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THE MAID OF STEEL # 5

Note : This story continues from the events depicted in Justice League of America # 272.

Birthed in a pocket dimension where the Time Trapper held sway, Supergirl had journeyed to earth to find the man called Superman. She had, indeed, found the Man of Steel and in so doing she opened up a whole new world to herself. Even with all the changes that had assaulted her since, she still held Superman up as her ideal of what a hero should be. He was both an inspiration and an idol for her. He was a friend and a big brother. And now he was in mortal danger.

Kidnapped by the alien hordes led by Mongul, Superman lay helpless at the hands of his worst enemies. In Supergirl's mind she could see a thousand tortures being committed on his person... it was enough to move her to tears. He meant so much to her...and to the world... She swore silently that she wouldn't rest until he was freed. Alongside her, the other members of the Justice League task force that had been designated to free Superman felt the same way -- Plastic Man, Steel and the Martian Manhunter all stared with grim determination out the viewport of the League's shuttle.

"Penny for your thoughts, Supergirl?" Supergirl turned to see that Plastic Man -- the Justice League's resident comedian -- had fashioned himself into a giant red-and-black penny.

Supergirl smiled in spite of herself. Hostile situation or no, Plastic Man had a way of making you forget your troubles. "With inflation the way it is, I think my thoughts are worth a bit more than that... But thanks anyway. I was just thinking about Superman, that's all."

Plastic Man's form shifted back into its familiar shape and he nodded solemnly, for the moment actually appearing to share in the moment. Then a wacky grin reasserted itself. "Ah, Supesy will be fine. What's the worst that could happen? He gets killed, four or five guys pop up claiming to be him and we spin off a European branch of the League to host them all. Merchandising, merchandising, merchandising!" Plastic Man transformed into a cash register, dinging as each new dollar entered.

"We are approaching the armada." The Martian Manhunter's stern voice carried throughout the shuttle, silencing even Plastic Man.

Supergirl leaned forward, staring out the viewport at the massive fleet surrounding Earth. Mongul's forces were daunting to say the least -- well over a thousand dreadnought-class cruisers, with support ships numbering more than twice that. A sudden pang of fear went through Supergirl as she thought of her family and loved ones back in Leesburg... Mongul's scheme was to simply annihilate humanity and that meant that his forces were exercising sheer brutality in their attacks. She knew that Comet would defend Leesburg to the best of his ability, but she wasn't sure how much he could accomplish.

Leesburg was burning. Still reeling from the horrific events of recent days*, the city was now suffering from still more tragedy as the alien forces of Mongul's fleet attempted to eradicate every human they met.

(*See Supergirl # 3-4, scripted by our much-missed collaborator Kell Carpenter.)

For Fred Danvers, it was a lesson in humility. The recently-promoted plainclothes detective watched in mute horror as one building after another was torched by the flying alien forces. He saw one of them, a Branx he believed it was called, moving through the streets. It was an incredibly ugly thing, with two large tusks growing out from its face and clothed in a thick parka.

Fred moved forward, the anger in his heart growing by the minute. Since learning that his daughter Linda had been merged with the protomatter being that was Supergirl, Fred had lain in bed many nights wondering what it was that drove her to put her life on the line so often. But now he knew that it was the same thing that kept him in a policeman's job -- a desire to see justice done and the evil punished.

He raised his gun, pointing it at the Branx. "Hold it right there... If you make a single move, I'll shoot!"

The Branx stopped, blinking at the human before him. He didn't understand the words, but he recognized a weapon when he saw it. With a roar, he pointed his own blaster at the human and fired.

Fred Danvers fired without thinking. The bullet hit home, burying itself deep in the alien's shoulder. In the split-second before the energy blast struck, Fred thought of his wife and daughter...

And then he felt himself flying. He opened his eyes and stared into the face of Comet. The ethereal-looking hero smiled back, his soft eyes warm and inviting. "You did a very brave thing there, Mr. Danvers -- but you nearly got yourself killed. I'd recommend that you go home to your family."

Fred let out a yelp as Comet suddenly banked to the right, evading an alien force blast. From up above, Fred could see just how severe the carnage really was... the city was almost leveled. Flames and explosions had destroyed almost everything, from the houses to the factories to the stores. "Oh my god..."

Comet nodded slowly. "It's terrible, I know. It's much worse in some cities, though."

Fred gaped. "Worse?! How could it be worse...?"

Comet flew lower, circling the Danvers' home. It was on one of the few streets that had so far remained untouched. "Believe me, Mr. Danvers, you don't want to know. Go inside to your wife -- get in your car and try to get as far from here as possible."

Fred felt his feet touch the ground. He stared up at Comet as the hero flew back into the fray, slowly fading out of sight. "And where will we go...? If it's like this everywhere... then where is there to run?"

"There -- that's the flagship! I can sense Superman's thoughts but they're very weak." The Martian Manhunter led the heroes through the inky void of space, each of them wearing a small breathing apparatus that also doubled as a radio.

Steel hefted his hammer. "I think we've lost the element of surprise, guys -- here comes company!"

Pouring forth from several of the ships were armored spacefighters, warriors encased in battle armor that allowed them to function in the vacuum of space.

Supergirl turned to J'onn, touching the Martian on his arm. "J'onn... You and Plastic Man move ahead. The two of you are best suited for infiltration. Steel and I can distract these guys."

The Martian Manhunter paused for only a moment. He had come to the same conclusion but he was loathe to leave two teammates in battle. "Very well. Be careful, both of you."

Steel couldn't resist a grin at that. "Oh, we'll be as careful as you can be -- in the middle of a war! Go rescue Superman, J'onn." The armored hero fired his rocket boots, flying forth into the heart of the oncoming soldiers.

Supergirl used her telekinesis to throw several of the troopers away, tossing them into the depths of space. She didn't want to kill anyone -- even in wartime -- but she couldn't take the chance that they would return to the battle. She struck out at a closer soldier, belting him through the hull of a small spacecraft. More scientists and soldiers tumbled out after him into the void. Most of them, she noted with relief, were outfitted with breathing equipment.

Steel slammed his hammer into several of the soldiers, punching right through their armor. As the air escaped from their pressurized suits, they were thrown away from the battle. For John Henry Irons, this was a reminder of how far he had come in a short amount of time. To think that he was here, in space, fighting for the survival of humanity... it was enough to make anyone pause.

Unfortunately, in space, there was no room for such a thing. Supergirl noticed the soldier behind Steel raise his energy blaster and she immediately moved to come to her teammate's aid. "Steel -- behind you!" She reached out with her telekinesis just as Steel began to turn, but it was too late as the blaster went off at point blank range. Steel cried out and immediately began drifting aimlessly.

Supergirl used her power to wrench the weapon from the soldier. A powerful mental blast sent the soldier into unconsciousness as she moved to intercept her friend. Steel settled in her grasp, obviously unconscious. Supergirl bit her lip. She could return to the shuttle and get him medical attention, but that meant abandoning J'onn and Plas...

The decision was taken out of her hands, however, as energy surrounded her. She felt her insides twist as she was teleported away...

Cutter Sharpe and Mattie Johnson squeezed each a little tighter as the explosions outside got closer to their small apartment. Mattie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Why would they attack here, Cutter? I mean Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York... I could understand all that. But Leesburg?!"

Cutter shrugged, pulling away from Mattie long enough to peer out the window. "I have a suspicion but I bet you're not going to like it..."

"What?"

"Well...I think it's because of Supergirl. You see, these guys are obviously not pulling any punches. They're not trying to conquer the earth -- they want to destroy it. So, first thing they want to do is take out the strongest resistance... and that means the metahumans."

"Like Supergirl and Comet." Mattie's voice was flat and cold. "As much as I like the Sgirl... I can't help but blame her for all of this. Everything weird in this town started happening when she moved in. Sometimes I wish she had never even come here!"

Cutter frowned. "Mattie... Don't say that. If it wasn't for her, we'd all be dead a dozen times over. And in case you haven't been paying attention, that Comet guy is putting his life on the line for us right now!"

"And where's Supergirl now, Cutter?" Mattie rose to her feet, her voice reaching a strident tone. "Where in the hell is Supergirl when we need her?"

For that, Cutter Sharpe had no answer. He only hoped that wherever she was, she was trying to help end all of this.

"Well, well... If it isn't two of the illustrious Team Superman. Come to join your fallen idol in his imprisonment?" The sneering, insane tones were immediately recognized by Supergirl. The Cyborg.

Supergirl and Steel had materialized onboard one of the many warships that made up Mongul's armada -- and come face to face with one of the greatest villains Superman had ever faced. The Cyborg -- an astronaut named Hank Henshaw who had been transformed into pure energy by a horrible accident that he blamed on the Man of Steel. Housing his form in a cybernetic body, the Cyborg had repeatedly struck back at Superman, nearly slaying the hero numerous times.

The room in which they found themselves was evidently the Cyborg's personal quarters -- sparse and mostly unfurnished, a large viewport window gave a spectacular view of the Earth conflict.

Steel groaned as his head began to clear, prompting Supergirl to step in front of him protectively. "Henshaw! How could you do this? No matter what you've become, at your core you're still human! This fleet is going to destroy your homeworld!"

The Cyborg laughed, his cybernetic eye flashing. "What do I care? I've seen the cosmos -- I know that Earth is nothing more than a backwater mudball! Out there are entire empires, congomerations of worlds waiting to be conquered..."

"And you think Mongul won't turn on you the second you've outlived your usefulness? You're a bigger fool than I ever thought if you think you're an integral part of all this..."

The Cyborg raised a hand, firing a blast of energy that engulfed the Maid of Steel in its fury. She fell to her knees, her mind blacking out. Calling upon her hidden reserves of strength, she pulled herself together and looked up.

"I have no false ideas about my importance here, Supergirl... Mongul will no doubt try and betray me. But I will strike first, let me assure you. He is a means to an end, nothing more."

Steel grunted, rising to his feet. He lifted Supergirl up with him. "That doesn't change the fact that you've betrayed your entire species... If Earth dies, its blood will be on your hands."

The Cyborg shrugged, turning back to the large viewscreen before him. "If that's the case, then so be it. As long as the Kryptonian dies, it will be worth it."

Supergirl shook her head. "I don't believe you -- somewhere deep inside you there's a shred of humanity left. Otherwise you would have either killed us or thrown us in a cell already. You want us to convince you to throw off Mongul's chains. You want to help us..."

The Cyborg turned back to them, a look of sincere surprise on his face. "You... You've seen the truth. Underneath all of this metal, I'm still human like you! Help me..." The Cyborg's features twisted suddenly into a mask of pure evil. "You simpering little cow! Do you really think I brought you here for any purpose other than merely taunting you? I wanted you to see the hopelessness of the situation. You cannot win! I have beaten the Kryptonian... Earth is in ruins. You have lost! I want to see you surrender and kneel before me -- if you beg nicely, I may let you live to serve me."

Steel shook his head. "No. Never. The 'S' we wear means too much to ever surrender. It stands for an ideal -- an ideal that even surpasses the man who first made it mean something." He raised his hammer and glanced at Supergirl, who smiled in return.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Steel." The heroine whirled suddenly, dropping into a battle stance as she fired a mental blast at the villain.

The Cyborg grunted, staggering back. No longer truly human, he had a certain amount of immunity to mental attacks -- but it hurt him nonetheless. "You... fools! Do you expect to win where Superman failed?"

Steel threw his hammer. It hit with a loud clang, striking the Cyborg full in the chest. "I expect to see Superman standing with the rest of us when we drive this armada back where it came from!"

The Cyborg howled in indignation. "Then you're going to die very unhappy -- because that will never happen!"

With twin blasts of energy from the Cyborg, the battle was joined.

Comet flew towards the command ship, tears streaming down his face. He'd seen so much destruction today... friends lying dead in the streets... that it made his heart break. He didn't know where Supergirl was, but he knew in her absence he was the only chance anyone left in Leesburg had.

The equine hero struck the underside of the ship, making it rock. He grunted as he punched and kicked the vessel, nearly knocking it from the sky. The command ship righted itself, moving a safe distance from the obviously insane humanoid.

Comet floated in the air, very much aware that the skies around him were still. That meant that the command ship had recalled its forces... but why? There were still a few places left in Leesburg -- they had failed in their attempt to eradicate it all.

And then he heard it. A strange humming sound, steadily growing louder. A light appeared in the center of the command ship as a cannon of some sort slid out. With a frown, Comet realized what was going on -- the city was pacified, now all that remained was to burn it to the ground. Whatever weapon this was, it was powerful enough that the enemy didn't want their own troops exposed to it.

Comet raised a hand into the air. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth, injuries incurred earlier in the battle. "You'll never get away with this -- never! As long as one human still lives, you'll never win! Nev--!"

The words halted abruptly as a thin beam of highly destructive force shot out from the cannon. It pierced Comet's stomach, blowing him in two. The beam continued on to the very heart of the city, triggering an explosion that seemed to swallow Leesburg whole. In a larger city, the effect would not have been so devastating -- but in Leesburg, it was all too effective. Everyone caught within the area of Leesburg and its immediate surroundings died instantly.

Supergirl coughed up blood as the Cyborg battered her. No matter how hard she pressed him, the villain kept returning her blows. Steel slammed his hammer into the villain's head, knocking it askew. It hung at an odd angle on the Cyborg's shoulder. "You will all die painfully! I'll see to it myself!"

Supergirl started to reply when a cold, dark feeling hit her. Welling up from her stomach, she felt a horrible retching. "My God..." Somehow, with what little of her angelic power was still available to her, she felt the death of Leesburg. The feeling passed quickly, leaving no concrete knowledge in its wake -- merely the inescapable feeling that somewhere a lot of people, many of them close to her, had died.

Rage welled up within her and her eyes crackled with fire. She stared at the Cyborg, her anger making her voice tremble. "Somewhere within me, I still have the ability to summon my angel fire*... It burns the sinful, Cyborg. I want you to BURN!!!!!" Flames shot out from her eyes, engulfing the Cyborg. His metallic body began melting underneath the mystic fire almost immediately.

(*As shown in Supergirl : The Maid of Steel Annual # 1.)

Steel placed a hand firmly on Supergirl's shoulder. "Linda... Stop. He's gone."

Supergirl looked at him blankly, the tears still rolling down her cheeks. "John...? You don't know what he did..."

Steel narrowed his eyes with concern. Something had obviously badly affected Supergirl but he had no idea what. "Listen to me -- we have to get out of here. We need to find J'onn and Plas, see if we can help them. The Cyborg will only reanimate another body if we stay here. Do you understand?"

Supergirl nodded slowly, reaching up to dry her eyes. The pain and shock were gone, leaving only a cold spot in her belly. "I'm ready, John."

Steel turned to the viewscreen, raising his hammer. With a mighty blow, he shattered it, sending the glass shards hurtling through the vacuum. Silently, he and Supergirl moved back out into space, leaving the melted form of the Cyborg behind.

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE PAGES OF SUPERMAN # 11

NEXT ISSUE : What's next? Well, how about sorting out the survivors from this issue's deadly events? Who lived? Who died? And what does the future hold for Supergirl now that her hometown is gone? And how does Will Payton -- the former Starman -- fit into all this? Be here next issue as a whole new era begins for Supergirl...

Feel free to write questions, comments, etc.

Barry Reese

I can be reached at aric_dacia@yahoo.com