p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Clark, I've been out here ten style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhen will you be ready?" Linda Lee Danvers asked, staring at her cousin's apartment door at 344 Clinton Street./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""It's opening day, Clark, do you know how hard it was to get these tickets?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI want to be there for everything!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Out came her cousin, but she wasn't any happier./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Seriously?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""You're wearing a suit?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou'll bake!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""No, I won't."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned in the doorway, "Oh, one last thing."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Not the hat," she said, palming her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe just emhad/em to wear that grey, beaten-up fedora everywhere he went./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What's wrong with my hat?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nobody wears hats like that anymore, Clark"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Sure they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHats are 'in.'span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAre we ready?" He locked the door and started down the hall./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I guess so," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wondered if this was a good idea at all./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Seeing the two of them next to each other, one would be forgiven for not knowing the difference in the cousins' respective style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor while they both looked about thirty, Clark Kent was actually 106 years old, and Linda Danvers was 78. Clark Kent was Superman and his cousin Linda Danvers was Supergirl./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Yes, they'd been on earth, and super-hero-ing for quite some time style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey'd seen generations rise and fall, as they say, and were still at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd, for today, going to a baseball game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"They exited the building and got on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, they'd get to the stadium in less than half an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey sat next to each other./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I don't remember hearing about Supergirl being part of the opening day ceremonies," Clark style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't want anyone to hear their conversation, but he also wanted to understand why his cousin has asked him to come to a game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""She isn't."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe does assume anything is job related, doesn't he, she thought./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIs somebody we know, or you know, being honored?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr playing/"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Not that I know of."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""So, why are we going?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I just wanted some quality cousin time."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut why a baseball game?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe could do something in the fortress, or in space, or-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I like baseball," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou follow sports?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf you need a hobby, I've got some neat ideas I've been tossing around-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Fortunately, before he could finish, a woman came on with a bag of groceries in one hand, a child in the other, and three at her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark got up to help, and in his inimitable clumsy fashion got everybody seated, the groceries righted, and a seat fixed (once he was at it).span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark wound up sitting next to another man, and Linda next to someone she knew from the neighborhood./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"They arrived at the stadium and weaved through the crowds until they got to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark was going on about his new hobbies./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"As if I don't have a hobby, she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI play sports, go to movies and concerts, date, and he tells me about rocket ships in tesseract style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot to mention all the jobs she'd had over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was between jobs now, and a good style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt had taken a whole week to move all the right pieces so this would be Clark's day off as well./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Ms. Danver!" said the man who took their tickets, "is that you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Hello, Elliot," she said with a big grin, "Elliot, this is my cousin Clark," turning to Clark she said "Elliot was one of my students at the Experimental School in New Athens./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Forty years ago," Elliot said, "and you don't look a day older!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nonsense, Elliot, I've aged at least four years!" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey laughed, exchanged contact information, and hustled along before the crowd behind them got too ugly./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Is that what you do when people confront you about your aging," Clark style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark used to wear old-age make-up so he would look his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis became less practical as he grew older—ninety-year-old reporters aren't so common, after all—and his friends, heroes and civilians, had passed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo, a friend offered a way to create a younger 'Clark Kent' Superman could take the identity of, the original Clark Kent was 'killed off.'span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLinda had never aged or done any of that./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""That's all I do."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Don't people get suspicious?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Sure they do, but what do they suspect?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fountain of youth?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA Martian?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn Amazon?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow old did Lois look when she died?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs soon as she said it, she realized she'd style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLois and Clark had had an on-and-off relationship for more forty years, and a beautiful marriage for almost 30, when she had suddenly died in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDue to a strange adventure in 1942, she only aged at a quarter the normal rate, and hadn't even looked forty./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Clark, I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy point is just—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""It's all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's not like there isn't a day I don't think about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI understand your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith everything people encounter on a daily basis, why assume one random person is a superhero?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"They took their seats—top row along the third base style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter all, with their vision, they could see just as well from up here as anywhere./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Just imagine," Clark said, continuing their conversation, "a world where being a superhero is a novelty, an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA place like—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Earth-Prime," she said, "we've both been there."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe just turned to the game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Like Krypton," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You remember Lyla Lerrol, right?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat time I traveled to Krypton before I was born?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOh, it was so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo normal."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""That's what the secret identity is for, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBeing normal."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd speaking of normal, here was Ron Normal, oldest man in Metropolis, with the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe game had begun./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Huh?" Clark said, "what about secret identities?" she didn't respond, staying focused on the game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I wonder if there were sports similar to baseball on Krypton," Clark said, "most of the files I read are about history and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLet's see if I can remember anything…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Linda looked at her cousin and shook her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was going through Kryptonian sports stats in his head, while on the field below the Metropolis Metros were reinventing baseball—they were just that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLinda knew the general manager, a granddaughter of her old friend Lena Thorul who had clearly inherited her great-uncle's brains, at least when it came to making winning teams./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Things improved for the cousins as the game style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey got hot dogs and cold drinks (no alcohol with Clark there) and caught up with each style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was the first they could have time together in a while./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Clark was still a bit distant when it came to the game, but he feigned interest, for his cousin's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that she didn't know he was faking./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Linda tried not to get style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe did understand her cousin—he was an introvert and held a rather romantic view of life on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd, while it may have been exaggerated when Clark Kent, he seldom did feel at home style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe, on the other hand, had grown up in Argo City, with a couple hundred people and nothing to do but watch television broadcasts picked up from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe loved earth, its culture and its people, which was why she never changed identities like Clark or some other heroes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe would have to deny parts of her life./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"In was in the top of the seventh inning, when Clem Baker, the shortstop for the visiting Gotham City Eagles, stepped up that the trouble style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne moment he was smiling on the Jumbotron, and the next he had turned into a giant mud-monster that threw the bat and started chasing players into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he passed second base, the Metros' second Baseman Jose Peterson turned into a giant water being that sprayed at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwo fans who ran into the field during the chaos turned into a whirlwind and a fiery phoenix and started terrorized style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was a job for Superman, and Superwoman./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"With nobody looking at them, they could quickly strip their outer garments and reveal the dynamic costumes of our heroes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Superman flew down to the field to clear everybody away, while Supergirl flew off for something to contain the wind and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSuperman wrapped the water beast in the stadium's tarp, and used his super-breath to dry out the mud monster so it couldn't move any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSupergirl bagged the other two and joined her cousin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Help!" came a shout from the Metros' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnder the bench, having previously been knocked out, was one of the stadium camera style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was tied up./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What happened?" Superman asked as he untied the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe manager called 911./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I don't know," he started slowly, "Somebody came over to me…asked if I was holding one of the cameras….raised his arm and here I am."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Which camera did you carry?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Number 3."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore you could blink, Supergirl arrived with the camera, embarrassed bearer in tow./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Who are you and what are you doing?" Superman asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm sorry. I didn't want to cause any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI am Hur, from the planet style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm here on vacation with my cousin, and we were struck by how similar this game is the Gtyke, a sport on our style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only thing that confused us was the lack of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe concluded that the cameras might be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe're technicians so we know how they work and went over to offer to fix them./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Apparently, when humans come in contact with us, they get knocked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe hid the cameramen and took their places once we'd adjusted the cameras."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Well, we don't play that way here, "Supergirl said, "Turn them back."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Of course."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"It turned the camera back to the players and fans, and they returned to their normal shapes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What about your cousin?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhere is it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I don't know."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Suddenly, everyone in the stadium except for the Kryptonians and the Ouuotian turned into monsters./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Up in the sky," Supergirl said, "Look!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"It was a giant pterodactyl-like creature, clutching a video camera in its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSuperman flew up to confront it./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI wonder how I made you," the beast said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm like this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI take it you're Hur's cousin?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI transmogrified myself to have some fun," it said, "Look at all the little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike little jhuis."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Like scared little jhuis," Superman said, hoping that made sense, "Now turn them back, and then yourself."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Oh, all right."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Everything was cleaned up, the game resumed, and now all four aliens were standing around at the gate./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I guess we have to go home now," Hur said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nonsense," Supergirl said, "just make sure to be more careful about knowing the circumstances of where you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou must have a guidebook of some kind, and with Wi-Fi it should be easy enough to figure anything out about right."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""You're style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDo you think we might go back to the game?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe still have our tickets."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Sure," Superman said, and why don't you sit by some friends of ours," and he directed them to his and Linda's seats, "Clark, in particular, would love to talk to you about your stay here."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"So, Clark and the Ouuotians talked about interstellar sports, and Linda vowed never to take her cousin to a game ever again./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""It's opening day, Clark, do you know how hard it was to get these tickets?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI want to be there for everything!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Out came her cousin, but she wasn't any happier./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Seriously?" she asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""You're wearing a suit?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou'll bake!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""No, I won't."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe turned in the doorway, "Oh, one last thing."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Not the hat," she said, palming her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe just emhad/em to wear that grey, beaten-up fedora everywhere he went./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What's wrong with my hat?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nobody wears hats like that anymore, Clark"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Sure they style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHats are 'in.'span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAre we ready?" He locked the door and started down the hall./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I guess so," she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe wondered if this was a good idea at all./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Seeing the two of them next to each other, one would be forgiven for not knowing the difference in the cousins' respective style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor while they both looked about thirty, Clark Kent was actually 106 years old, and Linda Danvers was 78. Clark Kent was Superman and his cousin Linda Danvers was Supergirl./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Yes, they'd been on earth, and super-hero-ing for quite some time style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey'd seen generations rise and fall, as they say, and were still at style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd, for today, going to a baseball game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"They exited the building and got on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHopefully, they'd get to the stadium in less than half an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey sat next to each other./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I don't remember hearing about Supergirl being part of the opening day ceremonies," Clark style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe didn't want anyone to hear their conversation, but he also wanted to understand why his cousin has asked him to come to a game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""She isn't."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe does assume anything is job related, doesn't he, she thought./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIs somebody we know, or you know, being honored?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOr playing/"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Not that I know of."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""So, why are we going?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I just wanted some quality cousin time."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut why a baseball game?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe could do something in the fortress, or in space, or-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I like baseball," she said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou follow sports?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf you need a hobby, I've got some neat ideas I've been tossing around-"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Fortunately, before he could finish, a woman came on with a bag of groceries in one hand, a child in the other, and three at her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark got up to help, and in his inimitable clumsy fashion got everybody seated, the groceries righted, and a seat fixed (once he was at it).span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark wound up sitting next to another man, and Linda next to someone she knew from the neighborhood./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"They arrived at the stadium and weaved through the crowds until they got to the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark was going on about his new hobbies./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"As if I don't have a hobby, she style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI play sports, go to movies and concerts, date, and he tells me about rocket ships in tesseract style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot to mention all the jobs she'd had over the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe was between jobs now, and a good style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt had taken a whole week to move all the right pieces so this would be Clark's day off as well./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Ms. Danver!" said the man who took their tickets, "is that you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Hello, Elliot," she said with a big grin, "Elliot, this is my cousin Clark," turning to Clark she said "Elliot was one of my students at the Experimental School in New Athens./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Forty years ago," Elliot said, "and you don't look a day older!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nonsense, Elliot, I've aged at least four years!" span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey laughed, exchanged contact information, and hustled along before the crowd behind them got too ugly./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Is that what you do when people confront you about your aging," Clark style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanClark used to wear old-age make-up so he would look his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis became less practical as he grew older—ninety-year-old reporters aren't so common, after all—and his friends, heroes and civilians, had passed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo, a friend offered a way to create a younger 'Clark Kent' Superman could take the identity of, the original Clark Kent was 'killed off.'span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLinda had never aged or done any of that./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""That's all I do."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Don't people get suspicious?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Sure they do, but what do they suspect?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe fountain of youth?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA Martian?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAn Amazon?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHow old did Lois look when she died?"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs soon as she said it, she realized she'd style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLois and Clark had had an on-and-off relationship for more forty years, and a beautiful marriage for almost 30, when she had suddenly died in style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDue to a strange adventure in 1942, she only aged at a quarter the normal rate, and hadn't even looked forty./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Clark, I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMy point is just—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""It's all style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's not like there isn't a day I don't think about style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI understand your style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith everything people encounter on a daily basis, why assume one random person is a superhero?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"They took their seats—top row along the third base style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter all, with their vision, they could see just as well from up here as anywhere./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Just imagine," Clark said, continuing their conversation, "a world where being a superhero is a novelty, an style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA place like—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Earth-Prime," she said, "we've both been there."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe wasn't style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe just turned to the game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Like Krypton," he style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"You remember Lyla Lerrol, right?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThat time I traveled to Krypton before I was born?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOh, it was so style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSo normal."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""That's what the secret identity is for, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBeing normal."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd speaking of normal, here was Ron Normal, oldest man in Metropolis, with the first style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe game had begun./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Huh?" Clark said, "what about secret identities?" she didn't respond, staying focused on the game./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I wonder if there were sports similar to baseball on Krypton," Clark said, "most of the files I read are about history and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLet's see if I can remember anything…"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Linda looked at her cousin and shook her style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was going through Kryptonian sports stats in his head, while on the field below the Metropolis Metros were reinventing baseball—they were just that style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLinda knew the general manager, a granddaughter of her old friend Lena Thorul who had clearly inherited her great-uncle's brains, at least when it came to making winning teams./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Things improved for the cousins as the game style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey got hot dogs and cold drinks (no alcohol with Clark there) and caught up with each style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was the first they could have time together in a while./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Clark was still a bit distant when it came to the game, but he feigned interest, for his cousin's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanNot that she didn't know he was faking./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Linda tried not to get style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe did understand her cousin—he was an introvert and held a rather romantic view of life on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAnd, while it may have been exaggerated when Clark Kent, he seldom did feel at home style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe, on the other hand, had grown up in Argo City, with a couple hundred people and nothing to do but watch television broadcasts picked up from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe loved earth, its culture and its people, which was why she never changed identities like Clark or some other heroes style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe would have to deny parts of her life./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"In was in the top of the seventh inning, when Clem Baker, the shortstop for the visiting Gotham City Eagles, stepped up that the trouble style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanOne moment he was smiling on the Jumbotron, and the next he had turned into a giant mud-monster that threw the bat and started chasing players into the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAs he passed second base, the Metros' second Baseman Jose Peterson turned into a giant water being that sprayed at the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTwo fans who ran into the field during the chaos turned into a whirlwind and a fiery phoenix and started terrorized style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThis was a job for Superman, and Superwoman./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"With nobody looking at them, they could quickly strip their outer garments and reveal the dynamic costumes of our heroes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Superman flew down to the field to clear everybody away, while Supergirl flew off for something to contain the wind and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSuperman wrapped the water beast in the stadium's tarp, and used his super-breath to dry out the mud monster so it couldn't move any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSupergirl bagged the other two and joined her cousin./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Help!" came a shout from the Metros' style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanUnder the bench, having previously been knocked out, was one of the stadium camera style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was tied up./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What happened?" Superman asked as he untied the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe manager called 911./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I don't know," he started slowly, "Somebody came over to me…asked if I was holding one of the cameras….raised his arm and here I am."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Which camera did you carry?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Number 3."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBefore you could blink, Supergirl arrived with the camera, embarrassed bearer in tow./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Who are you and what are you doing?" Superman asked./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm sorry. I didn't want to cause any style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI am Hur, from the planet style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm here on vacation with my cousin, and we were struck by how similar this game is the Gtyke, a sport on our style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe only thing that confused us was the lack of style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe concluded that the cameras might be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe're technicians so we know how they work and went over to offer to fix them./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Apparently, when humans come in contact with us, they get knocked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe hid the cameramen and took their places once we'd adjusted the cameras."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Well, we don't play that way here, "Supergirl said, "Turn them back."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Of course."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"It turned the camera back to the players and fans, and they returned to their normal shapes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""What about your cousin?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWhere is it?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I don't know."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Suddenly, everyone in the stadium except for the Kryptonians and the Ouuotian turned into monsters./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Up in the sky," Supergirl said, "Look!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"It was a giant pterodactyl-like creature, clutching a video camera in its style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSuperman flew up to confront it./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI wonder how I made you," the beast said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I'm like this style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI take it you're Hur's cousin?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI transmogrified myself to have some fun," it said, "Look at all the little style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLike little jhuis."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Like scared little jhuis," Superman said, hoping that made sense, "Now turn them back, and then yourself."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Oh, all right."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"Everything was cleaned up, the game resumed, and now all four aliens were standing around at the gate./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""I guess we have to go home now," Hur said./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Nonsense," Supergirl said, "just make sure to be more careful about knowing the circumstances of where you style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou must have a guidebook of some kind, and with Wi-Fi it should be easy enough to figure anything out about right."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""You're style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanDo you think we might go back to the game?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWe still have our tickets."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Sure," Superman said, and why don't you sit by some friends of ours," and he directed them to his and Linda's seats, "Clark, in particular, would love to talk to you about your stay here."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"So, Clark and the Ouuotians talked about interstellar sports, and Linda vowed never to take her cousin to a game ever again./p
