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

Issue #22

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Written By Paul Daimler

“Of course they’d be Bialyan.” Power Girl muttered, her thoughts on the train-wreck of a peace conference that she and the JLE had been a party to in Bialya several weeks ago. She considered it successful that they’d managed to lead an evil tyrant away in handcuffs, delivering him to the United Nations for trial. But, the one of the major villains of the piece—Lady Star-Fyre, Cosmetics Tycoon and Wannabe World Dominator, had walked away without a trace of stink on her. And, she’d ended up letting the assassin Anath go free—even though she was an escaped prison from the American Justice system for the political murder of the Bialyan ambassador. She still was feeling ambivalent about the entire thing.

At least she had let Lady Star-Fyre know that she knew who had pulled the strings.*

* a very abbreviated version of the Power Girl/Justice League Europe cross-over.

Tonight though she forced these thoughts out of her mind, concentrating on the freighter below, even though she would much rather be anywhere but in her Power Girl costume tonight.

The past few months had been one catastrophe or super-villain attack after the other, not to mention journeys to other dimensions and realities to fight wars and tyrants. She’d pummeled the Royal Flush Gang five times in the last few weeks. She hadn’t had a night alone at home with her cat and a book in longer than she could remember. She and Ian hadn’t had an uninterrupted dinner date in nearly a week.

“You look moody.”

Power Girl turned to the exotically accented woman who had landed silently beside her.

“I didn’t hear you land.” Power Girl said.

“Borrowed the flight powers of a sparrow.” Vixen smiled.

“Still, I have super-hearing. I should have caught that.” Power Girl grinned. “Thanks for meeting me here.”

“No problem. Thank you for helping me with this. When I tracked that ship to Century City, I must say I was relieved, since it’s your current base of operations.”

“Just glad to be of help. I hate the idea of illegal weapons coming through my city.” Power Girl said, then realized she had said ‘my city’. She’d been in Century City nearly a year now, and it was beginning to feel like her home at last. “Any idea what they’re carrying?”

“Unfortunately not.” Vixen said. “Unfortunately far too much of the underworld uses my home country of Zambesi as a way to get their arms and drugs through Africa. In the time since I’ve left the Ultramarines, I’ve managed to curtail some of the illegal activities, but far too often, the shipments slip through.”

“Like that one.” Power Girl pointed at the ship.

“Just like that one.” Vixen nodded, the material of her gold hued body suit shimmered lightly in the muted street lights that reached them on the top of the warehouse.

“So it could be drugs or guns.”

“Or bombs. Or some sort of chemical weapon.” Vixen shook her head sadly, “One time I stopped a shipment before it left and found it was filled with girls between the ages of five and ten.”

Power Girl’s face filled with disgust. “I don’t understand what this world is coming to sometimes.”

“Me, either.” Vixen replied, “In parts of my country, certain villages have taken to mutilating young girls sexually. It’s reprehensible. And, there is only so much I’m able to do to fight it.”

“It makes me want to go and mutilate every man responsibly with my heat vision.” Power Girl growled.

“If that would solve it, don’t think I wouldn’t have used the claws of the panther…” Vixen gave a bitter humorless smile as her hand morphed slightly to reveal razor-sharp claws.

Power Girl looked at the freighter, now almost secured to the docks. With a flash of her x-ray vision, her expression grew grim. “There are crates of automatic weapons. Others with knives. A couple appear to contain explosives… and then there is one…” Power Girl paused.

“What is it?” Vixen asked, becoming alert to the change in Power Girl’s demeanor and body language.

“There is a crate that has some bizarre gold and silver chest. It’s adorned with jewels and precious stones.” Power Girl frowned.

“You make it sound like the Ark of the Covenant.” Vixen said, calling upon the thick hide and thicker fur of the polar bear to ward off the chill in the night air.

“It kind of looks like it. What’s weird is my x-ray vision doesn’t see anything in it. It’s just void.” Power Girl frowned, “That normally means that it’s some sort of mystic hoodoo going on in there. Which can’t be good.”

“I guess we should go down there and break it up then.” Vixen said. “Take some smugglers into custody.”

“We need to find out who they’re delivering that for and too.” Power Girl said, her expression taking on a determined slant. “I like people using Century City for their illegal activities almost as much as you despise them using Zambesi as the go between.”

The two women flew down toward the freighter, the wind whipping past their faces. Power Girl was pleased that Vixen was keeping up with her fairly well. All too often she left other heroes in her dust when flying. Only Superman and Wonder Woman had ever been able to beat her in flight, and Supergirl managed to match her speed. Vixen wasn’t quite matching her, but she was flying fast enough that Power Girl didn’t feel like she had to hold herself back.

Landing on the rusting deck of the freighter, Power Girl said, “As an officially deputized member of the Century City Police Department, I ask that you all halt.” She put her hand up.

The workers scurrying around on the deck froze in place as their eyes looked upon Power Girl and Vixen.

“You’re deputized?” Vixen asked.

“Yeah. Almost right after I got here.” Power Girl shrugged. “Apparently there hasn’t been a super-hero in Century City since the 30’s and 40’s, and their super-villain crime has been pretty bad because of it. They deputized me almost immediately.”

“That must make things easier.”

“For sure.” Power Girl replied. “Now, I would like you to all put your hands on your heads and get down on your knees.”

“We are innocent.” One of the men said in heavily accented English.

“You sound like you’re from Bialya.” Power Girl said looking at the man directly.

“Yes, ma’am.” The man said. “You are a hero in Bialya. You helped overthrow President Hashim.”

Power Girl replied, “You do realize that there are illegal blackmarket weapons on this freighter?”

The man’s face went pale and his eyes widened in surprise.

“We have no idea as to what is aboard the ship.” He replied. “We were hired just to help sail the ship. We did not load it, nor do we know what was loaded on here. The economy in Bialya is still recovering after the tyranny of Hashim. We were thankful for the work.”

Power Girl nodded, “If the investigation supports that, then you will be released. You have my word.”

Vixen walked through the cluster of men, their hands on their heads.

“He’s probably telling the truth.” Vixen said to Power Girl, “In my dealings with whoever is shipping these things, they hire people and don’t tell the crews what they’re really carrying. Honesty, the hired help should probably question more, but they are invariably from poor countries where the money means the difference between having food and a place to live or starving homeless in the streets.”

“So, someone is taking advantage of these workers.” Power Girl said, her tone cool. She then turned to the man she had been speaking to, “Who is the captain of this ship?”

“That would be me.”

Power Girl and Vixen turned toward the sound of the voice, to find a bulky six-foot man stepping from the wheel room at the top of the tower at the far end of the cargo freighter’s decks.

“I think we might have a problem.” Vixen said into the earring mic.

“Oh?”

“My Tantu totem is picking up powers I could borrow from him.” Vixen replied, her voice calm.

“Ah, so a meta.”

“More of a human-animal hybrid.” Vixen replied, “If it were just meta-abilities, I don’t know that I could assume any of his powers.”

“What are you getting to choose from?”

“Oh, he appears to have the powers of an elephant.”

“Which are?”

“Increased strength, endurance… the usual.”

As the man came down from the tower and strode across the deck of the cargo freighter, Power Girl took in his appearance. His skin was thick and had a dark gray hue to his flesh. His eyes were a light chocolaty brown color.

“Hello. You’re the captain?” Power Girl said, keeping her tone pleasant. “Then we need to speak. You appear to be transporting illegal black market weapons, and some sort of gold and silver chest of unknown origins. None of which appear on the manifest your company sent ahead. According to that manifest, you were carrying textiles and baskets.”

The captain paused several feet from Power Girl, his light brown eyes boring into hers.

“There are no weapons on this ship.” The captain said, his voice was deep and heavy.

“My x-ray vision says otherwise.” Power Girl said, smiling.

“You need more proof than that in court.” The captain smiled widely.

“Oh, not in Century City. This state passed a law three years ago after Superman stopped the Terra-Man from destroying downtown that x-ray vision was admissible in court when used by a deputized member of law enforcement.” Power Girl’s smile widened. “I’ve already put a call in to the PD. They’re sending customs agents and officers to help me process this crime scene.”

The captain’s smile faltered and malice entered his eyes.

“Now.” Power Girl said, “Let’s start over. What are you carrying? The more information you provide me now, the better it will go for you later in court.”

“You haven’t mirandized me.” The Captain’s grin returned.

“True. And, if you are wanting to play it that way, let me get that underway.” Power Girl said, “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to—“

The Captain pulled his arm back and swung with devastating force toward Power Girl. His fist slammed into her chest, knocking her off her feet.

“That was unexpected.” Power Girl said, pulling herself to her feet. “Especially after you asked to be mirandized. Not quite playing by the book, eh? You’ve just assaulted a member of law enforcement. I’m going to have to take you into custody.”

“Good luck with that you super-powered cow.” The captain chuckled, “You may have never heard of me, but you will never forget the power and might of---Elephant-Titus!”

“Ooh..” Power Girl frowned, “Um… you should probably reconsider that name.”

“Why? I am an elephant-human hybrid! And, Titus was a famous and powerful Roman emperor!” The man’s voice raged.

“OK.” Power Girl said, “We’ll just leave it at that. Oh, and at this!”

Power Girl swung her fist into Elephant-Titus, knocking him off his feet, sending him skidding across the cargo freighter’s deck. The various workers scattered, moving out of the way.

Elephant-Titus pulled himself to his feet quickly, his eyes blazing with rage as he charged toward Power Girl.

“No so fast my friend.” Vixen said, slamming into him from the side, using the strength and density of a rhinoceros.

Elephant-Titus groaned as he collapsed under Vixen’s increased weight.

“You’ll pay for that little girl!” Elephant-Titus said to Vixen, preparing to attack.

Vixen delivered a solid blow to his face, knocking the man unconscious.

Vixen turned to Power Girl and grinned, “At least I got little girl… you super-powered cow.”

“I’m hoping you knocked him out with the strength of a bear.” Power Girl said, walking over to where Elephant-Titus was passed out. Using her heat vision, she cut strips of steel from the freighter’s deck, wrapping them around Elephant-Titus’s hands and ankles.

“Nope. I drew upon the strength of an elephant.” Vixen grinned.

“Nicely played.” Power Girl laughed, “Using his own power against him.”

“That’s the risk animal-human hybrids run into when they challenge me.” Vixen shrugged. “And in his case, it weakened him when I drew from his powers… giving me a slight advantage.”

“Is that normal?” Power Girl asked.

“Not really.” Vixen replied, “It indicates that he’s probably been mystically altered to be an animal-human hybrid.”

“Now if only customs and the PD would get here.” Power Girl said, looking toward the dock.

From his office at the very top of the towering Kestler Building, Adramelek the Terrible’s gold flecked eyes stared out into the inky purple skies. The orange haze of light and smog pollution had yet to settle in for the evening, and in this moment between the death of twilight and the birth of night, Adramelek took solace in enjoying the perfect slice of sky.

“The shipment coming through the docks has been delayed.” Tabitha Kane said, coming in. Her blonde hair was swept back from her face, revealing her strong cheek-bones. “Power Girl and the super-heroine Vixen have intercepted it.”

Adramelek grumbled, “What of the artifact?”

“It is still on board.” Tabitha replied quietly, handing a file to Adramelek. “They have not seized the shipment yet. Just got into a fight with the boat’s captain and alerted the police and customs. They will most likely wait for them, since they aren’t going to want any chain of evidence issues cropping up.”

“So, my operative was less than effective?” Adramelek flipped through the paperwork and photographs in the file. While most people were transferring all their information electronically these days, Adramelek still preferred actual items that he could hold in his hand.

“Power Girl and Vixen made short work of him. He didn’t even hurt either of them.” Tabitha said, “His training and upgrades were obviously a waste of assets.”

Adramelek shook his head, a flare of anger coursing through him. The heat from his hand instantly turned the paperwork and photographs to ash.

“I’ll need another copy of that file.” Adramelek said to his assistant.

“Yes, sir.” Tabitha nodded, leaving the room to get the documents again from her desk.

Adramelek continued staring out into the evening as the smog and orange light filled the sky. He sighed heavily.

He had spent many spells to power up Captain Rydon. Spells that would take years to recreate. Transforming him into an animal-human hybrid was tricky business. And, Power Girl and Vixen had easily defeated him. Adramelek should have realized he would be an ineffective operative when he’d picked the ridiculous and profane code name “Elephant-Titus”.

Adramelek stood, clasping his hands behind his back, and walked to the windows to get a better view than he was afforded from his chair.

“Power Girl… you continue to be a thorn in my side.” He clenching his fists, a surge of anger racing through him. “Our time draws near.”

Tabitha returned to the room, carrying a new file. As she brought it over to Adramelek, he turned to her and said, “Tabitha, get me Nightbird. She should be able to extract the artifact before the authorities and those damned super-heroes get to it.”

“Yes, sir.” Tabitha nodded, “Right on it.”

Power Girl hovered in the air above the freighter, as below on the docks, Vixen stood guard with the first line of police officers who had shown up. Power Girl had been disappointed that Ian McLean wasn’t one of them. She and Ian hadn’t seen each other in a few days—they’d kept missing each other due to him having some police emergency or her having some adventure or foe to deal with. It was both terrifying and exhilarating when she considered how much she was beginning to care for him. She found herself considering long-term plans with Ian more and more lately.

Normally she would weigh such things a lot more heavily toward a “no”, since her life was dangerous and filled with peril. But, Ian was a cop, and as the Lieutenant in charge of the Special Crimes Unit for the Century City Police Department, he ran into danger just as much as she did. With Ian, the “is it fair to subject my partner to these situations” just didn’t wash. He lived a life almost as dangerous as hers.

Through the earring communicator, Vixen’s calm exotically accented voice came through.

“Seems like everything is going off without complication down here.”

“Which means we should expect trouble any minute now.” Power Girl replied with a slight smile.

“Hey, that’s how it goes in our line of business. Nothing is ever simple.” Vixen gave a laugh.

“Dr. Light told me you rejected her invitation to join the Justice Leage Europe earlier this year.” Power Girl said, “Any particular reason?”

“I’m just not ready to be in the League again. Last time I was a member I saw two team-mates killed and the public was not particularly kind to Justice League Detroit. I still work with the Ultra-Marines from time to time, and Dr. Mist has enlisted me a time or two for Global Guardians missions when Impala was out of commission or busy elsewhere. Plus, Africa isn’t really in Europe.”

Power Girl gave a laugh, “It’s not like half our team is even European.”

“Good point.” Vixen replied, “I don’t know. Perhaps I should start Justice League Africa.”

“There’s no reason not to. There are plenty of heroes in Africa. And as huge as your continent is, it seems like a branch of the League would be a good idea. Perhaps some of the issues you’re combating in Zambesi would be easier to deal with if you had a team to back you up.”

“Trust me, I’ve thought of it a time or two.” Vixen replied, “Wonder Woman actually approached me several months ago and said that she would be willing to back me as leader of an African Justice League branch…”

“Then what’s holding you back?”

“Just my own mind.” Vixen replied, “I never felt like I belonged on the Justice League. I always felt more at home on the Suicide Squad or as an Ultra-Marine, or Global Guardian reserves. Your friend Oracle has enlisted me a time or two. Those missions feel like me. I don’t know if I’m really a save-the-world kind of hero.”

“With all the powers at your finger-tips, you are a fool to think that.” Power Girl replied. “You fought Superman to a stand-still back when you first came to Metropolis. I was still living there then, I remember after that fight him saying you had a great future as a great hero, and—“

Power Girl was interrupted by the belching of black smoke from the freighter’s decks.

“Uh-oh.” Vixen said, “Looks like trouble.”

In the middle of the belching smoke stood a woman dressed in loosely flowing black robes, glossy black feathers tipped beaded braids on either side of her head. Her make-up was sharp and angular, emphasizing her cheekbones and thin slash of a mouth. Her eyes were dark and cruel and shone a wild yellow-gold color from behind thickly mascara’ed eye lashes that only served to make her pale flesh whiter.

“Looks like it.” Power Girl said.

“I don’t recognize her.” Vixen replied, “Based on the fact my Tantu totem is picking up vibrations from her would indicate she’s some sort of human-bird hybrid.”

“She isn’t in the most recent Justice League database update, so it would appear she probably hasn’t run into any other metas.” Power Girl said, using her super-vision to get a better look at the woman below them. “Do you have any sense of her powers?”

“I could tap into her powers of flight, increased vision, and she has talons instead of hands… I’m assuming those heavy gloves are to cover her bird hands.” Vixen said, then paused, “I’m also getting… magic… I can’t tap into any magical abilities she may have unfortunately.”

“I thought you could tap into any animal ability.” Power Girl replied. Her x-ray vision confirmed that beneath the woman’s gloves and robes were hands and feet that were scaled and taloned like a bird, although the woman had five fingers and five toes on both hands and feet.

“Any naturally occurring ability.” Vixen corrected. “She has some magical abilities, but they were not something she was born to. Besides, I wouldn’t even know how to wield them if I could tap into them. I’d be more likely to burn us both up if I tried to use her magic.”

“Good to know.” Power Girl replied. “She doesn’t appear to have any weapons, so far as my x-ray vision can determine. But, she does have feathers growing under her clothes on her body, so I’m not sure how civilized she is. Can you tell that through our totem?”

“Not really.” Vixen replied.

“Let’s check it out.” Power Girl said.

Power Girl and Vixen landed on the deck several feet away from the woman.

“Hi friend.” Power Girl said, “I think we should talk.”

“I’m not your friend.” The woman said, her voice smooth and slippery like the feathers that covered her. She waved her hand in the space between her and Power Girl and Vixen.

A thick cloud of black acrid smoke suddenly filled the air, blocking her from their site.

“HEY!” Power Girl said. “My x-ray vision can’t find her. This smoke is magical in nature.”

“I thought you weren’t weak to magic anymore!” Vixen said, using the speed of a gazelle to try and clear the smoke away. However, the more she ran in circles—a feat she’d seen the Flash do dozens of times, the smoke only got thicker.

“I’m not.” Power Girl said, “But x-ray vision is a physical power—based on science. Magic is magic. Not science based.”

“My father always told me that magic was just science we don’t yet understand.” Vixen said, calling upon the flight of an eagle to fly up and above the smoke.

“I’ve heard that before.” Power Girl said, seeing Vixen as she hovered above her. Power Girl flew up as well, joining her in the sky above the ship. “But, either way, it’s a pain.”

Looking down the smoke was covering the entire ship, obscuring it from site.

From the top of the billowing smoke clouds just a few feet below, the feathery woman came flying out toward them.

As she streaked by, her claws cut into both Vixen and Power Girl.

“OUCH!” Power Girl screamed out. “She actually cut me! Stupid magic claws!”

Vixen ignored the lines up blood that swelled up in her side, flying up and grabbing Nightbird. The two of them fell from the sky, plummeting toward the deck below. The dark billowing smoke parted as they fell, revealing the battered boat deck.

The two women punched and tore at each other, until they slammed into the hard metal deck.

“That had to hurt.” Power Girl commented, flying down to them. The black smoke rose in columns and walls around them, but the space where Nightbird and Vixen lay was clear.

“You OK?” Power Girl asked, reaching for Vixen.

The woman moaned, “I feel like I just slammed into a metal deck… but luckily I drew on the thick hide of the rhino… it made it less awful.”

“She looks like she’s out.” Power Girl said, motioning toward Nightbird.

The feather-clad woman laid very still. Only the faint motion of her breath told them she was still alive.

“Looks like it.” Vixen replied.

Power Girl opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Nightbird springing to life and attacking.

“Get off of me!” Power Girl spat, blasting the woman with her heat vision.

Nightbird cried out, but did not release Power Girl. Instead she dug her claws in, tearing down into Power Girl’s flesh.

Power Girl screamed out. She rarely felt pain like this.

“STUPID MAGIC CLAWS!” Power Girl said as Nightbird began spinning her around. Then she tossed her toward the deck.

Power Girl slammed into the deck, tearing through and landing in the cargo hold below.

Nightbird dropped down through the hole after her.

Power Girl had overcome her allergy to magic, but magically powered individuals could still overcome her normally imperious skin—it just depended on the magic spell powering them. Obviously the spell that gave Nightbird her bird-like abilities was one that enabled her to cut into Power Girl’s flesh.. She’d finally stopped being completely defeated and thwarted by magic, but still sometimes came up against a spell or magic-user who could wipe up the floor with her. Through training with the Silver Sorceress in her own inherent magical abilities, she was slowly closing the window on the now smaller margin of her weaknesses, but it still popped up here and there.

Nightbird rushed her, smacking her and sending her sliding through the cargo hold. Power Girl smashed through boxes and crates, sending debris flying in all directions.

Power Girl skid to a stop against a metal wall, her head spinning.

“Hey Bird-Lady!” Vixen said as she launched herself down into the cargo hold.

Vixen called upon the ferocity and claws of a lion, pouncing on Nightbird.

The two women began to fight.

Power Girl’s head finally stopped spinning and her vision cleared, she turned her head to the side where an odd ticking sound came from.

Power Girl’s eyes locked on the countdown ticking away in blood red digital numbers. Power Girl switched to X-Ray vision.

“VIXEN!” Power Girl shouted.

The beautiful statuesque woman hesitated as she swung a clawed fist toward Nightbird.

The woman used Vixen’s hesitation to escape. Vixen chased after her.

The woman in her dark flowing robes glided effortlessly, the movement slick and fluid—she appeared to be moving at a leisurely pace, but even using the flight and speed of an eagle, Vixen was having a hard time keeping up with her.

“She’s getting away!” Vixen shouted. Nightbird was turning into a dark blot as she moved through the ship’s massive storage hold.

“This boat is about to blow! We have five minutes, and I’ve examined the bomb with my x-ray vision! No way to move it without it going off, and no way to diffuse it!”

“Crap.” Vixen said beneath her breath. This boat had been crawling with police and customers officials when Nightbird had attacked, plus employees of Kolbosche Shipping still being questioned. Vixen turned her warm honey-brown colored eyes toward the dark blot of Nightbird. “You’re lucky this time lady. But, if our paths cross again… you’ll pay.”

Vixen and Power Girl both began to speed through the ship, gathering everyone and getting them to a safe distance from the ship.

The ship exploded, sending debris flying everywhere and black pungent smoke bleeding into the night-sky. The fiery flames dancing on oil stained water gave off disturbing orange and red shadows that flickered across the rocking waves.

Once everyone was a safe distance, Power Girl and Vixen returned to the dock. Power Girl’s eyes went to the charred paperwork laying on the blackened wooden planks.

Power Girl picked up a half-burnt delivery order. It had landed on the dock in flames after the explosion.

“Interesting.” Power Girl said, studying what remained of the sheet. “According to this, these items were to be delivered to the Kestler Building downtown.”

“Any one you know?” Vixen asked, crossing her arms as the fire examiner picked through the smoldering wreckage.

“No. But, I’m definitely going to do some more digging.” Power Girl said, her eyes studying the address.

“Well, that Nightbird person got away with that magic chest—whatever it was, but all the weapons were destroyed in the explosion. That’s something at least. Right?”

“Yeah.” Power Girl said, “But until we figure out who is ordering this stuff, it’s only a drop in the bucket.”

Epilogue:

Adramelek stood looking down at the gold and silver chest, the gems and jewels sparkling with the hint of magic within. His eyes did not move from the chest.

“Tabitha, make sure that Nightbird is given a bonus for her work tonight.” Adramelek said, “She managed to evade those costumed do-gooders and the authorities. And, blow that ship up. Most of the evidence was incinerated.”

The corrupted sun-god began to smile.

“On it, sir.” Tabitha said.

“Now, if you will leave me. I would like to be alone with the artifact.”

“Yes, sir.” Tabitha left the room, leaving Adramelek alone.

Once the door was closed, Adramelek opened the chest and reached in, removing the sword. The cool metal of the blade glowed phosphorus green beneath the gold and silver inlaid hilt, decorated with jewels and gems that matched the chest it’s self.

“Ah, the Sword of Deedra….” Adramelek sighed, contentedly. “At last you belong to me. The Cult of Deedra wanted you… but they can’t have you. Those fools will die just as Power Girl will die. Although she is the only one who’s blood will stain my blade.”

NEXT ISSUE: When an experiment at the local military base gets loose, the dead rise from their graves and the living are inflicted with a deadly rage. Power Girl must protect the people of Century City from “The Rage of the Dead.”