The cat streaked through the sky, seemingly oblivious to the ravages of the winds. The clouds in the sky swirled around above the woman hovering there in black leather with electric components sticking from her body in various spots. A large computer chip was embedded in her forehead, above her left eye, with a small red LED blinking wildly as the winds spun around. In Southside, where the poorest of Century City's poor lived, tornadoes blurred by, wrecking buildings and causing them to come crashing down in showers of brick, glass, concrete and steel.

"CAT! YOU WILL DIE! YOU WILL DIE SPAWN OF SATAN!" Brunhilda the Human Vacuum Cleaner shouted as Creaky the Super-Cat drew closer.

Somehow, quite impossibly, Creaky had picked up a small red cape with a crooked lightning bolt on it during his trip from the animal clinic to this point—facing Brunhilda.

In response, Creaky released a super-hiss. A sound of the hiss arced out from his mouth, gaining sonic proportions, and striking Brunhilda in the chest. The force of the super-hiss knocked the wind from Brunhilda's lungs and sent the heavy-set woman spiraling out of control, tumbling toward the concrete below.

Creaky flew after her, keeping pace, meowing insults at her.

Brunhilda tried to scream insults back at the cat, tried to tell the foul beast that she would tear it limb from limb, that she would skin it and then feed it to a poodle. But, there was no air in her lungs and she couldn't draw a breath to breathe, much less one to participate in super-villain banter. Her eyes grew wide as the streets below loomed ever closer.

From a window the Chancellor Hotel, Anath watched the fight between the woman and the cat in the sky, briefly wondering if perhaps the end times were here. She pushed the thoughts from her head, she had a mission here. One that had gone on well too long. She should have killed Kirkarius days ago, but instead he had escaped with his life each time—either due to her own missteps or due to Power Girl's intervention. However, sources had reported seeing Power Girl flying out of Century City earlier in the morning and she hadn't been back since. Anath's feeling was that Power Girl was off on an adventure — and while she was away it gave Anath the opportunity she needed.

Moving down the hallways of the hotel, the winds tearing at the streets outside suddenly died, and there was a loud crashing sound that reminded Anath of a boulder slamming into concrete. She pushed the thoughts away quickly, moving at low level super-speed toward the room housing Kirkarius and his entourage.

Just as she reached the door, it swung open and two guards spilled out, "We'll go and see what is going on Ambassador," One of them said.

"The woman fell from the sky, with the cat in pursuit." The other said.

The first guard walked into Anath, bouncing off of her and falling to the ground.

"OH SH—" The guard said, but before he could complete the sentence, Anath had fired a bullet into his forehead. The other guard in the hallway was pulling his piece, but to Anath's eyes as she moved in super-speed he was far too slow and moved far behind Anath. She had fired three shots into his chest which sent him sprawling to the ground before he'd even had the weapon drawn from it's holster at his side.

She pushed her way into the hotel room.

"Ambassador Kirkarius!" Anath screamed, firing off several more shots, leaving all the body guards dead.

Two of Kirkarius's aides trembled in fear, shivering as they stood in place watching Anath move so quickly she was a blur and the rapid succession of shots that removed each and every person packing heat in the room from the game board.

She looked at the aides, recognizing them both as the sort of soft young men that Ambassador Kirkarius liked to surround himself with. The Ambassador believed his secret passions were hidden, but it was well-known within the administration and even in the streets of Bialya that Kirkarius was a dirty old pervert.

"Where is the Ambassador?" Anath asked, her voice much different than the one the aides would recognize from their dealings with her out of uniform.

"He's... he's ... he's not here." One of the aides said, a young man named Dios.

"Liar. I heard the guard calling to him as he exited the room." Anath said sharply, tilting her head to the side. "Nice try at protecting your perverted lover." Anath fired a shot into the boy's kneecap. Dios screamed in pain, collapsing as his kneecap exploded as the bullet tore through it, exiting from the backside of the knee.

<"Oh great goddess... great goddess... protect me..."> Dios muttered, reverting to the Bialyan language.

"You see what I have done to your friend. Do not for one minute believe that your duties as a concubine and paperwork pusher protect you from my wrath. You have enabled the Ambassador and are just as guilty as the men who guard him." Anath growled at the other boy. "Now. Tell me where the Ambassador is, or I shall fire another shot. This one at you. And this one aimed slightly higher." Anath raised the muzzle so that it pointed at the boy's groin.

Anath kept her lips from twisting into a smile when the boy wet himself.

"He went into the bathroom when he heard the shooting." The boy said, beginning to sob uncontrollably.

Anath rushed into the bathroom, only to find an open window. Peering out the open window, she saw a man slipping around the corner of the ledge, only a fleeting glimpse of him visible.

Anath rushed from the bathroom, heading out of the room, leaving the sobbing bleeding boys behind as she went out to find Kirkarius. Several minutes later, Kirkarius pushed open the linen closet door in the bathroom where he'd been hiding and rushed down the hallway to a separate room secretly reserved from him. He did not bother looking at the dazed aides; he had already written them off. There were a million like them throughout Bialya. Young men from families with no pride or money, willing to do anything to get ahead. If either of them had survived their brush with the assassin, he would have them executed for treason. One of them had given him away. Luckily he had sent his last bodyguard, the one he'd dragged into the bathroom with him out the window as a decoy.

Once Kirkarius was safely in the spare room, he rushed to the phone. He dialed the number quickly, his memory seizing upon the fleeting glimpse of the assassin through a crack in the linen closet door as she went by. It had afforded him a good look at her. Something he had not gotten to this point in their dealings.

On the other end of the phone, the line picked up.

"Lady Star-Fyre's office." The receptionist said brightly. Kirkarius could kill the girl. How dare she sound so happy when he had quite nearly died?

"Get your mistress on the phone b*tch." Kirkarius barked. "Tell her Ambassador Kirkarius is on the line."

Several moments passed before Lady Star-Fyre answered.

"Ambassador." She said warmly, "I understand you are probably under duress, but I must beg of you not to speak to my receptionist so roughly in the future."

"Tell your receptionist not to sound so &*$@@* happy next time." The Ambassador growled.

"What seems to be the problem? You are in a grim mood."

"Only moments ago there was another attempt on my life by that &$*#@@* assassin. However, this time I got a good look at her. And, I'm calling in the big guns. I want your so-called Hate League on this one."

"My five very deadly, very expensive assassins?" Lady Star-Fyre asked brightly. "They don't come cheap Kirkarius. Not even for an old friend like you."

"I do not care. I just want them to kill that b*@$%."

"My receptionist?" Lady Star-Fyre asked.

"No. That assassin. I got a good look at her and recognized her. It's Anath. The president's former mistress. The one living in that big fine house paid for our government outside of this city. The woman who has never forgotten nor forgiven that her parents were killed for being traitors, even after our president forgave her and took her into his private harem and bestowed favor upon her that the daughter of traitorous vipers never deserved." Kirkarius's anger built as spittle flew from his mouth and his face flushed dark blood red as his blood pressure grew higher and higher. "I want her dead. And I want her head on a platter."

"I thought you said this assassin had super-powers in our last conference call. I didn't know Anath was meta." Lady Star-Fyre replied.

"Well, apparently she is. I don't care if she has powers... I want her dead. Good and dead."

"That's going to cost you. The Hate League is not cheap. And for them to take out the President's beloved Anath.. well, it better pay good because I might have to pull all stakes out of Bialya once I let my assassins take her out." Lady Star-Fyre said. "The President is not going to be forgiving."

"Do not worry. I will take full blame and the President will understand. She is a traitor just as her family, and there is only one way to deal with traitors."

"I want one hundred million in my private account by five p.m. Berlin time. That is your down payment. Once I have that you can send in twenty million for expenses. And once Anath is dead, you will wire me another one hundred million. That should be more than enough to protect me when the President comes after me."

"It is done." Kirkarius said, slamming the phone down.

On the other line, Lady Star-Fyre frowned, ending the call.

She sat back in her chair, drumming her fingers against her desk. This was spiraling out of control. She did need Anath dead... but she needed Kirkarius dead as well. Only then would her mole take over as ambassador to America. This was going to take finesse.

Lady Star-Fyre dialed a number, then connected the call to her wireless headset. Walking to a window, she looked out over the Swiss Alps, covered in snow and blue shadows as the sun sank. She was not entirely sure the Hate League could take Anath. The Hate League were mercenaries plain and simple. Anath was fueled by vengeance and passion. It was an import distinction.

As the other line picked up, the receptionist alerted Lady Star-Fyre that Anath was on the other line. "Tell her I will call back. I'm waiting for the Baroness."

At the Dawn of Time, stars danced in front of Power Girl's eyes as she stood on the platform on top of Brainiac 2.5's ship.*

*see Supergirl: The Maid of Steel issues 23 & 24 for the full details.

"We have to find Kara." Supergirl said, standing next to her as explosions rocked the ship beneath them. The platform trembled.

"We have to worry about them first." Power Girl said, her entire body aching. Her powers had gone out again, right as Brainiac 2.5 had sucker-punched her with a mouth full of purple electricity. "And, my powers are gone again."

"Awesome." Supergirl said. "This ship is about to blow up beneath us. I can hold you, so you don't fall... But, I'm not going to be able to fight very well."

"I have rocket boots." Power Girl said, "I can fly on my own. I think the exo-skeleton shorted out though. So, I don't have any powers."

"Maybe you should go after Kara." Supergirl said thoughtfully.

Both women looked at the swirling globe of colored light in the center of the Dawn of Time. Brainiac 2.5 had punched Kara of Argo City while the girl had been fighting her, and the punch had sent Kara spiraling out of control, slamming into that swirling globe of light and disappearing.

"I don't know if that thing is safe." Power Girl replied. "Surely Kara would have been back by now if it was."

"She was unconscious. Maybe it sent her somewhere and she's unconscious and helpless." Supergirl said.

"You are a ray of sunshine." Power Girl mumbled, "You can tell your not Superman's cousin. You'd be a lot more peppy and cheerful."

"Uh.. actually I am Superman's cousin." Supergirl said, sounding self-conscious. "I got sent back through time by a villain and ended up spending a little time on Krypton before it exploded. His uncle Zor-El and aunt Allura Zor-El adopted me."

"Oh for the love of pete!" Power Girl grimaced as anger exploded through her. "I'll go after Kara."

Before Supergirl could say another word, Power Girl rocketed away—heading to the swirling globe of light. She slammed into it head first.

Suddenly the world was a blur of bright vibrant colors, exploding and writhing all around her. Sensations like vertigo and as though her feet had been pulled out from under her echoed through her. Her head was full of a million thoughts and a billion different realities and possibilities flooded her. It was beautiful and painful all at once. Power Girl closed her eyes tightly, biting her bottom lip against the scream that threatened to tear loose.

When she finally opened her eyes, a bright colorful world with a warm nourishing sun and frothy clouds surrounded her. She realized instantly that her powers were back. Looking around, she recognized Metropolis. She flew toward the center of the city—toward the Daily Planet. Superman would know what to do. Kara of Argo City was here somewhere. And then they still had to go back to the Dawn of Time and kick Brainiac 2.5's butt.

Power Girl stopped in mid-air when she reached the Daily Planet. Or more precisely, what should have been the Daily Planet.

"What is the Daily Star?" She asked. She seemed to remember a newspaper by that name had existed in Metropolis in the 1940's, but it had been crushed and run out of business in the 1950's or 60's by the Daily Planet. But, it shouldn't be here... not where the Daily Planet was supposed to be.

Landing on the top of the building, Power Girl looked around, seeing things for the first time.

"Everything here looks fake." She whispered. "Like a movie or TV show from the 50's."

It was so bright and the air smelled clean. Air in Metropolis never smelled this clean. It was then that Power Girl realized she was no longer in her yellow and white costume, but rather her original costume with the cut-out window in the chest area. She touched the buckle on her belt, finding it smooth and unblemished—as though Arion had never put the family seal on it.

"Kara? What are you doing here? I thought you and Helena were in L.A. this weekend with Infinity Inc."

Power Girl spun around to find Superman floating just above her. Or more precisely some old guy who dressed like Superman. She looked at the streaks of distinguished gray at his temples.

"Who are you?" Power Girl whispered, as memories long forgotten tugged at the corners of her mind. At the edge, she could feel a wealth of knowledge whispering her name, begging her to grasp it firmly and let it all come flooding back.

The old Superman laughed, "Please tell me you didn't get mind-wiped by some villain. Surely you remember your cousin Kal-L. Known to the men and women of Earth as Superman."

"Kal-L." Power Girl said his name slowly. Her hand went to her mouth to cover the gasp.

"Are you OK?" Superman landed beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"I'm back on Earth 2!" Power Girl exclaimed. "I'm home."

Then with jubilant laughter, she threw herself at her cousin, hugging him tightly.

"Did you end up having an adventure through the Multiverse? Please tell me you didn't end up on Earth-3. I couldn't stomach that." Superman said, hugging his cousin back as he felt how tightly she was holding on.

"I'm home. Thank God. I'm finally home." Power Girl was crying lightly, her joy so abundant.

Brunhilda the Human Vacuum Cleaner smacked into the pavement with a heavy thud, slamming down through it and sending debris and chunks of concrete and asphalt flying in all directions. Creaky the Super-Cat streaked through the air, landing several feet from the crater. Creeping up to the crater housing Brunhilda, Creaky peered with his one good eye down into the pit.

He meowed in disgust, saying something off-colored to the prone form within the crater.

"That cat is telling her off." A man said, letting go of the street light he'd been holding onto for dear life. He and several of the other pedestrians who had been caught in Brunhilda's wind storm began to creep toward the crater.

Creaky turned his head, looking at them all, meowing and then hissing at them.

"I think he's telling us to leave." One of the woman said, straightening her skirt and fixing her disheveled hair. "I think he's telling us it might not be safe yet."

"I think he wants us to call the cops." A little boy of about ten said, "We should go get help."

"OH NO!" The woman screamed.

Brunhilda sat up from the crater, her eyes filled with murder. She turned toward Creaky, as a shriek of rage parted her lips, causing them to snarl back in anger.

Creaky turned his attention to the Human Vacuum Cleaner, sitting up on his hind legs and putting his front paws forward. His claws came out making a sound like unfurled steel.

"Oh my god!" The man said, "That cat has claws of steel!"

"I bet they are made of unbreakable promethium steel." The little boy said, "Give her Hell Super-Cat!"

"YAH SUPER-CAT!" The crowd cheered.

"I WILL DESTROY YOU BEAST!" Brunhilda screamed pointing her open hand at the cat.

All around them, the gathering crowd could hear the sound of the roaring winds returning.

Creaky the Super-Cat struck sudden, he struck fierce. His promethium steel claws tearing the electric component from Brunhilda's forehead.

Brunhilda screamed out in pain as the computer chip and attachments struck the pavement of the road, shattering into a million pieces.

Immediately the winds began to die all around, and another cheer went up for Super-Cat.

Brunhilda lunged at Creaky, but a bolt of fiery heat vision erupted from his one good eye striking Brunhilda square in the chest, knocking her over and giving her such a jolt she almost immediately lapsed into unconsciousness. And the crowd went wild.

Almost immediately, Detective Ian McLean and the Century City Meta Crime Unit arrived.

"Quick!" Detective McLean said to his men, "Get that woman into the containment cylinder before she wakes up."

The MCU officers rushed over with the containment cylinder. A female officer came over with hand dampeners. She clamped them both onto Brunhilda's hands. As soon as the hand dampeners were secure, they began to flash blue. The other officers loaded Brunhilda into the containment cylinder and hooked her up to the life support in it.

"Make sure she's secure." Detective McLean said, "Then get her to Century City Memorial Hospital for a check-up to make sure she doesn't have life-threatening injuries." Detective McLean then turned toward Super-Cat. "Good job. I must admit I've never heard of a crime-fighting super-cat."

Super-Cat meowed something in response, before flying off into the afternoon.

Another cheer exploded from the crowd.

"There's something familiar about that cat..." Detective McLean said, watching Super-Cat fly off into the afternoon.

Power Girl and Kal-L floated above Metropolis watching the sun set.

"I've been gone so long." Power Girl said quietly. "It feels so good to finally be home."

"I didn't know you were gone. But, from what you tell me, it sounds like you've had a hard time of it. You must have splintered off into some alternate reality during the Crisis. It has only been two weeks and when I last saw you, you were heading to L.A. to help Infinity Inc out."

"I've been in that reality... for years." Power Girl whispered. "My past has changed a million times. My powers faded in and out."

"Well, now that you're home it will all be much better." Kal-L smiled. "We should head home, Lois will be happy to see you. She misses you since you left Metropolis."

"Lois!" Power Girl exclaimed.

"We're even early enough she might be convinced to cook up something special for dinner." Kal-L winked.

"Oh... her famous mashed potatoes and meatloaf!" Power Girl exclaimed, "It's been too long!"

As they flew across the city, Power Girl enjoyed the feel of the wind on her face and the cleaner air. The way the world around her was so much nicer and shinier. It was perfect. Every part of her being sang out, enjoying finally being home. Finally her entire life made sense. She was Superman's cousin from Earth-2! Lost in time after the Crisis in some strange sad alternate reality. But, now she was back home and she was never leaving.

As they neared the city, a shadow loomed in front of them.

Power Girl paused, her eyes growing wide.

Hovering before her and Kal-L it was ... it was her.

"Who in Rao are you?" Power Girl demanded, her hands on the hips of a version of her costume that she hadn't worn since the Crisis.

"I'm Power Girl." Power Girl replied, noticing how young she looked. Is that what I looked like at that age? So young? The naivety is like a glow in my cheeks.

"I'm Power Girl." Her doppelganger said, her lip curling in a snarl Karen didn't remember using since she'd first met Wildcat. Had she been that cocky at that age? "I don't know who you are lady, or what your game is, but I'm gonna pound you good!"

"Kara wait!" Kal-L said. "It could be an effect of Red Kryptonite or—"

But the Earth-2 Power Girl wasn't paying attention to her cousin as she flung herself at her twin.

"WAIT!" Power Girl shouted. "Let's talk—"

"There's nothing to say!" The doppelganger said, hauling off to punch Power Girl.

The moment her fist connected with Power Girl's chin an incredibly potent bolt of electricity exploded between the two women, sending them both flinging through the sky, tumbling end over end. Power Girl slammed through a building, crashing through the entire twelfth floor, going through walls and pillars dragging glass and debris with her before landing in Metropolis Bay. She sank like a rock to the bottom, completely unconscious.

The doppelganger was half-way to Gotham City before she managed to regain control of her trajectory and come flying back.

"What happened to her Kal?" Power Girl 2 asked.

"I don't know Kara." Superman's expression was grim. "I think you acted a bit rash. She didn't seem a bit evil. She was lost... and confused. Sometimes you are a bit too quick to follow your temper. She knew my real name and she knew who Lois was. She said something about being from an alternate reality. She's probably from another Earth somewhere in the Multiverse. And she's just lost here. We should show her hospitality."

"That may be. But, I'll bet you she was a clone or a magically created twin or an evil alternate universe version of me, or something else sent by one of our enemies to destroy us." Power Girl 2 said, clenching her fists tightly. "I sensed something wrong with her. I have to find her and make sure she's defeated."

"Kara!" Superman shouted as Power Girl 2 flew off in pursuit of Power Girl. But, either she didn't hear him, or she was purposely not listening.

With a heavy sigh, Superman muttered, "Kids." And then flew in pursuit of the cousin who'd been like a daughter to him and Lois all these years. A daughter who could be too impulsive and punch-happy when her adrenaline got to pumping.

Lady Star-Fyre sat at her desk, looking down at the files in front of her. Each contained information on the five members of her Hate League. She had spent many years training assassins, grooming them, sending them out on jobs like the one Anath was on now. And after they proved themselves on enough jobs, Lady Star-Fyre moved them into what she called the Deadly Assassins, which was a group of up-and-coming assassins who had done several smaller jobs successfully and were on their way. And, eventually, if an assassin survived the Deadly Assassins and proved themselves, they made it as a member of Lady Star-Fyre's five person Hate League. Only the best made it to the Hate League. The assassins who had worked for her longest, shown the most loyalty, and killed the most people with fewest mistakes. Once upon a time Lady Star-Fyre had hoped that Anath would one day make it to the Hate League. But, alas, it looked as though it were completely out of the question. Not only had she completely botched the assassination of Kirkarius, but she had been recognized by Kirkarius. If they captured her and she talked... they would realize that Lady Star-Fyre was playing both sides for her own gain.

"Jade Tiger." Lady Star-Frye said looking at the picture of a tall lithe Asian woman wearing a dark green body suit and matching cat-mask. Her long ebony hair was twisted in a bun at the base of her neck, held in place with jade chopsticks. Jade Tiger had a success rate of 99.9%. Her record was marred only by the fact that one of her targets had ended up in a persistent vegetative state and was so well guarded that Jade Tiger had been able to go in and finish the job she'd started. She would be more than a match for Anath, who while a successful martial artist was nowhere near the combatant that Jade Tiger was. Jade Tiger had trained for a time with Lady Shiva.

Star-Fyre picked up the next file, opening it to review the photo of Tamaria. Tamaria was a tall woman with golden skin and long curly blonde hair. Her bright green eyes were pupil-less like all Tamarians. Typical of her people, Tamaria was scantily dressed and a brutal warrior. Her combat skills were exceptional and she was better with a battle axe than anyone had a right to be. She also had the added incentive of having been subjected to Psion experiments before escaping to Earth. The Psions had managed to replicate the powers Starfire and Blackfire of Tamaran had, the ability to transform solar energy into powerful solar blasts. It gave her an edge that no one saw coming.

Star-Fyre set this file aside, going to the next one.

"The Morbid Doll." The Morbid Doll had once been a successful actress and singer in Great Britain. All of that had changed when an obsessed fan had attacked her, planning to kill her by encasing her in plastic. The Morbid Doll had gained the upper hand, killing her attacker just as the plastic had begun to pour. The adrenaline rush and the trauma had activated her meta-gene while at the same time causing her mind to snap as her body absorbed and adapted the plastic. The woman had walked away from the bleeding dead body of a would-be killer found that her skin was tough and pliable like a doll's plastic flesh and that her skin could not be pierced by any knife--only higher caliber bullets. But even bullets that managed to pierce her flesh were little more than annoyances, as her plastic flesh and organs easily pushed the bullet out, healing and returning to normal without any scars or pain. Painting her face in dark make-up on powder and wearing a dark wig, she had taken the Goth girl look to it's extreme.

Next was Sahara. Sahara was a former member of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall who had defected and gone into business on her own as a mercenary. At 6'3 she was a tall well-muscled woman who was a master of weapons of all shapes, sizes and varieties. Equally adept with a sword was she was an AK-47, she had proved herself capable of killing anyone with whatever tools available. The job that had gotten her into the Hate League had been her assassinating her target with an American penny. Dark skinned and statuesque, she was also an effective femme fatale.

And finally there was the team's field leader, Serpentina. Serpentina was a classic femme fatale. Slinky seductive with long flowing hair and adorned in tight revealing clothing. She also was a formidable toxin and poison expert, able to create a variety of poisons that could do everything from paralysis to memory loss to the standard death. Often adorned in scaled outfits, she wore gold bracelets shaped like the serpents she kept as pets. She had been one of Lady Star-Fyre's first operatives, striking out at her many enemies back when Lady Star-Frye did not have the corporate façade that made her appear to be a reputable business woman.

Dialing the Serpentina, Star-Fyre transferred the call to the headset attachment she wore.

"Serpentina... I have a job for you and the girls. Two targets. Yes. Both in Century City. Yes. The first one is Ambassador Kirkarius of Bialya. He might be a bit difficult. There have been several botched attempts by one of my newer assassins; all of which have only resulted in the Ambassador still being alive. Yes. I definitely want that remedied. And, it must look like a political murder. Yes. Definitely. If you can implicate the Biayla Liberation Front or the Kastinian Rebels all the better. The second one might be tricky as well. Her name is Anath. And she is the failed assassin. She has endangered our organization and I do not trust her to not talk if captured. Yes. She can be found at Windom Manor located outside of Century City. Yes. Yes. Very good. I expect to hear good things from you by the end of tomorrow. Tell the girls it's worth five million apiece. Yes. Per assassination. So, they each stand to make ten million on this job if you hit both targets. If your team succeeds, I will personally see that you as field leader get an additional five million bonus. I have already cleared it with the Baroness and the money is set to be wired to your accounts. Yes. Excellent. Very good. I will speak to you tomorrow."

Lady Star-Frye ended the call, shuffling the various photos into the files and then putting them back into the drawer. She looked at the other stack of files on her desk. The ones for several Deadly Assassins. She needed to have a few of them in mind. While Anath was sloppy and had failed to kill the Ambassador, Lady Star-Frye had no doubt that she would put up a fight when the assassins came for her. And, she would more than likely take out at least one of the Hate League. Plus with Power Girl in Century City, there was a potential for one of the Hate League to be captured which would invoke the Suicide Protocol.

The intercom buzzed.

"Yes?" Lady Star-Fyre asked after pushing the talk button.

"Enid Prescott is here from the Beauty Division."

"Very good send her in." Lady Star-Fyre tapped a button on her control panel. Behind her a banner dropped bearing the proud crest and seal of "Lady Star-Fyre Cosmetics". It was one of the most visible and profitable of the businesses that masked what it was she really did. As Lady Star-Fyre, head of Lady Star-Fyre cosmetics she was an internationally known celebrity.

"Enid!" Lady Star-Fyre greeted as the Operations Director of the Beauty Division came in. Star-Fyre tried to keep the grimace from her face as the woman came in. She loved the money, she loved the reputable front the cosmetics company gave her. But, she did not love dealing with Enid Prescott. Perhaps it was time to have her assassinated and replaced. The woman had grown tedious. If only she didn't have such impeccable business sense and a near super-human grasp of how to run a cosmetics company.

This meeting promised to be tedious.

Power Girl pulled herself free of the rubble surrounding her, looking at the surprised onlookers all around her. She noted that there were no dead bodies or injured people. She frowned. How was that possible? She had slammed into an office building at three o'clock in the afternoon. Surely someone was in this office.

"Are you OK Power Girl?" One of the onlookers, an older man asked. "We saw you spinning out of control toward the building and managed to evacuate everyone."

"That's not possible..." Power Girl whispered. Had it really been like this on Earth 2? She remembered her entire life there now, from the moment she'd been rocketed from doomed Krypton to the moment at the Dawn of Time during the battle with the Anti-Monitor that had changed her entire life irrevocably. She remembered a moment after the Crisis, when a fog had descended over her and when the fog had cleared, Power Girl had found herself no longer Kryptonian—merely a pretender to the Kryptonian legacy with no real roots... only a mysterious origin. Then Arion had come along and everything had changed. No more Superman, no more Superman Family. No more Earth 2. "No wonder I've been so confused so long. My entire life was rewritten..."

She looked at the earnest faces of these Earth 2 people. Yes. It had really been like this. Kinder, gentler, far more black and white. Good and evil were very clearly divided, with no gray between. But, Earth 1 had been like that too. It was only after the Crisis that the world had grown darker... grittier... more real. It had all started with the death of Supergirl.

"Stand up pretender!"

Power Girl spun around to find her doppelganger standing there. Was this her? If this was Earth 2 and that was Earth 2's Power Girl, wasn't that her?

Her head began to hurt as she tried to process all the memories suddenly thrust upon her and all the contradictions of her past and her life clashing at once as her mind tried to remedy two sets of memories... all complete.

"Look. Let's not fight. There is a reasonable explanation. I'm not a pretender. I'm you. The real you." Power Girl told the doppelganger.

"I don't believe you! I know you're just a tool of our enemies! You're probably a projection of Brainwave or some manipulation by the Psycho-Pirate. Or an Earth 3 version of me!" The doppelganger said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Power Girl could tell by her reaction—by the thoughts she could sense—thoughts she could almost read, that this doppelganger didn't believe any of those. Somehow this other Power Girl knew the truth. And the truth of who Power Girl was could not be dealt with by the doppelganger.

"You know that's not true. Kara... listen to me. In your heart, you sense the truth. Just like I sense the truth in you. You are me, and I am you. From the future... after reality is rewritten by a great war."

"It's not true!" Power Girl 2 screamed, launching herself at Power Girl.

The crowd cried out, fleeing in all directions. Power Girl slammed into Power Girl, the two women slamming back into the rubble of the building. Each time Power Girl 2's fist slammed into Power Girl, bolts of electricity exploded around them. Power Girl fought back, but the younger doppelganger was more powerful. She had the Kryptonian powers at her disposal... and Power Girl could feel her powers regressing back to her post-Gray Man levels. Power Girl tasted blood in her mouth.

With all of her might, Power Girl slugged Power Girl 2. The doppelganger skidded backward several feet, giving Power Girl room to fly up and away. She pushed herself, going as fast as she could. Even though she knew that it wasn't fast enough; her power levels were at Post-Crisis levels. And her doppelganger was Pre-Crisis.

Halfway to the Earth 2 Fortress of Solitude, Power Girl felt a tugging at her cape. She was jerked back and went face first into the doppelganger's fist. Below them were the Rocky Mountains.

"Oh..." Power Girl moaned at the terrific pain that blossomed from her nose through her entire face.

"Going somewhere?" Power Girl 2 asked.

"Let me go." Power Girl said through the pain, blood seeping from her nose.

"Sure thing." Power Girl 2 tossed Power Girl toward the mountains below. It felt like her shoulder shattered when she slammed into the mountain. Rock and stone crumbled beneath her. Darkness exploded all around her, and she felt herself losing consciousness, even as Power Girl 2 landed on top of her and began choking her.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm going to stop you." Power Girl 2 said. As the darkness overcame her, Power Girl could hear Power Girl 2 begin to sob.

"STOP!"

The sound of the shout caused Power Girl 2 to release her grip around Power Girl's throat. Power Girl 2 looked to the sky as Power Girl forced her eyes to open. Floating there was a statuesque blonde woman wearing a full bodied version of the Power Girl costume, a billowing red cape flowing all around her, as the wind made her long gold colored hair dance all around her face. On her belt-buckle was embedded a disc of gold and crystal carved with the star symbol of Arion, Lord of Atlantis.

"Step away from my daughter." The woman said to Power Girl 2. Kal-L floated next to the woman, his arms crossed and unhappy look on his face.

"You've overreacted and hurt one of the good-guys Kara." Kal-L said to Power Girl 2. "Her mother just explained everything to me."

Power Girl's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the woman. It was Kara of Argo City, about ten to fifteen years older than the last time Power Girl had seen her—just a short while ago at the Dawn of Time. She also looked just like Alura, the mother she remembered from Earth 2, and the mother named Kara she'd known in the virtual reality simulations the Symbio-Ship had fed her in her revised origins—the ones attached to Arion.

"Daughter?" Power Girl asked. Realization dawned on her, "Mom?!"

Kara of Argo City smiled brightly down at Power Girl.

"Yes, Kara. I am your mother."

TO BE CONCLUDED

NEXT ISSUE: The conclusion of "Who Is Power Girl?". Power Girl is presented with a choice that will shape her entire life and finally once and for all decide who she is. But, will she make that decision in time to protect Century City as the Hate League comes for Anath and Ambassador Kirkarius?