All characters herein are the property of DC Comics.

This story is a sequel to - and contains major spoilers for - all my previous SUPER-SISTER tales.

- Prologue -

It was the long tail of a comet travelling between Earth and the moon that caught the attention of Super-Sister, but before she could reach it she encountered two small asteroids, sailing through the void side-by-side in delicate gravitational balance. As she got closer she saw that one had a tower of rocks standing on it, the sort of structure that could not be natural, particularly as it was topped by an open hand. As she landed on the asteroid so that stone hand slowly closed into a fist. Distracted by the sight she did not see the stream of glowing green rocks streaking over from the far side of the second asteroid until they were almost upon her. By then it was too late. As they rained down on her those chunks of kryptonite sapped her strength, rendering her helpless. Then they began to move, to assemble themselves into grotesque imitations of human beings and started battering her. Now too weak to resist them, the Girl of Steel reacted in horror as her skin began to slowly turn green, a sure sign that kryptonite poisoning was setting in.

"At last!" chuckled her fellow teen Lex Luthor, watching all this on a monitor in his home laboratory while directing the action. "My kryptonite men will destroy my hated enemy!"

Like the rest of the world Luthor believed Superboy had left Earth and so had transferred his hatred to his sister, never suspecting that Super-Sister was Superboy transformed. While he was gloating over his triumph the air behind him began to shimmer. He turned just in time to see a transparent bubble materialise, one containing a caped youth in a predominantly blue costume with orange leggings.

"W..what?!" spluttered Luthor, as part of the bubble became a ramp and the youth emerged. "Who... who are you?"

"Lightning Lad," came the reply, "of the Legion of Super-Heroes. I've come from the 30th century to fetch my friend Super-Sister, but first I need to rescue her."

Lightning bolts from his hands, ripped through much of Luthor's equipment. On the monitor, like puppets whose strings had been cut, the kryptonite men collapsed into the piles of rocks they had been before followed by the monitor itself bursting into flames. With barely a backward glance, Lightning Lad returned to his time bubble, which then dematerialised, leaving Luthor fuming amid the wreckage of his lab.

Stunned by this turn of events it took him a moment or two before he pulled himself together enough to reach for his fire extinguisher. When the flames had been dealt with Luthor grimly pondered what had just happened. The Legion of Super-Heroes. The existence of such a group implied the counter-balancing existence of a Legion of Super-Villains, something to file away for the future but not of immediate use. The Legion of Super-Heroes had made a new enemy today, and he was determined to strike back at them.

- 1 -

"The Brain Globes of Rambat?" said Pa Kent, dubiously.

"They'd summoned Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Lightning Lad from the future to battle me as Super-Sister," said Claire Kent. "All part of a plot to make Earth their new home and transport it across space to their solar system. It turned out the mental powers they used to control the Legionnaires did not work on animals so Krypto was able to temporarily chase them away, which is where the dream got weird."

"It wasn't already weird?"

"No," continued his daughter, "because the Legionnaires gathered up other super-powered animals from across time and space to form a Legion of Super-Pets and rode them into battle, defeating the Brain Globes. Lightning Lad rode Krypto."

"A Legion... of Super-Pets?"

"It gets weirder."

"It does?"

"The Brain Globes had already started the process of moving Earth, so I used my super-breath to move it back into position in order that clocks and calendars wouldn't be incorrect."

Pa Kent burst out laughing.

"I'm no scientist, Claire," he said, "but even I can see the problem with that idea. If your super-breath were that powerful, using it that way would cause mega-hurricanes, huge tsunamis and the like that would kill millions."

"It would kill *everyone*!" chuckled Claire. "It would blast our atmosphere out into space before it moved the planet an inch."

"You have some wild dreams," said Pa, shaking his head, "but that may be the most fantastic one so far."

"As amusing as that was," said Ma Kent, gathering up the breakfast plates, "you're going to be late for school if you don't get a move on, young lady."

"Didn't you say a new student would be joining your class today?" asked Pa Kent.

"Yes, a boy named Gary Crane. Let's hope he's not the jerk David Emery was."

"Well, at least it's Friday," said Pa Kent, "so you'll get an immediate two day break from him if he is."

- 2 -

Most days after school, Claire put in some time at the Kent General Store. She was down in the cellar store room when she heard the unmistakeable chatter of a machine gun. Racing upstairs she was relieved to find Pa Kent and Pete Ross - who was helping out behind the counter - none the worse for wear, the hood who had attempted to rob the place already being apprehended by a policeman.

"What happened?" she asked. Pa Kent took her aside.

"Great work, Claire," he whispered, "Pete would've been killed if you hadn't secretly melted that robber's bullets with your heat vision."

"But I didn't!" Claire protested. "Hmm, I wonder..."

On returning home Claire slid open the door to the hidden compartment that housed her trio of Super-Sister robots. These had all once been Superboy robots and there had been four of them. She had remodelled the three survivors, fully aware that by doing so she was mimicking the transformation she herself had undergone, one they had no more say in than she had.

"Nice going, robots," she said, "which of you saved Pete Ross's life today with your heat vision?"

"None of us, mistress," came the reply. "We have no knowledge of this event."

It was a mystery, one that only deepened that evening when Professor Lang and his daughter Lana were on their way back from dinner with relatives in the next town. They were driving along the road below the Smallville dam, which supplied most of the town's electricity, when an enormous boulder came crashing down in front of them. No sooner had it done so than Super-Sister appeared in the skies above and swooped down to help.

"Super-Sister! Am I lucky you were flying by on patrol!" said Lana as the other girl landed. "Will you please get rid of this boulder?"

"Gladly, but I was actually answering an emergency distress call from the dam's controller. It's sprung a leak, which needs to be temporarily plugged until it can be repaired properly and...hmm. That rock looks to be just about the right size for the job. Still it's strange that it fell at all. This area was only recently certified as safe by the Highway Commission."

Hoisting the boulder aloft, Claire flew it over to the dam where she carefully plugged the leak with it. While doing so she noticed signs of recent melting beneath it. Flying to the spot it had fallen from she found similar signs indicating this was no accident. Someone had loosened it with that melting then toppled it down onto the road below. The lack of marks in the surrounding soil to suggest mechanical means had been used led to only one possible conclusion: there was someone else with super-powers in town.

Unknown to Super-Sister she was being observed from a distance by two figures.

"So," said the older of the pair, "it seems you were wrong about Lana Lang. She isn't Super-Sister after all."

"No," said the other, his eyes narrowing, "but Super-Sister is definitely living in Smallville under another name and I must uncover her secret identity, I must! Failure is not an option."

- 3 -

The following day, while she and Lana were walking along Main Street on their way to return books to the Smallville library, Claire was able to catch up with her friend.

"It's a shame Sally Denton is no longer around," said Lana, reminiscing about their former classmate. "I miss her."

"Me, too," said Claire. "Hard to believe she's been gone over a month now."

Of course what Lana didn't know was that 'Sally Denton' had actually been *two* members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. First Salu Digby aka Shrinking Violet, and then Chameleon Boy. When the others returned to the 30th century, the shape-changing Legionnaire had stayed behind for a while in order to help allay Lana's newly re-aroused suspicion that Claire was Super-Sister. Given her father was a scientist it came as no surprise that Lana was organised enough to put together a 'Super-Sister Identity Detection Kit', but Claire could have done with her being less well organised.

"Let's hope Gary Crane and his father stick around longer than Sally did," said Lana, "because that boy is dreamy!"

"He is good looking," admitted Claire, "but he's kinda reserved, like maybe he already has a girlfriend somewhere, and... oh. Speak of the devil..."

Just ahead of them, standing outside the storefront of 'Donald Mace, Photography', was their new classmate. As they drew near so a trio of young kids came rushing around the corner and slammed into them, knocking Claire over and sending her glasses flying. The youngsters ran off laughing.

"Here are your glasses," said Lana, helping Claire to her feet. "You're lucky they didn't break."

Had the lenses been normal glass they would have, but they were from Krypton. Even an atomic explosion wouldn't crack them. As she put them back on Claire noticed that Gary Crane was frowning at her, then someone shouted:

"Huh?! What the devil!"

It was Mr Mace, the photographer. Claire used her X-ray vision and super-hearing to see if he needed any assistance. If so she could shed her outer clothing and spring into action as Super-Sister at super-speed, although now that she wore skirts this took a little longer than it used to when she was a boy. Without the concealment of trousers her costume's leggings and boots had to be super-compressed and stored in the belt buckle compartment.

"This is crazy!" Mace was muttering to himself. "All the negatives we've been developing in this dark room suddenly became fogged. They're ruined!"

Now it was Claire's turn to frown. The negatives could have been spoiled by something similar to her X-ray vision, and Gary Crane had been looking her way. Could it be...? She turned her X-ray vision on him and had to suppress a gasp. Beneath his street clothes he was wearing a costume, just as she was. Oblivious to Claire's discovery, he gave the two girls a silent nod then turned and walked off.

"Hmmpf!" said Lana, affronted. "Not the most chatty of boys, is he?"

Watching Gary Crane go Claire wondered if he could be the one behind the mysterious events of yesterday. And were the fogged negatives being a by-product of him similarly scanning her? If so he would now know she was Super-Sister, the only person in Smallville other than her parents who did.

Or so Claire believed.

- 4 -

The next day Pete Ross went into Smallville's newest bank seeking a safety deposit box. About to start a new diary, he had decided his previous one, with its revelation of Super-Sister's secret identity and accounts of her adventures, needed to be securely locked away.

"It's rather unusual for a boy your age to rent one," observed the manager, Mr Lemley.

"Is the box burglar proof?" asked Pete.

Lemley led him over to the bank vault.

"Thieves won't dare try to rob us," said Lemley, patting the impressive door proudly. "Not only is this door super thick but the lock generates random clicks that would make it useless to try and figure out the combination by listening in on the tumbler system."

Pete nodded, and stepped into the vault with the key to his box. This was exactly what he was looking for. Unfortunately, just as he was unlocking it so Mr Lemley - who was still outside - collapsed, falling against the vault door and causing it to swing closed. A male and female colleague rushed to his aid.

"Mr Lemley has suffered another heart attack," said the man, kneeling beside him. Last time he was unconscious for days. We need to rush him to him to the hospital."

"Oh dear," said the woman, staring at the vault. "The door closed when Mr Lemley fell against it. The time lock won't open automatically for twelve hours and only Mr Lemley knows the combination. Pete Ross is locked in the vault. He'll suffocate!"

A call was sent out for Super-Sister, who arrived a few minutes later.

"Can you get him out without wrecking the door or burrowing into the vault?" he was asked.

"Only if I could figure out the combination, but the lock mechanism has a lead cover I can't see through."

"But I can," said a new voice.

It was Gary Crane and his father, both of them wearing costumes with red tops, green legging, black boots and with different green emblems on their chests.

"I'm Ultra Boy and this is Marla," said 'Gary'. "Ask the others to leave and I'll save Pete Ross."

Though still dubious, Claire nevertheless did as he asked.

"Unlike your X-ray vision, Super-Sister, my penetra-vision can penetrate lead," said Ultra Boy when they'd gone. "I can see the lock's tumblers and so can easily open the door."

Which he did, releasing a very relieved Pete Ross.

"Who are you, Ultra Boy?" asked Claire, still suspicious. "Where do you come from, why are you here, and where did you get your power?"

"Whoa, one question at a time, Super-Sister," he chuckled. "My name is Jo Nah and I'm from the planet Rimbor and the 30th century. I got my powers when the solo space craft I was piloting was swallowed by a strange energy beast that suddenly materialised in front of me. Fortunately for me there was a Science Police cruiser in the vicinity at the time. They saw what happened and blasted a hole in the creature that allowed me to escape. It then vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, but the encounter left me with powers similar to yours, albeit I can only call on one of them at a time."

Claire frowned. This was too similar to how Star Boy had got his powers to be a coincidence, and space was too vast for a Science Police cruiser to just happen to be 'in the vicinity at the time'. No his story only made sense if they were *pursuing* Ultra Boy, which meant he wasn't telling her everything.

"As for why I'm in Smallville," he continued, "I applied for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes because Rimbor needs to be represented. I even left my sweet girlfriend An Ryd behind in order to join. I still feel bad about that. As an initiation test I was given the task of discovering your secret identity. Since it's widely known in my time Saturn Girl had to first telepathically block it from my mind, of course. I was also allowed to use only one of my powers while I'm here, so I chose penetra-vision."

"And you passed the test," said his older companion before turning to Super-Sister. "I'm actually Marla, the Legion's new senior advisor, and I accompanied Ultra Boy as an official observer. We'll be returning to the 30th century now. Care to join us?"

"Yes, I think I will. It's been more than a month since I last visited so I should catch up on what's been happening since."

"Excellent. Well, you can traverse the time stream under your own power so you go on ahead and we'll follow in our time bubble."

When Claire had gone, Marla turned to Pete Ross.

"So now you know about the Legion," he said. "What you don't know is that the diary you've placed in the vault will survive to our time, when it will be an important historical artefact. So thank you for keeping Super-Sister's secret."

- 5 -

Time travel being what it is, Ultra Boy and Marla arrived in the 30th century mere seconds after Claire despite departing the 20th a couple of hours after her. Saturn Girl and Brainiac 5 greeted them in the clubhouse meeting room. On the table were a shield, a sword. and a helmet, ancient artefacts all.

"Welcome to the Legion, Ultra Boy," said Saturn Girl, "and it's good to see you again, Super-Sister. A lot's been happening since you last visited us. Firstly, thanks to Brainy those of us without the power of flight now have anti-gravity belts in place of the cumbersome jet packs we used to use. They psycho-active, meaning they respond to our thoughts, which makes flying easy."

"I may even be able to shrink them down further," he said. "My goal is to produce flight rings we can wear in future. In other news Supergirl is now officially a Legionnaire. These items are King Arthur's sword Excalibur, the shield of Richard the Lionheart, and the helmet of Achilles, all items Supergirl uncovered during her initiation."

Whenever Claire visited the 30th century a post-hypnotic suggestion released the block on her memories of her cousin, restoring them when she returned to the 20th. The block would not dissolve until her first meeting with Supergirl, a decade after her teen years.

"We're waiting for Antonio Stefanacci of the Museum of the Mystic Arts to assess them before repatriating them to institutions in their respective countries."

"So they're all magical?" asked Claire.

"We believe so, yes."

"I can test the sword for you," said Claire, running a finger along a sharp edge then holding it up to show it had drawn blood. "Yep. Definitely magical."

"We probably ought to secure them in the vault down in the clubhouse sub-basement.

"Then there's my news," said Saturn Girl. "I was voted in as the Legion's new leader."

"Oh Imra, congratulations!" said Claire, hugging the other girl.

"Yeah!" agreed Ultra Boy, nodding.

"And we have another new member," she continued. "Matter-Eater Lad."

His power sounded bizarre, but Claire smiled. The Legion was growing by leaps and bounds, just as Cosmic Boy had wanted. It was now hard to imagine any threat they couldn't handle.

- Epilogue -

In the rear of Lex Luthor's home lab was a lead casket containing something Luthor had been working on for months, a damaged and presumed destroyed Superboy robot he had retrieved, repaired, remodelled, and reprogrammed with his own personality. It now looked like a grown man with a face he had extrapolated from his own so that it resembled what he would look like as an adult.

The robot was remarkable, incorporating technology that had to be based on memories of things the infant Superboy had observed on Krypton, and to which Luthor had added a few nasty surprises of his own. While not sentient its sophisticated AI made it surprisingly responsive and almost seem to be. Its super-vision Luthor could not fix but its other powers were intact. Something else currently beyond his ability was time-travel, but that was OK. There were caves nearby that would still be here in a thousand year's time, caves in which the robot could hollow out a chamber and conceal itself, its systems powered down until the time was ripe for it to emerge and carry out his revenge against the Legion of Super-Heroes...

The End

Stories this tale draws on or references:

SUPERBOY #78 (Jan'60): "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister!"
SUPERBOY #86 (Jan'61): "The Army of Living Kryptonite Men"
ACTION #276: (May'61) "Supergirl's Three Super Girl Friends"
SUPERBOY #93: (Dec'61) "Lana Lang's Superboy Identity Detection Kit"
ADVENTURE #293 (Feb'62): "The Legion of Super-Traitors"
SUPERBOY #98 (Jul'62): "The Boy with the Ultra-Powers"
ADVENTURE #304 (Nov'62): "The Stolen Super-Powers"