THE WOMAN OF STEEL. PART IV

12 December 1949, 11.54 AM

American Museum of Natural History

Metropolis

Superwoman lunged at the dinosaur with her long red cape trailing behind, striking it in the jaw, but the creature's bodily response defied all logic. Instead of flesh, its skin had the texture of some sort of hard rubber, and the area impacted by Superwoman's powerful force simply vibrated, contracted, and then returned to its original state, unharmed. "What in the world is this? How is this possible?" she wondered, unable to penetrate the Tyrannosaurus Rex's body with her x-ray vision. "Good heavens, this is not a dinosaur!" Not allowing astonishment and fear to take over, she moved away from the dinosaur and at an incredible speed, evacuated nearby people and transferred the injured to ambulances that were beginning to arrive at the avenue. The creature, moving clumsily and with evident confusion, roared while attacking the abandoned vehicles. Superwoman tried again, launching herself at it and striking, only to encounter the same elastic reaction. The creature seemed indestructible. The Woman of Steel, determined not to face another Doomsday, attempted to lift the creature to fly away and throw it into the sea. She rushed to the dinosaur's legs, only to discover, to her astonishment, that she was unable to lift it. "How is this possible? What's happening with my super strength?"

The Last Daughter of Krypton backed away towards the abandoned or wrecked vehicles in front of the Natural History Museum. Using her superhuman hearing and x-ray vision, Superwoman identified people still hiding among them. With astonishing speed, she moved them inside the Natural History Museum, where hundreds of people were already taking refuge amidst a chaos of screams. That's when she spotted the distinctive worn trench coat and green vest of Jimmy Olsen, who was riskily positioned under a car capturing images of the dinosaur. "What an Idiot! Why is he putting himself in danger?" she thought angrily. Now, the dinosaur was heading towards an, fortunately, empty Central Park. Superwoman floated towards the prehistoric beast, attempting to lift it by the tail to fly it away or at least knock it down and then attack it with her heat vision. At that moment, Jimmy emerged from his hiding spot under the car and ran to photograph the monster up close. "No! How reckless!" she mentally exclaimed. Seeing the dinosaur open its jaws and swiftly advance towards the photographer, Superwoman acted quickly, positioning herself inside the T-Rex's mouth to force it to remain open, averting the bite. The creature shook its head trying to free itself from Superwoman, who held firm, gripping onto the dinosaur's jaws.

"Jimmy, get out of here, you reckless! What are you doing?" exclaimed Superwoman from inside the dinosaur's mouth. Jimmy recognized the voice, shot a last photo, and ran away. Without releasing the dinosaur's jaw, Superwoman redirected all her heat vision into the creature's gullet. At first, the stark gummy substance that seemed to form the dinosaur's body showed no reaction to the intense heat emanating from the superheroine's eyes. The jaws filled with flames and smoke. Persistent, Superwoman continued her attack until, finally, the dinosaur's matter began to melt into a white and black liquid, similar to melted plastic. The deformed and flaming skull of the Tyrannosaurus detached, falling into a viscous puddle as it disintegrated into an amorphous shape. Yet, the body continued to move mechanically. Superwoman ascended and repeatedly plunged at high speed into the creature's body, using her heat vision on its back. Finally, it seemed to split in two and collapse. "Thank God!" But from the remains of the dinosaur, made of rubber and the strange incandescent white liquid, emerged strange black and metallic limbs, akin to spider legs or octopus tentacles. Suddenly, a black metallic humanoid figure, with a skeletal structure and a skull adorned with six luminous pink eyes, rose before her. From its body sprouted numerous serrated metallic tentacles of various thicknesses. "This is not human! And probably not Kryptonian either!".

The strange android lunged at Superwoman with intense fury, displaying a strength that nearly matched hers. From a solid blow delivered by the android's tentacles, Superwoman was knocked to the ground, crashing through several cars and the pavement until she reached the sewers. The robot followed her, positioning itself in front of her and extending its tentacles towards the superheroine. Superwoman counterattacked with her heat vision, which the android seemed to withstand as it retreated, extending its appendages. Those long, serrated limbs wrapped around her and squeezed. Although they didn't cause much pain or penetrate her skin, they managed to immobilize her. She attacked again with punches and her heat vision directed at the tentacles. The serrated metal couldn't withstand the intense heat, and the two tentacles holding her broke off from its body. Subsequently, the android ascended to the sky through the hole created by Superwoman's fall. The Maid of Might launched herself in pursuit of the hideous visitant.

She quickly caught up to the android at several thousand feet in altitude, while flying over the sea, and with several strikes made it turn around. He had a monstrous head, somewhat humanoid. An electrified skull adorned with three rows of two luminous eyes. Her X-ray vision barely allowed her to distinguish the android's components, only revealing blurred wires, liquid pouches, and a never-before-seen strange mechanism. The android, in turn, struck back with force, something Superwoman could endure, though she was surprised by the strength of its blows. From the robot's limb emerged a sharp metallic spike that was launched towards Superwoman. It tore through her suit on the right arm and deeply pierced her skin, cutting with such precision that it almost reached the bone. The heroine let out a scream of pain as blood spurted into the air. The spike seemed to absorb some of Superwoman's blood. Amid howls of pain and fury, Superwoman plunged her fingers into the android's eyes, shattering its glass lenses and trying to tear off its head. The android launched the sharp spike again, this time towards Superwoman's back, who felt as if a brutal stinger pierced her cape and embedded itself in her back. She continued to pull at the android's skull until it came off. She howled in triumph. However, in doing so, she experienced an electric shock, a sensation she had only known in battles against Zod and his weapons. She almost lost consciousness and fell towards the sea while the headless android fled through the sky at full speed.

Superwoman managed to recover her flight before touching the water, bleeding profusely from her arm and side. The skull of the android, which she had managed to tear off, had slipped from her hands. Of the android, there was no trace to be seen. Heading towards the Sun with the last breath of her strength to heal, she knew it would take hours to fully recover and that she would be left with scars. Her heart was pounding wildly. What was that creature? She was consumed by all sorts of speculation and fears. While healing, floating hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface, she prayed fervently. As soon as she regained her strength, she would head to the Fortress of Solitude and then to the White House, though something told her that probably no one would have the answers she sought and that the Maid of Might was facing something horrible and unknown again.

*** 

No one knew how it happened because no one saw anything except for brief flashes of light and wisps of smoke that vanished as quickly as they appeared, lasting no more than a couple of minutes. Everything occurred at the same time Superwoman was clashing against the mysterious Tyrannosaurus and the hidden android within it. In Tambov, USSR, an extensive plain spanning three hundred square miles vanished into thin air, leaving behind a colossal circular chasm several hundred feet deep. All the fourteen thousand souls dwelling in towns, collective farms, and industrial facilities within vanished without a trace. Across the North Atlantic, the RMS Queen Anne, along with its 2,347 passengers and crew, dissolved into nothingness. In Illinois, a vast expanse of fields, rivers, and crops stretching over five hundred square miles, home to five thousand people across a dozen communities, also dissipated, leaving behind a colossal circular void.

This baffling phenomenon repeated across seven additional areas around the globe, impacting densely populated agricultural areas in Ethiopia, the Philippines, Egypt, Brazil, Australia, Iran, and Norway. In total, 100,000 individuals, along with their homes, crops, industrial facilities, rivers, granaries, dams, temples, and vehicles, were erased from existence, replaced by immense unexplained craters. Large portions of the ocean also vanished, causing the sea level to drop by three inches worldwide. A twenty-thousand-foot mountain in the Himalayas also evaporated. Humanity would be slow to notice these details. Meanwhile, everything and everyone that had disappeared were now contained within diminutive crystal spheres that mimicked sunlight and floated in a tank of dark waters, creating a reality where their world was confined to a space of a few dozen miles, trapped in a suspended state of existence. An ancient voyager reflected on the contents of the spheres while floating semi-conscious in turquoise waters.

16 December 1949

All around the World/Batcave (Gotham)

Superwoman flew smoothly over the snow-covered fields of her Smalville's farm, reminiscing about distant times, sometimes with fondness and peace, sometimes with a slight pang of pain. She flew very low, almost gliding over the snow. She had been visiting her mother and resting for a few hours with her. Sometimes one simply needed to return home, to feel protected and loved. The last four days had been crazy. Superwoman passed by the felled tree that she had chopped down when she was sixteen. When she did it, she was not aware that perhaps she could fly. Back then, Clara could jump high and run at super speed, though sixty times less than what she would achieve years later. In those days, she actually loved those abilities; running and jumping was not like the heat vision or the X-ray vision that terrified her and caused her migraines. Being able to go anywhere in a few minutes and to jump over trees thrilled her. Her father had forbidden it for fear that a neighbor might see her. That day she felt like running and jumping; it was a spring day. Clara had the feeling and suspicion that she might glide for a few minutes and land. She succeeded for several hundred feet while laughing with joy, then lost control and crashed into the tree, splitting it in two, while in the distance she heard her father's screams. Nothing happened, the only victims of that failed flight were the tree and her glasses.

From a very young age, Clara wore glasses with a rather high prescription. The need to concentrate to see through those excessively prescribed lenses mitigated both her heat vision and X-ray vision, also alleviating the migraines these powers caused her. It was an ingenious remedy discovered by her mother. Clara smiled as her red cape glided over the snow. She had worn glasses all her life, even when, in her adolescence, she gained greater control over her abilities and no longer needed them. Perhaps it was a premonition of their future convenience or simply a facet of her identity. It was crazy how glasses and an updo could distort her appearance so much that no one would notice. But that was the case. Lucy Weiss had explained it to her when she gently and affectionately disclosed that she had known her secret identity for a long time, "To the world, Superwoman is extraordinary—unbelievable, remarkable, and simply wonderful. But to those who know Clara Kent, your essence is profoundly human, unremarkable even—and that's no flaw. You embody calm, kindness, and integrity. People struggle to grasp how someone as powerful as Superwoman can be so entirely benevolent. And it's even harder to believe that Clara Kent, who seems so ordinary, could hold such immense power. Secrecy is necessary. But those who truly know you can understand the truth, there is no contradiction". Lucy's words were sincere, but Clara had her doubts. No one had spent as much time with her as Louis Lane, except her parents, Pete Ross and Lana. No one had been as close and shared as much intimacy with Clara as Louis had. And yet, Louis could not reconcile her two identities. But that was not significant now.

Superwoman settled in the branches of a tree, in a nearby forest she knew quite well, covered by her cape. What confusing days she had lived through. She still felt pain in her arm and side, and the battle against the android had left her with scars that not even hours of sun exposure could heal. The 24 hours following the android's appearance were filled with horror, with urgent meetings at the White House and widespread panic. The huge crater in Illinois, along with the disappearance of several places around the world, including the transatlantic Queen Anne, had sown despair. The appearance of the Dinosaur and the subsequent disappearances, followed by vast circular sinkholes, were a mystery. The fear of an alien invasion spread globally. The governments of the United States and the USSR agreed on an official explanation to calm the population and prevent panic, while mobilizing their air and naval forces. According to the official version, a series of meteorites composed of ice and gas hit the Earth, creating devastating craters at an extraordinary speed, due to the unique properties of the gas, leaving Superwoman with no time to react. Humanity accepted this explanation. Governments were terrified at the possibility of another alien invasion. However, as hours passed, no new disappearances or craters were reported. The focus on the rubber Dinosaur, initially attributed to an unknown human supervillain and even to the Toyman, faded. All the missing were declared dead and vaporized. But the panic and chaos in the governments continued. An alien attack was expected at any moment.

Superwoman found herself in a deep dilemma, unable to tolerate the falsehoods perpetuated by government policies and state justifications. What actions could she take without causing mass panic or accusing the world's governments of lying? For her, the priority was always the preservation of human lives. Thus, she dedicated hours to scouring the skies of the planet and the surrounding space, in an exhaustive search for a possible invading fleet or any hostile ship. However, the only tangible thing she found were the two tentacles that she managed to tear off the android during their brief fight in the depths of Metropolis. Although Jimmy's photographs captured her fighting the Dinosaur, they did not record the encounter with the android.

Superwoman personally investigated the craters, especially those located in Illinois, Ethiopia, and Norway, concluding that they were not caused by meteorites. The wounds in the earth were precise, accompanied by anomalous burns, as if an excavating machine or a giant, burning shovel had dug into the earth, taking with it huge portions of soil. Everything pointed to an extraterrestrial intervention, but who were the perpetrators and where were they now? The analyses carried out by Kelex in the Fortress of Solitude as well as by governmental entities on the tentacles turned out to be inconclusive, as she had suspected. A minimal trace of kryptonite was detected, along with other unknown metals. Kelex speculated that it might be technology from an extremely ancient Kryptonian era, much earlier than any known record, even mentioning the legend of the city of Kandor and the concept of "Kolu". Superwoman was possibly facing an ancient mystery...

What will I have to face now? Please, God, give me strength and time! A hundred thousand lives lost, what a horror!

Just days after the incident, a growing wave of distrust toward Superwoman began to rise again. Still, she tried to remain vigilant, calm, and patient. The certainty of having decapitated the android gave her some self-confidence. But she was convinced that both the dinosaur and the android were part of a larger plan related to the mysterious sinkholes. The investigation of the dinosaur's melted rubber also yielded no definitive answers, only confirmation that it was alien matter. Soon she would have a crucial meeting with Batman, the Flash, and Aquaman, the Atlantean who had finally agreed to talk to her after the unusual disappearances. Her heart was pounding.

A noise startled her. By the tree whose branches she was swinging from, there were two small children dressed very warmly. One was about eight years old, and the other was smaller, barely five, a red-haired, freckled boy. The children looked up with wide eyes and open mouths. Superwoman smiled down at them from above and gently descended toward them.

"Good Friday, Kids! What's your name?"

The children were still too shocked to answer.

"Cat got your tongue?" Superwoman urged them with a smile.

"Our names are Freddy and Lance," the older boy replied sheepishly.

"A pleasure!" Clara blushed. Freddy had to be the son of Fred Danvers, one of her classmates...and Lance, redheaded and freckled, was the spitting image of Lana Lang. It was Pete and Lana's son!

"What are you doing here Superwoman, did someone need your help?" The shorter one overcame his shyness.

"I was just taking a walk and looking at the snow, I was on my way to Metropolis and needed to rest. Don't tell anyone you saw me! Let it be our secret!" Superwoman rose slowly as she waved goodbye, the children gawking at her.

How grown up they are now. Fred had his son shortly after I left Smalville... and Lana's son... It must be him. He looks just like his parents and is the same age and has the same name they told me. How time flies…

She soared above the clouds and headed for Gotham at super speed.

***

Superwoman crossed through the waterfall. The Batcave was secured by two wrought iron doors, which posed no challenge for her. She skillfully opened them without damaging their mechanism and entered. The main chamber was a natural cave with a heating system, illuminated by spotlights from the ceiling. Parked in the center were the Batmobile and Bruce's other inventions, such as his motorcycle, his electric glider (from which she had had to save him two or three times), and an unknown prototype under construction. A glass-encased concrete platform had been constructed with a view over the cave. There, Batman had a couple of computers similar to the Mark II, which Bruce admitted were of little use, a comprehensive radio setup with tremendous range, his archives, and a training and work area. Against the glass, she could see the silhouettes, dimmed by the light, of Bruce, Barry... and the Atlantean with his trident. Superwoman made somewhat nervously her way into the room.

"Acting like she owns the place, huh, Bruce?" Flash attempted to jest with Batman, who offered no reply.

Superwoman entered the room. Her face bore signs of fatigue, and her blue eyes expressed sadness. She brought with her a strange and thick metal tentacle, from which several unusual cables protruded, made more of a synthetic or organic material than of metal. Superwoman tossed the arm into the midst of the trio. Bruce and Flash were clad in their superhero suits, while Arthur Curry contrasted in jeans and a thick sailor sweater, though he wielded his massive golden trident. His eyes sparkled when they met Clara's, giving her a challenging look. Superwoman couldn't deny that he was a very attractive man.

"Nice to see you, Clara, thanks for coming." Batman tried to sound friendly.

"A thousand thanks for everything, Clara." Flash apostrophized awkwardly. The Atlantean was silent.

Superwoman smiled sheepishly at them. "This is a tentacle from the thing that attacked me. I tore two from it. One is in the possession of the government. The other I kept... and here it is. Both Kelex and the government have concluded that these are not earthly materials. They hurt me, but they're not Kryptonite... It's clear we're dealing with something extraterrestrial."

Bruce knelt over the tentacle. It was too heavy for him, but he picked up some samples of the strange organic wiring.

"This is very strange technology..." Bruce said questioningly.

"Clara, where do you think the dinosaur came from?" Barry countered.

"I have no idea. Maybe these things can, I don't know…falsely replicate life forms using some kind of wax or synthetic material. I don't really know... I think they used it as a distraction to lure me in, to entertain me while...they did whatever it was they were doing with the peoples and places that disappeared."

Bruce nodded and spread out a map on the table with a series of flags in Tambov, Illinois, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Norway....

"On this map, I have meticulously cataloged all locations affected by the anomalous events characterized by evaporation or unusual soil extraction. These sites are characterized by their agricultural nature, although they also have communications and technology infrastructure, as well as a moderate industrial presence. However, they are located in the peripheral areas of their respective countries, far from urban centers and military installations. Barry has been able to make expeditions to several of these sites, taking precise measurements and documenting them through photography. Clara, you have also contributed to this effort. I have not personally inspected the craters, but based on the photographic evidence and your reports, the phenomena observed do not appear to correspond to craters created by conventional explosions or a meteor crash. The cuts in the surface are remarkably clean and as deep as 1,000 feet, suggesting non-mechanical intervention, probably through the use of advanced laser technology. But, at present, it is difficult to determine whether these sites have been vaporized or whether the ground has been selectively mined."

Clara nodded with poorly concealed anguish. The Atlantean continued to stare at her with sparkling eyes without opening his mouth. Flash began to walk around as he pondered aloud.

"There is a fascinating novel by Jules Verne called "Hector Servadac", maybe you have read it. Since my childhood, and even as an adult, it has fascinated me deeply. It tells a peculiar story: a comet, endowed with significant gravitational force, passes close enough to the Earth for its gravity to tear off fragments of the land surface of the Mediterranean, including some coastlines, parts of Spain and Algeria, and even a fort in Gibraltar. As a result, the comet's surface is transformed into a new world, a miniature version of Earth, populated by the pieces of surface it has captured. A community of humans who accidentally find themselves there manage to survive for an extended period of time. Although it may seem far removed from our reality, what if our "visitors" had used a similar technique? Let's imagine that they have some kind of gravitational or laser weapon capable of accurately carving out portions of the Earth's surface. I cannot begin to speculate about their motives. Why would they choose to vaporize large areas of land? If their intent was to destroy, they could have chosen cities, military bases, ports.... But they chose fertile plains, densely populated areas with some industrial presence, which is puzzling. And let's not forget the ocean liner, a technological marvel that represents a microcosm of human society."

"And why would they do that?" Clara inquired grimly.

"It can be an experiment, Clara. It's possible they're aiming to deepen their understanding of us, delving into the technologies and cultures at their fingertips. They might have believed our urban centers were heavily protected, identifying these locations as optimal for both cultural richness and relatively isolation, making them prime targets for acquisition...and they presented a fairly accurate and varied depiction of humanity. Maybe they're interested in creating a human preserve. To observe the responses of those they've captured...and to analyze our collective response." Bruce answered.

"They've taken the sea," the Atlantean spoke for the first time in a dry, hostile voice.

"Excuse me?" Bruce made a gesture of deference that the Atlantean seemed to ignore.

" Large chunks have been taken from the sea. From all the oceans. We've been able to detect it. And they've taken one of our underwater cities, nearly eight thousand souls. In the South Atlantic. Many hundreds of square miles of seabed have disappeared there, leaving a crater as well. That is why I came. Otherwise, I would never have come here," Arthur Curry tapped the ground twice with his trident, as if to end his speech.

Clara sighed, "Mr. Curry..." but her voice was drowned out by Aquaman's hostile glare.

Bruce continued instead.

"There's nothing in space—at least, nothing that emits signals we can detect, and nothing Clara has observed in the skies or near Earth. Either they possess the ability to "space hop," visiting us and then vanishing far away, or they're already here on Earth, hiding somewhere."

"Clara... do you have any idea who that could be?" Barry asked her uneasily.

Superwoman was sitting in one of Bruce's Bauhaus chairs, her cape wrapped around her, looking down sadly.

"From what I know, which, as you know, is limited.... Krypton went through numerous wars and genocides, resulting in the loss of a great deal of information. Though there are countless inhabited worlds, late Krypton only maintained relations or knew of civilizations on a few planets: Thanagar, Apokolips, and another whose name could be translated as New Genesis. All of them were colonies of Krypton in ancient times. They had advanced technology, although their space travel capabilities were quite limited. I don't think they could have made it this far. Maybe we are dealing with a civilization we have never met before. There is a legend in my family, stored in the database of my trusty robot, Kelex. The House of El originated in a city called Kandor, located in an oasis known as the Garden of Krypton. Six millennia before Krypton's demise, Kandor simply disappeared, along with its province, leaving behind a vast crater. A fate sadly reminiscent of what happened four days ago. The Grand Council of Krypton decided to forbid any mention of the event, but the surviving members of the House of El, who were not in the city at the time, preserved its memory. According to our tradition, an entity known as "Kolu" was responsible for the disappearance of Kandor."

"A what?" Flash asked.

Superwoman raised her head, "A Kolu. Its nature is unknown to me. The closest human term would be 'demon,' but without the supernatural connotations. In Kryptonian culture, a Kolu referred to technological remnants of a primordial and mysterious era of Krypton, or to Kryptonian colonists who returned to Krypton with nefarious intentions after being greatly distanced in time and space. We could call it an alien entity or a technological creation from the past, dedicated to sowing chaos. It's a difficult concept to grasp. In the last days of Krypton, the figure of Kolu was considered mere superstition, and unfortunately, Kelex has no further information about it..."

"How strange, you Kryptonians have always mixed with evil," Aquaman raised his voice harshly. Strange electric sparks flew from his trident.

"Arthur, please..." Bruce approached the Atlantean conciliatorily.

"Easy, Bat-man, I have no intention of doing anything except in self-defense. I know I am a guest here. I have been sent by the Council of New Atlantis and the Seven Cities because of the disappearance of our countrymen and because it seems obvious that we are under threat. I would like to know if this is a real threat or the umpteenth perverted Kryptonian lie..."

Clara cut him off with a firm but emotional tone, "Mr. Curry, I'm as human as you are. I grew up in a small town in Kansas, this place is my home. I work at a newspaper where I put my heart into every word I write. I love my mother unconditionally, as you would love your father, and my heart fully belongs to a man, a human who has no superpowers. I live my life surrounded by humans, praying to their God, speaking their language, and doing my part to make this world a better place. I have never known any other place but this one, nor have I ever wanted to be a part of any other world. The mistakes of Krypton, the place I originally came from, are not mine. That planet no longer exists. My parents knew what happened there and wanted something different for me: a new life here on Earth, to grow up and live as a human. This is my life. Even though my roots are in the stars, my life, my love and my dreams are here, on Earth. This is where I want to be, this is where I feel at home. On Krypton, there were also decent and luminous traditions and sagas that fought against injustice and barbarism. This is what the symbol I wear on my chest represents. They lost their wars, but I carry their hopes. In short, despite my origins, I am one of you, fully human in all that that means." Bruce and Flash were shaken by Clara's brief defense, but the Atlantean was unfazed.

"What a beautiful story! You Kryptonians have been true architects of deception and manipulation. In ancient times, as it suited your interests, you presented yourselves as refugees, as creators and masters, or as brothers. You deceived ancestral civilizations in order to subjugate them. At times, you provided us with significant aid and extended periods of peace, presumably because our existence in large numbers and with advanced technology served your purposes. However, as our population grew and we began to resemble you more in both abilities and shortcomings, evil overcame you and you decided to destroy us. You reduced our cities to rubble, and others to the depths of the sea. You turned Atlantis into a block of ice and unleashed catastrophic floods. The fertile paradises you left untouched became inhospitable deserts like the Sahara. You tried to exterminate us, but you failed. Nothing tells me this isn't some elaborate Kryptonian plot to screw us again."

"There is no grand plan—there is only me. And I have no desire to dominate anyone. My only wish is to live and help, just like you. It was I who repelled and destroyed the last of the Kryptonians, the ones who arrived over three years ago, intent on wiping out humanity. I was the one who ended the Kryptonian threat. I did it out of love for this world, to protect Earth." Clara spoke these words with a mixture of emotion and pain, but without letting go of her determination and authority.

"This can be a tale. All of it." The Atlantean turned to Batman and Flash, "Dear little men in costume, no offense. It's clear we're up against something terrible. Something is going to hurt us and screw us up good. I don't know if it has anything to do with the pretty blue-eyed, red-capped demon, but either we keep an eye on her or we don't know what's going to happen. I'm willing to work with you as long as you agree to a test of honor, and we keep an eye on this creature who is so eager for us to help her."

"What test of honor?" Flash asked doubtfully.

"You can move pretty fast, can't you? More than that little devil in red and blue. Or at least that's what you were bragging about before she arrived. It's simple, I'm going to give you a kryptonite stiletto to carry with you at all times. At the speed you're moving, if the Kryptonian turns out to be an enemy, it won't be hard for you to stick it in her. And you... Batman, this woman would disintegrate you at the snap of two fingers, turning your little teeth into coal and then diamonds. Just in case, I'll give you a kryptonite dagger if you ever get the chance. We have a small arsenal of ancient Kryptonite weapons, just daggers and stilettos, but they're worth it. They have pierced the hearts of many an invader. This trident is made of an alloy of gold, platinum, kryptonite and palladium. I hope I don't have to use it on a Kryptonian, but if I do, my pulse won't quicken. Besides, if she wants to work with us, she will be forced to work very close to these objects that do her no good and are poisonous... Do you accept? If not, I will leave... I need these guarantees to work with all of you."

Clara could see Bruce furious behind the mask and Flash stunned, but she stepped forward.

"I don't mind. I'm fine with it. I think we need you; the world needs your abilities. I'm not guilty of the sins of my birth planet, but if that's what you want to help us with whatever comes next, that's fine with me. Maybe then you'll understand who I am and why I do what I do."

"Well, well, determined to go all the way," the Atlantean glared at her with contempt and a half laugh, then turned to Batman, "Batman, you are an excellent host. In a few weeks I will bring you the dagger and the stiletto. Consider it both a gift from New Atlantis and life insurance. To be honest, I don't think any of us have a clue what's going on, and I'm pretty upset. I'm going to go upstairs and ask that nice English uncle of yours to fix me a leg of lamb or a veal in whiskey. Have a good time with the blue-eyed devil." With his back turned, Arthur Curry climbed the metal stairs built into a cave passageway that led to Wayne Manor.

Clara looked at Bruce sadly, then laughed softly, "He's staying at your house?"

"Yes, he's my guest."

"How is he?"

"He's kind, although he doesn't look it. And very intelligent. I think we need him, if only to better understand Earth's past and to have an ambassador to the Atlanteans. And I think we've made progress. He's gone from plotting your death to agreeing to work with us. Are you really willing to work with us if we're carrying Kryptonite weapons?"

"If they are metal alloys the size of daggers, they can hurt me if you stab me, which I don't think you will, but it would take months for them to poison me or for their radiation to really hurt me. If they are pure Kryptonite in their crystalline form is another matter. Mere exposure to a small crystal is toxic to me, but I hope them to be metal alloy. I need Arturo Curry to trust me and see that I am not a threat. That I'm willing to put my life on the line."

Bruce smiled slightly as Flash went back to inspecting the piece of tentacle, "And what shall we do with this thing?"

Bruce spoke seriously and confidently, but with a tone of trepidation. "Wait, there's nothing else we can do. Right now, they're using surprise. They know Clara is the most powerful and wonderful being on Earth and that's why they tested her with the android and the dinosaur while they did whatever they did with what's gone. We must wait. Eventually they will have to show themselves, and we must be ready. Clara can't do it alone. I don't think they'll move as fast as you, Flash...and we need someone to cover the sea and maybe share some secret or ancient technology with us when the time comes."

"Thank you very much. I think we make a good team. Without Flash, thousands of people would have died when Doomsday attacked New York... and without Bruce, I would have gone insane long ago, and the League of Assassins would have blown up Gotham." Clara said proudly.

"And we, and everyone on Earth, owe you our lives, Clara," Flash told her with an admiring tone.

Clara blushed and looked away.

Bruce countered somberly "Let's remain hopeful that we can face this trial, whatever it entails. It appears that governments are navigating without clear direction. I've come across discussions among UN diplomats indicating that there's a belief among the Russians that these craters might stem from a collaborative experiment involving our government and Superwoman. There's no assurance that, whether extraterrestrial invaders appear or not, our governments will refrain from resorting to nuclear weapons indiscriminately,".

"We'll prevent that," Clara countered with renewed confidence.

"I'd like to stay with you, but I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere," Flash said, shaking his head.

"You go ahead Barry; I'll be right there. Whistle if you need me," Clara laughed as the scarlet speedster disappeared. Bruce and Clara were left alone.

Coquettishly, Clara walked over to Bruce and gently pinched his cheek.

"How are you, my dear Bat?"

"How are you, Clara?"

"An hour and a half ago I was in despair, but I don't know why I'm so hopeful now."

"You're an easy optimist."

"After all, I am optimistic by nature. Hope, along with kindness, is the best virtue to cultivate."

"We will help you in any way we can."

"We will help each other as we help others."

Bruce half smiled and sat back.

"I'm sorry to be a conduit for bad news or further complications. I know this is extremely serious... but we can't forget about the Toyman."

"No..."

"I listened to Kelex's translation of the three-hour tape of Zatanna Kzatara and the priest. Were you able to listen to it?"

"Not really..."

"Although I lack the words for a full translation, I will find a way to explain it. It is a whirlwind of ideas, a dialogue that mixes the religious with the esoteric in a bewildering way. In one part they praise Bulgarian saints and virgins; in another they discuss demons in an unconventional way. They name entities that I assume are demons in their culture, names I've never heard before, but they don't see them as an immediate threat. The real concern seems to be the actions of certain people who are trying to get close to these demons. They speak of portals and alternate dimensions... I could dismiss it as fantasy, but given our experience, Clara, we are no longer in a position to deny the possibility of anything. After all we have witnessed and considering that you are a woman with the ability to fly, my dear, this dialog, incomprehensible and alarming as it is, cannot be so easily ignored. Zatanna wanted to focus on preventing people from "crossing over". Both to prevent this people from doing evil to cross over, and to prevent the infiltration of demons here. It may sound delusional, but they revealed some fascinating details. Selena, the woman who blew up her house with Zatanna's father inside, kidnapped him because he apparently had the "perception necessary to open portals". According to Zatanna, both her father and Selena are now on the "other side," and she intends to cross over with no ill intentions, with the goal of rescuing her father and closing those portals. ...."

Clara paled completely, "What do you think? What if this has something to do with what happened these days?"

"I don't think so. It could all be a complete delusion, a shared madness or a religious cult. I don't believe in magic. Now I'm forced to believe in miraculous technologies, superpowers or aliens. I don't see any connection between a Bulgarian sorceress and an Orthodox father, with an alien invasion. But they mentioned something that concerns you."

"Please, tell me."

"Selena, the infamous lady who blew up her own house and apparently kidnapped Zatanna's father...Despite claims of having transitioned to a more enigmatic realm, she's recognized as a confidante and mentor to Dr. Quinzel. Zatanna revealed that Dr. Quinzel is employing a deranged felon to execute a significant human sacrifice, aiming to transcend to this other dimension. I think they refer to the Toyman. This situation is bewildering. It appears we might be confronting a cult akin to the League of Assassins, poised to initiate a terroristic onslaught."

Clara jumped to her feet and spread her cape.

"I need to find them as soon as possible," she said determinedly. Superwoman kissed Bruce on the helmet and disappeared at super speed.

Metropolis

Later, same day

"Please don't!"

"Don't worry, ma'am, I have a good grip on you."

"Please, let's go down very slowly."

"Calm down, I've got you. We'll go down really slowly. Don't worry, close your eyes."

Superwoman smiled at the old woman clinging to her neck and slowly descended the five stories to the ground. Waiting for her below were other neighbors she had rescued from the smoke leak and firefighters.

"Oh! The canary! The canary!" The old woman whimpered, remembering her bird.

"I'll bring it to you right away!" Superwoman took off again and flew in through the old woman's window. The house was already filled with smoke. She soon found the cage with the bird, who was hopping from side to side in distress, "Don't worry, little birdie, I'll take you to your owner in no time". Superwoman carefully flew back and handed the cage to the owner. The rescued neighbors and firefighters applauded. The superheroine approached the fire chief.

"The building is full of smoke, I'll help you clear it out a bit, but I don't think I can do much..."

Clearing a building of smoke was not like putting out a fire with her cooling breath, nor was it like dispersing a storm or a cloud of smog by whirling her body around. She shouldn't damage people's belongings or the building. The only thing she could think of was to blow through all the windows and stairwells with moderate force at super speed. She managed to clear the building of some smoke. One of the firemen yelled at her, "That's enough, Miss Superwoman! Don't worry, we'll take care of the rest!" She smiled and took off into the sky, only to land in an alley a few hundred feet away. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the cloth bag containing her clothes, shoes and purse from a windowsill and dressed as Clara Kent at super speed. She then carefully folded the bag and placed it in her purse. As she did so, she made sure to tuck her cape under her shirt so that it was well hidden, and no one would notice that she was wearing it underneath. Within seconds she was in the coffee shop where she had arranged to meet Lucy, Jimmy and Roberta.

Lucy had spent three months in South America doing a series of reports. Just before she left, she and Jimmy had gently and warmly revealed to her that they were aware of her secret identity. After nearly four years of sharing their daily lives, it was inevitable. Each in their own way: Lucy, with serenity and admiration, confessed that she had known for a long time but had only recently dared to verbalize it. To her, Clara was undeniably Superwoman, and that brought her more relief than anything else. Lucy held Clara in the highest regard and vowed to be her pillar of unwavering support, whether it was discussing her superheroic responsibilities or never mentioning them again. To Lucy, Clara and Superwoman were one and the same; the duality seemed natural to her. Clara was deeply moved, though she asked to maintain her usual ordinariness, longing for a life away from her red cape, even though she always carried it with her.

Jimmy's reaction was different, but just as touching for Clara. The photographer struggled to express his discovery and his emotions, feeling both excited and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the secret. For him, the revelation was a surprise, but the pieces fell into place and he accepted it naturally. His vision contrasted with Louis': where Louis saw Superwoman as an entity that disintegrated Clara Kent, transforming her into an all-powerful alien with no other facet, Jimmy saw the heroic figure fade away, leaving only Clara performing extraordinary acts from time to time. Determined to keep the secret, Jimmy asked to speak no more of the matter, showing unexpected discipline for someone who was often thought to be very giddy.

Lucy rose and embraced her.

"My dear Clara, did you miss me?"

Clara took her hand, "Very much, Lucy."

"I see you took care of that idiot," Lucy pointed tenderly at Jimmy.

"I'm really mad at you, Jimmy," Clara said rather dryly.

Roberta gave a questioning look, but Jimmy ignored Clara's sentence and raised his glass, "We're here to perv on your apprentice."

"Roberta! I hope you are not drinking alcohol!" Clara asked in surprise.

Roberta raised her glass with a laugh, "Relax Miss Kent, it's just malted milk!"

Clara and Lucy sat down. Lucy looked sympathetically at Roberta, "The girl told us a bit about your progress with the Toyman and what happened with the Klan, which I didn't know!"

"I don't want to tell the story anymore; everyone will say I'm monothematic!" Roberta said happily.

"You went to school today, didn't you? I hope you only came to the Planet for the afternoon." Clara replied, winking at her.

"Don't worry Miss Kent, my parents have already told me that if I skip another class, they won't let me come back here."

"And they're right!" Clara said, feigning seriousness.

"Do you see Clara, Roberta? I think she skipped a lot of classes in school," Jimmy joked.

"I only skipped them when I had to help out on the farm!"

"Do picture Clara as a farmer, Roberta?" Lucy said in a funny tone.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do," they all laughed. Clara felt happy, she seemed to forget for a few seconds the threats that hung over them all and the hundred thousand lost lives, but the looming doom immediately came back like a stab of pain. She longed to cling to the table and stay with her friends and Roberta for hours.

"Roberta also told us about her plans for college..."

"Have you decided where to apply? Have you looked into scholarships? I think Louis can help you a lot with that..." Clara's memory flew back to her never started college studies, but she didn't feel melancholy about it.

"I'd like to stay in Metropolis, try to get into Literature at Columbia, Metropolis Central or NYU."

"Now you want to study Literature?" Clara said questioningly while adjusting her round big horn-rimmed eyeglasses.

Lucy gave her a mischievous look, "It's just that we told her that Literature is where students have the least to study and where she'll have the most time to be a journalist."

Clara pretended to look worried and then laughed along with the three of them.

*** 

An hour later, as darkness fell, Superwoman soared through the sky above the towering skyscrapers of Metropolis. She had a stop to make at the Planet to pick up her belongings, yet the pressing issue with the Toyman couldn't be neglected. She needed to confront Sylvia Zelag, the Toyman's ex-secretary, in her Superwoman guise to extract any details about Sebastian, suspecting him of being a blackmail target by the Toyman. As she flew low over the iconic gilded sphere atop the Planet building, her heart leapt at the sight of Louis on the roof, enjoying a cigarette. She remembered the many encounters they had shared there, feeling them like memories from another life. Superwoman lingered in the air, gazing wistfully at Louis, who, unaware of her presence, did not look up. Superwoman longed to share with him the difficult moments of the past four days and to warn him of the dangers that loomed over them. When Louis glanced upwards, noticing her from afar, she refrained from using her telescopic vision to discern his look. Though she was aware that she had revealed her love for a man to a hostile Aquaman, the very man who was now only a few feet away, she decided that she could not go on like this. It was time to move on and learn from the situation. With that determination, Superwoman soared at great speed and disappeared into the night sky. One day, hopefully, God willing...or not.

Sentinell Hill

Two trucks were waiting outside in the freezing rain. Dr. Quinzel, now dressed as a normal woman, was standing under an umbrella, giving orders to some strange-looking men to load boxes with soon-to-be deadly contents onto the trucks. Sebastian shivered…Why do they need me? Why don't they leave me alone? They were going to force him to prepare these terrible devices to take innocent lives. The explanations Dr. Quinzel had given were too terrifying and hateful to be true. Winslow seemed to be consumed with rage and the excitement of revenge. Sebastian no longer felt sadness and compassion for Winslow, feelings the Toyman had exploited so often. He felt horror for Dr. Quinzel, but only disgust and contempt for Winslow. I had an idea, very risky, I don't know how to make it work, but I had to try. Maybe it could save lives!

Why couldn't Superwoman, with all her wonderful superpowers, find them? Why didn't she show up and stop them? How was it possible that the police weren't investigating him? He needed a way out and some time. Sebastian didn't know where they were taking him. He knew Winslow and Dr.Quinzel wanted to do these terrible things before Christmas. Maybe it was too late. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he wiped them away in anger. Winslow and Dr. Quinzel would pay for their crimes, he would find a way.

Dr. Quinzel and Winslow had locked Sebastian in his room until they decided to get him out. Deprived of paper, pencil, pen, or any means to communicate, he was left to ponder grim possibilities: What if he died? What if his fate remained a mystery? What if Superwoman and the police searched the house and found no trace of his ordeal? Driven by desperation, he seized a lamp, one of the few items left at his disposal, and began to strike it against the wooden bed frame until he was able to break off a sharp sliver of wood. With this makeshift tool, he repeatedly pierced his own leg, enduring the pain as blood flowed. Dipping the splinter into his blood, he started to mark the wall with dots and dashes, forming messages in Morse code—a language he knew well and could use without reference.

As the pain in his leg intensified, he continued to inscribe dots and dashes on a section of the wall obscured by the bed. After concealing his message with the bed, he used his blood to draw a small arrow pointing towards it, in the hope that someday, someone would discover it. To conceal his actions, he cleaned the blood from his skin with a blanket and tightly wrapped a pillowcase around his leg to avoid detection. Then, sitting on the suitcase, he waited for Winslow or Dr. Quinzel to come for him and take him away... but to where?

.--. .-.. . .- ... . .... .... . .-.. .--. -.-.-- .. .----. -- .... ... . -... .- ... - .. .- -. .-.-.- .... .. .----. -- .... .. -. --- -.-. . -. - . ...- .. .-.. .... - --- -.-- -- .- -. .... .- -. -.. .... .-- ...- .. .-.. .... -.. .-. .-.-.- .... --.- ..- .. -. --.. . .-.. .... .--. .-. . .--. .- .-. .. -. --. .... .... --- .-. .-. .. -... .-.. . .... -.. .. ... .- ... - . .-. .... . .-.. .--. .... -- . .-.-.- -- . - .-. --- .--. --- .-.. .. ... .... .. -. .... -.. .- -. --. . .-. .-.-.-

***

While feeding her cat in her room, Sylvia Zelag lit yet another cigarette, a routine that had become all too familiar. The sudden ring of the phone sent a jolt of horror through her; she anticipated the return of a dreadful voice from her past. To Mrs. Zelag relief, it was not the Toyman, it was only her niece, calling to reschedule the family dinner. Comforted, Sylvia settled back into her armchair with a travel book. Her love for mystery novels had been overshadowed by anxiety since the Toyman's escape and the recent spate of bizarre, fatal meteor blasts worldwide. Now, she sought solace in the mundane—a tedious travel guide to Samoa and Hawaii, which swiftly ushered her into sleep.

Within her dreams, a persistent knocking and a soft voice calling, "Mrs. Zelag! Mrs. Zelag!" transported her back to her childhood, though her cat remained by her side. Abruptly, she felt a gentle shake and awoke with a start, her heart racing. Confusion reigned—was she mad, dead, or still ensnared in a dream? Before her stood Superwoman, gazing down with a friendly expression through striking blue eyes. It seemed beyond belief. The window was open…

"Forgive me for barging in, ma'am. You were really asleep and couldn't hear me. I asked you from the window to open it for me. I'm sure you'll forgive my boldness, it's a matter of vital importance," the woman in the red cape said kindly.

"What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" Mrs. Zelag gasped.

Superwoman gave her a sad smile as she petted the cat.

"Sorry to bother you, I'm really sorry. Let's say I have contacts in the press. Some people are investigating Winslow Schott's entourage and who might be harboring him. We need your help..."

"No, no..." Sylvia Zelag turned around with tears in her eyes.

"Please Mrs. Zelag... someone is hiding Winslow. He may be endangering many lives."

"Who? I don't know anyone!"

"Someone thought that...well, he might take advantage of Mr. Sebastian again."

Mrs. Zelag burst into tears, Superwoman comforted her and tried to hug her, but the woman pushed her back.

"Please, Mrs. Zelag, I understand that Sebastian is a decent person who struggles to blend in. He's exactly the kind of individual Winslow Schott would target. You're aware of his address, I'm sure. All I wish for is to check on him, to ensure his well-being and that Schott isn't present. It would be far better for me to undertake this visit than for the police or journalists. I promise to approach the situation with kindness and discretion. If I find that everything appears normal, I won't even bring up Winslow. I swear. I'm aware of your fondness for him and your wish to keep the police and reporters at bay."

Sylvia Zelag calmed down, the woman in the red cape seemed sincere. She had always done good. She would protect Sebastian. Sylvia trusted her despite the wave of grief and fear that washed over her.

"Please protect him and make sure he's okay... I'll write down the address for you now. He lives in a small town in Miskatonic..."

Superwoman smiled at her and nodded silently.

Moscow

Colonel Melkov was yanked from his bed. Initially, he thought he'd been purged again. Seeing the uniformed men around his bed, he thought, "That's it, game over. This is the end of Melkov." He even felt an urge to confess he was Grezinsky while laughing. But that moment was fleeting. The uniformed men stood at attention before him.

"My Colonel, our deepest apologies for waking you. You are urgently needed at the Center. Matter of utmost urgency."

Relieved, he dressed and followed them, though not without suspicion. They were young officers from the Foreign Intelligence Center. Expecting a bullet at any moment, instead, he was escorted to the Center and treated with the utmost respect as they opened the car door for him. Melkov ascended the stairs briskly, until he found himself in front of his office, facing Colonel Zhirovsky, his second-in-command, who looked utterly distressed.

"What's happening, Zhirovsky?"

"A message from Ballerina, from Metropolis. It's marked with a red label. That means it must be transmitted immediately to the General Secretary's Chancellery without being read by us first, and we must present ourselves to the Comrade General Secretary for its reading."

Melkov's legs trembled, "Well, I fear Ballerina has uncovered Superwoman's secret identity...and it's marked with a red label because she doesn't trust me," he sighed inwardly. Now, he had to face Stalin as he read Ballerina's message.