Chapter 1: Making A Splash
Lita pushed the black lock of hair back under the blonde wig she was wearing that ended at her shoulders. She didn't like wearing the wig and bundling up her hair, but she could go around with her long black hair cascading down her back, and she didn't know if people might recognize her, however few sightings people caught of her as it may be. Which was why she had added the glasses to the disguise and kept her clothing modest, to re-enforce that she was just some 'wholesome country girl.'
Lita hurried down the hall to her Journalism class at a pace that was faster than normal but wouldn't cause suspicion in those around her. She was quite thankful sometimes for her tall height, standing over most of the girls and even guys, which tended turn off both just the same.
The 'blonde' girl went into the class room on the third floor, taking the seat next to her friend Lena Thorul and the teacher came in just after her.
"Now today I'll be handing back your tests from Monday and I'll be giving you a week long assignment about researching and writing up a three thousand word essay about a newspaper industry." He explained and began walking around the room, handing back the tests to each student as he went.
"So what paper are you going to do?" Lena questioned. "I'm going to work on the Bugle."
Lita reframed from saying anything as she knew about her friend's skepticism about superheroes and meta-or just regular old costumed people in general-humans. "I'm going to work on a piece about the Globe." She answered neutrally as the paper tended to print more 'impartial' pieces.
After the class ended, Lita and Lena walked down the hall when a dark-haired girl accidently bumped into Lita. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" The other girl said.
Lita rubbed her shoulder for show. "It's okay Lori, no harm no foul." She said smiling.
Lori Lemaris smiled back. "Oh, okay, see you Lita." She said before sprinting off, her long hair flowing behind her.
Lena had watched the exchange with amusement and when Lori had left, she smirked. "I see the way you two look at each other, why…" she looked around and saw that the hall wasn't crowded yet, "don't you ask her out?"
Lita blushed and rubbed her neck. "It's wishful thinking, besides; I don't think Lori would like me like that. This is the part of your life where it's alright to experiment."
Lena grinned slyly. "Exactly. So what's the harm?"
The 'blonde' looked thoughtful. "Okay, maybe I will-but not right now." she said and looked at her watch. "I gotta get to Biology." She said sprinting off. Lita trusted her long time friend's instincts and while she appreciated the encouragement, she just hated having to lie to her friends.
Well, her normal friends at least, since her two male friends weren't exactly 'normal' either.
Clad in her superhero outfit, Superwoman was flying over the icy land of Antarctica during the time she could be out until her roommate got suspicious about her absence. She saw her fortress in the coming distance and even after seeing it for the past 2 years; she still looked at it in awe.
It was a giant crystalline shape of jutting crystals and ice, matching the surrounding frozen land perfectly, the blizzards that happened to occur often had made her think of the deserted continent as the perfect place to put it. Superwoman landed in front of the entrance, feeling the tingling sensation of being scanned.
"Identification confirmed. Lor-El." The computerized voice said before the crystal in front of her shifted upward and she was allowed to walk into the beautiful interior. A floating robot with a round body and no legs with two mechanical arms, and a 'goggle' face came over to her.
"Greetings Miss Lor, may I take you cape?" The robot asked.
Superwoman smiled as she thought back to how she first reactivated the robots that were 'stashed' as it were into the Fortress of Solitude for her. She had been understandably surprised by the fact all they had to do was scan her to find out who she was, but they had become something of her teachers; such as showing her where the Chamber of Knowledge in the Fortress was and showing her around the place in general.
Though out of the two of them, only the humanoid Lyla had come back to her home in Smallville with her. Her adoptive mother had been very understanding and they had passed 'Lyla Lerrol' off as Lita Kent's cousin.
The robot in front of her instead had opted to stay behind in the Fortress as its caretaker.
"No thank you, Kelex, I'm only here to take another hour in the Chamber before I head out." Superwoman said smiling and the robot floated up and down in lieu of a 'yes' before going back over to the main controls. The woman walked down the hall, still marvelling at the fact that only had all this been a small blue diamond shaped crystal, but that two beings had been able to fit also was astounding.
It was also a reminder of just how advanced her race had been.
The depressing thought reared its ugly head and she was harshly reminded that she was the last of her kind, and was never going to know her real parents…or the older brother she apparently had. Had being the central wording.
After going into the chamber, the woman left the fortress, the cover her robot friend always used to conjure up a blizzard to hide the fortress. She opted to use the word 'friend' instead of 'servant' because it felt wrong to call it that, she couldn't stand calling Kelex and 'it' instead of him as it was. Lyla was the exception as it was so people didn't get suspicious about her.
When she reached New York, it was the edge of nightfall and she was heading back to her dorm her super hearing picked up some ruckus by the docks. She dived downward and flew toward the dock, her hearing picking up that the sailors were being attacked by some unknown watery force.
She saw for herself that the water was splashing and weaving upward in tendrils as the strands wrapped around the necks of dock workers unlucky enough to get caught and waves began picking up around one ship, the passengers holding onto the haul. Superwoman decided to help the people caught in the tendrils first and used her ice breath to freeze the water around their necks, making it much easier to smash through.
She gathered up the workers and put them each on the dock before turning her attention to the ship that was about to be capsized. She let loose a deep breath and the water that was about to push the boat over froze. A tendril shot out and hit her square in the chest, knocking her back a few feet but she was otherwise okay.
Superwoman dodged another tendril and saw a shape in the water, but she had to dodge another strand that blocked her view. The raven-haired woman punched the tendrils that came at her, scattering into tiny droplets before diving into the water, holding her breath as she looked around for the form, but even with her enhanced vision she couldn't detect anything.
Superwoman swam back up to the surface and punched the ice as she rose, the ship settling back onto its side. She looked down at the water and before the dazed workers realized just who she was; Superwoman flew off back to her dorm.
She did though keep in mind to keep her ears on this place in case of another attack.
Something like this had to be more than just a random incident.
"This is your chance." Lena whispered to the 'blonde.'
Lita bit her lip as she looked over at Lori, who was sitting at the fountain. "I don't know…"
"Come on, you said you were gonna ask her out, now go get her!" Lena whispered in encouragement before nudging the taller girl over to the dark-haired girl.
Lita sighed; though she admitted that her friend had a point. She'd never get anything in this world if she didn't try. Building her resolve, she walked over to Lori and tried not to blush. "Um, hello Lori."
The dark-haired girl looked up and smiled. "Hello Lita, what can I do for you?"
"Are you um, free this evening?" Lita asked tentatively as she pushed her glasses up.
The other girl tilted her head, a hint of puzzlement in her eyes. "Yes...why?"
Lita felt her cheeks tint pink. "Because, uh, I was…wondering if…you wanted to go out with me."
Whatever Lori had been suspecting, it clearly hadn't been this. "Oh, uh, that's very sweet, but we hardly know each other." She replied and Lita tried not to feel too embarrassed.
"I understand, I'll just be going then." She replied and was about to turn away when Lori spoke up again.
"I said that we barely know each, not that we couldn't get to know each other." She said and Lita looked back at the girl.
"Seriously?" she asked and Lori nodded. Lita smiled radiantly. "That's terrific, where do you want to meet?"
Lori placed a hand to her chin in thought. "I know this great little café by the pier, it's my favorite spot, we could go there."
Though Lita found the fact the pier was where she had fought the watery entity a little suspicious, she brushed it off for the moment. "That's sounds great. I'll meet you there at 7 if that's okay."
Lori nodded. "Sounds good."
Lita nodded before walking back over to her redheaded friend and caught the girl's expectant gaze. "She said yes."
Lena smirked, her blue eyes sparkling in triumph. "See, what did I tell you?"
Lita nodded her mind still in a pleasant daze from what Lori had said. "You were right."
"And when have I ever been wrong?" Lena asked her smirk widening.
Even in her current daze, Lita didn't miss a beat. "When you said your brother would have appreciated getting a comb as a birthday present."
"And he did." Lena said nervously. "He enjoyed throwing it at us." She amended grimacing.
Lita also nodded solemnly at her friend before adjusting her pack. "I should be getting to my Environmentalism class now."
"Why did you take that course anyway? All you do is watch plants grow in the green house." Lena said furrowing her brow like she was trying to figure this out herself.
"We do more than just watch plants grow." Lita retorted and walked back to the building behind them, but she stopped and looked over her shoulder with a smirk. "We also get to plant things too you know."
Becky Jones was looking at the latest Daily Bugle paper that had statements from dock workers saying how they'd been saved by this illusive 'Superwoman' character. She scowled at the paper and thought back to the red and blue costumed woman that had frozen her water.
That…girl scout had ruined her objective get rid of those wretched OsCorp ships that were polluting the ocean.
But no matter, Becky thought shaking her head and tossed the paper down on the coffee table, just a small setback.
"I take it you read the paper?" A female voice queried breaking Becky out of her thoughts.
The woman looked back to see her younger sister Wendy entering the living room of their apartment. "Yes, but this won't change anything." She assured her. "The appearance of this 'Superwoman' was unexpected, but is the rest of the team ready?"
Wendy nodded solemnly. "Yes, the operation can go down as planned."
Becky smirked, a manic gleam appearing in her eyes. "Soon the Masters of Disaster will show Oscorp just what it means to mess with Mother Earth!"
Her cackling echoed all through the room.
Lita looked through her clothing and her roommate Linda Danvers watched in amusement. "Hmm, what to wear?" she mused aloud.
"Well, you certainly seem excited." Linda teased.
Lita tried and failed to keep the blush off her face. "Well, this is my first date and I don't want to mess it up."
A strange look crossed the blonde's face. "You've never been on a date before? I thought guys would have been lining up, or was that before you realized you were….you know." She added bashfully.
Lita chuckled as she pulled out a dark blue top and black dress pants, sadly these items being the most 'up to date' on her fashion sense as the rest of her clothing had been kept to button up plaid shirts and jeans to keep up her country girl disguise. "It's okay, and I think everyone at my school had been intimidated by the fact I was taller than most of them." She said wryly.
"I bet." Linda agreed smirking. "Do you want me to help fix your hair?"
"No, that's fine." Lita said hurriedly as she held up her hands. "I like my hair down."
Linda shrugged. "Oh, okay." She said and brightened considerably. "Have you seen the latest issue of the Daily Bugle saying how she saved a bunch of dock workers?"
Lita nodded her head absently. "Yeah, it's funny that the Bugle would write something positive about a superhero instead of negative."
"I think it has to do with the fact Superwoman doesn't hide behind a mask." Linda pointed out. "I mean, how can you trust someone with a mask on?"
Lita frowned lightly. "My favorite hero, Captain America, he wore a mask you."
Linda cringed. "Well, uh…whoops?"
Lita privately rolled her eyes. "Forget it, I'm changing now."
"Say no more, I'm gone." Linda said backing out her roomies room.
Lita changed out of her clothes to reveal her costume, or at least the full blue body suit that ended at her thighs; her red skirt and red cape were stuffed in her pack until she needed them. While she really wanted to change out of her costume, she didn't want to been unprepared if the thing that attacked the dock workers comes back.
She walked out of her room, pack over her shoulder. "I'll see you later." She called and heard the 'See ya' from her roommate before leaving the dorm and using her super speed to get to the designated spot. She really liked her powers, and while it had been completely frustrating at times to deal with in the beginning to let the idea that not only were her parents not her parents, but that she was an alien also.
Still, once it also sank in that she was an alien the positive side presented itself.
Flying, now that was really cool. Her other powers were cool to, but there was just something about being able to defy gravity that made her all warm inside.
She made it to her destination and after looking around for a few minutes, found Lori sitting at a table. She smiled and took the seat opposite to the other girl. "Hi Lori, hope I'm not late."
"Actually, you're right on time." Lori replied while returning the smile. "How are your classes?"
Lita shrugged one shoulder. "Fine, I really like my journalism course and the environmentalism course is interesting, Lena thinks it's silly though; since she assumes all we do is stare at plants for an hour."
Lori nodded lightly. "And everything else?"
"Well I can't complain." Lita replied sheepishly. "Though it's not like where in high school everyone ribbed me about being named after a toy robot."
"Toy robot?" Lori repeated blinking in surprise.
"Elita." Lita said grimacing. "I still can't believe that's a real name either."
"Well I can see how you'd find the similar names to be…annoying." Lori said lightly and decided to steer the conversation to a 'safer' topic. "Do you have any siblings?"
Lita felt a slight longing for the brother she never knew, and while she had lamented she'd probably never know what that felt like, now was not the time to dwell on what could've been. "I er, have a cousin, her name's Lyla Lerrol and she'd staying with my Ma to help her around the house."
"Aw, well that's nice of her." Lori said smiling and Lita nervously smiled back.
She'd actually had to convince her mom to let Lyla help her around the house and it took even longer to convince Lyla to go transfer her protection protocol programmed into her to include her adoptive mother. And her last visit to the farm showed her that Lyla was getting along well with her mother, even if the android was also strangely formal with everything.
A beeping brought her out of her thoughts and she saw Lori turn red in embarrassment as she took out a cell phone. "Um, I have to go; I hope this didn't ruin our evening."
Lita waved her off. "No, I completely understand." She assured the other woman.
Lori nodded and got up from her seat. "Thanks, and I'll probably see you at school tomorrow." She said waving as she sprinting away, Lita waving back, but her hand and smile froze as the full force of the other woman's words hit her.
"'Probably?'" she repeated and furrowed her brow in thought, a strange form of foreboding forming in her mind. 10 minutes later her ears picked up the shouts and screams from the dock that had been attacked the previous day. It was strange that the yelling started shortly after Lori had left-
No, she couldn't think that!
But how well had she actually known Lori? Not well as this 'date' was to get to know each other.
Lita brushed away the doubt for now, all she knew at this moment was that people needed her and she gathered up her pack up and ducked into the nearest alley and super-speeded into her skirt, boots and attached her cape to her costume. She hid her pack behind a pile of boxes and flew out of the alley, barely anyone taking notice of the red and blue form flying hastily through the sky.
New Wave cackled as she blasted the water she was controlling at the workers, her sister Windfall also using her wind-based abilities to asphyxiate some of them, Shakedown providing cover to keep other people away, and both Coldsnap and Heatstroke both having headed into the warehouses behind them to destroy the disgusting sludge these corporate sheep were going to pollute the water with.
Sure, the ensuing explosion would send the entire harbour district into a blaze, but some eggs needed cracking.
A red and blue form suddenly jumped Windfall and just as New Wave was about to curse Superwoman for attacking her sister, she noticed that this red and blue form was smaller than Superwoman and spider-themed. She laughed as she tried blasting the newcomer with a Jetstream of water, and while it didn't hit the girl, it did get her away from her sister.
"What is this, you think one little girl can stop us?" She sneered behind her blue visored mask.
The slim form of Spider-Girl jumped to avoid another Jetstream and the little girl tried to web her, but Windfall blasted the webbing harmlessly away.
"You're outnumbered; it's three against one this time." Windfall snarled, her older sister having never seen the younger woman so vicious. It was certainly an improvement. "Your dirty tricks won't be saving your snarky ass this time."
Spider-Girl smirked in an infuriating way. "It seemed to do the trick last time." She quipped.
Windfall turned an interesting shade of red behind her yellow visored mask. "One of these days, you're going to do that to the wrong person and you're gonna end up paying for it." She hissed. "After all, there are much worse things that can be done to you instead of just killing you for kissing them." She added darkly.
New Wave and Shakedown's control almost tapered at that bit of information. "She did what?" New Wave questioned, her protective elder sister instincts kicking in. "Oh, you're dead now, Spidey." She snarled and shot another jet of water at the spider-themed heroine.
Spidey dodged the jet of water and swung overhead of them, but a shot of 'razor wind' from Windfall cut her web line and she began to free fall, the pavement already too pull up without still going splat on the ground. But just when she was sure she was gonna to splat, she was suddenly caught and though it did send a small jolt through her by the sudden impact, nothing felt broken.
Spider-Girl looked up at who caught her and felt her heartbeat pounding in her ears as a red-stain made its way across her face. Her savior was strikingly beautiful with long black hair and light blue eyes. Her costume was red and blue liker her own, but the woman's had a cape on her shoulders and a diamond-shaped structure on the center of her blue body suit with a stylized 'S' on it.
"Looks like you could use a hand." The illusive Superwoman said, her voice pleasantly making the brunette girl's legs weak.
"Uh, uh, y-yeah." She stuttered and had to remember how to stand when Superwoman landed and set her down. "You okay with handling these two while I deal with Shakey over there?" Superwoman nodded and the girl nodded back. "Great."
Superwoman looked to the two sisters, her eyes narrowing at the one in blue. "You're powers…you were the one who attacked this dock yesterday, weren't you?"
New Wave grinned. "Yes, 'Superwoman' I was did."
"Well stop this, what have these people ever done to you?" Superwoman questioned.
New Wave snarled and tried to once again use her Jetstream to blast the heroine, only for this one to dodge as well. "These people aren't innocent; they pollute the earth for profit!"
"Well killing them won't solve anything!" A new voice shouted.
"But it will certainly be a start." New Wave replied coldly at the dark-haired newcomer.
'Lori.' Superwoman thought guilty for ever even entertaining the idea that Lori could be a part of something so heinous as killing. "This stops now." she said and blew at the watery tendrils, freezing them all in place.
New Wave shrieked and conjured up a water ball, but instead of launching it at Superwoman, the unhinged woman threw it at Lori.
Superwoman sped down and took the blast meant for her friend.
Spider-Girl had managed to lead Shakedown away just enough to try and attack him with her webbing, only to get it ripped a part too easily. "Well this isn't good." She mused aloud.
"Give up, Coldsnap and Heatstroke have probably already planted the bombs inside the warehouses, this whole district is gonna blow!" Shakedown retorted and proceeded to shake the ground beneath Spider-Girl's feet.
The girl leaped onto the side of the nearest warehouse and her lips pursed. She had two options, either stop Shakedown, or stop these 'Coldsnap and Heatstroke' people. She decided to take a third option and do both.
She webbed at Shakedown with one hand and while he moved his head, her webbing caught the pipe behind him and she brought her hand back, the pipe colliding with his head and while it didn't take him down, it did disorient him enough for her to web him up in extra layers and she swung off to find where these 'Coldsnap and Heatstroke' people were.
"Are you okay?"
Superwoman looked behind her at the other dark-haired girl and nodded her head. The blast hadn't really hurt her, but it was annoying. "Get to safety." She said and while the woman's expression wavered, she eventually nodded and ran out of sight. Superwoman looked back at the sisters and her face set in a grim expression. "Time for round two it seems."
Windfall floated up and sent several razor winds at the woman, who dodged and fly up at her with super speed. She knew it would be useless to try and blow the woman away if the woman could manipulate the air, so the direct approach seemed like the best option.
Superwoman tried using her enhanced vision to see if the manipulation was man-made, at least that way she could stop the woman and keep her down. Unfortunately it seemed like that wasn't the case, and she feinted around the woman and struck her with just enough force to knock her unconscious but not enough to hurt her terribly. Superwoman caught Windfall as the woman began free falling without the use of her powers keeping her in the air and she set the woman down before turning her attention to the smirking New Wave.
"Now it's just you and me." Superwoman said and the unhinged woman began cackling. The dark-haired woman frowned. "What's so funny?"
New Wave grinned. "Any minute now this whole district is gonna go up in flames; you can either stop the explosion, but that means you'd have to let me go." She said giddily.
Superwoman's frown deepened before it lightened into a smirk. "I think not."
Confused, New Wave looked behind her and her expression turned to disbelief and horror when she saw both Coldsnap and Heatstroke knocked out and tied up in several layers of webbing, Spider-Girl holding the undetonated bombs in her hand, a cocky smirk on the visible part of her face. "Yeah, I'm just that awesome."
New Wave heard a whoosh of air and looked back to see Superwoman's fist stop just in front of her face. She flinched back, but before she could get a moment's reprieve, the dark-haired woman flicked her finger and sent the villainess flying backwards and lying unconscious on the ground.
"Hmm, I don't remember calling the police." Superwoman mused aloud as her hearing picked up the incoming sirens.
Spider-Girl grinned sheepishly and held up her cell phone. "Yeah, did that once I took out Hot and Cold here." She said nodding towards the duo at her feet. She shuffled her feet as a blush crossed her face. "I…I just can't believe you're real."
Superwoman raised a brow. "You think I didn't exist?"
The blush deepened. "It's just that, before now I'd only heard rumors, but brushed them off because I didn't think someone so…cool could be real."
"I suppose it's nice to have a fan." Superwoman said gently as a soft smile made its way onto her face.
"Thanks." Spider-Girl said rubber her arm and the sirens were close enough for the web-slinger to hear and that made her grow even more nervous. "Why don't we head out now?" she suggested and Superwoman nodded before flying off.
"Nice working with you." She said cordially before she sped out of sight.
Spider-Girl stared in the direction the woman left in. "Wow." She said before snapping out of it and swung off.
Lita saw her roommate run into the room with the Bugle in one hand, a mystified expression on her face. "What is it?"
Linda's expression became even more stupefied. "She's real."
Lita furrowed her brow, a sinking suspicion growing in her stomach. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that the Bugle has gotten a solid, real, photo of the illusive Superwoman!" Linda squealed, and had Lita not frozen she'd have found her roommate's 'fangirlism' amusing.
"W-what?" Damn, she stuttered.
Linda though didn't take notice as she held up the front page cover of the Bugle that showed the wider than life floating image of Superwoman, whose beautiful face was set in a look of concern as she stopped the falling Spider-Girl from going splat, even more so was the obvious blush on the spider-themed heroine's face.
Lita was unsure as to whether she should be embarrassed for herself or the obviously infatuated girl in the photo with her.