THE MAID OF STEEL
Halloween Special #3

"As Halloween revelers fill the streets, local businesses open their doors to them." Linda Danvers smiled brightly into the camera. "Among these businesses is trendy East-Side Daycare center Kinder Care. Founded three years ago by Teresa Jenkins and her mother and business partner Letha Driscoll, Kinder Care specializing in a variety of services and programs insuring to working parents that their children are taken care. Kinder Care has revolutionary programs to help stimulate young minds and help children get that head-start they need when they enter school. For older students in school, Kinder Care offers homework assistance and tutors."

With a bright smile, Linda continued, "Tonight, however, all that is going on here is a good old-fashioned Halloween party, complete with Haunted House and candy and treats."

Linda paused and waited several seconds for her director Peter Barton to call "CUT!"

As soon as he called "cut," Linda's smiled relaxed.

"Did we get it?" Linda asked. They'd been out here for nearly an hour.

"Yep. It was beautiful Lin." Peter smiled brightly. "The camera hasn't stopped loving you yet. And, you hit your cues without fail nearly every time."

"Good." Linda smiled. "How much longer?"

"Big Halloween plans tonight?" Peter asked.

"I'm helping my mom at Our Queen of Heaven with their fund raiser tonight." Linda said.

"No big plans with your boyfriend tonight?" Peter asked.

"Not really." Linda frowned.

"Problems on the relationship front?" Peter asked.

The camera man was setting up the next shots.

"Nothing I want to discuss right now." Linda replied, her mind going to Dick Malverne. * "Things are complicated right now."

*see the forthcoming Supergirl: The Maid of Steel #34 & 35 for details.

"If you want to talk, let me know." Peter smiled. "I'm your director and a friend."

"Thanks." Linda smiled.

"LINDA!"

Linda turned to see Craig Morris and Jocelyn Rogers came walking up.

"Oh, hi." Linda said. "What are you guys doing tonight?"

"We were going to a Halloween party at a pub down here." Craig said.

"And, we're going to be late if we don't get going." Jocelyn looked really uncomfortable. She wouldn't even make eye-contact with Linda.

"We have time. We're just going to McBrewsters around the corner." Craig said, scoffing at her, then turning his attention to Linda. "You're here with the new job?"

"Yeah. We're featuring Kinder Care tonight." Linda said. "We're done all our interviews. We're just doing exteriors."

"That's cool. How do you like the job?" Craig asked, trying to hold eye-contact.

"It's great. I love what I'm doing." Linda said, looking away. There had always been a bit of a spark between she and Craig. Back when they'd worked together at the museum, she thought that they might even get together some day. But, then Dick had come back into her life. She and Craig had remained friends though, and when Phillip Decker had kidnapped him as part of his elaborate revenge plot, Craig had discovered the secret of Linda's dual identity.

"Your segments rock." Craig smiled. Of course, Craig's crush on Linda had only seemed to grow since he'd discovered she was Supergirl. "I liked the one last week about that Aztec themed movie theater. That place looks awesome."

"Hopefully your new job is OK with your frequent lateness." Jocelyn sniffed, adjusting her glasses. The woman's dark blonde hair was loosely tied back.

"Linda is always on time. And, she's awesome. Couldn't ask for a greater employee." Peter Barton said.

"She was always late for me." Jocelyn sighed.

"Maybe it was you." Peter Barton said pleasantly, "You see to have a stick lodged up you're a-"

"Meet my director, Peter Barton." Linda laughed, cutting Peter off. "Peter, this is my friend Craig Morris. And that's Jocelyn Rogers my former employee at the Midway City Museum."

"Nice to meet you, Craig." Peter said, extending his hand. "I'd say it was nice to meet you Jocelyn, but, well…"

Jocelyn gasped, "I can't believe your rudeness!"

"Yeah. Talking crap about Linda to her new employer isn't rude at all." Peter rolled his eyes. "But, you look like the kind of woman who is rude to anyone who doesn't bow down before you. And, I can't see Linda as the kind of person to just bend over and take it from a stone-cold @#$% like you."

Linda covered her smile with her hand.

"I guess we should get going." Craig said, suppressing laughter. "Come on Jocelyn."

"Bye you guys." Linda said, watching as Craig and Jocelyn headed down the street.

"Peter… you are terrible!" Linda laughed once Craig and Jocelyn were around the corner.

"I try." Peter grinned at her. "All right let's get wrapped up so you can get to your Mom's fund-raiser."

The sun had gone down and night had settled over the city as Linda pulled on her coat and grabbed her bag. They had just finished the last of their shots and she was done for the evening. Smiling to herself, Linda called her mom from her cell phone.

"Hey Mom. I'm on my way. We just finished up." Linda said, turning the corner.

"Oh Good. It's starting to pick up around here."

"See ya soon, Mom." Linda said. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

As Linda walked down the sidewalk, she paused in front of the plate glass window for McBrewsters. Looking in, she could see Craig and Jocelyn with a group of people-many she recognized from when she had worked at the museum.

Craig was laughing, having a drink and saying something to a cute girl who worked in the accounting department. Jocelyn, however, was glaring at the girl, her eyes full of murder.

"I wonder when Craig is going to figure out that Jocelyn has a major thing for him." Linda whispered, wondering if that was part of the reason Jocelyn had always been tough on her. Was it a jealousy thing? Had she been jealous of Craig's crush for Linda?

"I don't know."

Linda jumped, turning to a man standing beside her.

"I'm sorry. I was just talking out loud." Linda said.

"It's OK." The man smiled, revealing crooked browning teeth between colorless too thin lips. "I get that reaction a lot."

"Well, I should be going. I have some place to be." Linda said, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of the man's light brown eyes-eyes so light they looked almost gold.

"As Linda? Or as Supergirl?" The man asked pleasantly.

"I'm sorry. What?" Linda blinked.

"Linda or Supergirl. Which identity do you have the appointment in?" The man smiled, but it wasn't pleasant, nor was the reappearance of the brown crooked teeth.

"I don't know what you mean." Linda replied. "But, I should be going."

"Not yet." The man said, grabbing Linda by the arm.

"Let go." Linda said levelly, although her eyes said "back off."

"You can't go yet." The man said. "There is something I need you for."

"You need to let me go." Linda said. "I have somewhere to be."

"I thought heroes helped those who need help." The man said.

"If I see Supergirl, I'll let her know." Linda said, ripping her arm free. The man's strength was much greater than his appearance suggested.

"There is no reason for your charade with me, Ms. Danvers. I know all about you. Nor do you need to fear that I'll reveal your secret. It's not the type of thing I'd do." The man said, smiling again with his brown crooked smile.

Linda looked around, realizing that everything had stopped around them. People in Halloween costumes were frozen mid-step, mid-word. Steam drifting from a nearby vent was paused in motion.

"I've stopped time for us to talk. In privacy." The old man said.

"You seem to know who I am. Who are you?" Linda said, her eyes going back into the pub where Craig and Jocelyn were frozen just like every one else.

"My name is inconsequential." The old man said, "I am one of a secret order. An ancient order dedicated to protecting this world from the dark horrible things that live beyond the veil-attempting to climb through from oblivion into our world. We're called the Midnight Men."

"Then what do you need me for? In you're a secret ancient order, you'd surely be more able to deal with some otherworldly threat than me." Linda replied. The old man's skin was gray and papery, his eyes nearly colorless brown circles in seas of bloodshot yellow.

"Because the secret order has been reduced to a bunch of withered old men like myself." The old man said. "And I do not have the resources to defeat the threat looming over Midway City and the world tonight."

"What resources do you have? Other than stopping time." Linda asked.

"None. It's not really stopping time. I'm able to shift myself and others one second into the past-just before the next minute occurs. I can stay here for as long as necessary. It's useful in battle. I can give myself an attempt to recover and regain my stamina. Or it was useful. I'm too old for battling elder gods and the legions of doom." The old man said. "I've been trying to pick my replacement. But, there aren't many in this world suitable to be a member of the Midnight Men."

"Except me?" Linda asked hesitantly.

"Not you." The old man said. "You have your own destiny. One that has nothing to do with the Midnight Men. Our paths will cross, perhaps. But, you are not meant to be one of my order. I only need your help tonight."

"What do you need my help with?" Linda asked.

"Tonight, here in Midway City, there are a group of men and women-opposite my order trying to pierce the veil and unleash Mnomquah, the Lord of the Black Lake from his imprisonment in the moon in the Dreamlands. There are only five members of my order in the U.S., and none of them can make it in time. It would only be your and I, and I'm not sure how much help I'll be." The old man said.

"Where?" Linda asked.

"In an old warehouse down on the Lake front." The old man said.

"So, do you have a name?" Linda asked, "I'd like to know who I'm going into battle beside."

The old man sighed, "I don't really remember my real name. I've been at this so long. But, within the order I'm called Kvar."

"Kvar. Pleased to meet you." Linda said, extending her hand. "Let's go."

"First…" Kvar said, with a motion of his hand time resumed around them. "Let us make haste."

From inside the pub, Craig Morris looked up, only to see Linda and an old man looking through the window.

"Linda!" He exclaimed.

"Where?" Jocelyn asked, practically hissing.

"Outside." Craig said.

"Who cares?" Jocelyn sniffed.

"I should see if she wants to join us for a drink."

"It's an employee party." Jocelyn stressed.

"Linda was an employee. The staff liked her. She was fun. She just had issues getting to work on time."

"I didn't like her." Jocelyn sighed.

"You're the only one." Craig replied, rushing off, to leave Jocelyn with a mouth dropped in shock.

"Craig?" Jocelyn mumbled as Craig disappeared outside of the pub.

Craig pushed the door open, plunging out into the cooling night. The streets were filled with adults in costumes, laughing and on their way to good Halloween drunks.

He watched as Linda and the old man walked away.

"Linda?" Craig called.

But, she didn't turn around.

Craig followed after them.

Once they reached the waterfront, Kvar pointed to a large dark warehouse.

"That's where they are." He said.

"I guess I should change into my work clothes." Linda said. The transformation between Linda to Supergirl occurred quickly.

"That's… wow. Impressive. I thought it was just a glamour that disguised you as a short brunette. But, there is an actual transformation. You are far more powerful of a being than I suspected. You really are the Earth-Bound Angel foretold by the Prophets and Oracles."

"One of them." Supergirl said.

"No. You are more than that. Hasn't anyone told you of your true nature?"

"No." Supergirl said.

"When this is all said and done, we will take time and I will tell you all you need to know about your destiny."

"I'm supposed to fight Lord Xenon and save the Universe. That's my destiny." Supergirl said.

"That's Supergirl's destiny. The Earth-Bound Angel's destiny is something different." Kvar said.

"So what I am going to face in there." Supergirl asked. "Cultists? Some sort of demon-god?"

"Pretty much. One think to keep in mind about Mnomquah is that we know relatively little about his powers. He was imprisoned in the Dreamland moon thru means unknown and by powers unknown. He is one of the greatest of the elder gods. We have the luck that he will be weak after years of imprisonment, and that until the cult-members complete their spell, he will not truly exist on this plane. Any disruption to their spell will prevent Mnomquah from passing over." Kvar said, reaching into the dark trench coat he wore, he removed a sai and a long-sword.

"The cultists we face are not humans." He said quietly. "Not any more. Through decades and in some cases centuries of dark magic and genetic manipulation, they have become creatures of the supernatural. They can be killed, although it's not easy. And, they must be killed. Otherwise, they will only wait and regroup and attempt to unleash Mnomquah again."

"Understood." Supergirl nodded. "So do we knock? Or do we just make a grand entrance through the wall?"

"A wall entrance might not be such a bad idea." Kvar said.

Craig Morris rounded the corner just in time to see Supergirl smash through the wall of the warehouse.

The warehouse was empty save a massive slab in the center of the main storage area. It was made of black volcanic rock and had been carved into a large rectangle. The slab was covered with offerings for Mnomquah. Fresh living fish flapped around, their tails slapping the slab, sea-weed, slime, along with foul smelling incense and charcoal in brass incense burners that kept it above the slime and water on the table. Birds in cages thrashed against their bars, trying to escape. Snakes writhed and twisted, curling around one another for warmth. And, various lizards crawled up and down, their forked tongues flicking in and out. In the center of the table, wrapped in sea-weed and coated in slime, was an unconscious woman wearing a chain-mail bikini top and matching bottom with pink and white silk.

"The time draws near Children of Mnomquah." A man said. He was naked save primitive symbols painted into his flesh in dark mixture of charcoal and blood and a scabbard and sword suspended by a gold chain around his waist. "Soon the veil will be pierced."

"Hail Mnomquah!" A chorus rose up from the other men and women in the room. All of them were also nude save the symbols painted onto their bare flesh and the chain holding their swords and daggers.

"Everyone take their places. It's time for us to begin the incantation."

The people in the room circled the slab with it's offerings piled atop it, linking hands. All save for a man wearing a crown made of skeletal snakes and bloody feathers. Drawing a sword from the scabbard suspended from a gold chain around his waist.

The man made his way over to the unconscious woman laying amid the offerings. He lifted her hand, dragging his sword across the tender flesh of her palm. Dark blooming blood rose up, gushing out, splattering the table and coating the man's blade.

Pointing his bloodied blade toward the empty air above the slab, the man began his incantation.

In a forgotten tongue, he called to Mnomquah. The air above the slab began to sparkle and flex-as the gateway to the Dreamlands where the moon was his prison.

"Hail Mnomquah, Lord of the Black Lake!" The men and woman chanted as the man holding sword continued to chant in an alien-sounding tongue.

A hazy image began to appear in the gateway forming above the slab. Beneath it, the unconscious woman stirred, struggling against the sedatives that the Children of Mnomquah had filled her body with. The snakes had drawn up against her, drawn to her body heat.

"HAIL MNOMQUAH! LORD OF THE BLACK LAKE! HAIL! ALL HAIL!"

Just as the hazy image began to solidify, showing a vast shape-vaguely reptilian, a crown of writhing snakes dancing on it's head.

"HAIL MNOMQUAH! HAIL!"

The man holding the sword switched from the alien language to English, "Mnomquah! Lord of the Black Lake! We call to you-we liberate you from your lunar prison! Come across the void to this world!"

The slowly solidifying image became even more solid, and appeared to gain mass.

The eastern wall of the warehouse exploded in a fireworks display of fiery as Supergirl came through.

"It's Supergirl!" One of the chanting people shouted.

"RUN!" Another cried.

The man with the sword held steady, "NO ONE MOVE! We've nearly breached the veil! Once Mnomquah is through, he will make short work of Supergirl! She's no match for an elder god!"

"I'd listen to your other friend," Supergirl said calmly, even as fire raged from her eyes and back. "Not just because I'm one teed-off Earthbound Angel, but because your elder god coming through that gateway is most likely going to each all of you."

"Mnomquah would never eat the devoted!" The man with sword said.

"Doubtful." Supergirl said, landing only inches away from him. Flames exploded from her eyes, melting the sword and incinerating the hand holding it.

The man screamed out in pain. The hazy image of Mnomquah wavered.

The man collapsed to the floor of the warehouse, even as many of the other Children of Mnomquah ran toward the exit. However, several of them remained. From their scabbards, they drew swords and daggers.

"Those aren't going to be very useful against me." Supergirl said, turning her attention toward them.

The Children of Mnomquah rushed Supergirl with their swords and daggers. While she was able to avoid their blows and the ones that did hit her didn't hurt her invulnerable skin.

The man who was doing the incantation earlier picked up a sword one of the fleeing Children of Mnomquah had left being. Picking it up, he pointed the blade toward the air above the slab again, beginning the incantation from the beginning.

From the shadows lining the edges of the warehouse, Kvar crept, moving silently and with purpose. He edged toward the man doing the incantation.

With his long-sword, Kvar knocked the sword from the man's hand.

"KVAR!" The man exclaimed jerking his hand away.

"Lohai." Kvar said. "We're going to stop you tonight."

"Just because you've brought an Earthbound Angel doesn't mean you'll stop us. Her power is inconsequential when compared to the power of Mnomquah." Lohai sniffed. "Once he's through the veil, he'll devour her just as he will all of the infidels upon this plane."

"Including you?"

"Mnomquah will not devour his faithful. We will be spared to worship and to serve." Lohai said.

"Doubtful." Kvar snorted, "You'll be consumed before all the others. You'll be closer than anyone. The blood of the faithful is more powerful to one such as Mnomquah than those of infidels and non-believers."

"LIAR!" Lohai said, picking his sword up from where it fell. The two men began to fight, the steel of their blades clashing.

The hazy gateway with the image of Mnomquah in it, rippled and waned, waiting for Lohai to complete the incantation.

As Supergirl fought off the Children of Mnomquah, she found that she made little headway. As she would beat one day, knocking him or her out of the way, another would spring back up. Once that one was defeated, one of the ones she'd knocked aside earlier would launch a new assault.

"This is like an endless cycle." Supergirl groaned. She was doing her best to not kill anyone, but she could feel herself losing control. The constant onslaught was pushing her temper and when she lost control of the temper, it was had to control the angel fire. She knew that none of the people she fought were pure of soul. They were, based on what Kvar had said, evil to their core-not even completely human anymore. Surely she could let go and just incinerate them. But, she resisted. They looked human.

But, something in the back of her mind resisted. She remembered nearly losing control several weeks back with Phillip Decker. She remembered her violence while lost in time during World War II. The angel aspect and her personal pain sometimes made it hard to control her powers.

Am I too powerful for my mortal soul? She wondered. But, quickly she dismissed that. There were three aspects that had merged to become what she was. The Angel aspect. Matrix. And Linda Danvers. The three together were bigger and better and than a mere mortal. But two of those aspects don't have a soul. Perhaps that is the issue.

Supergirl pushed the thoughts away, throwing herself into fighting and resisting the increasingly tempting call to incinerate every last one of them.

As Kvar and Lohai continued fighting, and Supergirl battled the Children of Mnomquah, Craig Morris quietly crept across the dark warehouse. He'd followed Kvar in, trailing the old man as quietly as he could. For several minutes he'd been lurking in the shadows, watching. His eyes had fallen upon the girl laying unconscious on the slab. He'd seen the shimmering image taking form above her-and he'd realized that whatever was going on, that she was a victim. He could see her taking shallow breaths.

Craig Morris had found himself in dangerous situations since Linda Danvers had come into his life. And since discovering she was Supergirl, he had realized that maybe being friends with her might continue to put him in further danger. However, he'd realized that he didn't care if he was in danger. Supergirl/Linda was one of the good guys and she was doing everything she could to make the world better. If that meant he was in danger sometimes, then that's what it meant. Heroes made the world a better place, despite what those stupid Anti-Meta League people said. Craig felt inspired. And right now, he saw that woman needed help. With Supergirl and the old man distracted, fighting off the bad guys, the girl was just laying there.

Reaching the slab, Craig tried to shake the girl awake. She moaned lightly, but her eyes didn't even flutter.

"Miss? Wake up. Please." Craig mumbled, shaking the girl, hoping that with all the fighting going on, no one noticed him.

The girl moaned again, and her eye lids opened slightly.

"Ma'am?" He kept shaking her. "Please wake up."

"Where am I?" The girl moaned, her eyes only half-open.

"I don't know. But, it's awful here. You have to get up." Craig said, his eyes going to the shimmering image above her and the horror contained with in-still hazy and out of focus, but clear enough for Craig to know it was terrible.

"I'm so tired." She muttered, her speech sluggish and muted.

"I know. But, you have to get up. You can sleep once you're out of here." Craig said. He looked over at Supergirl and the Children of Mnomquah. Supergirl was occupied.

Picking the girl up in his arms, Craig groaned. She was dead weight. He was thankful that he'd been working out lately, but he wasn't strong enough to lift this girl and carry her very far. If he could just get her out of the building, that might be enough. Maybe the cool night air would help her wake up.

Carrying her, he groaned with each step, moving as quickly as he could. He could feel his back and arms crying out in protest, but Craig pushed himself to the entrance to the warehouse.

Once out in the night air, Craig collapsed, he and the girl crashing to the hard ground outside.

The girl's eye lids fluttered open.

"Where am I?" She asked, sitting up. Her eyes grew wide in fear. "What the hell am I wearing?"

"I don't know. You were in that warehouse with a bunch of creeps." Craig said.

"The last thing I remember was some dude buying me a drink at a bar." The girl said, trying to stand. She found her legs wobbly and made of rubber.

"Sounds like someone slipped you a mickey." Craig said.

"I feel like hell. Who are you?"

"My name is Craig Morris. I was passing by and heard a ruckus…"

A loud crashing sound and a explosion punctuated that from the huge hole in side of the warehouse.

"What's going on in there?"

"Sounds like Supergirl fighting a bunch of creepy cult members."

"Supergirl is in there?" The girl asked.

"Yeah. She was fighting the cult members who grabbed you." Craig said.

The girl stood slowly, still wobbly, but able to stand.

"Thank you for saving me Greg." She said.

"Craig." He corrected.

"Thank you, Craig. But, I'm getting out of here. I suggest you do the same thing. 'Cause this is messed up." The girl said. She looked at the chain mail bikini she was in, "What did they do with my clothes?" Then she shook her head, her long cinnamon colored curls bouncing around her face. "Doesn't matter. Thanks Craig."

The girl ran off into the night, her movements slow and sluggish, but she moved as quickly as she could.

Craig watched from where he sat on the ground. Inside he could hear more explosions.

Watching the girl run away, Craig considered following her lead and getting out of here. He'd gotten her out. All that was left was for Supergirl and that old man to beat up the cult members. That was above his capabilities.

Craig sat on the ground, listening to the battle raging inside, contemplating what to do.

Inside the warehouse, Kvar found his long-sword knocked from his hand. He stumbled, tripping over his own feet, and landing oddly on his back.

Lohai put the tip of his blade against Kvar's throat.

"Finally, it ends tonight. Kvar. After nearly a century, you will die. And, without selecting your replacement. You may claim victory tonight-we may not draw Mnomquah from across the void this evening, but we will. And you will not be there to oppose us-nor will your replacement. The Midnight Men's numbers continue to dwindle, while the Children of Mnomquah continue to grow. We will be victorious when the final battle comes." Lohai gloated, his face illuminated with a maniacal grin.

"You may slay me, but the Children of Mnomquah will never succeed. The Midnight Men's numbers have dropped significantly, but we will grow again." Kvar said.

"Doubtful." Lohai said, pushing the tip of the sword into the tender flesh beneath Kvar's neck, drawing blood.

"This is getting old." Supergirl said. She'd knock one down and another would just get up.

As one of the Children of Mnomquah drew close, her eyes turned blood red and fangs dropped from her mouth.

"This does get old." The woman said, her hands transforming into razor-tinged claws. "So, let's just end it here and now Angel. We've been holding back-trying hide our true nature. But, the game grows tiresome. We have more important things to do tonight than wrestle the likes of you."

"So, your human guise was a glamour." Supergirl said. "Kvar said you weren't completely human."

"Humanity is a curse. One the Children of Mnomquah have freed themselves from over the years. Whatever trappings of humanity remain, will drop off once and for all once Mnomquah crosses the void."

"That's all I needed to hear." Supergirl said. "I'd been convinced that you were still mostly human based on your appearances. But, your cute little speech suggests otherwise. And seeing as how, you're willing to let Mnomquah consume your stupid-@$$ when he crosses over like an appetizer… well, there's no point in holding back."

Angel fire exploded from Supergirl's eyes, dancing out wildly and without bounds-devouring in a single wooshing sound all of the cult members.

As the fire danced away, leaving nothing but ash, Supergirl looked over at Kvar and Lohai.

The image flickering above the slab had faded even more so that it was not much more than an outline of light.

Lohai looked away from Kvar for a moment.

"That was a neat trick." Lohai said to Supergirl. "One I doubt you'll try to replicate. Kvar isn't as pure of heart and soul as it would take to not be burned to a crisp himself."

"Take us both out Supergirl." Kvar said. "My time is nearly over as it is. And, Kvar's death will set the Children of Mnomquah way back."

Lohai's eyes changed from normal human to the blazing red. His fangs dropped down and his hands transformed to claws.

"Yes. Take us both out." Lohai growled. "And set the Midnight Men back. He told you their numbers were dwindling. But, he wasn't honest with you. He's the last of the Midnight Men. If he dies tonight, then so does his cause. So, yes, kill us both. Even with me gone, and this sect of the Children of Mnomquah, there are more. Many more, spread throughout the country."

Lohai pushed his blade into Kvar's neck, slicing through the skin.

"Too late." Lohai grinned.

"NO!" Supergirl screamed, releasing a blast of angel-fire from her eyes which perfectly melted off Lohai's head.

Supergirl rushed over to Kvar as Lohai's body collapses.

Kneeling down beside Kvar, Supergirl looked at the blood seeping from his neck.

"Oh God." She whispered. "I can't even try to suture it with my flames. It might incinerate you."

"It's OK." Kvar said quietly. "Nothing you can do will save me. At least you took out Lohai and helped defeat the Children of Mnomquah tonight. It will be some time before the stars align properly again so that they can attempt to release Mnomquah. Nearly three years."

"But, if you die, who will take over for you? Lohai said you were the last." Supergirl said, cradling the man's head in her lap.

The old man chuckled, "I am the last. But, there will be another."

"Who? You already said it wasn't me."

"No. It's not you. Supergirl and Linda Danvers both have different paths. Neither of them are as the last of the Midnight Men and the one who will rebuild my order." Kvar smiled.

"Then who?"

Kvar smiled. "We were at the same place at the same time for different reasons. You were stopped to see a friend and former co-worker enjoying the holiday. I was looking at the future of my order. My replacement."

"Craig." Supergirl whispered.

"Yes?"

Supergirl looked up to see Craig Morris step from the darkness lining the corners of the warehouse.

"Craig? What are you doing here?" Supergirl asked.

"I saw you and that man through the window. I followed you. I saved the girl on the altar." Craig Morris said. "She ran off into the night. Scared out of her mind. What's going on here?"

"Your future." Supergirl whispered.

"What?" Craig asked.

"Craig Morris." Kvar called, "Come here."

Craig stayed, frozen in place.

"It's OK, Craig. He's a friend." Supergirl said, standing and stepping away from Kvar. "You need to speak to him."

Craig walked slowly over to Kvar.

"Come closer." Kvar said.

Craig kneeled down cautiously, looking toward Supergirl several times.

"It's OK." She said quietly.

"What do you want?" Craig asked.

Kvar took Craig's hand, sending a bolt of electricity through Craig.

"What was that?"

"Memory. Knowledge. Heritage." Kvar said.

Craig's eyes met the old man's eyes. A flash of light crossed between them.

Kvar tipped his finger into the blood seeping from the deep cut in his neck. With a quick motion he drew a symbol on Craig's forehead in blood.

"You are Kvar. Leader of the Midnight Men."

"What do I do?" Craig asked.

"You will know what to do. In time." The old man said. Then the life went out of him.

Epilogue:

Linda and Craig stood in front of the plate glass window, watching Jocelyn and the other museum employees reveling and enjoying their Halloween.

"It feels so weird to just rejoin them." Craig said quietly. "Just to act like everything is like it was. To drink and laugh and play, when there is a weight on my shoulders. A duty. A responsibility."

Linda smiled at him, "And, that's all the more reason to laugh and drink and play. You have to learn to balance the job with downtown. It's one of the first lessons of any super-hero."

"I'm not a super-hero." Craig said quietly.

"Yes, you are. You are Kvar, leader of the Midnight Men." Linda smiled brightly. She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to my mother's fund-raiser."

"Goodnight Linda."

"Goodnight, Craig." Linda disappeared into the night, leaving Craig Morris to stare in through the plate glass window and consider it all.

THE END