She heard a chortle. She looked at Kon. "You hear that?" He nodded. She cranked up her hearing. Her vision revealed nothing but trees.
Again with the chuckle.
"OKAY...we hear you, whoever you are! Why don't you just come out and..."
"Certainly, my dear..." A flash of light and a POP!
She studied the funny little floating curiously as Kon let out a groan. "Oh, c'mon!...Didn't we ALREADY go through with this recently? MXY?" The little man with the derby, in orange and dark blue just hung in mid-air, with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Come on, Superpoop, relax, I'm not here to torture you...at least not THIS TIME... I'm here to greet the lovely little lady with you. It's been a long time since I've seen her last, and it's good to see her back."
There was a flash in his hands, and two pieces of plastic-covered cardboard appeared.
"I'm happy, 'cause I've got the new issue. I'm sure it's gonna be a classic! The re-introduction of Supergirl, Kara Zor-El!" Kara was looking curiously at the cardboard sheets in his hand. Chuckling, Mxy lowered and turned around the items.
Action Comics...252? What is this? she wondered. The cover showed a surprised Superman staring as a smiling blond-haired girl dressed in blue flew out of a crashed purple rocket with green fins. She gently reached out and touched it. "Why…do you keep these pictures?"
"They're comics, my dear. Look at that, but be very gentle with it. It's worth a lot." The comic lowered into her hands and the plastic cover disappeared. She gently opened the book. "It's...me?" She gently flipped a page then felt the blood drain from her face. "Father? Mother?" Zor-El in green & red, with brown hair, Alura in blue & white, with blonde hair. She gently paged through the story. She felt, rather than saw, Kon behind her studying the comic as well.
"The origin is like mine but isn't logical...A city flung free of the destruction with a bubble of air...a meteor strike?" She flipped another page. "How are they getting radio transmissions?" The departure. Even with the simple writing, her heart ached. "I'm calling him 'Cousin Superman'? He puts me in an…orphanage? That makes NO sense at all..." She finished the story but went back and stared at one page. The launch. Kara looked over at Kon and pointed. "It didn't happen this way, but I remember the feeling." She gently flipped through the pages to show Kon, and then looked up. "Mr...Mxy? Why would someone do a story like this about me if it didn't happen?"
"Mxyztplk, my dear. I know that's a mouthful for you people. I'm from the fifth dimension. It DID happen, once...you'll find out the specifics at some later point. I can't show you THAT issue, or it'll ruin the surprise!" Kara gently closed the book and handed it back to...Mxyztplk? He handed her the other one, removing the plastic and cardboard off that one. The art was much more realistic. The cover showed Superman resting his hand on her right shoulder, him sad, her crying. She holds her gold crystal, wearing her traditional dress. In the distance, Krypton explodes in a flash, while her ship blurs into hyperspace. Action #806? 'A Survivor's Tale'? She hesitated, and then opened the book with shaking hands.
Mxy watched as Kara looked through the book. It's so good to see her back, he thought. Out of all of the Super-dupes before the Crisis, she was by far the most bearable. She didn't take herself as seriously as Super-dupe...and didn't try as hard as the Mini-Me Super-dupe does now... But she's back...and it's only a matter of time before she's noticed... A pity, really. She has SUCH potential...TOO much potential to be stopped by the curse. Maybe...maybe she can stop it this time. Should I help? Oh, Mltnflk! If SHE finds out that I helped Kara, though...He shivered once nervously, not liking at all the image that came to mind.
Kon quietly looked up at Mxy. He's...sad…nervous? Why? He looked back over at her as her eyes began to well up, as she followed the story. The brothers realizing the approach of doom. The council refusing help. The conception and modification of the girl, her birth, and contruction of the Hyperdrives. Preparations...goodbyes...and the launch. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes clear and kept reading. Found by the JLA (How did they guess my thoughts?). The Kents The dreams. Themyscira. She closed it and tried to control herself. Mxy took it back. Kon remained silent, and just held her.
"My dear Kara, I have to go, but I'd like you to have these." A flash. Twelve thin books floated before her.
"Ah...Th-Thank you, Mr. Mxy."
Kon cleared his throat, nervously. "Uh...Mxy, what's your angle?"
"Nothing… this time. You get off easy! I just wanted to welcome a future playmate. Besides that, I wanted to get her to sign this issue..."
Kara looked puzzled. "Sign...it? Mr. Mxy, what do..."
"You handwriting your name on the cover." With an expressive gesture, a big pen appeared in his hand. Mxy handed it and the #806 issue to Kara. She hesitated, and then, with Kon's help, uncapped the pen and wrote her name in cursive Kryptonese in flowing gold ink. She then handed the comic back to him. He cackled joyfully. "Thank you, my dear. Welcome to earth. Oh, boy...wait 'till Mr. Hxrytpz gets a load of this...limited edition, signed by the little missy herself. This will be worth a MINT! Hee Hee!!! As a token of my thanks..." He batted his bushy white eyebrows, and then... "KLPTZYXM!" A puff of smoke and he was gone...
Kara looked down at the...comics…in her hands, then up at Kon. She swayed. Kon caught her as the comics tumbled to the ground.
"You all right?"
"I...feel...dizzy...full." She mumbled. She took two slow deep breaths, and stood up. And up. "EEEAAAGGHH! KON! Get…get me DOWN!" Kon lifted off and effortlessly flew up to her level, and then put his hands on her shoulders.
"Looks like Mxy charged you up all the way."
Her arms snapped out around his neck in panic. "T-Tell me something NOT as obvious!"
She gulped, wide-eyed.
"Ka...Ra...Air...Pleasse!..." Kon gurgled. Her eyes widened and she recoiled in shock. Much to Kon's relief, the pressure on his neck and throat disappeared.
"Oh, Rao…Kon...I'm sorry!!! I didn't mean to..." Her heart was pounding hard and despite the warm sun, she suddenly felt a chill race up her spine. Oh, Rao! If I had squeezed harder, I…She pushed the thought out of her head and vowed to be more careful in the future.
Kon smiled shakily and repeatedly swallowed. "It's...okay. Didn't break anything. I forgot that you almost LITERALLY don't know your own strength. At least you didn't use FULL strength..." He paused, and shot a side glance at her with a cocky grin. "Okay, Howzabout we practice flying just over the treetops?"
"I'm not going to fall?"
"Not unless you want to...!"
They spent the next half hour doing arials above the Smallville Horse Trails. Twenty minutes after that, they were having speed races back & forth with Kara getting much faster each time.
Ultimately, they both landed, gathered her books and returned the way they came, back to the Kent farmhouse.
"He did WHAT?!"
"Mr. Mxy charged me up the rest of the way." Kara grinned, floating a foot off the kitchen floor.
Kon snorted. "Figures...We have to put up with his pranks...She just bats those baby greys and he's eating out of her hand. Whaddaya think, d'you think it would work for me?!" Kon batted his eyes, and Kara chuckled.
"Somehow, I don't see him going for you..." Clark said with a rueful grin on his face. Clark was looking with interest through the issues. "It makes sense, though...He mentioned before I got married that he collected special comics...He wanted us to marry so he'd get a special issue."
She lowered herself to the floor, sat down and started looking through Ma's latest issue of VOGUE.
"He seemed nice enough. He had me autograph one of his issues."
Clark smiled. "He'll be very happy with that. Instant collector's edition. The one issue signed by the one and only Kara Zor-El...The Last Daughter of Krypton!"
Ma came in the kitchen. "Maybe you can achieve what Clark and Kon haven't, dear. Make him an ally rather than him being a pest."
"I've got some time before I have to be back at the Planet tonight...Do you guys want to practice flying?"
Kon shook his head. "No, thanks, Clark. I've gotta meet Tim & Young Justice tonight."
Ultimately, Clark decided to bring Kara back to their apartment, to meet Lois and to see the city. Clark told Kara to put on her second biosuit and ready her knapsack. Minutes later, after Clark hugged Pa and kissed his mother goodbye, the Super-cousins took off in tight formation. On the way there, Clark helped Kara to refine her speed a bit more. As they neared the futuristic, gleaming city, Clark piled on the speed, angling toward one specific building. Kara matched his angle and speed... And almost flew head-first through the building as the Man of Tomorrow stopped on the proverbial dime, alighting on a balcony. Thankfully, with quick reflexes, she was able to cancel her speed and momentum with less than a millimeter to spare...
She alighted on the balcony.
"Uh, Kal...Do you think you could WARN me next time?!"
"I would've caught you if I thought you couldn't stop in time." He stepped through the glass doors.
Kara followed cautiously.
She was facing Clark and another, a black-haired woman.
"Kara Zor-El, meet my wife, Lois Lane-Kent."
Lois held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Kara."
Kara shook it. "Thank you, Mrs. Kent. It's great to be here. This city of yours is amazing..." She turned on her X-Ray vision and looked around...
"Why can I see the Kent Farm from here?"
Clark sighed. "Telescopic vision. You turn it on and off like your X-Ray vision." Kara made the adjustments and her vision 'clicked' back to normal...then shifted into a ...thermal mode?
"What are you seeing, Kara?"
"Heat shapes on things..."
"That's infrared vision. Here's what to do..."
With that dealt with, her ultraviolet vision kicking on was nearly no problem. While Clark & Lois spent time in the kitchen talking, she practiced switching between her visions until it was almost intuitive.
She walked to the glass doors and stared out at the city. At all the lights and the energy.
And at the dark form throwing a screaming person off the highest ledge of a floating building.
She was in the air and rocketing toward the falling figure before she could think. Gotta catch up to her first, and then I'll snag the person who did this, she thought, and then realised... If I catch her this way, the momentum will kill her! She modified her approach, and dropped feet first toward the ground, matching the speed of the falling woman. Snagged her safely.
"Got you." Kara said reassuringly.
The young blonde woman looked at Kara, her two black eyes wide eyed in shock, pulse racing in fear, and then at the ground, no longer rushing to meet her. Her arms snapped out in panic and wrapped around Kara's neck for additional support.
"Y-You've got ME...Who's got YOU?!"
Kara smiled and headed back up to the floating building where Kal was waiting, with a struggling figure in hand, alighting with grace on the deck.
Later, they were at the Kent apartment, having dinner.
She wiped the oil from her lips. "Ummm...what is this?"
"Deep dish pizza." Lois replied.
Kal smiled. "Like it?"
"What do you think? This is me you're talking about. Another favorite." Kara smiled and licked a bit of tomato sauce off her lips. Clark chuckled. "No surprise there. If we didn't have the super-metabolism we have, you'd be packing on weight like you wouldn't believe."
A couple hours later, Kara had gotten her first bubble bath, courtesy of Lois. She enjoyed it so much she really didn't want to get out. Ultimately, after an hour and a half, she forced herself to get out of the bliss and get ready for bed. Clark had unfolded the couch into a guest bed, set up the sheets, and then kissed her goodnight. He was startled by the snap of static electricity.
Weird, he thought. This never happened before.
He got into bed with Lois, and then turned out the light. And kissed her gently. "'Night, Lois."
"Mmmm...'Night, Clark."
A half hour later, after doing Kryptonian mind meditation, he nodded off...