DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine. This story's villian (er, villianess) was loosely based on a villian in the Animated Series called Live Wire. She is not mine, the characters are not mine - just the story idea is mine. Please don't sue! I'm just a poor college student!
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Supergirl heard the alarms and saw the people evacuating long before she landed at the entrance to Metropolis Light and Power. She hurried in and ran at super speed through the maze of corridors to the main generators. She stopped when she saw Traci standing in front of them.
“It’s over, Traci,” she said.
Traci turned around. She glared at the young woman. “Stand back, Stupidgirl. It’s your fault I’m like this! Yours and Stupidman’s.”
“It was an accident,” Supergirl replied, edging closer. “I wasn’t there that night, and Superman had no way of knowing that was going to happen.”
“Liar! You two think you’re better than everyone because you have those superpowers, but you’re wrong! You’re not the only person in Metropolis with superpowers anymore!” Traci reached out for two high-voltage power cables.
“No!” Supergirl shouted as she rushed over to the other woman. She put her hands on her shoulders just as Traci touched the cables. Electricity surged through the two bodies, and Supergirl was thrown back. Her hair and her costume were smoking, the edges of her cape smoldering as she slowly sat up, stunned. She looked over at Traci as she heard the screaming and slowly got to her feet. Superman landed beside her and stopped her from advancing on Traci, but Supergirl struggled.
“We have to help her!” she shouted at her cousin.
Superman kept her back and turned to the generator. He focused his vision on the cables just above where Traci was holding them. Two beams of heat shot from his eyes and melted the cable, breaking the connection. Traci collapsed to the floor, her eyes closed, unmoving.
Supergirl broke free of her cousin’s grasp and hurried over, kneeling beside the other woman. She listened for a heartbeat and breathing, but there was nothing. “She’s dead,” she whispered.
Superman came over as his cousin got to her feet. She turned around to face him, and he could see her on the verge of crying. Without warning, she threw herself at him, crying onto his shoulder. He just held her as she sobbed.
“I couldn’t save her!” she cried. “I’m sorry!”
“I’m not mad,” Superman said softly. “You did everything you could to save her.” He pulled back and looked down at her. “And you did what you said you were going to do. You didn’t do anything until she tried something. That’s all you could have done.”
“She hated us just because she thought we were better than everyone because we had powers, but we aren’t better.” Supergirl looked up. “Are we?”
“No, we’re just different,” Superman answered. “Just trying to do out best to fit in. Live as normally as everyone else.”
Supergirl hung her head. “Not for me.” She sighed. “Maybe it’s best if I stay with your parents.”
“But this is your home, Linda.”
“I’m not her,” Supergirl replied harshly. “I can never be her. Let’s just face the fact that I can never have the life that you have. I’ll just be Supergirl.”
“No, you won’t,” Superman replied. “You’re going to move out and get your own place, and you’re going to work at the Planet as Perry’s assistant.”
Supergirl looked at him confused. “I thought you said I couldn’t.”
Superman smiled. “You were right, Linda. You have to live your own life. I don’t want to hold you back and have you resent me.” He shrugged. “Besides, you’ve shown that you can be trusted on your own.”
“So, I can go flying in electrical storms?” Supergirl asked.
“Don’t push your luck,” Superman replied. The two heroes glanced over as some police officers and paramedics came hurrying over. The paramedics went over to tend to Traci while the officers came to talk with the heroes; the two shared a private look before switching back to hero mode and filling the officers in on what happened.
(End of Chapter 9)
