The pain

 

the screams

 

strong hands placed firmly on either side of her head pressure

 

Cutter Sharp holds his head in between his own hands, his eyes rolling up to greet her.

 

"Hey SGirl - Boy have I got a promotion idea for you! DEATH! Nothing rakes in those numbers like a good ol'fashion death!"

 

His lips were forced upward into an eerie grin.

 

Cutter raised his head above the rest of his body, and threw it high into the air. "I bet they all mourn you." he mocks, "Bet everyone who thought you were the lamest of the lame would line up to buy the 'Death of Supergirl' merchandise."

 

Supergirl closed her eyes

 

her head was being crushed...

 

she had to stop it

 

"Why bother fighting?" her mom said calmly, "They're just end up winning in the end. it's less painful this way. That's why you abandoned us mere humans... it's

all part of God's plan... I understand that now. Let me help you understand that too."

 

"She's right you know" Wally said, as he held his ever present baseball bat by the business end. He wiggled the bat a bit. Linda's mother moaned.

 

Supergirl took another look.  She heard the suction as the boy who may have been God pulled the bat back and forth. "This is all in my plan." he smiled.

 

His teeth fell out of his mouth and started chattering on their own.

 

the pain

 

she was dying

 

Dying

 

the light

 

no, THE LIGHT

 

something was in front of it.

 

Buzz stood there with his arms folded in front of his chest. "Think you're getting out of this that easy?" he mocked, as he kicked her in the face...Linda's face... she was Linda again... the uniform, the golden

locks were gone.

 

Her hands went to cover her mouth...

 

the pain...

 

she came down dripping blood

 

and a handful of her own teeth.

 

They were chattering.

 

"Goodbye sweet princess" she heard, as a mouth came down on her own. She felt the tenderness of a kiss, the probing of a tongue... draining her... sucking

away what was her being...

 

she felt...cold...

 

her head... the pain... Leesburg... the screams of the children... where were you/where was I?

 

her teeth were chattering in her hand. Buzz stood in front of her, grinning like a man who's kicked the devil in the balls...

 

the pressure... goodbye... darkness... light...

 

Her eyes snapped open.

 

Satan Girl held her in her arms tenderly, their faces pressed tightly together. Satan's Girl's hands were on either side of Supergirl's head... she could feel it, she was still Supergirl...thank god... pressing… caressing and crushing her skull in an embrace of passion.

 

She closed her eyes again, and acted.

 

She reached up... with an abruptness... returning the kiss with all of her being... her own tongue plunged into the depths of Satan Girl's mouth... whirling.. twirling its way.

 

Her hand went to her foe's barely concealed breast, touching, caressing...

 

Satan Girl's hands dropped to her... responding... exploring... she placed a finger on the sky blue jump suit, tracing a trail downward with her fingernail... tearing, separating the front of her costume from her skin...exposing her...

 

The pressure was gone... she breathed... as she

continued to suck and bite.

 

Leesburg... a feeble voice, one she thought she recognized, but wasn't quite sure about. Maybe someone who had lived down the street...called to her, "where were you?"

 

The finger lingered on her stomach, hesitating before resuming its plunge downward, cutting a swathe through the cloth that separated them.

 

Linda felt her own right fist, currently on Satan Girl's firm breast, move downward... and clench.

 

She thrust upward... connecting with Satan Girl's startled face, knocking her back several feet.

 

The Maid of Steel rose to her feet... with fire in her eyes. Her tongue flicked across her lips.

 

Satan Girl returned the gesture, but warily.

 

"Let's go" Linda heard herself saying as she leapt forward into the fray. Her fist connected with Satan Girl's jaw.

 

Satan Girl stepped back a half step and shook her head. "Not bad" she admitted, her hand checking her face, "For a piker..."

 

Supergirl stared as her opposite number rose her arms above her head. Black flaming wings manifested themselves on her back, trailing off into the sky.

 

Linda Danvers stared at the wings of darkness... suddenly wishing that she still had her own... "OH shi..."

 

 

---

 

"...It is NOT an option here." 

The security personnel at Star Labs had been prepared for a variety of problems during their routine training course. A breach in security, what to say and do if Superman showed up wanting something*, how to subdue the Parasite**... what neither the course nor the manuals had covered though was what to do if a spitfire of a girl, who claimed to be from another planet broke out of her testing area, caused millions of dollars of damage and started making demands.

 

(* The correct answer of course being "yes sir - this

way" ** Call Superman or the Justice League. Helpful

Hint #4: Keep both on speed dial - GD)

 

"But miss..." Dale tried to explain in his best placating voice. No one challenged his right to take charge of the situation. Any time the head of STAR security for the complex wanted to throw on a flack jacket and get in on the action himself was the right time to stand aside and let the man do his job. "We can't just let you walk out of here. We can't afford to risk that you might be carrying some sort of contamination that would endanger the outside population."

 

"I don't care" Kara said, her eyes boring into those of Dale. She knew she was lying, she cared very much. But she also had things she needed to get done. The sooner that the bozos that had locked her up in the facility realized that, the better off everyone would be. Now, all she had to do was to make sure her bluff wouldn't be called...

 

"Maybe we could place a call or two, and see if we can get you the visitor you want... but you have to put down that blaster first...and let go of Doctor Reese."

 

Kara looked down at the woman she held in a headlock. She had struggled at first, but now she seemed content to remain still. Maybe it was the Star-issued blaster that Kara was holding to her head... humans seemed to be getting worked up over the littlest things.

 

She tightened her grip on Dr. Alexis Reese, and her own resolve. "Meet my demand first" she replied in what seemed to be flawless English, "I want to see

 

---

Maid of Steel 
Issue 10 May Year 2

"Stages of Undress"

Script by Gary Dreslinski

Plot by Barry Reese

---

 

 

Apartment 242

 

He rapped on the door, holding his breath.

 

No answer.

 

He let the breath out, slowly...

 

He rapped again, not sure if he really wanted anyone to answer or not. Maybe he could just go back to the hotel and let her know that no one had been home.

 

Maybe he could just... he shook his head.

 

This was something he had to do himself. They had both decided that. As much as she had wanted to be there first, they had decided that the unfinished business should be dealt with before she introduced them formally.

 

Still no answer.

 

Jack Knight, Starman, stared at the numbers on the door...242...242... he stared at them for a long minute, before turning and walking back down the hall.

 

 

He would catch a cab back to the hotel, he decided. Jayne would be disappointed, but at least he could always try later... and besides, it would give them more time for the film festival...

 

He got out onto the street when he heard the woman call out to him.

 

"Hey guy! Hey!" came the voice from inside the building.

 

He looked back to see a woman with a buzz cut and baggy army fatigues coming out after him.

 

"Looking for Will and Linda," she stated. From anyone else, it would have been a question - but her manner suggested that she didn't get completely behind the idea of asking questions.

 

Jack nodded, slowly, "Yeah, I was... but I guess no one's home... so I figured I'd just try back lat..."

 

"Don't bother." she said calmly, "They won't be here long."

 

"Excuse me?" Jack exclaimed, feeling his pulse jump, "Why won't they be here long?"

 

The woman in combat fatigues reached into her pocket.

 

Jack tensed.

 

She pulled out a small notepad and pen. She flipped the pad open with a fluid motion and started writing.

 

She turned the pad around, holding it up so he could see what she had written.

 

"242" it read clearly at the top of the page... followed by the words "Everybody Dies"

 

The notepad fell to the ground with a thud. Jack's eyes followed it down, then snapped back up instinctively.

 

The woman was nowhere in sight.

 

He walked back up into the building, knocking on doors...

 

but no one seemed to be home...

 

anywhere.

 

---

 

Elsewhere

 

Lord Satanus licked his lips and watched as his Satan Girl unleashed her dark powers on the unsuspecting Supergirl.

 

He laughed as the Maid of Steel failed to avoid the flapping together of Satan Girl's wings of evil.

 

They crushed her between their power. He could see her straining at them, trying to free herself from their grip as the vile energy of the wings reached out to consume her. He could see the panic on her face, the desperation, the...

 

The wings retracted and vanished.

 

Supergirl relaxed, and collapsed on the ground again, weak from the effort.

 

Satan Girl walked up to her, smiling impishly.

 

"Finish her" the Dark Lord cried to his creation, "Stop playing with her, you fool... she'll only..."

 

Satan Girl bent down to continue her seduction – only to find the fist of the Maid of Steel connecting with her face, followed by another series of blows.

 

Supergirl jumped to her feet and pressed the attack.

 

Lord Satanus watched in dismay as he saw his creation losing ground. "You fool…" he hissed between his clenched teeth, "You horny fool..."

 

 

---

What a fool I was
thinking
don't think
owwww

don't think

Linda

I can hear them

hurt

I hurt

how can I hurt?

I'm energy

mostly

sorta

I'm Starman

I

owwwww

light

dark

light again

 

Will Payton, the man known as Starman, forced his eyelids to flicker open. It was a hard thing to do. But the first step to being able to do anything about his current situation.

 

He strained his neck to see what that situation was.

 

All he saw was dirt, lots of it.

 

He looked up to see the edges of where the concrete had broken off.

 

He tried to sit up.

 

The pain ran through his brain, tap dancing on his frontal lobe.

 

He lay back down in a hurry.

 

Every muscle ached, in a way that it shouldn't.

 

Not anymore.

 

Not since he'd become...

well, not since he'd been Starman.

 

That was a far better way to look at things.

 

He shouldn't be feeling this pain.

 

He tried to tell that to the rest of his body, but those parts didn't seem to be gullible enough to buy it.

 

Can't sit... can't stand... can't thi...

 

owwww!

 

can't...

 

CAN

 

He pushed himself up.

 

Not vertically, but horizontally.

 

He simply rose.

 

He righted himself in the process. Coming out flat on your back wasn't the best way to show up to a fight after all.

 

He rose through the dirt and beyond the edges of the concrete he had smashed through.

 

He was just grateful that his arms had landed tucked reasonably close to his sides... coming out with his immobile arms in a flailing position would have ranked right up there with being flat on his back... maybe worse.

 

He rose to the street level

 

and heard the cheers.

 

They were cheering.

 

The people of Midway were cheering. From a distance.

 

He wanted to smile. He wanted to wave to them to let them know it was going to all be ok.

 

It felt good. Those were the types of things that heroes did.

 

That and kiss babies. And save kitties.

 

And... he dismissed the idea of smiling quickly. And waving went out that same window without a second thought.

 

He kept himself upright. But the pain from the attempt was simply too great for further attempts.

 

He kept himself upright and tried his best to make himself look simply focused.

 

The crowd cheered louder. There were several whistles.

 

Will moved himself into a better position to gage the situation, hoping that the crowd would continue to cheer... feeling the glory of the moment... feeling...

 

he looked over at what was going on

 

and wished he could sigh.

deeply.

 

Linda... Supergirl, he reminded himself, there WAS a difference... there SHOULD be one at any rate... was fighting against the woman who had taken him down. The woman who had... never mind that Will, he told himself... deal with that later...

 

They were...fighting...no, that wasn't quite a right word...

 

Not with the fact that Linda's... no, Supergirl... most definitely Supergirl. He looked again.

 

Supergirl's costume was... ripped to shreds would have been an understatement. Saying that she was pretty much naked and grappling on the ground with an equally unclad Satan Girl would have been more to the point.

 

That... and the fact that it seemed to be cold out.

 

Very cold.

 

 

---

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, feeling the flush that was surely creeping over her face. Wondering if it was really there at all anymore... and wondering what that said about her.

 

Kara of Argo City held the blaster tightly to the head of Dr. Alexis Reese, not budging an inch. "Drafty in here?"

 

Supergirl looked down at the jumper she was in. It wasn't as good as a new costume... but that would come when she had the time. Going from smashing Satan Girl's head into the street, to trying to figure out how she'd pulled her vanishing act... to a call from STAR LABS hadn't left her with time for much more.

 

She was only grateful that Will was going to … should be, all right.

 

"I've had worse" she said, wondering how many of those pictures that people were taking of the fight were going to end up on the internet. She mentally shrugged. If that was how not so teenage boys wanted to get their rocks off, they would have found a way sooner or later. Better to give them something to engage their interests and...

 

She stopped, not sure who was talking anymore. Not sure if that was Linda or Supergirl... and not so sure she was ever really clear of the difference, not really...

 

Kara smiled, and threw Dr. Reese forward into the Maid of Steel's arms.

 

Alexis stumbled forward into her, looked up with a smile, then found the strength left in her limbs to heroically faint dead away, dropping cleanly to the floor.

 

Kara looked into Supergirl's eyes and smiled.

 

Supergirl stared back, a bit wary at first, and then suddenly smiling back at Kara, and what seemed to be a private joke that passed between them.

 

"So" Supergirl said after a moment of calm contemplation of each other, "You wanted to see me?"

 

"I wanted to warn you."

 

"That you were going to hold STAR Labs hostage?" Supergirl smirked, "A bit too late for that don't you think?"

 

Kara grinned, "No, not that. That was just a means to the end. I've got to warn you about something far worse... I've got to warn you about...

 

 

BLACKSTARR

her mind screamed as the explosions went off throughout the STAR complex.

 

The power grid went out first, throwing the complex into complete darkness...

 

and unlocking the observation area that Kara had allowed herself to be returned to after speaking to Supergirl. After warning her about the coming of the Destroyer of Worlds.

 

"And now she's here" Kara muttered to herself as she kicked the door open the rest of the way, watching as armed guards headed down the corridor down the opposite direction. She eyed their weapons... and followed with her eyes down toward where they had come from. Obviously the armory was in that direction. And

Blackstarr was in the other...

 

Her feet didn't need to wait to finish the sentence before they headed toward where the weapons were. She was going to need...

 

Supergirl... that was what she was going to need...

 

That was who she had warned.... but Supergirl wasn't here... not now... maybe she would be too busy to stop Blackstarr.

 

Maybe she was already... no, she would be there... but maybe it would be too late...

 

Kara ran, feeling the forces of darkness at her heel.

 

She slammed into the large metal door at the end of the hall.

 

She felt it start to buckle, but gasped as she hit the floor. Gasped and rubbed her bleeding forearm. Slamming into doors wasn't always the best way to go about things.  

 

She tried the knob.

 

It turned easily.

 

She filed that one away for future use.

 

If she had use of a future.

 

There were explosions closer down the hall.

 

She heard the voice. The voice that had chased her.

The voice that had found her.

Blackstarr.

"Come out and play little girl" she cackled. "You can't hide on this mudball forever. I want to kill you personally... and then Supergirl... and then maybe, maybe mind you - if I decide to be merciful... maybe I'll wipe this useless speck off the face of the universe. That would tidy the place right up now wouldn't it?"

 

Kara looked around quickly, her hand coming to rest on the biggest blaster gun she could find... and hoped she could carry. She grabbed up a couple of extra clips and what appeared to be a form of concussion grenades which she threw into an odd pack someone had dropped onto the floor from it's place on a higher shelf. She blessed her luck, and hoped that it would hold.

 

After all - if Supergirl wasn't going to come in time... she was the only thing really standing in Blackstarr's path of destruction... the only thing that really stood a chance anyway...

 

And after all, she mused to herself with a grim chuckle of determination, if you couldn't have Supergirl - wasn't Kara of Argo City the next best thing?

 

---

 

NEXT: Kara vs. Blackstarr. Jack speaks to Will. And oh yeah, Supergirl shows up too - but will it be in time?