by Lisa Yee
“Watch out!” Supergirl yelled just as Giganta was about to crush Bumblebee.
With less than an inch to spare, Bumblebee swooped away. Wonder Woman tended to the civilians on the street, who were now panicking. It was up to Supergirl to contain Giganta.
Supergirl slowly rose and focused on the streetlight in Giganta’s massive hand. She took a deep breath and stared intently at her target. Her heat vision beams shot out directly on the streetlight….
Cheetah, who had been clearing the streets of abandoned cars so the emergency vehicles could enter, sneered. “You sure you got this, Supergirl? Remember what happened to your buddy Dinosaur Boy!”
Supergirl winced. That was all it took. The beam from her eyes went a few centimeters off course, and before she could correct herself and hit Giganta’s streetlight, the huge woman yanked it out of the ray’s mighty path. It was too late to stop the ray as it hit the window of a skyscraper behind her. From there, the heat ray ricocheted off the building and headed straight toward Bumblebee, who was hovering near Giganta, about to release a second stinger blast.
Supergirl gasped in horror as her heat ray nicked Bumblebee’s leg. Bumblebee’s scream echoed as she did a dizzying fall before turning big and landing hard on the pavement.
In a panic, Supergirl flew to her friend’s side. Bumblebee’s face was contorted in pain, and she was clinging to her leg where she’d been hit. Supergirl knelt next to her to comfort her.
“I’m okay,” Bumblebee said bravely. One of her wings was bent. She couldn’t hide her grimace. “It’s not too bad.”
Cheetah materialized with a first-aid kit and tended to her wound. “Supergirl,” she said, “maybe you should leave the super hero–ing to the pros and everyone would be safer.”
Supergirl was crushed. This was all her fault. She wasn’t helping the cause. She was hurting it…and her friends. Behind them, Giganta ramped up her rampage. Supergirl looked up to see Harley and a pack of Supers rushing to help Bumblebee. “Give her some room to breathe!” Supergirl said, flinging her arms back.
“Oof!” Wonder Woman cried. Supergirl had accidentally whacked her, sending her flying thirty feet backward and crashing into a billboard advertising Safe-T First Collision Insurance.
“See? Even Wonder Woman would be safer without you,” Cheetah sniped as she tore the cloth bandage with her teeth. Katana helped Bumblebee limp to safety as Poison Ivy checked on Wonder Woman, who was only slightly dazed. Harley turned her camera back to Giganta.
Enraged, Giganta was now so big that when she grinned at the office workers on the ninth floor of the adjoining building, they all flung themselves to the floor and cowered under their desks.
“Do something, Supergirl!” someone called out. “Help us!”
Supergirl couldn’t move. Her brain told her to fly, to use her powers, to do something, anything, but her body was frozen.
“Don’t worry, Supergirl. I got this,” Cheetah said, motioning to a group of Supers. “Follow me, everyone!” she ordered as she raced toward danger with lightning speed.
With Cheetah at the helm, the Supers proceeded to take Giganta down in spectacular fashion.
Too rattled to join in, Supergirl watched the chaos around her as if she were a mere spectator or someone tuning in to “Harley’s Quinntessentials”. Finally, she shook her head in defeat. “You’ll be safer without me,” Supergirl murmured as she flew away, leaving her fellow students to fight the battle.
It was no surprise that Harley’s video was at the top of the TV and Internet news cycle. As Lois Lane reported in her article, “Capturing Giganta was a spectacular team effort, led in no small part by Cheetah.”
The Quinntessentials exclusive had captured it all, including a “biggest hits” section featuring battle scenes, plus cutaways of Supergirl accidentally harming her friend and then fleeing the scene. Though this had happened days earlier, Supergirl was still feeling the embarrassment, especially since Cheetah and Star Sapphire were pouring on the snide remarks.
“Supergirl, forget how to fight?”
“I like your coward! Oh, I mean, courage!”
“If you’re a team player, which team are you on? Theirs?”
Supergirl wished she didn’t have to go to school. She wished she could just stay in bed and hide.
“Rise and shine, lazybones!” Bumblebee called. “We’ve got a test today!”
A test. That was the last thing Supergirl needed.
As she approached class, Supergirl saw Miss Martian. She was appearing and disappearing as she made her way down the hall.
“Hi, Supergirl,” she said shyly. “I’m sorry you’re so sad.”
There was no hiding anything from Miss Martian.
“Yes, well. You know,” Supergirl said.
Miss Martian nodded. “I do know,” she replied. “And so do you.”
“What do I know?” Supergirl asked. But by then, Miss Martian had disappeared again.
Supergirl kept wondering what Miss Martian had meant. What was she supposed to know? What was she supposed to do? As Supergirl ventured outside there were students everywhere working out in pairs, in groups, and individually. Poison Ivy was talking to a row of rosebushes, urging them to blossom and praising them when they did. Katana was tossing knives in the air, as if she were slicing at clouds, then whirling around and catching them…all while blindfolded. And The Flash was speeding across campus at such a dizzying pace that it looked like he was racing himself. Supergirl loved seeing everyone’s dedication. That’s when she realized what Miss Martian meant.
Despite her feelings of failure, Supergirl wanted to succeed at Super Hero High. She wanted to be like her peers who were dedicating themselves to helping make the world safe. She could do it, she knew she could. But it was going to take a lot of hard work.
With renewed vigor, Supergirl headed to phys ed, pulling her shoulders back and strolling confidently into class. She mentally prepared for what lay ahead.
“Listen up, Supers,” Wildcat growled. “This is the obstacle course. Not some elementary save, like rescuing pets!”
“Like Rainbow,” Hawkgirl noted.
“Exactly. Good example,” Wildcat barked. “That little guy just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. No, this test is serious and measures your ability to save your own life and the lives of others.”
Wildcat adjusted his cowl and looked around at the students. One seemed to stand taller than the rest. “Supergirl,” he said. “You’re up! Let’s see what you’re made of.”
There was a low murmur as Supergirl approached the starting line. In the days that had passed, Supergirl had made it a point to avoid her friends and fellow students whenever possible, not speaking to anyone. It didn’t mean, however, that no one spoke about her.
“She thinks she’s all that,” Frost said as she applied her ice-white lipstick in the girls’ restroom.
“She’s none of that,” Cheetah said as she strolled down the hallway. “I was the one who saved the day.”
“Why is she even here?” Star Sapphire asked after Weaponomics. “I thought this was a school for super heroes, not super goofs.”
“Three…two…one…go!” Wildcat shouted. “Supergirl! I said, GO. Do something, don’t just stand there. The clock is ticking!”
“Huh? Oh, sorry,” she said, trying to shake off the comments she’d heard the past couple of days.
As Supergirl bounced off the electrified pillars and lumbered through the laser forest, she didn’t feel a thing. Even being showered with lead cannons didn’t faze her, and by the time she struggled to the end of the obstacle course, Supergirl had broken a school record…for the all-time lowest score.
So much for showing everyone what I’m made of, she thought.
Later that night, Supergirl went to the library to work on a report. She would have gone earlier, but she couldn’t face seeing anyone else. Hawkgirl was sitting alone at one of the heavy wooden desks surrounded by piles of books and newspapers so o
ld they weren’t online.
From behind a nearby bookcase, Supergirl watched Granny totter up to Hawkgirl. “The Super-Villain Compendium,” the librarian said, blowing the dust off the book’s leather cover. “I’ve marked some interesting sections for you, Hawkgirl. It’s admirable that you’re going back into history to try to find out what’s happening now and who we should be wary of.”
As Granny shuffled off, leaning heavily on her cane, Supergirl used her super-vision to see Hawkgirl open to the page Granny had bookmarked. There was a photo of Gorilla Grodd in attack mode as terrified citizens raced away from him. Supergirl gasped, then covered her mouth, but it was too late. Hawkgirl looked up to see Supergirl step out of the shadows.
“ ‘Gorilla Grodd commands gorilla army in attempt to conquer Central City,’ ” Hawkgirl read out loud.
Both Supers looked grim.
Supergirl sat on the old bell tower ledge, staring into the night sky. She liked it here. Sure, the Amethyst Tower was triumphant, shiny, and new. But this place seemed more like home. Smaller. Safer. Unassuming.
There had been a couple more Alerts lately. The Boom Tubes again. Could it be Grodd who was trying to get to them? Supergirl thought about the awkward vice principal with his ill-fitting jacket, his penchant for bananas and bamboo, and even his clumsy caveman-like banter. He didn’t seem to fit in at the school, but then, Supergirl ruminated, neither did she.
Suddenly, there was creaking on the wooden stairs that led to the top of the tower. Supergirl whipped around, ready for trouble.
“Hey, Supergirl!”
Supergirl relaxed. It was Barbara Gordon. Oh, how she’d missed her. But with all that had been happening, Supergirl had avoided everyone, even Babs.
Barbara pushed aside the old rope bell cord, accidentally disturbing a flock of bats perched above. As the squeaking creatures rushed through the tower, Supergirl closed her eyes and covered her head against the onslaught of small black-winged creatures. When she opened her eyes, Babs was smiling contently as the wind from their fluttering wings blew her hair. Both girls watched the bats flitter past the full moon.
“Everybody thinks bats are creepy, but not me,” Barbara said, adjusting her glasses. She didn’t seem surprised to find Supergirl up in the tower. But then, not much fazed her. “They make the best of what they have. They don’t have night vision, but they use the talents they have.”
The two sat in silence. Supergirl liked that it didn’t feel awkward. It felt comfortable. “Hey, Barbara,” she finally said.
“Hmmm?” Babs answered, watching a couple of displaced bats seamlessly join the rest flying in formation.
“Do you think it could be Grodd who’s trying to access the Boom Tubes?” Supergirl ventured. “There was this leaf that Ivy identified as bamboo, and we’ve found it not once, but twice, after someone tried to break in the doors. And then Hawkgirl uncovered evidence that Grodd used to be a villain and even had his own army—he attacked and tried to take over Central City!”
When Supergirl was done with her theories, Barbara was quiet. Supergirl thought that perhaps her friend was processing everything she had heard and would come up with a plan to capture Gorilla Grodd. Barbara was good at that. She was what Mr. Fox in Weaponomics would call “strategic,” only instead of lasers or lassos, Barbara Gordon’s secret weapon was her smarts.
“I’m not sure it’s such a great idea to judge Vice Principal Grodd based on his past actions and/or accusations and very loose circumstantial evidence. Supposedly, he’s been reformed. If there’s one thing I learned from my father, Police Commissioner Gordon,” Babs said in measured tones, “it’s that we must give every person a chance. Don’t take anything at face value. Gather your facts. Make an informed decision. Gut-check it. Then proceed.”
“Gut-check?” Supergirl asked.
Barbara nodded. “How does it feel? What does your heart say? Facts and figures are great, but they’re not everything.”
Barbara fell silent then. Supergirl wondered if she was mad at her for jumping to conclusions about Grodd.
“Supergirl, it’s been so nice knowing you,” Babs said, sounding glum.
She is mad at me! Supergirl thought. Or wait. Maybe it was something even worse. Am I getting kicked out of Super Hero High? she wondered. That was it, wasn’t it? Barbara had found out before she did!
“My contract is almost up,” Barbara continued. “I won’t be working here much longer.”
This was even worse news than she had guessed. This wasn’t about her. It was about Babs. “But you love working here!” Supergirl cried.
“Tell me about it,” Barbara said, fiddling with her Utility Belt. “But I was only on a short-term contract, and my dad’s not too keen on me keeping this job. He wants me to focus on my schoolwork now. He’s got this crazy idea that I’m going to graduate and get a scholarship to a great business school and become an accountant or something safe like that.”
“No, no, no,” Supergirl protested. “We need you here. Super Hero High needs you.”
“That’s not what he says,” Babs said, trying to force a smile and failing.
Supergirl was silent, drinking in the information. “But you are so totally awesome in every way. I wish I could be like you,” she finally said. Supergirl wrapped her cape around herself for comfort.
“An awesome, fearless, fun tech engineer with zero superpowers?” Barbara joked.
“You have powers!” Supergirl insisted, jumping up. “If only I had one-tenth the smarts you do. Your brain is your superpower, Babs. You know high-tech better than anyone. Plus, you never hurt anyone, unlike…well, me.” Supergirl waved her hand at the world below her. “If I were a non-Super, the Earth would be safer,” she said softly.
Now it was Barbara’s turn to stand up. She looked serious. “I want you to stop feeling sorry for yourself,” she said matter-of-factly. “It’s because of you that one day the world will be safer. You’re here at Super Hero High to learn how to be a super hero. And unlike so many of the others, you just got your powers a few months ago. Do your best, Supergirl. That’s all anyone is asking of you.”
Supergirl gasped. The words were so familiar. She flashed back to her mother saying, “Always do your best, Kara, and you’ll be fine.” When she tuned back in, Barbara was running down a list of Supergirl’s powers, ending with, “And you can fly! I’d give anything to fly—like a bat—just once.”
“You and your bats,” Supergirl said with affection. “I should call you Batgirl.”
“I like that. Batgirl,” she said, trying the name out with a dramatic sweep of her arm. “Batgirl.”
Supergirl held out her hand. “Join me, Batgirl.”
Barbara looked quizzically at her friend, but took her hand without question.
“Hang on,” Supergirl shouted as she soared into the sky. “We’re going for a ride!”
As the two friends flew over Super Hero High, then around Metropolis and beyond, they could not stop grinning. The moon cast its glow as the stars winked a path for them. Neither spoke the entire time. They didn’t need to. This was a flight they’d remember for the rest of their lives.
During breakfast a few days later, Supergirl was being extremely careful not to tilt her tray as she headed to the table, when Barbara barged into the dining hall. “Supergirl,” she said, out of breath. Startled, Supergirl watched as her sunny-side up eggs slid off the plate and splattered on the floor.
“Where’s the Junior Detective Society?” Barbara said in a rush.
“Uh, here?” The Flash said, from the table behind them.
“Join us,” Bumblebee said, scooting closer to Hawkgirl.
Janitor Parasite muttered as he cleaned up the mess.
“Sorry,” Supergirl began, but his glare cut her off.
“My interstellar transmission tracking device went into overdrive,” Barbara informed them. “I’ve intercepted an off-Earth message that seems to be tied to the Boom Tubes!”
“What
is it?” Hawkgirl asked.
“Tell us!” The Flash insisted.
“Yes, yes, I can’t wait,” Poison Ivy blurted out.
Barbara took a gulp of Hawkgirl’s water, then said, “The message is…‘Soon our army will rise!’ ”
The silence was loud.
Supergirl was stunned.
It was The Flash who finally spoke. “We’ve got to tell Waller immediately!”
“She’s at the semiannual How to Deal with Teens and Their Angst, Anger, and Agony Conference,” Barbara said.
“This is critical information. The safety of the world could depend on it,” Bumblebee interjected.
Supergirl cleared her throat. The Junior Detective Society looked surprised to see her. “I’ll fly there and tell her,” she offered. “That way you guys can start working with this new information.”
Less than an hour later, at an emergency assembly, the principal stood onstage as the teachers and Vice Principal Grodd sat behind her in solidarity.
“Our information tells us that there is danger lurking and that Super Hero High may be the initial primary target. If these villains aren’t stopped, the entire world and beyond will be in jeopardy.” Waller looked more serious than usual, which was quite a feat. No one in the audience moved. “We don’t know where the infiltration will come from, but we do know that the Boom Tubes are most likely an interception point. We must be vigilant and on guard at all times. For now, regular classes are suspended, and will be replaced by extended Weaponomics and battle training. Everyone, be alert!”
There was a low murmur among the students. Some were scared, some were worried, and others were eager to finally test their battle skills outside of the classroom. They all knew this was serious. As if Waller could read the room, she added, “This is not a game. Lives are at stake. We must work together to fight this. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Principal Waller!” the Supers yelled.