Sent to Earth after the destruction of her home -- a Pocket Universe created by the evil Time-Trapper -- Supergirl has become one of the world's greatest champions. Now bonded to a mortal named Linda Danvers, Supergirl has finally found a small amount of peace in her life. With the destruction of Linda's hometown at the hands of an alien armada, Supergirl has taken up residence in Midway City... It is a fresh, new start for the Maid of Steel!

A soft rain fell across Midway City, cooling off what had been a hot summer's day. The few people out on the city streets moved quickly, the sky hidden from them by their umbrellas and down-turned heads. If any of them had braved the raindrops to look skyward, they would have seen a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in a costume reminiscent of Superman's. She flew gracefully through the air, finally landing on an apartment rooftop. Her form shimmered and twisted, becoming shorter and thinner. Her short blonde hair became shoulder-length and brown, and her eyes turned from blue to brown, completing the transition from Supergirl to Linda Danvers.

Linda stepped inside the building, shaking off the rain. Her eyes were filled with a nervous excitement. She'd only been in Midway about 24 hours, having arrived yesterday afternoon. It was more than a little stressful -- Leesburg was still a very fresh memory* and she'd thought twice about leaving the safety of the Kent farm**. But she knew that the only way she'd ever recover from all this would be to move forward. Hence, her new job with the Midway Museum and her new apartment.

(*Leesburg was destroyed in Supergirl # 5.)

(**Linda stayed with the Kents in Supergirl # 6-7.)

She stepped inside apartment 242 and heard Will's voice coming from the kitchen. Will Payton, the hero known as Starman, had befriended her during her stay in Smallville and had tagged along with her to Midway. She had to admit that she'd been pleased when he'd asked if he could come with her. She wasn't sure exactly why he wanted to, though he'd made a good case that, like her, he needed a new beginning.

"That's great, Jayne. I'm happy for you... Yeah, next time I'm in Phoenix I'll give you a call... Yeah, already talked to Mom..."

Linda moved past Will, smiling at him as she opened the refrigerator and took out some milk. Will was seated at the table, obviously enjoying his conversation with his sister Jayne. He'd spent a good deal of time in space and was trying very hard to get back in touch with his family.

Linda sat down across from him, sipping her milk. He hung up soon after and shook his head. His features were very different from the way they looked when he was Starman -- like Linda herself, he shapeshifted into his heroic form. "Is your sister doing okay?"

Will nodded. "Oh, she's doing great... Got a new boyfriend and everything. I promised her I'd fly out to see her in a few days."

"That sounds nice."

Will cleared his throat, leaning forward. "Listen, Linda... I appreciate you letting me tag along to Midway with you. And the use of the couch at night is a bonus. During my time in space I saw so much... so many different races of beings. It's going to take me some time to settle back into being 'normal' again."

"You can stay as long as you like... To be honest, I'm not sure I want to be alone anyway. I start my new job tomorrow but I don't know anybody here. I'm lucky that Clark put in a good word for me or I never would have gotten the position."

"Well, I promise I won't become a fixture on your sofa forever. And I plan to help with the rent during the time that I am here."

Linda stood up, setting the empty glass in the sink. She had neglected to mention the fact that Will was not only a handsome guy, but good company, amongst the reasons why he was free to stay. "I'm going to finish unpacking my art supplies -- maybe even get started on a new sculpture."

Will watched her leave the room, a look of concern on his face. He liked Linda a lot and he felt very sorry for her -- the destruction of Leesburg was a major tragedy. Though he'd never admit it, the real reason he was still with her was because Superman had asked him to keep an eye on her. But the more time he spent with her, the less like a job it became.

In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, something stirred. For Guy Malrouse, it was a very exciting moment. He was commander of the STAR Labs Deep Sea Excavation Unit and the past forty-eight hours had gone very slowly for him. The Unit had been dispatched to retrieve a highly radioactive object that had suddenly appeared on sonar. The object was roughly man-shaped and apparently adrift in the ocean current. Perhaps even more exciting were signs that a craft of some kind was buried deep in the ocean floor nearby -- Malrouse thought it safe to theorize that an alien craft carrying a crew of one crashed here. He felt giddy at the prospect of examining a true extraterrestrial. He felt no remorse at all that they had not contacted the DEO over this -- this was a scientific matter, after all.

"Sir... We're within pickup range. Implementing robotic snares." The young technician's voice was tinged with the thrill of discovery. Malrouse himself forced the smile away from his own face. He had to maintain control.

"Bring that thing onboard as gently as possible. Drop it straight into quarantine."

The next few moments were tense ones. Malrouse forced himself to remain where he was, though his every instinct told him to run to the quarantine chamber and see what it was that they'd found. He waited until Dr. Chang's voice came through the intercom system.

"We have the individual in the chamber -- she's giving off dangerous levels of radiation, however. I think you'd better come down here immediately."

Malrouse felt the stares of every crewmember on the bridge. 'She'... Change had called it a 'she.' "I'll be right there, doctor."

Malrouse climbed down the ladder and walked slowly through the dimly lit corridors. His heart pounded as he stepped into the observation area. "What do you have, Chang?"

Chang was a middle-aged Oriental who hid behind a pair of thick glasses. He was very overweight and prone to fits of depression when his research was going poorly. Now, however, his dark eyes were alight with interest. "Take a look for yourself, Mr. Malrouse."

Malrouse moved to the glass partition that allowed them to view the quarantine area. Inside, lying on the floor in a crumpled heap, was a stunning young girl. She looked human, though she wore a tight-fitting jumpsuit of some alien design. Her blonde hair was matted and torn, but her beauty was clear enough. A thin breathing device of some kind was fastened to her mouth. Malrouse saw her lips moving slowly beneath the breather. "What's she saying? Do we have audio in that room?"

Chang motioned to an assistant, who hurriedly raised the volume. Malrouse could now hear her heavy breathing, as well as her words. She raised her tired, weary eyes to the viewscreen, making eye contact with Malrouse. "I'm Kara... of Argo City... She's coming... The Destroyer of Empires is coming... Blackstarr!"

"...I left you some of your angelic powers so you'd be safe from the Carnivore if he found you. That's why you still had them when you fought Paragon and the Cyborg." Wally's voice sounded tinny over the phone lines, making him sound even younger than he actually was. But, as Linda knew, he wasn't quite as youthful as he appeared. Though she'd doubted him at first, she'd come to at least accept the possibility that this little boy from Leesburg was, indeed, God.

Linda cradled the handset between her head and shoulder as she worked on a sculpture. It was going to be of her mom and dad, though the piece was so emotional that it was slow going. "I think I understand, Wally... but my angel powers are completely gone now?"

"I'm afraid so...You've undergone another step in your evolution -- whatever you're going to be in the future, it won't be an angel. I'm afraid you won't be hearing from me anymore, either."

Linda stopped working, concern coming over her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm going to be staying in an orphanage for awhile... That and searching for the Carnivore will take up most of my time. But even if you don't see or hear me, that doesn't mean I won't be paying attention to you."

"I know, Wally. It's just... you're the only thing I have left from Leesburg."

"That's not true, Linda. You'll always have your memories. I've gotta go for now, though -- my case worker is here. She's a nice lady named Rhonda. Had a real tough childhood, but she overcame it. Bye, Linda."

"Bye, Wally." Linda set the phone down, feeling a tear welling up in her eye. It really was like saying goodbye to the past -- the last remnant of Leesburg was now gone.

"...So you'll be giving tours mostly, though cataloging the exhibits will also fall under your job description." Jocelyn Rogers walked beside Linda, looking prim and proper in a conservative dress. She was in her mid-thirties and attractive enough, with strawberry-blonde hair that was worn in a bun. Linda liked her well enough, though they'd only known each other for about an hour.

The Midway Museum was huge, with a special focus on antiquities. Linda thought she could literally feel the history weighing down upon her. "It sounds perfect, Ms. Rogers. I'm really looking forward to this."

"Please -- make it Jocelyn. And we're more than welcome to have you. It's hard to find good help these days."

Linda smiled at the praise, her eyes coming to rest on a set of armor resting in a glass case. It looked almost Amazonian, with a full breastplate, skirt, and shield. A horned demon was carefully sculpted into the center of the breastplate, with twin rubies set into its surface for eyes. "What's this?"

Jocelyn moved over, her pride showing through. "Ah... You have a good eye. This is one of the museum's newest acquisitions. It was found in South America and pre-dates European arrival on the continent. We're under negotiations to have it sent out to Gateway for analysis, since it has certain aspects reminiscent of Amazon culture."

Linda made a mental note to mention it to Wonder Woman the next time she ran into the Amazon at the JLA's Watchtower headquarters. She turned to Jocelyn and said, "Is there anyone in particular I'll be working with?"

"Well, I plan on snagging you to help me with a few things but mainly you'll be working with Craig Morris. He's only a few years older than you but he's brilliant. You'll like working with him -- and the fact that he's gorgeous is merely a bonus." The older woman's eyes twinkled.

"I can't wait to meet him."

"Come on, then -- I'll introduce you."

Lord Satanus stood at rest, watching the lithe female form moving about the room before him. He'd absorbed much of the loose eldritch energy from the Leesburg area* and used it to create this woman, a living weapon in his war against Superman. If she proved successful, he would be able to abandon his plans for Supergirl.

(*As he'd decided to do in Supergirl # 6.)

The woman was dressed in a tight-fitting purple bodysuit, a long dark cape flowing behind her. Though a mask hid most of her features (leaving only her eyes and mouth clear), there was no denying the woman's incredible beauty. She looked at Satanus with evil mischief. "Do you like what you see, Satanus?"

"Do not become presumptuous, woman. I am your lord and master. Remember that."

The woman purred, "Of course. I live to serve."

Satanus grunted. The woman was exhibiting some disturbing tendencies for individual thought... "You know your mission. Find Supergirl...and slay her. Only then will I know if you the power I need."

The woman smiled broadly. "Your wish is my command... and Satan Girl never lets her man down!"

NEXT ISSUE : Supergirl meets Kara! Satan Girl arrives in Midway City! And a major change in the Linda/Will relationship!

Kara of Argo City...Hmmm...Don't get your hopes up. I'm not reviving the pre-Crisis Supergirl. This Kara debuted in the Superman/Aliens limited series that DC and Dark Horse put out a few years back. She's the last survivor of her people (who, in the post-Crisis continuity, are not Kryptonian though they learned the Kryptonian language and culture from the Cleric) and she's a kick-ass heroine. How she'll fit into Supergirl's life will be seen in the coming months. The title of this issue, by the way, is an homage to New Teen Titans # 8, one of that book's finest.

As for Satan Girl, old-time fans of Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes might remember her... She's yet another pre-crisis villain that I'm reworking for today's continuity.

TJ Burns wrote :

Hey Barry! Wow. The horror of the destruction of Leesburg was very well done. Comet's last desperate gasp of rage in the face of his own death was a moment that actually made me almost like the character. I LOVED the change in Supergirl herself. You are taking her in the direction that I would rather see than Peter David's. I'm also glad to see Blackstarr back. I remember her! The whole series was very well done so far. Keep up the great work! I loved Eclipso's return. I was suspicious that the voice was Artin of the Omega Men at first. It'll be nice having Supergirl that much closer to Hawkman! (If you need any lesser note henchmen style villains, let me know.) Keep up the great work!

Thanks, TJ. So far, people seem positive about the changes I'm making in the character so I'm very happy about that. The Midway City move will be interesting, I hope. The city has played home to both Hawkman and the Doom Patrol over the years so they're no strangers to superheroes being in their midst. I'm still uncertain as to whether or not I'll continue on past issue twelve, but until then I have lots of exciting things planned!

Everyone can reach me by writing to aric_dacia@yahoo.com

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