Cover – Supergirl carries a dead Kara Lang in front of a black background.

INFINITE SUPERGIRL

By KyptoKin

Boom

Smallville Cemetery

Smallville, Kansas

Derrick Albright with his family, Mary-Lou Jones with her family, Lana Lang, Katherine Kane, and other people stood around the grave of Kara Lang. A minister stood behind the headstone and a charcoal coffin hovered in the middle over the grave, supported by green straps and pulleys.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Kara Lang."

A breeze blew across the sunny property. Two squirrels played together, jumping over headstones and around bushes until they ran up a tree. In the distance Supergirl watched her friends and family leave the cemetery.

"It's rude not to say hello," she said over her shoulder.

"You're getting good at that." Batman stepped out from behind his own tree and stood next to Supergirl.

"It's not fair."

"I know."

Supergirl turned to Batman. "How do I fix this?"

"There's nothing to be done. They found a body that matched yours. Kara Lang is dead."

"That's not what I meant. How do I fix them?" Kara pointed to her family and friends. "Lana and Derrick know I'm alive, but MJ and Kate don't."

"You can't tell them. They're still in jeopardy. The people who went after you will go after them."

"You still haven't told me who these people are."

"I'm still gathering data."

Supergirl pointed at Batman with frustration on her face. "When you've gathered enough data, find me." She took off with a gust of wind. It blew around him as he watched her fly away.

"Look! Supergirl!" a brunette woman said as she pointed to the sky.

Mary followed the woman's gaze to see Supergirl flying overhead. An angry expression marred her face before she got into a black limo and slammed the door.

Lana Lang's Childhood Home

Kate, Lana, and Mary sat silently in the living room. Kate sat on the right side of a love seat, Lana on the left side of a sofa (close to Kate), and Mary sat in an armchair, far from the other women.

Derrick stood in the kitchen with his back to the ladies as he spoke on the phone. He hung up and walked in the room to sit on the same couch as Lana (closest to Mary). "That was my dad. He's checking into the hotel with MJ's parents. Miss Kane, he said your room is ready too."

"Thank you, Derrick," Kate replied.

"Welcome."

The four people, still dressed in their funeral clothes, sat in silence until Kate broke it. "Miss Lang, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why Smallville?"

"When we first lived here, Kara enjoyed it. She liked the quiet."

Derrick asked, "What was her favorite spot here?"

"The Smallville water tower. Somehow, she'd climb to the top of it just to stare at the stars. I found her there two days after we arrived here. She liked space. Made it her priority to identify every constellation. I think I'll miss that the most."

"It's not fair, it's just not fair." Everyone in the room turned their attention to Mary. She looked at them with tears running down her face. "Why didn't Supergirl save her? Why did she let her die?"

Lana spoke. "Mary, I don't think she let her die. Something must have happened."

Mary stood up in anger. "How can you defend her? Your cousin is dead! Our friend is dead! And it's Supergirl's fault." She ran out of the living room and through the front door with tears in her eyes.

Derrick stood up to go after her, "MJ, wait!" but Lana gently touched his forearm.

"Let her go. She needs to process this her own way."

Smallville Water Tower

Mary sat curled up on top of the water tower; her knees brought up to her chest and her arms around her legs. A light breeze blew her brown hair across her face. As she stared blankly ahead, a pair of red boots came into view behind her.

"Hello Mary-Lou Jones." The teen gripped her legs tighter. "I know you hate me, and you blame me for Kara's death. I blame myself too." Tears fell down her cheek and chin as Supergirl continued. "I wish I had been faster, or stronger, or something…Mary, please look at me."

"Don't," Mary stood. "Don't you dare say my name like that, like we're friends. You may have saved Kara a year ago and Derrick soon after. But you have done nothing for me. You made me lose someone I love. So forgive me if I can't forgive you."

Mary moved towards the ladder on the side of the water tower. Supergirl wiped the tears from her eyes. "Mary, wait."

Mary faced Supergirl with tears running down her face. "What now?"

"I need…I need to show you something." Supergirl uncurled her right hand to reveal a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses.

"Why do you…Kara?"

Supergirl adjusted the glasses with an awkward smile. "I should have told you. I should have told you a while ago. But I was scared. I kept getting warned about keeping this a secret by Lana, Karen Starr…even Derrick." A gust of wind blew her cape forward. She brushed her hair out of the way. "I hate that you had to endure a loss that never happened. And though Kara Lang is gone, Kara Zor-El is still here." Kara landed on the water tower. "MJ?" Mary stared ahead, her face a mixture of confusion and frustration, and her mouth hanging open. "Please say something."

Mary stepped forward. "I…You…" Suddenly, she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Kara. "I've missed you."

The surprise on Kara's face relaxed away. She closed her eyes and hugged Mary. "I missed you too." She held on to her best-friend tightly as the two stood on top of the water tower, surrounded by the Smallville night sky.

Lana Lang's Childhood Home

Derrick sat on the couch with his shoes off. He stared at the television, which had a news program on it. Cat Grant spoke. "Authorities still say the source of the fire is unknown."

The screen cut to the clip of a fireman speaking. "Though the damage is great, our investigation so far has led us to see no accelerants were used. How that's possible with a fire of this magnitude, we don't know."

Kate also watched the news but from the dining room located between the kitchen and living room. "Maybe it was Volcana."

"Who?" Lana asked as she cut an apple at the kitchen counter.

"Nothing, just musing to myself. Need any help?"

Lana dropped the apple slices in a large bowl. "I'm fine." She worked on another apple when she spoke again. "Thank you, by the way, for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me."

"Kara would have wanted you here."

BAM!

Mary ran into the living room and hugged Derrick. When she whispered in his ear a smile grew on his face. "What's going on?" Lana asked. Mary ran to her and whispered in her ear. The smile on Lana's face was wide.

"Am I missing something here?" Derrick, Lana, and Mary smiled at Kate who stood with her hands on her hips and a confused expression on her face.

In the distance, a pair of binoculars watched the farmhouse. In the reflection of the glass, the farmhouse exploded. The man holding them had a cellphone to his ear. "Objective complete…Yes sir, like an accident…Of course, we wouldn't want survivors. But I doubt there are any."

Room 144

Andrew's Air Force Base, Maryland

Captain Andrew Parker, dressed in Air Force blues, paced in the middle of an office. He rubbed the back of his neck as he paced.

"Relax Parker."

The captain stopped pacing and focused on the speaker. "Don't tell me to calm down. An innocent girl is dead and now I hear her friends and family were killed in an explosion. Don't tell me to be calm."

"For an Air Force captain, composure is not your strong suit."

"Not when it could tie back to me."

"I know. That's why I'm worried too."

Captain Parker crossed his arms. "What are you worried about? No one knows you're even involved."

"I have assets on the line. I don't like wasting assets."

"Assets? I'm talking about reputation, Luthor."

Lex Luthor, dressed in a navy-blue suit and a yellow, white-striped tie, absently rubbed the top of his bald head and smiled. "My reputation is an asset. Now, since you failed to keep Marx in check, I have to change my plans. I hoped to have Supergirl in my grasps by now."

"What's our next move?"

"Parker, Parker, Parker…there is no our next move. The next move is mine. Since the military has failed to get me what I want, I'll be doing things my way." Luthor stood up from the desk chair and walked past the captain. "Take some advice, if you want to keep your job, you should cut ties with Marx. The man is a genius but entirely too unstable," he said as he exited the room.

The Authority: Base 00010010(18)

Undisclosed location

Derrick, Kate, and Lana watched Mary rant with pained expressions. "Kill us! Someone actually tried to kill us!"

She's been doing that for over an hour. How much energy can one girl have? Kate thought.

"Why would anyone do that? Why?"

"I can answer that." Lieutenant Emery Rodgers walked in with Supergirl, Percussion, and Volcana. "He was a man hired by the US Air Force to investigate meta-humans. If it wasn't for us, the two next to me and Supergirl would be in his hands."

"Thank goodness for The Authority." Karen Starr stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, a manila folder in her right hand. "Are you going to stand there or give me a hug?" Kara super-sped to Karen and hugged her tightly. "Careful sweetie, this is Armani."

Kara pulled back. "What are you doing here?"

"The Authority and I have a working relationship. They called me in, and I'm glad they did." Karen moved away from Kara to Percussion and Volcana. "Thank you, both of you. If it wasn't for you, Kara would be dead."

Percussion said, "Unfortunately, we weren't-"

Volcana elbowed him in the side. "We were just doing our jobs. But a reward would be welcoming."

"Another mission would suffice." Rodgers said. Volcana groaned while Percussion smirked. "Get ready. The briefing is in two hours." As they left, he focused on the four humans in the room. "Now where was I?"

As he spoke to them, Karen took Kara aside. "Are you okay? Did anyone see you? I'm sorry I-"

"I'm fine, Karen. No one saw me save Lana and the others. I knew that bomb shelter would come in handy."

"I just wish-"

"Stop. You've had your own things to worry about. But I am glad to see you." The two blonde women hugged again. "Now," Supergirl said when she pulled away, "what's that?"

Karen held the file out to Supergirl. "The location of Marx. The man who tried to kill you and the others."

Marigold Research and Development, Marx's Office

Metropolis, California

Captain Parker stared blankly ahead with a scotch tumbler grasped loosely in his right hand and a manila folder in his lap.

"Parker, are you alright?" The captain shifted his gaze to Marx, who was leaned back in his chair.

"No. There weren't supposed to be casualties. It was supposed to be a clean capture."

"It's not my fault the whole building caught on fire. Do you know what caused it?"

"We're working on it."

"That would be a no."

"I don't have to justify myself or the Air Force to the likes of you."

Marx sat up in his chair. "The likes of me? You're the one who employed me."

The captain stood up. "Not anymore. Our contract with you is up for review. We're not renewing."

"If you do this, you'll regret it."

"Is that a threat Mister Marx?"

The two men stared each other down when the outside wall exploded. Chunks of brick and wood with pieces of glass flew into the room and nearly hit the men. They stood up from behind their respective shields; the captain with the chair and Marx with the desk.

Supergirl floated just outside the hole with her arms crossed. "Hello gentlemen, am I interrupting something?"

"Don't just stand there!" Marx yelled at Captain Parker. "Get security!" The captain ran towards the door. Supergirl let out a puff of air that slammed him into a wall and knocked him out.

"This is between you and me, Marx."

Supergirl floated into the room. Marx moved to the corner of it, closest to the hole. He suddenly made a run for it. Just as his foot left the room, Supergirl grabbed his ankle and yanked him back into a wall.

CRACK!

That was the sound the plaster wall made when he hit it. "I knew it! I knew you were a threat to humanity!" he spat out with a mixture of saliva and blood when stood up.

"No, just to you."

A puff of air pushed Marx into the wall again. When he hit the ground, he scrambled against the wall. "Stop! Stop! You're-you're Superman's cousin! You're not supposed to hurt people!"

"True," said Supergirl as her irises turned a vibrant red, "but I'm not my cousin." The red intensified to where a faint red glow came off her eyes. And just as quickly as they turned red, her eyes went back to their watery blue color. Marx opened his eyes to look at the hole burnt in the wall mere inches from his face. He stared up at Supergirl with a mixture of amazement and fear. "I'm also not a murderer. But if you ever come after my friends and family again, I won't show the same restraint."

Supergirl was gone by the time security arrived.

The Authority: Base 00010010(18)

When the base came into Supergirl's view, Batman was already waiting for her. He stood there like a black statue in the midst of a golden field. The Batwing was parked in the distance; another cold, black mark in the otherwise warm field.

As soon as she landed, he spoke. "You could have killed him." How does he know what I-? Never mind, she thought.

"I could have, but then where would I be?"

"You need to take this seriously, Kara."

"I am. I know this symbol," Supergirl traced the red S on her chest, "means more than a vendetta, than me, than Kal-El, or the House of El or Krypton." Supergirl looked beyond the horizon at the setting sun. "This symbol means great things, and if I sully it with murder," she looked at Batman, "then it will become a symbol of fear. And I can't have that."

In the background behind Batman, the doors to the facility opened. Derrick, Mary, Lana, and Kate stepped through them. Batman turned to watch them with Supergirl. "What about them?" he asked as the four waved to them.

"Kara Lang is dead, and Supergirl can't have friends. But I'll keep in touch."

"How will you do that?"

Supergirl smiled as Derrick and Mary ran towards her. "I'll think of something."

"Why do I feel like I'm going to be involved?"

Supergirl smiled at Batman then embraced her friends in a big hug. As he watched the scene in front of him, a small smile crept onto the Dark Knight's lips.

Nevada

Lieutenant Rodgers stood in the middle of the desert with a black and white helicopter at his back, his right hand pressed to his temple. The dirt began to blow around in a circle as a portal appeared in front of him. He kept his eyes closed and his arm over his mouth and nose as the red tunnel designed like spider-webs formed.

A tall, lanky man dressed in a form-fitting suit with a torso-length, red shoulder-cape stepped out of the portal. As soon as his feet touched the ground, it closed behind him. Like before, this man had a tribal-like tattoo around his right eye and similar tattoos on both of his hands, but these tattoos were red not black. And only the right half of his head was shaved, with the rest covered in shiny black hair that ran to his chin. "Hello Emery."

"Nice to get a greeting. Hello to you too, brother."

"I take it this is not a social call."

"Kara Lang is dead. Lana has the crystal."

"Good, we can begin preparations."

"Preparations for what?"

"For the end of all worlds."

Rodgers took his flight cap off and smoothed his raven hair back. The setting sun made his olive skin look darker and his violet eyes sparkle. "How is she involved, again?"

"We are not sure. What does Supergirl know of her purpose?"

"She thinks our involvement is over, just that we'll keep in touch."

"Let her think that. We will not need to intervene in her life until a number of years."

Rodgers raised an eyebrow. "Number? Why not be specific?"

The man cracked a smile. "Supergirl has proven to be a wild card. To be specific may not be the wisest decision. It is not protocol but it is necessary." He pressed on the inside of his right wrist with two fingers.

"You know, she's just a kid." The dust blew in swirls again and the spider-web portal appeared behind the man.

"No. She is the one thing that prevents the destruction of all worlds. She is Supergirl." He stepped into the portal without another word and disappeared.

Emery Rodgers put his hands in his pockets and gazed up at the darkening sky. "But what if she's not strong enough?"

Out in space, the sun rose over the horizon. Supergirl flew above the Earth's atmosphere towards it. And with a final look to the audience, she smiled and flew out of sight.

Check out Infinite Supergirl #0 mid-February. Find out how Supergirl left Krypton and why she didn't arrive with her baby cousin Kal-El. Learn of The Authority and its place in the universe.