She arrived on Earth in a mysterious Symbio-Ship with false
memories and awesome powers and abilities beyond that of mortal men and women....

Halloween Special #2

THE DARK WIZARD OF CENTURY CITY

Written By Paul Daimler

*This story takes place between Power Girl Issue 13 and 14.

The skies above Century City were dark and tumultuous. Jagged lightning bolts pierced the sky as rolling thunder rattled windows and shook buildings. The streets were devoid of life, empty, as the city's citizens huddled in fear within their homes-none of them daring to leave.

From a window of Starrware Inc's offices, Beverly Chaucer, executive assistant to Karen Starr, and Cheryl Delayre, Starrware Co-Founder and Senior V-P, watched from a dark conference room. Both women wore heavy coats, shivering; a cold had settled over the city unlike anything even the harshest winter would have brought. This was a cold that tore through flesh and ate at the bones.

"Still no word from Karen?" Beverly asked.

"No." Cheryl replied quietly.

"It's been three days. And, no one has seen her or heard from her." Beverly said quietly. "And outside it gets darker and colder."

Cheryl didn't reply, her dark brown eyes watching the purple lightning striking the sky at two to three second intervals.

"The phone lines are down." Beverly said, continuing as though Cheryl had responded. "So, maybe she's just staying at home. We haven't left this office since Thursday. It's safer just to stay put. So, maybe that's what Karen has done."

Cheryl didn't respond. Beverly tended to rattle when she was nervous. Cheryl had realized earlier this morning that Beverly was probably going to rattle off until the darkness cleared the skies and the cold retreated.

"And there has been no word of Power Girl either." Beverly continued. "Not since she took off after the Dark Wizard."

Silence settled even more firmly between them after Beverly spoke his name.

He had appeared in the sky three days ago, dressed in dark robes, his eyes crackling with malevolent red energy. He proclaimed that he had returned from exile in something called Darkworld-a term that Karen had appeared to recognize, and that he was going to begin his reign on Earth, starting with Century City.

Karen Starr rushed up the sidewalk, weaving in and out of the milling crowds. Normally she would be airborne and not on foot, but their new employee Minerva Bates was with her, and Karen didn't want Minerva to also know that she was Power Girl. Enough people knew these days.

"You run so fast." Minerva panted behind her.

Karen groaned inside. She wasn't moving anywhere near super-speed, but she was moving at quicker than the average human's rate.

"I ran track in college." Karen replied. It was the truth. She'd very seldom won-and often did very poorly. She spent had spent most of her time benched. As she had in all the athletics in college. Karen had mainly participated in sports to pad out her transcripts. But, she'd always had to hold back-allowing herself to be defeated time and time again to keep the illusion that Karen Starr was a normal All-American girl from Metropolis.

"It's shows." Minerva sighed, barely keeping up. "Can't we just be late? It would only be a few minutes."

"No. We can't." Karen said as they entered the building housing Starrware. "I just finished chastising Johnny O and the entire Marketing Department for being late to yesterday's mid-week meeting-and for showing up late every day last week. I can't be late for our last day of the month meeting the very next day."

"But it's Halloween. And we got delayed at lunch due to our crummy waitress taking for-EVER with that cruddy dessert." Minerva said, following Karen to the elevators.

"Halloween isn't a real holiday." Karen replied, punching the call button for the elevator as lightly as she could-even though her instincts cried out to punch it harder. Of course, it might destroy the control panel but she was in such a hurry, that she didn't necessarily care. Broken elevator would be a better excuse than lunch took too long… Karen thought, considering punching it.

Before she could do it, Minerva arrived beside her, winded and panting.

An eternity later, the elevator arrived. Karen and Minerva plunged onto it; Karen selected the floor and they began moving. As the doors slid shut and the elevator began rumbling, it was moving too slow.

How does the Flash deal with moving slower with the regular folks when he spends so much time on fast forward? She wondered impatiently. Of course, Wally didn't keep his identity secret. Every one knew that Wally West was the Flash.

"Finally." Karen said as the doors popped open and she rushed off the elevator.

"We have THREE minutes!" Minerva called, stumbling and nearly falling over her own feet. She caught herself; her long brown hair swaying wildly in her face.

Karen moved faster, not caring that Minerva was behind her. At this point, with Minerva out of breath and stumbling, anything Karen did would seem faster. Pushing with just enough super-speed, Karen reached the conference room doors-going through and sitting down in the chair with a minute to spare.

"You were nearly late." Johnny O said, looking at his watch.

"Almost only counts in horse shoes, hand grenades, and stupid." Karen said.

"He has plenty of experience with the last one." Cheryl Delayre commented dryly.

The doors burst open and a sweaty, winded, disheveled Minerva Bates stood there.

"You are late. By a minute." Johnny O said, smiling self-satisfied.

"Leave it." Karen said. "As the nearly hired creative force behind our new R&D department, we can cut her some slack. Her hours, unlike yours, are flexible around her school program. And, unlike you, she isn't late every day."

"Nice one, Karen." Johnny O chuckled.

"OK. If we're done with the pissing contest… let's get started. I have a three o'clock meeting with my realtor." Cheryl Delayre said, shuffling through her files.

"Any promising leads?" Karen asked.

"A couple. There is a really nice townhouse in the outer areas of Laurel Park. A bit more than I wanted to spend. But, I'm done with apartments and condos at this stage in my life. Time to put down roots." Cheryl smiled.

A murmur of approval came from around the conference table.

Karen smiled, "I kind of like my over-priced apartment in a trendy downtown area. It's close to the office and close to a grocery store."

"It's gotta be better than the dorms." Minerva Bates chimed in. "Shared bathroom. Rude roommates…"

"Sounds like my husband." Mickey, one of the software engineers, piped in.

Laughter rippled around the table.

"I guess we should get started." Karen said. "I guess we should start with Johnny O's department."

"With pleasure Madame CEO." Johnny O said, opening his folder.

"Our numbers this month-" Johnny O was interrupted by loud booming thunder outside.

"Oh brother." Johnny O groaned. "I hope this isn't another attack by killer bunnies."*

*see Power Girl April Fools Special #1: Rabbazons Attack for the reference.

Outside in the sky above the city a giant dark cloud rumbled. In the center of it there was a small form.

With her super-vision Power Girl could make out an old man with a long gray beard and bald head and swirling dark skirts around his waist. In the center of his bare chest was a giant medallion with a blazing red gem in the center.

"What the Hell is that?" Cheryl asked, going over to the window.

"Trouble." Karen muttered. "It looks as though we have some super-villain threat over the city."

"We should suspend the meeting. For the time being." Johnny O piped in. "Perhaps evacuate the office?"

"I think maybe everyone should stay here. For safety." Karen said, pushing her chair back from her desk.

"Shouldn't you do something?" Victor Church asked from where he sat.

Karen looked at Cheryl Delayre's strange assistant, the one with the weird empty eyes who seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with Power Girl. Sometimes, Karen thought he suspected the truth of her identity. And the fact that he did made her feel distinctly uncomfortable.

"Uh…" Karen realized everyone at the table was looking at her, except for Minerva who was staring out the window.

"You should use the uh… the watch Power Girl gave you to signal her whenever danger looms." Cheryl said.

"Yeah. My super-secret Power Girl signal watch." Karen mumbled.

"I didn't know you had a super-secret Power Girl signal watch." Minerva said. "I had heard you two were friends."

"Yeah. Uh, the thing is I left it at home. I am going to go and get it." Karen said; she began gathering her paperwork.

"Don't worry about your things. I'll have Beverly get them." Cheryl said.

"OK." Karen nodded, rushing from the room.

"I'm sure Power Girl would figure out there is some super-villain or something in the sky. If we can see him…" Minerva said, looking around the room. "Karen should have stayed here with the rest of us."

Johnny O chuckled, "It doesn't work that way. You'll figure it out soon enough if you continue to work here with us."

"What does that mean?" Minerva asked.

"Yeah. What does that mean?" Victor Church asked from where he sat next to Cheryl Delayre.

"Nothing." Cheryl said quietly, wondering why she suddenly got a chill when Victor's eyes fell upon her.

Seconds later, she was streaking through the sky, heading toward the man floating in the center of the darkly rolling clouds.

"Hi. I'm Power Girl." Karen said reaching the man. "I sort of protect this city from super-villains, evil geniuses, and other assorted threats. You floating here in the middle of these dark clouds-gotta say, makes you look a little like an assorted threat or perhaps a super-villain."

The old man turned eyes blazing with a bright red glow to her.

"I was hoping you and I would cross paths." The man said, smiling at Power Girl. His smile was evil and as his lips curled upward, jagged bolts of purple lightning exploded from the dark clouds that appeared to be spreading out and growing with each passing second.

"Were you? Were you also hoping to avoid a butt-kicking?" Power Girl asked, hauling off to punch him.

With a simple gesture of his hand, Power Girl found her fist stopped in mid-air.

Oh, crap. Magic. Power Girl thought. It was an even bigger liability than Kryptonite. Kryptonite didn't always effect her. It had to be a particularly strong dose of Kryptonite for it to do any real damage. Magic however… always worked against her.

"Funny. It seems like with all the magic coursing through your blood and with your heritage, you'd be better able to defend against a very basic magical attack." The old man said. "Your grandfather wouldn't be pleased."

"How do you know my grandfather?" Power Girl asked, struggling against the invisible force holding her hand in place.

"Arion and I go way back. He's the one who originally sentenced me to the Darkworld. I escaped several centuries ago… alas, I ended up escaping into another plane of existence. Once I've only just escaped." The old man said, drawing closer to Power Girl so that his foul breath rolled across her face. "And, I've returned to this world so that I might finally make good the promise I made to your grandfather so many thousand years ago."

"What promise is that? To keep it pretentious?" Power Girl asked. As she tugged against the invisible force holding her in place. She could feel it-and for a second it felt like it might crack. She tugged again-and bright lancing pain exploded in her shoulder. Great… I think I just dislocated my shoulder.

"You are so easily stopped." The man said. "It's as though you don't understand the basic concepts of magic. The magic that infuses your own body."

Another tug and there was a cracking sound-Power Girl's fist pulled free.

"I'm gonna slug you for that." Power Girl said.

"You're not even going to get close enough." The old man said.

A bolt of magic energy slammed into Power Girl.

She tried to cry out in pain, but couldn't. The energy bolt had knocked the air from her lungs. It also felt like all of her nerve endings were on fire.

Power Girl found herself falling through the air, tumbling toward the ground. She still wanted to scream, but she was still trying to feel her lungs with air. Her entire body throbbed with pain. She slammed into the ground with a heavy thud and everything went black.

"Gotta figure out how to counteract magic." She mumbled, pulling herself from the crater she'd found herself lodged in. A crowd of onlookers had gathered around her.

"Oh, thank God she's alive!" Someone cried out.

"You need any help Power Girl?" A police officer asked, kneeling beside her as she sat up.

"I think I've got it." She mumbled. She looked up at the sky, to see that it was filled with dark raging clouds. High above the man still floated, magic lightning dancing from the clouds and his hands.

"How long was I out?" She asked.

"About ten minutes." The police officer said.

"He did that to the sky just in the time I was out?" Power Girl pulled herself to her feet.

"Yeah." The officer said, "The temperature has also dropped about ten degrees. He's also made an announcement."

"What did he say?" Power Girl asked, dusting asphalt dust from her uniform and cape. There was a jagged tear in one of her gloves and a tear in her cape.

"Uh… it sounds like he's starting again… hear for yourself." The officer said.

"PEOPLE OF CENTURY CITY! I AM OSORO! DARK WIZARD OF THE ULLYSTI EMPIRE! I AM HERE TO BEGIN MY NEW EMPIRE! TO TAKE OVER THIS WORLD ONCE AND FOR ALL! AND IT WILL START HERE IN CENTURY CITY! SURRENDER NOW! OR FACE CERTAIN DOOM!"

"He certainly lays it on thick." Power Girl said.

"You know who that guy is?" The police officer asked.

"Not really. He claims he knew my grandfather. And, I've read a little about the Ullysti Empire. Just a few vague lines in the history books I found in New Atlantis. They were into slavery, human sacrifice, demon-worship, and just about every awful evil thing you can thing of. All the history said was that my grandfather and the people of Atlantis crushed the Ullysti." Power Girl said. "But, the few paragraphs had nothing about a Dark Wizard named Osoro."

A jagged bolt of purple lightning split the sky.

"SPIRITS OF THE DEAD RISE UP!" Osoro's voice boomed from above.

A moaning sound echoed down the streets, rumbling beneath the crashing thunder above.

"What is that?" The police officer asked.

"Zombies." Power Girl replied, using her super-vision to see molding rotting corpses shambling toward them.

Power Girl looked at the police officer and the people surrounding her. "I recommend all of you find shelter. Either at your homes or somewhere safe nearby. I can make short work of those zombies and should be OK if they bite me. However, normally when zombies bite normal people… well, no one wants to be one of the living dead."

Most of the people took off running. But, the police officer hesitated. "I can stay and help. I am a pretty good shot and have plenty of bullets."

Power Girl smiled, patting the man on the shoulder. "Go somewhere safe. I'll take care of the undead."

"If you're sure." The officer said.

"I'm sure." Power Girl nodded, watching as the man rushed off into the darkening day. With her ear-mic she rang in to Oracle. "Babs?"

Static was her only greeting.

"That's no good." Power girl looked up at the dark clouds, the jagged lightning, and the magically reanimated zombies rambling toward her. "I'm sure he is magically blocking transmissions in and out of the city. 'Cause that's what they do."

Flying toward the army of zombies headed her way, Power Girl smashed through them, reducing the first few rows of them to dust and flying body parts. But, within moments she found herself being pulled and torn at by the zombies.

Power Girl struggled against them, feeling fingernails digging into her flesh. Since they were magically reanimated, their claws managed to pierce her skin. Blood seeped from the wounds. Ruby bolts of heat vision exploded from Power Girl's eyes, setting the zombies on fire-incinerating others. None of them cried out in pain as they burned away, but their moaning grew louder and louder, filling her ears, as more of them surged toward her.

"You fight with the fervor your grandfather and parents did." The Dark Wizard Osoro said, floated down from his high vintage point, so that he was only scant feet above Power Girl's head. "You're alien physiology makes you strong enough to resist the toxins in the zombie's blood that would convert you-your mother was always able to avoid infection. But, they will tire you. Or, they would have, if I were to allow you to continue fighting them."

"Wha-?!"

Before Power Girl could finish the thought, a bolt of seething magic energy had exploded from Osoro's hands-knocking her unconscious once more.

Her thoughts were murky. It was like thinking through tar and muddy water.

"Where the Hell am I?" She asked, slowly coming to consciousness.

She tried to move, but found her limbs unresponsive. Blinking her eyes into focus, Power Girl found herself trapped in a giant spider web, suspended between the Century City Finance Tower and the New Investment Bank Building.

The sky above was blanketed by dark purple and black clouds. The streets were empty of people, only shifting shadows and Osoro's undead army wandered. Below her, from a throne of gold and jewels sat Osoro.

"Ah, you awake at last." He gloated.

"How long have I been out?" Power Girl asked. She could tell the temperature had dropped into the low twenties, even though the cold was not something that made her uncomfortable.

"Three days now." Osoro said. "Sadly. I've been waiting for you to wake up so that I could watch my pet devour you alive. He's magical in nature, so therefore, even you should be quite vulnerable to his jaws."

Power Girl looked up to see a giant spider above her, perched on the thick webbing. It's red eyes shined in the darkness, the fangs in it's giant maw opened and closed. Power Girl struggled against the web, but it held her tight.

"Magic." Power Girl whispered.

"Ah, my pet sees you granddaughter of Arion."

"Call me Kara or Power Girl. No more of this granddaughter of Arion crap." Power Girl said. "I'm my own woman."

"Kara? Your mother's name? Sure, you're your own woman." Osoro laughed. "Named after your mother. Calling yourself Girl."

"It's the tradition of my mother's people to name their children after their parents." Power Girl said. "And, Girl is cute. It's ironic. It's been my name for nearly ten years. I was a girl when I took it. Changing your hero name that far into the game doesn't really work. Just ask Donna Troy."

"Ah, sarcasm." Osoro sighed, "I've observed your world from my prison in the Darkworld. And, I've learned much about you and your people. Sarcasm is so common in this day and age. But, so inappropriate. And so often, not funny."

"We'll see how funny it is when I come down here and stuff my fist down your @#$@#^%$ throat!" Power Girl shouted.

"Doubtful." Osoro said. "My pet should take care of your first."

"That's doubtful." Power Girl replied. Twin bolts of ruby red heat vision exploded from her eyes-searing through the webbing holding her right arm in place. The magic properties of the web might have kept her in place, but heat vision overrode magic properties. Once she'd melted away enough of the web away, she pulled her right arm free.

The spider began scampering down the web toward her.

Watching the massive beast rushing down the web, Power Girl's heat vision exploded from her eyes again-melting through the webbing holding her other arm in place. With both arms free, she worked at pushing away from the web. The sticky threads were persistent and she couldn't pull away from them. She felt panic as she heard the spider drawing closer-could hear it's jaws opening and closing.

Looking up toward it, Power Girl's heat vision streaked up toward the spider. The twin rays cut through one of the spiders legs and the webbing beneath it.

The spider realized a squeal of pain and tumbled off the web, streaking by Power Girl as it hurtled toward the ground far below.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Osoro screamed.

"That buys me a little time." Power Girl said, using the heat vision to free both feet.

She then worked on melting the web all around her. Once it was suitable weakened, she pulled away, taking several sticky strands with her, hanging from her back and limbs.

Streaking away from the web, she hovered in the sky, looking down toward Osoro and his giant spider. The spider's red eyes looked up at, glittering in the darkness, as it's jaws opened and closed.

"You're escape is only temporary." Osoro said, laughing. "You're entire city is under my thrall. And with my magics rampant, you will find escape from this city impossible. It's only a matter of time before you succumb to me and my will."

"Never." Power Girl said, clenching her fists. "You will fail. I will see to that. And, then I will see you returned to Darkworld."

"How? You don't even understand the magic that flows through your own veins? You can't harness it enough to even prevent being weakened and controlled by magic. How are you going to control magic enough to open a gateway to Darkworld? To leave me powerless enough that I can't come back? You can't. You're destined to fail. Your friends with magic knowledge are on the other side of the magical barriers I've erected. You can't communicate with them even. You're powerless." Osoro said, laughing maniacally.

"We'll see about that." Power Girl said.

"See about this!" Osoro shrieked, bolts of magic energy exploded from his hands-hurtling through the sky toward Power Girl.

She vainly tried to get out of the way, but the bolts were too fast for her. They slammed into her chest, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

Not again. Power Girl thought weakly, plummeting toward the ground. Below the giant spider rushed toward the spot she hurtled toward. It's giant mandibles opening and closing.

Crimson blasts of heat vision exploded from her eyes. They slammed into the giant spider-crushing it to pulp and sending chunks of spider flying in all directions.

Power Girl crashed into the ground in the very spot the spider had been only a few moments before. Vainly gasping for breath, Power Girl tried to push herself out of the crater her crash had created.

Osoro got off his throne, walking toward Power Girl.

"Impressive." Osoro said, clapping. "You did very well. But, it's not enough."

Power Girl tried to get air back into her lungs as magic began to glow around Osoro's hands.

On either side of him, zombies began to gather, circling the crater where Power Girl gasped for air.

"Now, you will die." Osoro said. "Slowly, painfully. And I will watch."

Power Girl released another volley of heat vision-the twin bolts slamming into Osoro's chest, severing the chain that held the medallion with the red gem around his neck.

Osoro cried out in pain as the heat vision burned bright holes into his skin and the medallion plummeted toward the ground.

"NO!" He shouted, reaching for the medallion.

Finally able to draw breath, Power Girl grabbed the medallion before Osoro could.

"GIVE ME THAT!" Osoro screamed.

"Why?" Power Girl asked, feeling the warmth as the flashing red gem in the medallion throbbed with energy. "Is perhaps this lovely medallion the secret of your powers?"

"I need no medallion to wield great and powerful magic!" Osoro said, shaking a fist at Power Girl.

"Then blast me with magic." Power Girl said, flying up into the sky, a good dozen feet above Osoro and the zombies.

The zombies were moaning and groaning. Suddenly they turned their attention toward Osoro.

"NO!" Osoro said, his face filling with fear. "They'll tear me apart!"

"But, you're so powerful and able to wield great magic." Power Girl said. "Just banish them."

Osoro began to panic as the zombies began lumbering toward him.

"I CAN'T!" Osoro screamed in horror. "Without the medallion I am powerless outside of Darkworld. I can't exist in your world without it!"

"Interesting." Power Girl said, stifling a yawn. "It's very interesting. So, if you are powerless without this medallion… and can't exist here without it… what happens if I do this?" Power Girl crushed the medallion in her hands, the gold and red gem shattered into a million pieces, flying in every direction.

For one moment, every thing froze in place. Then there was a flurry of activity so intense and fast that Power Girl could only keep up because of her super-vision.

The zombies all crumbled to dust, falling apart. The clouds in the sky parted and dissipated, evaporating beneath the warm Fall sunlight. In the center of all of this activity stood Osoro looking down at Power Girl, his eyes blazing with rage.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS GRANDDAUGHTER OF ARION!" He screamed, rage contorting his face before he faded into nothingness.

For several minutes, Power Girl laid on the ground looking at the spot where Osoro had stood only moments before. She then looked at the crushed medallion debris laying around, it's dust dirtying her blue glove.

Slowly Power Girl pulled herself to her feet, looking around as people began to come out of buildings. In the distance she could hear birds singing and a child asking in wonder, "Is it safe to go out Mommy?" Power Girl smiled as she heard the mother respond, "I think so, baby. I really think so."

Power Girl flew into the sky, the bright blue and clouds framing her to those who watched her from below.

Epilogue:

From his corner of Darkworld, Osoro floated, watching Power Girl through a scrying mirror. She changed from Power Girl to Karen Starr and then rushed back to her company's offices, where her friends and co-workers welcomed her with open arms and joy.

Osoro growled to himself, hate filling his heart and making his vision blur and burn.

"You will pay for this Granddaughter of Arion." Osoro's words came out in a hot hissed whisper, stinging his own lips.

He lashed out with his weathered fist, striking the scrying mirror which shattered into a million shards that came raining down around him. As he began to pace, he paid no attention to the shards as they tore into his feet, slicing through the tender flesh and sending searing pain through his entire body.

THE END

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