Logan confronted Prof. Xavier outside the Fantastic Four headquarters.
"Yes." The professor responded calmly. "She contacted me and informed me of her decision. I then talked with Reed Richards and Dr. Strange to get the details." He raised an eyebrow towards Wolverine. "She is a grown woman, Logan. She has the right to choose. And she chose this as a possible way to lead a near normal life. Do you begrudge her that opportunity?"
"Hell no." Logan grumbled. He then paced back and forth. "Damn foolish girl. " He muttered. "Kara wouldn't know any better, but Rogue should have known that she couldn't take out the Juggernaut. Not alone."
"So what has you upset is not Rogue's decision to have her absorption powers place under her direct, voluntary control, but her confrontation later with the Juggernaut. "
"If she hadn't been off with this Kara she wouldn't have gotten hurt." Gambit put in his two cents worth. Xavier fixed him with a cold stare.
"I think, Gambit that you best be prepared. " He said. "I am almost positive that, should she live through this, Rogue will be leaving the X-men."
"What?" Logan snarled, turning back to the professor. "She can't. You will have to stop her!"
"No." Xavier shook his head. "In fact, I will probably encourage her. It is time for her to grow and I believe that, for a time, anyway, she would do that best on her own.'
"Or with Kara." Gambit spat.
"Or with Kara." Xavier agreed, nodding.
"Bah. Gambit be going back to the School." He spun on his heel and stalked away. Xavier looked at Logan who was staring at Gambit's retreating back, thoughtfully.
"Perhaps you are right, Prof." he said, finally. He turned his eyes back to the FF HQ. "Perhaps you're right."
The Rebirth
"How are they doing?"
Xavier and Logan had joined Jennifer Walters, Jean Grey, and Scott Summers in the waiting room. Sue and Reed were still with Kara and Rogue.
"Kara is going to be okay." Jenny answered Xavier's question. She looked around the room. "I am really beginning to hate this room."
"What about Rogue?" Logan growled in Jean's direction.
"She's still out." Jean replied as she put a hand to her forehead. "She is dreaming, in a fashion. " She shook her head. "It's all jumbled, though. A mixture of her own memories and Kara's." She looked up at Xavier. "Though there is absolutely no trace of Carol Danvers."
"I was afraid of that." Xavier sighed. "I received a call before coming here. It seems that Carol's problems with her fluctuating powers are over. It seems she has regained the powers she had as Miss Marvel."
"Damn." Scott swore. He shook his head. "Not that I wish Carol ill, but that means that Rogue has lost those abilities."
"I am afraid so."
"And I am afraid it is much worse than that." All eyes turned to the door as Reed and Sue entered. Both looked extremely worried. Reed explained to them what he had explained to Sue.
"I was able to develop a method of nullifying the Kryptonian powers." He concluded. "Yet I dare not use them."
"Why not?" Logan growled, stepping forward.
"Because it is too late." Sue answered for her husband.
"It was too late from the beginning." Reed exclaimed, slamming a fist on the doorframe. "I developed a way to simulate the effects of a red sun on a Kryptonian. I tested it on Kara successfully. Yet when I tested it on Rogue, her vital signs began failing. She would have died had I continued. So I took a blood sample while she was under the influence since Kryptonians are not invulnerable under a red sun and then returned her to a normal setting. Her statistics instantly returned to the level they were before the test." He stretched his hands out and snagged a couple of chairs, holding one for Sue while he positioned the other for himself.
"I studied the blood sample I had taken and was forced to conclude that we have no choice but to let things run their course. There's nothing we can do but hope, and pray, for the best, at this point."
"What did the blood sample show you?" Jenny questioned, her voice subdued.
"It showed me that Rogue is no longer fully a terrestrial human." Reed sighed. "The Restorative powers she absorbed from Kara are changing her, correcting what it sees as damage. She is being changed into a Kryptonian." Reed stood and turned away from everyone. "Damn Access for getting us involved in this."
"Reed!" Sue exclaimed.
"Reed Richards, do not blame Access nor yourself for this." Xavier cut in. "Access did what he thought best to right what he considered a wrong. You did what you thought was right. Were it not for you, that young woman in there would not be alive."
"And Rogue would not be close to death." Reed snapped back.
"And if you could see the result of all your actions for good, knowing that someday, some one might be inadvertently harmed, would you stop doing good?"
"No." Reed shook his head. "No, I wouldn't." He smiled and shook his head, looking at Xavier. "Thank you professor. " He started to say something else when Jean held up a hand.
"Rogue is waking up." She exclaimed. "She is a bit disoriented but…" She looked around at the others. "There is no hint of Kara's memories."
The Rebirth
"Unnngh!" Rogue groaned, putting a hand to her head. Her head was splitting, yet, like Kara, she took the pain as a good sign. At least she was alive.
"Rogue." It was Sue's voice, soft and full of emotion. "How are you feeling?"
"Like Jubilee has been playing in my skull." She rasped. Some one chuckled, nervously it seemed, and she started to open her eyes.
"No, Honey. Leave your eyes closed for a bit. Just lay there and relax." The voice was not Sue's.
"Jean?"
"I'm here, Rogue. So is the Professor, Scott, and Logan."
"I'm here, too." Rogue recognized Jenny's voice. She felt a soft, reassuring touch on her shoulder.
"Rogue," That was Reed Richards. "The headache is no surprise and should be fading soon. Other than that, how do you feel?" Rogue relaxed and gave that some thought.
"I feel fine." She finally concluded. "A bit strange, though. As if I were floating." She felt a light tap on her arm and then nothing. "What is it?" She demanded.
"Just hold on a moment." Reed instructed, holding up the bent needle that he had just used to try to draw blood. "I am going to try something then I want you to tell me if that floating feeling goes away."
Rogue lay still and waited. Faintly she heard a humming and, though her eyes were closed, she could see the light that filtered through change color. Instantly the floating feeling left.
"It's gone. " She said.
"And all vital signs are normal." Reed declared. He took another needle and drew some blood.
"Ouch! Hey!" Rogue complained. "Warn me when…." Her voice trailed off. "You just drew blood." She exclaimed. Her eyes flew open and she looked around at the people ringing her stretcher. "What's going on?" She demanded. The entire room was bathed in a reddish light.
"Reed has artificially recreated the effects of a red sun on Kryptonians." Everyone turned to see Kara sitting up on her stretcher, rubbing her eyes. She shakily got to her feet, leaning on a reluctant Logan.
"Kara?" Instantly memory returned. "Oh my god, Kara. You grabbed my hands!"
"Exactly." Reed confirmed. He flipped a switch and the reddish light faded. Rogue felt the lightness return and felt the last of the headache fade. She watched in stunned silence as, using no gloves, he picked up her arm. Skin to skin. There was no absorption. In one hand he held a needle. "Remind me to get a new supply of these," he said in an aside to Sue. The, to Rogue, "Watch." He jabbed the needle down. Rogue stared as the needle turned and bent as it impacted with her skin.
"But you just drew blood!" She exclaimed. "I don't understand."
"But I do." Kara announced. She looked over at Reed for confirmation as she explained. "He drew blood while you were under the influence of a red sun." She waited until Reed nodded and then looked to Rogue. "Kryptonians loose their powers under a red sun."
"But I'm not Kryptonian." Rogue shook her head, clearly confused. Reed inserted a sample of the blood he had just drawn into the microscope and compared it to samples he had drawn earlier and to samples he had taken from Kara.
"Correction." He said, straightening. "You WEREN'T Kryptonian. That is no longer true." He turned back to the group and continued. "The process is complete. Had we gotten her under the red sun influence instantly, we might have been able to catch it in time. However, as it stands, the Restorative has changed her." He paused for a moment, aware that he was dealing with people that would not understand the length scientific explanations. "Simply put, she is still Rogue, but she has physically been altered. She no longer has the mutant gene she was born with. I suppose the Restorative saw that as a defect and corrected it as it altered her very genetic makeup. " He indicated the microscope. "According to that, the only difference between Rogue and Kara are those differences that are normal between two members of the same race, genetically speaking." He looked over at a thoughtful Kara. She was floating a few inches above the floor, as if testing for herself that she still retained her powers.
She allowed herself to settle and stepped closer to Rogue, putting a hand on her arm and smiling.
"It's not that bad." She said, smiling. "Look at it this way. New clothes."
Rogue looked at her as though she had suddenly gone mad and then, despite herself, began giggling.
Chapter 4 Fantastic Four HQ"Reed?"
Sue Richards stepped through the doorway onto the balcony. Standing at the rail, looking out over the moonlit waters of the bay, her husband gave no indication that he heard. She moved closer to him, slipping an arm around his waist.
"I looked for you in the lab." She spoke quietly, sensing his thoughtful mood.
"I needed to get some air and collect my thoughts." He replied. He looked down at her upturned face and smiled. He bent his head and gently kissed her lips.
"You don't fool me, Reed Richards." Sue sighed, pushing him away, though not too far. "You're worrying about our problem children again."
"You're right." Reed chuckled. He looked back over the waves. "Do you realize the power that we have unleashed? " He turned and looked at Sue. "It was awesome to begin with when it was just Kara. Now we have two." He shook his head. "I don't believe Rogue comprehends, even now, what has happened to her."
"It's been over two months." Sue reminded him. "Kara promised that she would help Rogue get used to her new abilities. They've been working out constantly, testing and training."
"Not for the past week." Reed corrected. "I talked with Xavier and, according to him, Kara and Rogue have been taking off daily, going somewhere and coming back late."
"Perhaps this has something to do with it?" Sue held up a card. "An invitation to attend a Stark Industries Press Conference and dinner afterwards."
"An invitation?" Reed's neck stretched as his head swung up and around to look over Sue's shoulder at the card. "Does Tony think that Kara is ready?"
"I imagine Tony had nothing to do with it." Sue replied in dry tones. "From what I know of Kara, she is strong willed if nothing else. I imagine that she thinks she's ready."
"Hmmm." Reed recognized the warning in Sue's tones. Sometimes he tended to get a bit chauvinistic and she would instantly set him straight on the matter. "Probably so." He muttered. He returned to looking back out at the view, his arm tightening around Sue, her head resting on his shoulder.
The Rebirth
"Okay. Now, using a wide focus, play your heat vision over the entire wall. I will follow up with a blast of cold breath."
"Got it." Rogue squinted her eyes slightly and let her heat vision go. The ice wall steamed and began to melt until the super cold blast of Kara's breath froze it in place, forming a solid wall of ice that would, even at room temperature, remain frozen.
"That's got it!" Kara declared. She spun around and took in their handiwork. For the past week, she and Rogue had been carving out a network of caverns in the glacier. They could, had they wished, completed the work in a matter of hours. Yet they had elected to take their time and use the opportunity to train Rogue in the use of the multitude of new powers now at her disposal. They had trained in the danger room to use the powers in combat, but this gave her the opportunity to use them in non-combat scenarios.
At one point, Kara had simulated a lava flow by melting tons of ice, requiring Rogue to find methods of stopping the flow.
In the danger room, they had both honed their techniques, finding more and more that they worked better as a team than either alone.
"Have you ever thought of joining the X-men?" Jubilee had asked Kara one day.
"I have thought of it." Kara nodded. "But, for now, I don't think I belong with the X-men or any of the X Teams." She had not noticed Rogue's thoughtful and, somewhat, troubled look.
Now, as she looked around at the nearly completed fortress, she knew that she had been right. Yet now she wondered what to do. She had not been present when Kal had built his Fortress of Solitude and, though she was highly intelligent, she was nowhere near the genius he had been.
"Now what?" Rogue asked, unknowingly echoing Kara's thoughts. Kara shrugged and explained her problem.
"I know what I would like to have in here. I just don't know how to go about it." She concluded.
"Stark Industries." Rogue blurted after a moment's thought.
"What?"
"Go talk to Tony Stark." Rogue insisted. "Tell him what you want and then use part of the money he furnished you to get it."
"Hmmmm. You're right." She started walking towards the exit and stopped when she noticed that Rogue was not following. "You going with me?"
"Nah." Rogue shook her head, smiling. "It's your fortress. You go talk to him. I'll just head on back to the School."
"Rogue!" Kara crossed over to her and took her hands. "It's as much your place as it is mine." She insisted. "You helped carve it out. Now you have to help me furnish it the way we want it."
"We?" Rogue tilted her head. "I'm an X-man, Kara."
"OH." Kara stepped back, obviously crestfallen. "I know." She said, finally. "I guess I just assumed that you would…." She straightened and smiled. Rogue could see that it was a forced smile. "Nevermind. Of course you want to stay with the X-men."
Rogue grew thoughtful as she looked at her friend.
"Actually, I am not sure what I want, at this point." She admitted. She turned and looked around at the work they had done. "You've told me your story, Kara. You've had these powers all your life." She turned back and spread her hands. "But this…this is more than I have ever had." She shook her head. "Ever since I absorbed Carol Danvers' abilities, I have been strong. But now……Kara, you took me out the other day and we juggled asteroids!" She was gesturing wildly and pacing now. "You showed me that I can survive in the depths of space without a suit. I can fly and run just as fast, if not faster than Silverstreak. And…..and….." Rogue stopped, exasperated. "The list goes on. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am still getting used to not being a mutant with a bit of strength but a…a…"
"Kryptonian." Kara finished for her. She stepped up and took Rogue's face in her hands. "Rogue, since I have been here, you have been the one thing I could latch on to keep my sanity. You became a friend when I needed one. And now…"
For a brief moment Kara hesitated, as if unsure of what to say. Then, on sheer impulse, she leaned forward and let her lips brush lightly against Rogue's. Rogues eyes widened slightly and then closed as she leaned into the kiss, her mouth parting slightly and her arms moving up to encircle Kara's waist. After a moment, Kara pushed back, breathing heavily, her eyelids heavy.
"I…I'm sorry." Her voice was husky. "I don't know…" She straightened up and smiled weakly. "No, I do know. I've felt the attraction for some time." She turned away. "But I'm not ready for anything like that. I need to make sure I am okay with myself first."
Rogue stepped close and put a hand on Kara's shoulder. Her own breathing, she had noticed had calmed, but for a moment, it had been laboring as much as Kara's.
"Hey girlfriend." She said. "It's okay. We'll take it one step at a time. We both need to." She blushed and looked down at the floor. "I've never even considered another woman in that way before." She admitted.
"Neither have I." Kara laughed. "Though there is no taboo against it among Kryptonians. So far as I have seen, that is purely a terrestrial custom." She turned and took Rogue's hand in hers. "But for now, until we have both gotten our selves straightened out, it would be best if we thought of each other as sisters.
"Sisters…" Rogue's eyes welled with tears.
"Sisters." Kara confirmed. "In fact, I was going to talk to Jenny and see if there is a way that we can officially and legally give you the surname Zor-El."
"Rogue…..Zor-El?"
"Well, actually Zorel, since that is the way I have my name listed." Kara laughed.
"You want to…adopt me?" Rogue laughed.
"In a manner of speaking." Her tone grew harder. "Only if you want and with the understanding that the choice of what you do is still yours." She hugged Rogue to her. "No matter what you do or where you go we will be sisters."
Rogue pushed her away, doubling over with laughter.
"What's so funny?" Kara demanded. For a long moment, Rogue could only laugh. She straightened and, trying hard to control the laughter , turned Kara around and pushed her towards the opening of the caverns they had carved out.
"Let's go talk to Tony Stark." She said, between gulps of air. At the entrance she put a hand on Kara's arm. "But first, let's go see Jenny. If you want to."
At the entrance of the fortress, Rogue stopped.
"I just thought of something." She said, her voice filled with amusement. "If we become sisters now and then decide, later, to allow other things to develop, will it be considered incest?"
Speechless, Kara stooped and gathered a handful of snow and tossed it at the laughing Rouge.
The Rebirth
"I am afraid that Mr. Stark is rather busy at the moment." the secretary was saying. She looked the two women over, wondering how they had gotten past all the security and other flunkies.
"Oh really?" Rogue turned and, squinting just slightly, activated her x-ray vision. "Actually, he is sitting at his desk and looks a bit bored." Kara made a mental note to herself to talk to Rogue about the invasion of privacy. The vision abilities were still new enough to her that she used them at every opportunity she could, but still…
As Rogue started to move past her, towards the doors to Tony Stark's office, the secretary's jaw dropped.
"Wait a minute, you can't just…I'll call security!" She hustled around, trying to put herself between Rogue and the door.
"Rogue. Hold up." Kara faced the secretary and gave her a stern look. "Listen girlie. You have about two seconds to get on that intercom and tell Tony that Kara…and Rogue… Zorel are here to see him or you can explain to him later why Supergirl decided to disassociate herself from Stark Industries." She turned to Rogue. "Come on, we're outta here." She started towards the outer door, taking her time. She had seen the girl's face grow pale, confirming her guess that she knew about the upcoming publicity event.
"MR. STARK!" Frantic, she almost yelled into the intercom! "It's that Supergirl, Sir. Yessir! Ma'am! Miss! Please. He'll see you. Go right in!"
"Thank you." Kara said in her sweetest voice as she turned and headed for the door to Tony Stark's office. She smiled at the secretary, noting the perspiration that had sprung out on her forehead and her shaky hands. She patted the girl on the shoulder. "Next time, make sure you know who your visitors are before going into the protective secretary routine." She advised. "Oh, and by the way. It's not 'that' Supergirl or 'the' Supergirl. It's just plain Supergirl."
"Yes ma'am." The secretary sat back in her chair before she fell.
"Kara!" Tony was coming around from behind his desk, smiling, as Kara and Rogue entered, letting the door close behind them.
"Mr. Stark." Kara responded as Rogue nodded. "I am afraid there has been a slight change of plans."
"Oh?" Tony frowned and waved the girls to a couple of chairs as he perched on the corner of the desk. "What kind of changes?"
"First, I have some things that I would like Stark Industries to build for me." She handed him a folder filled with drawings and descriptions that she had thrown together while she and Rogue were at Jenny's office. "Basically, I want Stark Industries to furnish my new digs." Rogue winced at the term.
"Girl, this is the nineties, not the mid-eighties." She said. "Digs. Ugh."
"Whatever." Kara shrugged and smiled. "In any case, Rogue and I have dug" she glanced over at Rouge, "the place out and gotten it ready. Now it needs a power source and the equipment detailed in that folder. I believe that most, if not all of it can be done using the funds you have earmarked for my use." Tony shrugged that off.
"If not, I'll just increase the fund." He glanced through the folder, nodding and whistling at some places. "Pretty impressive. Complete crime lab. Super computer, communications." He grew silent as he finished looking it over and then sat it on his desk. "I don't see a problem. Though, from the descriptions you give of your fortress here some changes will have to be made." He thought for a moment. "Excuse me for a moment." He picked up the folder and stepped out the door, presumably to talk to the secretary. When he returned he was smiling.
"Kara, please refrain from scaring my secretary." He chuckled as he resumed his perch on the corner of the desk. "She's a temp. I finally convinced Mrs. Arbogast to take a well-deserved vacation. In any case, workers and equipment will be on their way to the location noted for deliver within the hour." He informed them. "I had everything faxed to one of my most trusted people and she assures me that we can do everything requested, and then some." He crossed his arms and looked at the ladies. "You mentioned changes. What kind of changes? I assume, of course that you were not referring to this Fortress of yours."
"Your assume correctly, Mr. Stark."
"Tony, please."
"Okay, Tony. You assume correctly." Kara took a deep breath. "I have talked things over with both Rogue here and with Jennifer Walters and have come to the conclusion that, while I may be Supergirl, I am also still a stranger here. A couple of months of training and lessons with Prof. Xavier, no matter how beneficial, will still not tell me all I need to know about this Reality. Therefore, for that reason, and for reasons strictly personal, we have decided that the wisest thing, for the time being, would be for me to be part of a team."
"You are joining the X-Men?" Tony inquired, looking first at Rogue then back to her.
"Actually, she's not." Rogue said. "She has decided to pair up with her new partner." Rogue's face was serious.
"But…" Tony was thoroughly confused now. "She doesn't have a partner!"
"I do now." Kara laughed, putting her hand on Rogue's shoulder. Together, the two of them told Tony the entire story.
"So you are just alike now?" Tony was astonished at the tale. "Same powers, everything?"
"Everything." Rogue confirmed. She hugged herself. Shivering. "You would not believe the difference." She exclaimed. She looked over at Kara. "I was strong. I could fly. I was damage resistant. But now…." She shook her head. "It's like I've graduated into a whole new class of power." She leaned forward with her arms still around herself and now resting on her knees. She looked up. "I can do things now that I never dreamed possible. I can, and have over the past month, travel through time. " She jumped up and walked to a window. "I've dove into the heart of the sun and felt hardly a tickle of warmth. I moved a moon of Jupiter out of it's orbit and then back."
"God!" Tony breathed, looking now at Kara. "I had no idea you were so powerful!" Kara shrugged.
"One thing I learned in my own…my OLD reality…was that, no matter how powerful a person, there will always be some one even more powerful." She gestured to Rogue. "What she does not know but will learn, is that it seems that people of our power always seem to attract the attention of powerful enemies. For instance, one of Kal's greatest enemies was a human with no powers of his own. Lex Luthor was, physically, no different than the average person. But his intelligence made him, at times, more than a match for Kal. I also remember Kal telling me that he once had to fight The Batman. He never wanted to go through that humiliation again." She smiled. "The Batman had no super powers, yet he was able to use Kal's own powers against him"
"I have heard of this Batman." Tony said. Rogue wasn't listening. Her attention was out the window and down.
"Mr. Stark? Does this window open?" She asked. Kara looked at her sharply, noticed where she was looking, and activated her x-ray vision, standing. At that instant, alarms began sounding.
"Mr. Stark!" The secretary's frantic voice came over the com unit. "The building is under attack!"
"Security!" Tony punched a button on the com unit. "Code Red. Initiate Lock Down One. After everyone is evacuated, go to Lock Down Two!"
"Affirmative, Mr. Stark." Was the calm reply. Instantly a steel panel slid out to cover the office entrance.
"Forget it." Rogue muttered. "I'll pay for the damned window." She gave the window a shove and then followed the shards of glass that exploded outwards. Kara leapt through the opening behind her. Tony, seeing the ladies gone, pressed a button beneath his desk and then exited the office through a hidden panel behind his desk.
"What've we got, Rogue?" Kara asked as she zoomed downward beside the one time X-Man. They were taking their time descending from the fortieth story office. Rushing into a situation, even for a Supergirl, without sizing it up first, was not smart.
"One bogey." Was Rogue's curt reply. "And I recognize her." She pulled up short, hovering. "Kara, it's Carol Danvers."
For a long moment comprehension eluded the Maid of Might.
"OH!" She exclaimed as understanding sank in. "The one whose powers you absorbed?"
"That's the one." Rogue shook her head. "The woman has been through so much. And much was due to me. Prof. X told me that while I was unconscious, her original powers returned to her." She grabbed Kara's arm. "She's been slightly unstable ever since I stole her powers. And, from what I understand, she has developed a problem with alcohol."
Whatever reply Kara might have given was cut-off by a scream of rage below them. Carol had seen them and was streaking up at them.
"I would guess that she is here for me." Rogue said as, moving together, she and Kara moved higher and out away from the Stark Building.
"YOU!" Carol's face was twisted with hatred as she dove straight at Rogue, confirming Rogue's guess. Both she and Kara moved aside, allowing Carol to pass between them.
"How do you want to handle this?" Kara asked as Carol wove unsteadily in an arc that would bring her back on target.
"I don't know." Rogue admitted. "I don't want to hurt her. She just needs help and I wish I could give it to her." Kara looked at her and then nodded.
"Good sentiments. However, we do have a slight problem. She is drunk and out for blood. Yours in particular."
There was no time for further discussion as Carol dove at them, hatred twisting her face into a hideous mask.
"Enough of this." Kara snapped as she and Rogue once again moved out of the way of the reckless charge. "If she doesn't hurt herself she is going to end up hurting someone else. I'm going to put a stop to this now." She took off after the erratically flying Carol, catching up to her easily. She took hold of one ankle and curved upwards, easily carried the now squalling Carol into the upper atmosphere.
"You blonde witch!" Carol screeched. "Let me go!" Kara didn't bothering answering as she continued to climb higher. She kept an eye on Carol as the atmosphere began to grow thinner. When she showed no signs of having breathing problems she decided on another course of action. At that point, she curved downward, still dragging the woman by the ankle. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Rogue trailing her. She picked a deserted stretch of beach and, as she swooped down, dropped the gasping woman to the sand. By the time she landed, Carol had climbed to her hands and knees, head hanging as she vomited the excess liquor from her body. Rogue touched down by Kara, keeping a wary eye on the sick woman.
"You witch." Carol gasped weakly, her body going through dry heaves. Kara sighed.
"I just saved your butt, Ms. Danvers." She said, crossing her arms. "But if you really want to put it back in the wringer, you go right ahead."
"Witch!" Carol screeched. She launched herself again, this time with Kara as the target. Kara grunted as Carol's shoulder caught her in the midriff, forcing her off her feet. She flipped Carol off and regained her feet.
"Now it's my turn." She snarled. She waited as Carol dove again and then, using one hand, swatted her straight into the ground at her feet.
"Do you get the message now?" Kara snapped. "Don't screw with me, woman. You don't have what it takes." She grabbed Carol by the hair, pulling her head up. "And get this through that drunken brain of yours. Rogue doesn't have your power anymore. She has mine!"
"Who the hell are you?" Carol jerked away, spitting out sand. She glanced over at Rogue, edging away as she took in the bare arms and hands.
"It's okay, Carol." Rogue whispered, crouching down. She held her hands up, looking at them herself as she showed them to Carol. "The mutant gene is gone. I can't absorb anyone else's powers or memories anymore." She let the hands drop. "I'm stuck with what I've got from now on."
Carol looked from Rogue to Kara, disbelief plain in her eyes.
"It's true." Kara nodded. "She accidentally came into contact with me. What she absorbed from me changed her." She shrugged and then fixed Carol with a cold stare. "Her powers are exactly like mine, now. You're out classed in that department, dearie." She squatted down and put her face within inches of Carol's. "And if she does not have the experience in using them to be able to put you down, I do." She drew back as Carol belched. "Phew. You smell like a brewery! Is this what you call being a hero? Is this the kind of example you wish to present? Pah."
She stood and turned her back on Carol. "Come on, Rogue. Let's leave this drunk alone with her hatred."
"Don't you dare judge me!" Carol screamed at Kara's back. "You have no idea what I've been through."
"Have you been dead?" Kara spun around, eyes blazing. "Have you been a disembodied spirit for over fifteen years? Have you been forgotten by history? Do your relatives have no idea you ever existed? Have you lost your entire heritage?" She reached down and drug Carol up by the scruff of the neck. "Don't talk to me about what you have been through, lady." Still holding onto her, Kara turned to Rogue. "You go finish our talk with Mr. Stark. You know what we want." She shook Carol. "I'm taking this one some where to sober up."
"Actually, I think we can handle her from here."
Kara spun at the metallic sounding voice. There were three of them. One, a man in a golden suit of armor, another dressed in red, white and blue, sporting a round shield with the same colors, and the third…Kara gaped. A student of mythology in school, she had no trouble recognizing the third as Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. It was not the god, however, that stood forth, taking the lead. It was the man in colors of the flag.
"Ironman", he indicated the man in the armor "has told us about you, Supergirl." He stepped forward. Carol, obviously embarrassed hung her head, refusing to meet the gazes of any of the men present.
"How…?" Kara began, looking towards Ironman.
"I work for Stark Industries." Ironman explained. He lifted a hand to indicate his companions. "We'll get to know each other better later. For now, let me introduce Captain America and Thor."
"By the All Father thou are fast, girl." Thor rumbled. "We did trail thee from the Stark building and have only now caught up to thee!"
"Carol was, at one time, part of our team." Captain America explained. He stepped forward and, taking Carol's chin in his hand forced her to look at him. "We expelled her from the Avengers because of her drinking problem. Perhaps we erred in not making sure that she received help."
"An alcoholic with super powers." Kara shuddered and released her hold on Carol.
Captain America nodded sadly and then turned his attention to Rogue.
"Of course you understand why she hates you." He asked, his tone saying that he knew the answer already.
"Of course." Rogue drew herself up and looked him in the eye. "Yet, as we tried to explain to her, I am no longer a mutant. Nor do I have the ability to steal anyone's abilities or memories any longer."
"So Tony Stark explained to me." Ironman spoke up. "He also asked me to pass on a message for him. He will be rather tied up for the rest of the day. He will be contacting you at your fortress within a day or so to go over the final arrangements for the press conference."
"Okay." Kara tore her eyes away from the Thunder God and looked at Rogue. "Let's get out of here."
Rogue nodded and, bunching her muscles, bounded into the sky. Kara nodded to the Avengers and leapt up after her friend.
"Kara," Rogue spoke up as they turned and headed north. Kara wanted to be there when the people from Stark Industries started work on the Fortress. "I've made up my mind."
"Oh?"
"Yeah." She flew closer and laid a hand on Kara's arm. "I think it is time I left the X-Men. I think you still need help in understanding this Reality and I need some one to help me learn to use these new powers. What do you think?"
"Well, You may be right." Kara mused. Then she smiled. "Come on. Let's get home before the moving men get there." Laughing, the two Super femmes sped through the sky, heading towards the Arctic Circle.
Chapter 5 Stark Industries"Where is the blasted girl?" Reed Richards paced back and forth in the room Tony Stark had sit aside for personal guests during the media event. "The press conference starts in two hours and she decides to take off." He turned a glare towards Rogue.
"She said she needed some time alone to think." Rogue shrugged off the glare. She glanced down at her costume smiling. Still her traditional green and yellow, it had been altered slightly. Where, above the left breast, there had been a symbol representing the X-men there was now new symbol. Roughly the same size as the old, Rogue now wore the S symbol so well known in that other Reality. Now it would become known in this one and she and Kara would make it known.
"She's a big girl, Reed." Sue spoke up. She was reclining in a chair, looking over a program of the coming event.
"Don't worry so much, stretch-o." Ben Grim put his two cents in. He had been talking old times with Jennifer Walters. He was also trying to ride herd on Johnny Storm. Johnny was, at least in Ben's opinion, just one step from drooling over himself as he tried to hold a conversation with Storm and Jubilee, the representatives of the X-men. They were close on either side of Rogue, talking in low tones. While Jubilee did not look happy at all, Storm was the picture of serenity.
Reed gave every one a final disgusted look and stepped outside.
"And so it comes to an ending." Reed turned as Dr. Strange stepped out of the shadows. "Our child is growing up and setting out on her own."
"Our child?" Reed looked at Stephen then grinned. "Yeah, I guess in a way she is." He sighed. "And now we get to see what we have unleashed on the world."
"Still worried that we did the wrong thing?" Stephen shook his head. "We did what was right for us to do. Now Kara must take responsibility."
"I just wish I knew where she was." Reed groused.
"In that, at least, I can ease your mind." Strange said. "She has gone to put memories to rest and to come to peace with her past." He looked at Reed and smiled ever so slightly. "She has gone to seek out Access."
"Oh that's just wonderful." Reed's voice dripped sarcasm. "Thank you so very much for putting my mind at ease."
"Think nothing of it." Strange hid his smile as turned and entered the waiting room, leaving a fuming Reed Richards glaring at his back.
The Rebirth
"I am still not sure that his is such a good idea." Access worried. Kara glanced at him and stepped away, looking around.
"Probably not." She agreed. "But it is something I needed to do." She stepped out of the alley, glancing up and down the street. Leeville! A few passersby saw her, did a double take, and then smiled. She was wearing the costume, or rather a copy of the costume that she had worn at the time of her battle with the Anti-Monitor.
"Wait here." She called back in to the alley. "I won't be long." Her knees bent and, before Access could protest, she was airborne.
She flew over the sleepy town, making sure that she was extremely visible. She looked around, noting subtle differences here and there. Over all, this Leeville was larger than the Leeville she had called home for so many years.
After just a few moments she got the reaction she had been looking for. Streaking up from the town was another blue and red clothed figure. Kara nodded and swung around on a heading towards Metropolis. She kept her speed down so as not to loose the figure trailing her, but going fast enough to keep her from catching up before she had attracted the attention of the next person she needed to see.
The trip to Metropolis was not a long one. The huge city, at first glance, looked no different than the Metropolis she had known. And there, there was her destination. She angled down and swung a few tight orbits around the Daily Planet building.
"Superman, I need to talk." She sub-vocalized, hoping that this Superman's hearing was on par with her own. She then shot straight up, coming to a hovering stop well above the city. She kept an eye on the blue and red figure that had trailed her from Leeville. She wanted no violent confrontation.
The other Supergirl closed and came to a hover a good distance from Kara. Kara nodded approvingly. She had not come in too close, but had come in close enough to size up the situation and had put herself in a position to attack if the situation warranted it.
"Okay, who the hell are you and what are you doing dressed like me…." The other Supergirl paused, getting a good look at the costume. "Not bad. Though I would loose the headband."
"Supergirl. Hold on!" Both women glanced down as Superman rose to meet them. He moved in, placing himself somewhat between the two. His gave Kara a searching glance and then nodded to this Reality's Supergirl. Kara kept silent until Superman had filled Supergirl in on Kara's story. By the end, Supergirl's face was a mask of horror.
"You….you're Kryptonian?" She asked of Kara. "Like Superman?"
"Similar." Kara answered, swallowing the lump in her throat. This was harder than she thought it would be. "There are some small differences."
"Small." Superman smiled. "The Superboy I met in the Alternate reality that our Supergirl came from was more powerful than me. You are more his match than mine." Kara shrugged.
"What can we do for you, Kara?" Superman asked.
"Information." Kara answered, somewhat curtly. She had to wind this up and get back where she belonged….if she really belonged anywhere. "Any thing you have in the way of Kryptonian physiology, plans for some of the equipment in your Fortress of Solitude, and a star chart."
"Done." Superman nodded. He looked close at Kara. "It will take some time to get what you want together, but I don't think you have the time." Kara looked down at her hand, startled to see that she was starting to fade.
"I need to get back to Leeville and Access." She said. "I can't stay in this Reality. If I do, I'll fade into non-existence."
"Go." Superman ordered. "I'll get what you need together." He paused. "It is apparent that we should have a communications system."
"Reed Richards has said much the same thing." Kara nodded. "A way for the heroes of both Realities to communicate in case of emergencies that might require their combined forces."
"He is correct." Superman nodded. "Get going. When I get what you need, I'll bring it to Leeville and leave it with Supergirl. Access can get it from her and deliver it to you." Kara nodded and started to take off. "Kara?" She turned as Superman put his arms around her, pulling her close. "I told you once that I would be proud to call you cousin." He tilted her face up to look at him. "I am proud and, though we come from different realities, I would be honored if you would consider me your family."
"And me." Supergirl put a hand on Kara's shoulder. "Now you must go, you are really starting to fade." She turned to Superman. "Go. I'll make sure she gets to Leeville."
"Right." Superman sped off, arcing up and to the north.
"Come on." Supergirl urged Kara. Kara nodded and, taking Supergirl by the hand, poured on the speed as she headed back to Leeville and Access.
"Wow!" Supergirl breathed, astonished at their velocity. "You were letting me follow you! You could have left me in the dust at any time!"
The Rebirth
"You sure like cutting it close!" Access griped as Kara and Supergirl landed at the entrance to the alley. Passersby gaped at the sight of two Supergirls, side by side. Access looked from one to the other then shrugged. "We have to get you outta here." He continued. Both women nodded. Kara turned to Supergirl, holding out her hand. Supergirl ignored the hand and pulled Kara into a close embrace.
"Take care, Kara." She whispered. "maybe someday I can visit you and we can get to know each other. I would love to hear about your life." Kara smiled weakly and stepped closer to Access.
"Maybe." She said. "Someday."
The Rebirth
Having agreed to return and pick up the things Superman was gathering for her and deliver them to Tony Stark, Access faded back out, leaving her standing in a small clearing….alone.
"Is this where I belong?" She whispered to herself. The fading had stopped the instant she had been returned to this reality. Yet still, in her heart, she wasn't sure that she belonged here. "Perhaps I should have stayed there and just faded away." She bent her knees and pushed off, gaining speed as she soared straight up. Within moments, she was punching out of the upper atmosphere, the darkness of space closing around her. Turning, she regarded the blue green globe before her. For a long moment she looked over this Earth that was so much like the Earth she remembered and yet, at the same time, was so much different.
A flash of light off to her right interrupted her contemplation of her situation. She activated her x-ray vision and focused in on the area of space from which the light had originated. On this earth, as on her own, a noted French scientist had theorized that any thing placed in orbit in certain points would tend to remain in those positions; neither drawing closer nor drawing away. There were five of these points, called LaGrange Points, in the Earth Moon system; One between the Earth and moon, one on the farside of the Earth and one on the farside of the Moon. The remaining two points trailed and preceded the Earth in her orbit, remaining equal distances from both the Earth and Moon. These two, LaGrange had further theorized, would be the most stable of the five. His theories had proven to be fact and now, over a century later, man had begun construction of human habitats in both the L4 and L5 positions. It was the habitat under construction in the L4 position that she was focusing on. Fires, obviously feeding upon the oxygen within the habitat, ran rampant. Without thinking, Kara kicked it in gear. Fire, she knew, was even more dangerous in space than on the planet surface. Though it would die quickly due to lack of oxygen, it would first use up what there was, leaving anyone not in emergency gear suffocating. That is if the intense heat of the flash fires didn't kill them first.
All of this ran through Kara's head as she zipped in. First things first, she would need to gain entrance into the main torus of the station with out damaging it's integrity. A huge, gaping hole in the outward facing shell answered that dilemma. From the looks of it, an explosion had occurred, blowing outwards.
"Damn" Kara thought. She looked around quickly, her gaze resting on an abandoned construction shack. "Time to patch the tire." She aimed herself at the shack, her heat vision slicing it into chunks.
To the few observers, it seemed as if a blue and red blur had appeared out of nowhere. As they watched, the blur increased speed until there seemed to be a solid blue and red line linking the habitat at the explosion point to the construction shack.
Holding each chunk of the shack in place, her strength greater than the force of the air being blown and pulled out of the habitat, Kara built up a temporary patch over the hole, welding each piece in place with her heat vision. The last piece she held and welded from the inside. She then turned her attention to the fires. Already groups of people were battling the blazes, bringing them under control now that they no longer had to worry about the gaping hole. Letting them handle the fires, she turned here x-ray vision through the wreckage, locating those too injured to extract themselves. These Kara retrieved from the mess, depositing them in clear corridors before heading back for more.
She worked for several minutes until she could no longer detect any that remained alive. Again using her x-ray vision, she scanned nearby space for any that had been blown out. She discovered several bodies, but no one in any kind of suit that could withstand the vacuum of space.
She located a person that seemed to be organizing the emergency efforts.
"You seem to have things under control here." She told him. His face was streaked with sweat and smoke and he appeared exhausted, yet he offered a smile.
"Thank you." He said. "With out you we would have all died." Kara waved that away.
"I just patched the leak, you and your people did and are still doing all the hard work. Is there anything else I can do for you?" The man shook his head.
"I think we can handle it from here, Miss…" He paused expectantly.
"Not Miss." Kara smiled. "Just call me Supergirl." She turned and then halfway turned back. "I'm going to reinforce my patchwork, but it's still only temporary. You'll have to get a work crew to make more permanent repairs." And she was gone. The man rushed to a view port and, after a few moments, saw a blue and red streak heading back towards the surface of the planet.
"Communications. Get in touch with headquarters and tell them what happened." He ordered. "And get a line directly to the boss. Tell Mr. Stark that she just saved the station and almost everyone on board."
"Tell him who saved us?" The Comm tech asked. The supervisor turned and looked at her then looked back out the portal. Though he could no longer see her, he could envision her entering the atmosphere about now.
"Tell him…Tell him that it was Supergirl." He answered the tech after a moment. "Supergirl just saved our butts!"
Chapter 6 Stark IndustriesThere was a soft tapping at the door to the waiting room and an agitated Reed Richards flung the door open. Somewhat surprised, he looked down at the mousy brown haired teen standing there.
"Uh, hi." The girl spoke hesitantly. "I, uh, have a delivery. It's in care of a Tony Stark or Reed Richards."
"I'm Reed Richards." Reed groused. He stepped back, startled, as a huge bundle of items floated in through the door.
"Where do you want it?" The girl asked, stepping in behind the bundle.
Sue Richards looked up and smiled.
"Telekinesis?" She asked. Her question was more than an inquiry. It also served to alert the others in the room that something was up.
Rogue looked away from her conversation with Storm and Jubilee, gasping as she took in the girl by the door. She rushed forward.
"You!" She blurted. "It's...Linda Danvers, right?"
"How?" The girl looked at Rogue, taking in the Super symbol over the right breast. "I don't understand."
"Neither do I." Reed broke in. "Rogue, do you know this girl?" He looked at the girl. "And why does that name seem familiar?"
"Because, Reed, it is the name of Kara's secret identity." Dr. Strange stepped up. "Unless I am mistaken, we have the honor of addressing the current Supergirl of the Other Reality."
The girl smiled, shyly, and her features seemed to flow, blend and rearrange themselves. Within a matter of seconds, where once a mousy brown haired girl had stood, there now stood a young blond woman wearing a variation of the blue and red costume that Kara wore.
"Wow!" Jubilee piped up from the back of the room. Supergirl's features once again blurred and once again she was Linda Danvers.
"Superman got some things together that Kara had asked for." She indicated the pile. "And then threw in some things that he thought she might want."
"And you delivered it, for him?" Reed asked, still a bit bewildered.
"Well, actually, I was going to, until Access told us what was happening today."
"You mean this event?"
"Right." Linda nodded. "Superman felt that this was probably your way of introducing Kara to your world. So we felt that it would be gesture of good will to sorta help out."
"Help out how?" Rogue asked. Linda smiled.
"Well, it's supposed to be a secret, but I'll tell you if you promise not to tell Kara." She leaned closer. "Superman is here too. Along with some other members of the Justice League and a few members of the Legion of Super-Heroes."
"But." Rogue was confused now. "Why? And I thought the Legion was in your 30th century. At least that's what Kara's told me."
"It's a long story. But to shorten it, some of the Legion are sorta trapped in our time." She looked at Reed. "In fact sir, one of them wants to talk with you and see if you can give him some ideas about constructing a device to get them back home." She turned back to Rogue. "As to why. Well, they are sorta helping out Tony Stark's people in the Arctic. You see, Superman guessed that Kara would construct her fortress in roughly the same place he built his. So he and the others have gone there to finish the construction and to add some, well, Kryptonian touches."
"Wow!" Jubilee breathed.
"You said that, already." Jennifer Walters told the girl.
Further conversation was impossible as an attendant rushed in.
"It's time sir." He told Reed. "Mr. Stark wants you all out there now."
"Great. Just great." Reed growled.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." Tony Stark stood behind the podium set up on the stage and waited for some semblance of order. Already reporters were shouting questions. Stark simply waited. When a relative quite had descended over the crowd he spoke up again. "First, There will be no questions answered until later."
The reporters glanced at each other and then back at Stark. Earlier, some had seen the man and he had been in a cheery mood. Now that had changed.
"I am afraid that our original purpose of this conference has changed." Tony held up a sheet of paper. "I have here a memo from a group calling themselves Earth Firsters. They claim to have inserted an explosive device on one of the space colonies funded by Stark Industries." He consulted the sheet. "They gave precise measurements and details that leave us with no choice but to believe that they have done as they claim." He put the sheet on the podium. "And explosion at the place indicated would basically rupture the hull of the colony, allowing the entire atmosphere to escape, dooming the people and livestock already living there."
There was a stunned silence for a moment. Looking at over the crowd, Tony had seen both Rogue and a brown haired girl rise to their feet. A reporter that had been sitting between them had placed a hand on each of their arms, as if to stop them. For some reason the reporter, vaguely familiar, despite the glasses, was smiling, as if enjoying some secret knowledge.
Glancing to the wings of the stage, Tony noticed Mrs. Arbogast beckoning to him frantically.
"Excuse me for a moment." He walked over and glanced at the sheet of paper she handed him, his face transforming with undisguised glee.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." He returned to the podium and once again waited until he had everyone's attention. "I have here a communiqué from the Colony's Manager. It appears there was, indeed, an explosive device and, approximately thirty minutes ago, it detonated."
The uproar was instantaneous. Reporters, with the exception of the one between Rogue and the brown haired girl, were on their feet, shouting questions. He held up a hand, not saying anything until quiet once again returned.
"The explosion blew a sizeable hole in the outer hull." He paused. "Though there was some loss of life, a majority of the stations personnel and livestock survived and repairs are already underway." He set the paper down. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to announce that the survival of a Stark Industries colony and the original purpose of this event coincide." He placed both hands on the podium and leaned forward. Behind him, on a series of screens pictures of a multitude of individuals began to appear.
"Over the years, it has been the privilege and honor of Stark Industries to fund individuals it was felt could and would contribute to the well being of humanity. From scientists to metaphysical researchers to persons with unique abilities." He paused, taking a sip from a glass of water on the podium. "So it was with great pleasure that we continue that tradition today. Today, Stark Industries would like to announce that we have asked and been allowed to fund not one, but two individuals. Both of these young ladies have unique abilities that we feel could be used to benefit humanity."
Rogue's eyes flew wide at Tony Stark's announcement. She looked around to find the reporter next to her and Linda beyond him smiling at her. A touch on the shoulder from Storm who had taken a seat behind hers and a whispered "You go, Rogue" from Jubilee only added to her confusion.
"The first of these young ladies may be known to some of you as having, until recently, been a member of the group known as the X-Men. Due to some incredible events, her abilities have changed considerably. For reasons that are not relevant to the current situation, she has admittedly run afoul of law enforcement officials. At the urging of Stark Industries and with the guarantee that we shall assume full responsibility, the government of the United States has agreed to grant her a conditional pardon that will, in a matter of two years, become a full pardon. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce Rogue."
At the prodding of those around her Rogue got to her feet. She looked around for a way to get through the crowd to the stage.
"Fly." The reporter whispered. She looked at him, confused. She gasped in astonishment as he removed his glasses and allowed his features to change ever so slightly. The change was not in the manner of Linda's metamorphing, but rather a simple matter of facial muscle control.
"But…but…" Rogue stammered.
"Go, Rogue." He put the glasses back on and once again he was a simple reporter. "Go on."
Shaking her head, Rogue pushed up and over the heads of the crowd, landing lightly beside Tony Stark on the stage. Tony, she noticed was looking at the reporter. He had seen. With a small nod to the reporter, he then turned to her. He spoke to her for a moment and then, positioning her to his right, turned back to the crowd.
"He doesn't know that Kara isn't here!" Reed whispered to his wife.
"There was no time to tell him." Sue responded. She was looking around, for the first time feeling a touch of worry.
"Our other young lady comes to us from another world. The soul survivor of a world that has died." Tony was saying.
"In a way, it's true." The reporter whispered to Linda. "She IS the only survivor from HER krypton."
"God's Clark. I feel so sorry for her." Linda whispered back. "I can't even imagine."
"This young lady has adopted our world, wishing to call it home and has pledged to protect it." Tony continued. "And, Ladies and Gentlemen, she has already begun." He held up the paper Mrs. Arbogast had handed him. "It seems our young lady, within moments of the explosion on the colony, had patched the rupture and then aided in the recovery of the wounded from the damaged sections. Without her quick action, it is likely that every living being on the colony, close to 10,000 individuals, would have perished." He paused as the reporters buzzed among themselves. "And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great honor and our most sincere gratitude that we introduce Kara Zorel. Ladies and Gentlemen…I give you…Supergirl!"
There was a moment of silence and then, with a rush of wind that sent loose papers flying helter-skelter, a dark blue figure moved from the rear of the auditorium to the stage. She was dressed in the costume that Stark Industries had created for her. Dark blue hip huggers, open and laced along the outer thighs until they reached the knee high boots. A dark blue leather style jacket over a light blue halter that sported the traditional S symbol.
Clark looked at the figure on the stage and then at Linda.
"You gave her that, didn't you?" He demanded.
"No." She smiled, though. "It does look damn good, doesn't it?"
The Rebirth
"Yes. Formidable indeed." Victor Von Doom leaned back in his throne, studying the final images from his spy spider. The little mechanical device had sent it's final transmission, the last picture transmitted as a pair of red beams from those blue eyes all but vaporized it.
Doom had no idea how the spy had been discovered, but it really didn't matter. It had gathered enough information over the months to convince him that an encounter with either Kara or Rogue was not advisable. Not yet anyway.
Some might think that Doom's decision had been one of cowardice. Such persons thinking this would be fools indeed. Doom was no coward, but he was cautious. Very cautious. For the time being, he would avoid any direct confrontation with either young lady. But, being cautious, he had prepared for the unexpected. Should either young lady pay him a visit, he would be ready. The little spy had done its work well, tapping into Reed Richards files, gaining the information Doom needed. He glanced to the left of his throne at the new pedestal there. It's flattened top covered with a handled glass dome. Beneath the glass, a fist sized chunk of greenish, glowing matter. Working from the information gathered from Richards' files, it had not taken him long to synthesize the material. Yes, should either lady visit he would be ready. He placed a hand on the dome of glass over the green Kryptonite. Ready indeed.
The Rebirth
The Watcher watched. He had seen the beginning of this story. And if either of the Brothers had noticed the comings and goings between their Realities, neither gave a sign. Perhaps they had decided to allow this lost child a second chance at a life that had, for all purposes, been stolen from her.
It would be interesting indeed to see what would come of this. To Watch as this young lady made a new life for herself.
Interesting indeed.
The end of the Rebirth: A New Beginning Story Concludes in The Resurrection Chapter 3: To Discover a World