THE MAID OF STEEL # 23

Supergirl did not know how much time had really passed. It felt like an eternity. True to Brainiac 2.5's word, Supergirl had been unable to affect any change on the containment vessel she was trapped in.

"I can't believe I was so stupid to blindly rush in." Supergirl groaned, "I should have called for back-up. I'm not strong enough to take Brainiac out on my own. What was I thinking?"

She shook her head, replaying the events in her mind. She'd been hanging out in the atmosphere, considering whether or not to go to the JLA Watchtower to see who was on Monitor Duty when Brainiac 2.5's ship had appeared. Of course at the time, she'd thought it was Brainiac. Until finding herself in this containment cell, Supergirl didn't even have any idea that there was a Brainiac 2.5. But, truly how much did anyone know about Brainiac?

Now she was trapped and Brainiac 2.5 had told her that she was to be used as a gateway between this Universe and the Pocket Universe. Supergirl hoped that the Time Trapper was ready for the onslaught of whatever Brainiac 2.5 was planning. If only she could escape this trap. There was an entire Universe of heroes there, she'd helped the Teen Titans of the Pocket Universe defeat Monarch and prevent him from killing the Pocket Universe Donna Troy and her son.* Surely they'd be willing to help.

*It happened in Supergirl: The Maid of Steel Annual 2.

The spacecraft's engines whined as they moved faster and faster, going farther and farther into space.

When Linda did not show up to meet her after school, Kara of Argo City knew that something was wrong. She had used her super-hearing to tune into the local radio transmissions and there were no reports of Supergirl facing any super-powered threats or stopping crime. In fact, there was nothing out of the ordinary on the police scanners that Kara could hear.

She only spent ten minutes waiting before she took to the air, flying at super-speed back to the apartment, moving so fast that she was little more than a blur. She entered the apartment through the window they left open facing the back alley—since it had the least amount of windows facing it and was the most private. She entered quickly, rushing through the rooms.

"Linda?! Are you here? Linda?" Kara called, entering each of the rooms. But, the apartment was still and quiet, and there was no trace of Linda here.

The phone began to ring.

Rushing over to it, Kara answered it.

"Hello? Linda!" Kara exclaimed.

"Uh... no." The female voice on the other end said. Kara could hear that there was something odd in the woman's voice, something that denoted she'd been surprised at the sound of Kara's voice. "I'm calling for Linda Danvers. Is she there?"

"Uh... no." Kara replied, not realizing that her own voice sounded much like the voice on the other end. "Should I take a message?"

"Uh... I suppose. I'm just returning Linda's calls. She has tried to call me a couple times. My name is Karen Starr, and—"

Kara of Argo City cut her off, "Power Girl! Thank Rao you called! I think something has happened to Su—er, I mean Linda. She did not pick me up from school today. And it's just not like her."

"I see." The voice on the other end was calm, "Where are you?"

"I'm at our apartment. In Midway City. 1313 Genoa Park Lane Apt 242." Kara replied, feeling an odd sense wash over her while listening to the other woman—Power Girl's voice. It sent shivers all through her body... and she wasn't sure why.

"I'll be there soon. In the meantime, check around and make sure she just didn't lose track of time somewhere."

"Will do Power Girl." Kara replied, hanging up. She called Mattie on her cell phone, hitting the number on the speed-dial.

"Mattie? It's me Karri." Kara made a face at having to say the name. She hated calling herself that. It sounded so mousy and nerdy. She had learned a lot about nerds in her time in high school, and had learned that her brown hair and plain clothes made her one. "Have you seen Linda?"

"Oh, hi Karri." Mattie said on the other end, "No. I haven't. I had a staff meeting after lunch. She headed off to do whatever it is she does when no one else is around."

Kara heard the weird note in Mattie's voice.

"I'm just worried. She didn't pick me up from school. And she has never done that before... not even..." Kara hesitated.

Mattie was quiet for several minutes, then in a measured voice she said, "There were some reports that Supergirl was seen flying about the city not long after Linda and I went our separate ways. Someone said that she seemed to be going straight to the sky... perhaps Supergirl was heading to the JLA Watchtower?"

"Uh... yeah. Maybe Supergirl was." Kara said, getting the strangest sensation that Mattie knew about Linda really being Supergirl. "OK. Thanks Mattie. I'll talk to you later."

"OK." Mattie said.

Kara hung the phone up just as a knock came at the door.

Rushing over to it, Kara pulled the door open to find a tall statuesque blonde in a white and yellow outfit and a gold star-like insignia near her navel. Kara's first thought was "Mom". But, she pushed the thought away quickly.

"I'm Power Girl. Perhaps we should speak inside? You know... to protect your and Linda's secret identities." She said.

"Oh, yeah. Good idea." Kara pushed the door closed behind her.

"Are you the girl who just called about Linda Danvers?"

"Yeah. I called Linda's best friend Mattie. She said that Supergirl was last sighted flying toward space. But, that was about it." Kara replied.

"Who are you kid?" Power Girl asked.

"Uh..." Kara couldn't get over the sensation that she was looking at her mother. "Linda calls me Karri Danvers, but my real name is Kara... Kara of Argo City."

Kara pulled her wig off, and her long blonde hair tumbled free.

Power Girl gasped and took a step back.

"You look like..." Power Girl hesitated. "You look like what I would have looked like at your age. If I remembered being that age."

"You look like my mom." Kara said. She quickly changed into her costume.

"Some costume you've got there." Power Girl said quietly.

Kara looked at the white jumpsuit and red cape as well as blue belt and boots.

"The jumpsuit is what I... it's what we wore on Argo City." Kara said quietly. "The cape is one of Linda's... without the s-shield on it."

Power Girl nodded, "I think we have a lot to talk about once this is all over. But, in the mean time, let's see if we can figure out what happened to Supergirl. Some strange guy appeared to me and told me that Supergirl needed my help. Although he didn't quite say how. Just that she needed my help and the whole of reality was in danger of being destroyed."

"That seems to happen a lot." Kara sniffed, feeling self-conscious about her chest. If only she would some day develop that much. Maybe the boys at school wouldn't consider her such a nerd and would stop calling her names.

"We'll stop first at the Justice League Watchtower. Maybe she just headed up there to visit. There is a transporter tube not far from here, and I still have clearance and can bring you." Power Girl said.

Kara nodded.

The two women left the apartment, flying toward the sky. Neither of them noticed the girl with the short-cropped hair and camouflaged pants who watched them leave. Her expression was dark and sad. She had wanted to call to them, in hopes that they could have helped her. Maybe they could have heard her and freed her from this prison.

"Cynthia... oh Cynthia... where are you?" The voice came echoing down the hallway, to the girl's ears. She covered them in horror, knowing that he was coming. He was coming for her again. She ran to hide, but she knew that it was pointless. He would find her. He always found her.

From her office, Gayle Marsh watched the news tapes that her people had brought her. In them, Supergirl was saving various people from various catastrophes and rescuing them from certain death. She frowned deeply, drumming her manicured nails across her desk top.

"So, you're telling me that super-crime has actually gone down while she's been in Midway City?" Gayle demanded her dark eyes furious.

"Yes, Senator Marsh. Not only that, but regular crime has gone down. She has prevented two different gang wars in the past few months and prevented dozens of bank robberies, muggings, and attempted assaults. It's unprecedented." Lieutenant Damien Jacobs said, "It's bad for us regular cops... having alien freaks saving good honest human beings."

"I find your bigotry and racism deplorable." Gayle commented, looking at the image of Supergirl on the screen, pulling a school bus to safety after it had careened off the Midway City Steel Bridge. "But, that I can overlook. These heroes are menaces. Don't forget I once opposed them in a garish costume to protect the world from the threat of the Decay seeping in. I even died because of them." Gayle's lips twisted into a frown.

"But, you obviously got better." Lt. Jacobs replied, looking at the senator cautiously. He had never trusted Gayle Marsh, not from the first day he had met her. Not even when he had agreed to work with her. She was one of them. A meta-human. She'd even been a criminal at one point, going by the name of Psi and nearly destroying Chicago before being defeated by Power Girl.

"Obviously." Gayle sighed. "I've faced Power Girl. And trust me, Power Girl was less predictable and far more of a hothead than Supergirl. Power Girl would be easy to disprove. There is all the mystery surrounding her identity. She's Superman's cousin. No, she's some displaced Atlantean Princess. But, Supergirl... I mean, she's Superman's cousin. And look how he is revered in Metropolis. They have statues erected to him. Christ..." Gayle shook her head. "Midway City is an important city for my campaign. If I plan to get elected on a platform recommended more sanctions and regulations on meta-humans, then I need Midway City to look at Supergirl as a threat. They're giving her a parade for God's sake."

"Senator Marsh, it's only a matter of time before something goes awry. If that Satan Girl returns..." Lt. Jacobs said, "Or some villain with an axe to grind against the Girl of Steel. Someone will be hurt and that will give you the ammunition you need."

"We cannot wait for it." Gayle snapped, "The election is in six months. I'm running against Lela Thorul. She has a strong support from all the minorities. She is pushing for political reform. Her older sister is billionaire mogul Leda Thorul. I have nothing of that magnitude. The polls show her in a strong lead against me. If the election were tomorrow, she would be the next governor of this state. All I have is this super hero reform platform. I need Supergirl to screw up. And soon."

Lt. Jacobs frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Let me see what I can do. I think I might be able to help you there."

Once he left her office, the crushing headache made itself known. It was always like this when she used her powers lately. Ever since she'd been resurrected by the gene bomb back during the Invasion, any time she used her powers the headaches returned. She had been using them far less these days than before, but Lt. Jacobs took a bit of reigning in and focusing to keep him from turning into the slack-jawed yokel he'd been before he had been pointed out to her as a potential pawn.

Gayle Marsh got a bottle of aspirin from her desk drawer, swallowing a handful with a deep swig of water. She knew that they wouldn't dent the headache, but it was a start.

In the containment cell, Supergirl had unleashed a full blast of angel fire. Only to have it make no noticeable difference. The fire danced away, swirling away into nothing but smoke, leaving Supergirl still trapped.

"I told you that you would be unable to escape. That cell is specifically forged to counteract all of your abilities." Brainiac 2.5 said, walking into the room. "Do not worry. You won't hurt too much. It's just that you're the key to that other Universe. I wouldn't have bothered otherwise. Unlike my father, I have no desire to conquer the heroes of Earth. I merely want my own Universe to rule as I see fit."

"I don't understand why you need me for that." Supergirl said, looking at the bottom of the containment cell, hoping for exposed wiring. But just as there had been before, there was still none.

"Because the Time Trapper is a master manipulator. His Pocket Universe is safely hidden away. And there is no real way to find out where the gateway to that world is," Brainiac 2.5 said, not looking at Supergirl. She was instead looking at a holo console and typing away, entering information and pressing odd buttons here and there. Her eyes were focused on whatever the holo screen revealed. "There is only one living survivor of that Universe that I know of."

"Me." Supergirl whispered.

"Yes." Brainiac 2.5 looked up from the console, revealing the evil smile she'd flashed earlier. It was so wide that it looked as though her head might split in two. "Your DNA holds information about the Universe you were born into. With you, I can unlock that coded information and trace the entrance to that Universe, and use you to unlock that gateway between the worlds."

"Then just take some of my blood and let me go then." Supergirl said.

"It's not that easy. You yourself are a gateway. Just your blood will not do. Your body is the key." Brainiac 2.5 purred, "Unfortunately you will probably not survive the process."

Supergirl went cold all over.

"Where are we going?" Supergirl asked.

"To the only sure place where one can open gateways to other worlds." Brainiac 2.5 said, "The Dawn of Time."

Supergirl swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Do not fear Supergirl. You will only feel a little pain. At first." Brainiac 2.5 said.

"Who are you?" Supergirl asked.

"I am the daughter of Brainiac I, sister of Brainiac 2. Unlike my brother Querl, I had no flesh and blood birthing. I am comprised of living metal, programmed in my father's image, with synthetic flesh masking the robotic interior. I am a technological wonder not even the Computer Tyrants of Colu could match." Brainiac 2.5 replied.

"I did not think that Brainiac had any children." Supergirl said, she knew that she was trying to buy time by getting the woman to talk. But she wasn't sure what she was buying time for. There was no way out of this containment cell.

"He does. My brother was cloned from my father's very cells by the Computer Tyrants of Colu. I, however, was cloned and programmed from my father's experiments in creating Artifical Intelligence—using the basic concept that had created the Computer Tyrants of his home world. Among his many failed experiments, I was the only true success." Brainiac 2.5 said coldly, "My father considered me a failure and sought to destroy me by tossing the A.I. chips and body shell of organic metal into a vat filled with other refuse and rejected experiments. There he gave me no thought, not realizing he had succeeded in creating life. There I flourished, fusing with his other failed experiments. And Brainiac 2.5 came to be. I escaped the container and stole a small space vessel from his ship several years ago. In that time I have adapted it into this vessel we travel in now, exploring space and traveling time, looking for a Universe to call my own. Not long ago, during a sojourn in the 30th Century, I battled you and the infernal Legion of Super-Heroes. During that battle, I discovered the Matrix within you which led me to realizing the existence of the Time Trapper's Pocket Universe."

"But, I've never been to the 30th Century." Supergirl protested.

"Not yet you haven't. You're dealings with the Time Trapper are far from done. As is the case when making a deal with what humanoid earthlings call the Devil, you will find that the Time Trapper will continue to manipulate you for some time. Or you would have. At this point, you will most likely die and you will never go to the 30th Century. I would have taken you in the 30th Century, rather than traveling back through time, wasting years going through the Space-Time Continuum. But you were too powerful, and the Legion stood beside you. There was no way to conquer you. So, I came back through time to find you here, when you had yet to reach full potential."

"You are insane." Supergirl said.

"Computers do not suffer from madness." Brainiac 2.5 replied.

"But, they do suffer viruses and corruption." Supergirl shot back, "And obviously you're suffering from both."

"Your humor is even more baffling now than it was in the 30th Century." Brainiac 2 replied. "Do not worry Supergirl. Soon we will arrive at the Dawn of Time, and once we are there, your suffering will end."

Phillip Decker regarded the data files he had just been sent. He clicked through them on his laptop, reading each one quickly before clicking to the next one.

The information concerned Miss America. The heroine of World War II, who had fought alongside Wonder Woman and the Justice Society of America. She had also been an member of the All-Star Squadron, and for a time a Freedom Fighter with Uncle Sam. For a time she had a side kick named Glory, who bore a strong resemblance to Linda Danvers.

According to his information, Miss America had unmasked as Joan Dale Trevor some time in the late 1950's before disappearing for several years. Approximately twenty years ago, she and her husband Admiral Derek Trevor had reappeared looking to be in their mid-thirties and with a young daughter they called Lyta. A daughter who went on to be the super-heroine Fury alongside Infinity Inc. Currently Joan and Derek Trevor lived in Virginia, on a spacious manor where little was known about them. They divided their time between that home and an island called Trevor Island that they owned in the Mediterranean, not far from the coast of Greece.

Phillip picked up his cell phone, "Good day. I need more information on Joan Dale Trevor and her family. Find me everything you possibly can. Especially about her life during the second World War. And I am incredibly interested in finding out how a woman who should in her eighties or nineties, looks to be a quarter of that."

Phillip listened to the response.

"Very good. Get that to me as soon as you have it."

"I see some sort of energy trail here." Kara of Argo City said, pointing to a spot not far from where they hovered in the upper atmosphere.

"I don't really see anything." Power Girl replied.

Power Girl was wearing a space suit she'd gotten from the JLA Watchtower. It was slightly uncomfortable over the rocket boots and exo-skeleton she had in case her powers went out again. Alexander Luthor had told her that Supergirl needed her help and had told her not to worry about the on-again off-again state of her powers.*

*see recent issues of Power Girl for the full story on her on-again off-again powers and her meeting with Alexander Luthor.

Hovering there Kara focused her eyes on it.

"It trails off into space. I'm not far how far away it goes... I know I can't fly that far into space."

"Nor can I." Power Girl said, her super-vision had gone away again, even though her super-strength and power of flight had returned. "But I'm sure we could get a craft from the Watchtower. And follow it. How can we be sure that it's going to lead us to Supergirl?"

"I don't think we can be. But, I feel that it's the right thing to do." Kara replied.

"OK, kid. I'm going to trust you. I'm not sure why, but I'm going to go ahead and trust your instinct." Power Girl said, "Let's head over to the Watchtower and pick something space worthy out."

"We just have to hurry." Kara said.

"Duly noted." Power Girl replied.

Before either of them could head to the Watchtower, the space in front of them flexed, and Blackstarr stepped into view.

"Blackstarr!" Power Girl and Kara exclaimed in unison.

"Power Girl..." Blackstarr said, "Supergirl is in great danger."

"What are you doing here Rachel? Last time we met you said that you were removing yourself from the matters and games of man." Power Girl said, clenching her fists.

"And I have." Blackstarr replied, her angular features sharp and severe. Kara recoiled at the woman's visage, knowing in her heart this woman was far more capable of destruction than the Blackstarr she'd known was. "But, this is a matter that threatens the existence of all reality. Brainiac 2.5 has captured Supergirl and taken her to the Dawn of Time, where she plans to use her as a gateway to the Time Trapper's Pocket Universe."

"Go on." Power Girl said, not unclenching her fists. She had not tangled with Blackstarr since right before the Crisis. That had left her and Superman at each other's throats and was one of the last times that Power Girl had thought she was Superman's cousin.

"By doing so, she will open a gateway that will allow Lord Xenon to escape his prison in time." Blackstarr said, "And he will destroy all of reality if that happens."

"Who the Hell is Lord Xenon?" Power Girl asked.

"You knew him before, during the Crisis as the Anti-Monitor."

Power Girl felt the breath go out of her.

"The Anti-Monitor?! He nearly destroyed everything! He nearly killed me."

"Yes, and if Brainiac 2.5 attempts to use Supergirl as a gateway to the Pocket Universe at the Dawn of Time, the Anti-Monitor will return—and it will destroy Supergirl. And if Supergirl is dead, there will be no one to defeat the Anti-Monitor once and for all."

"We have to get a spacecraft—" Kara said frantically.

"I can take you there." Blackstarr said.

"We don't need your help!" Kara shouted at Blackstarr. "You might have helped Supergirl with the other Blackstarr, but I don't trust any Blackstarr!"

Blackstarr looked at the girl, and then looked at Power Girl.

"You two are so much alike. Have you figured out the connection yet?" Blackstarr asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We can talk about this later Blackstarr." Power Girl said, then turned to Kara, "We can trust her. She may be evil, but she's not like the other villains."

"What do you mean? Evil is evil!" Kara shouted.

"Blackstarr would never do anything that would destroy the Universe. She hopes to rule it one day." Power Girl said levelly.

"And one day I will. Once I unlock the final secrets of the Universe and how it relates to the Universes that exist out of this one, all of Creation will be mine." Blackstarr said.

"How can you trust her?" Kara asked in shock.

"Because she has the Universe's best interests in mind if only for her own personal reasons. And besides, she is too powerful for either of us to defeat." Power Girl said.

"You are so much wiser than you were in Chicago, Power Girl." Blackstarr replied.

"I'm older and less naive." Power Girl replied, "Can you take us to Supergirl?"

"It is done." Blackstarr said.

The space around them waxed, waned, then flexed in before contracting.

Power Girl felt her stomach flip and thought she might throw up her lunch. Her vision blurred and she felt dizzy. Once it cleared and her stomach leveled, she found herself, Blackstarr, and Kara standing in a blank white nothingness. On the horizon a multi-colored orb glittered brightly.

"We have arrived just before them." Blackstarr said calmly. "They will be here any minute now."

Sylvia Danvers was coming in from her Women's Bible Study group as the phone was ringing. She quickly rushed into the apartment, closing the door behind her and tossing her things onto an arm chair, breathlessly answering the phone.

"Danvers Residence." She said, trying to push the panting from her voice.

"Is Sylvia Danvers in?"

"This is she."

"Hello Sylvia!" The tone of the man speaking suddenly went up about four notches in brightness and friendliness. "This is Greg Gilbert, producer of The Other Side with Selena Moonstone. We were interested in having you and your family on-air in a segment sometime during the next few weeks. Were you still interested in appearing on our show and getting in touch with your son Jan?"

"Oh, my, yes!" Sylvia said. Although she had not spoken to Fred or Linda about this. "We are definitely interested."

"Oh good. We will need you to come down to the studio to fill out some paperwork this week and we'll go from there as far as air date." Greg said. He gave Sylvia some information and then they hung up.

Sylvia suddenly felt the panic setting in. She did not know how she was going to convince Fred that this was a good idea.... Sylvia frowned, wondering how she had thought this was a good idea.

"We're here Supergirl." Brainiac 2.5 said as the spacecraft shuddered to a stop.

Through the view screen, Supergirl could see nothing but white and a strange multi-hued shimmering globe glowing in the distance.

"Welcome to the Dawn of Time." Brainiac 2.5 said, pushing buttons on the holo console. The ceiling about Supergirl split in two, releasing a whiff of the craft's artificial atmosphere out into the white nothingness. The platform beneath Supergirl began rising, pushing Supergirl and Brainiac 2.5 out into the white beyond.

"Don't do this Brainiac 2.5." Supergirl protested, hammering at the glass containment vessel again. "It's not worth it. You don't want your own universe. And the Time Trapper will never let you get away with it."

"Your whining and begging is greatly appreciated. But, it will not change your fate nor my mind. I am going to take control of the Pocket Universe and you will give your life so that I can become the ruler I was destined to be."

High above the ship, Supergirl looked down at the glittering globe. It called to her, whispering of a thousand different realities, of different destinies. Flashes of alternate realities flickered through Supergirl's head, and the voices calling to her from the globe made her want to scream. Some of the images were of her broken and bloodied, with the Anti-Monitor hovering above her. Other images were of Doomsday. Others were of her arriving on Earth-One (what is Earth-One? She wondered) in a rocket ship. Others were of her fighting alongside Superman against various threats in a variety of costumes. All of them had never happened to her, as far as she could remember. Although several of them seemed to be the same version of her she had watched struck down by the Anti-Monitor when she'd faced Monarch in the Pocket Universe.*

*Again in Supergirl: The Maid of Steel Annual 2

"Time is fluid here Supergirl." Brainiac 2.5 said, "Reality weak. One wrong calculation here, and one could destroy the entire universe—wiping out all of reality. That does not suit my needs."

"Which is why you shouldn't be here!" Power Girl said, slamming into Brainiac 2.5 and knocking her away from her holo console. Brainiac 2.5 plummeted toward the nothingness below them.

Kara of Argo City flew up to the platform, rushing over to Supergirl and the containment cell.

"Uh-oh." Power Girl groaned, as her super powers drained slowly away. Within seconds they were gone.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked.

"Don't worry about it." Power Girl replied, going over to the control panel of the ship, wondering if she'd be able to figure out how to pilot them out of here.

Kara swung on the glass of the cell, but her fist did not even crack the material. She pounded repeatedly without a crack appearing. In desperation she asked Supergirl, "How do I get you out of here?"

"You don't."

Kara spun around to see Brainiac 2.5 stepping back onto the platform, holding Power Girl's prone form in her left hand. Power Girl's eyes were shut tightly, and there was a dark bruise forming on her face below her cheek. Blood dripped from her lip.

"You and Power Girl have wasted your time here." Brainiac 2.5 said, "Now, you will both die as well."

Brainiac 2 lifted her right hand. From it dark black and purple energy crackled with evil life.

TO BE CONTINUED

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