A/N: This took me a long time to write, so hopefully it came out all right. As always, I hope you all like it... please let me know what you think :)

HANNAH MONTANA

"STRONGER THAN STEEL"

PROLOGUE

"How was school sweetie?" Heather Truscott greeted her teenage daughter as she walked into the kitchen of their home. Eighteen year old Lilly just shrugged.

"It was all right," she managed. She paused. "I've got a headache though." Heather looked up from the dishes she was washing, her eyes widening in alarm.

"You what?" she repeated.

"I know," Lilly replied softly, rubbing one of her temples. "Guess I'm not invulnerable after all, huh?" Heather immediately stopped what she was doing and walked over to her daughter, lifting a hand to Lilly's forehead.

"How long have you had it?" she asked carefully.

"Since lunch," Lilly answered. "It just hit me all of the sudden, and the stupid thing won't go away!"

"I don't understand," Heather said gently. "Nothing ever has ever hurt you before. Why is this happening?"

"I don't know," Lilly managed. "I think I'm gonna go lie down though. Maybe I just need some rest."

"All right," Heather said hesitantly. "I'll come check on you in a bit." Lilly nodded and slowly made her way upstairs to her bedroom, where she tossed her backpack aside and threw herself down onto her bed. She tried in vain to get to sleep, but the pain of her headache would not be denied. Finally, in a desperate attempt to force her thoughts away from her misery, she reached for the journal she kept hidden under her mattress. Her parents had given it to her on her 13th birthday, and she had used it ever since it to try and keep track of – and hopefully make some sense of – her unusual life.

Though she loved them more than anything, Lilly knew that her parents – Jonathan and Heather Truscott – weren't her birth parents, but she had no idea who her real parents were or what had happened to them. Her beloved adopted parents had told her how they'd found her, all those years ago – lying alone in the remains of some kind of space ship, scattered across a corn field nearby – and how they'd decided to raise her as their own. To Lilly, they were her parents, in every way that made a difference, but even they couldn't answer some of the questions she had about herself. Where had she come from? What had happened to her real parents? And why could she do all the incredible things she could do?

She was far stronger than anyone normal person, she could run faster than the train that sometimes passed near their farm, and nothing seemed to be able to hurt her… until now, anyway. What gave her these powers… and why did she have them? So far, she had done everything possible to conceal her abilities, afraid of becoming an outcast or being taken from her parents. Still, a small part of Lilly wondered what it would be like to really show other people what she could do.

Kara…

"What?" Lilly called out, looking up from her journal to see who had spoken to her. No one was there. She knew she'd heard a voice talking to her, though… almost whispering to her. Or had she somehow imagined it?

In the barn…

"All right, what's going on?" Lilly demanded. First a headache, then imaginary voices? What was happening to her? Another jolt of pain, stronger than any that had come before, shot through Lilly and she gasped; the journal flew from her fingers and fell to the floor.

"All right, whoever you are… please stop!" Lilly pleaded with the voice.

Kara… in the barn…

"Okay, mister imaginary voice… I'll go out to the barn… just please, make it stop!" Clutching her head, Lilly carefully stood up. Moving as carefully and quietly as she could, she slipped out the back door and staggered towards the barn. She flung open the large wooden doors and peered carefully inside. At first, Lilly couldn't make out anything in the musty darkness. Then, on the far side of the barn, she saw it: a pale, purplish glow coming from underneath a large, dusty brown tarp. Lilly's eyes went wide. Her parents had buried the remains of the ship where they'd found her in the ground beneath that tarp… that couldn't be just a coincidence.

Slowly and carefully, Lilly made her way over to the tarp, and pulled it away. TO her astonishment, the ground beneath it had all but caved in on itself, revealing the twisted remains of the ship… and a brilliantly glowing purple crystal embedded in the ground itself.

"Whoa…" Lilly breathed, unable to take her eyes off the crystal.

Take it…

"A crystal is talking to me?" Lilly muttered. She winced as another bolt of pain passed through her. "Okay, okay, I'm taking it, I'm taking it!" Reaching out, she wrapped her fingers around the glowing purple crystal and carefully pulled it out of the ground. The purple light flared brightly in her hand, and all at once, the painful headache she'd been experiencing faded away, replaced by an incredible sensation of power and well-being. In fact, the crystal almost felt as if it belonged in her hand. Lilly drew in a sharp breath.

"What is this thing?" she whispered to herself.

North…

The glowing purple crystal pulsed in Lilly's hand, and a new sensation swept over her. She didn't understand it, but she knew what she needed to do. Standing again, holding the crystal tightly in her hand, Lilly turned and slowly walked out of the barn.

Three weeks later, Lilly found herself hiking through the remote forests of Alaska, wearing everything she owned on her back. Leaving the only home she'd ever known had been difficult, but her desire to finally find the answers she'd long sought about her life proved stronger. Her parents supported her decision, knowing how badly she needed to learn the truth, and they reluctantly let her go. The glowing purple crystal continually led her on, and she eagerly followed it.

Finally, in the midst of a dense green forest she doubted any human had ever before set foot in, she stopped. Pulling her backpack off her shoulders, Lilly reached inside. The purple crystal glowed fiercely, almost blinding in its brightness, as Lilly drew it out. She could still hear the voice whispering in her head, and once again it told her what she needed to do. Lifting the crystal high over her head, she drew her arm back and hurled the crystal as far away as she could. It sailed through the air and landed in the midst of four towering pine trees. Amazingly, the ground beneath it just seemed to open up and swallow the crystal.

A shaft of pure purple light shot into the sky, and then the ground began to tremble and shake. Huge cracks split open the earth, and towering crystal formations began to rise up from the ground, glowing with a faint purplish light of their own. As Lilly watched in amazement, the huge crystals began to twist and merge together, until a massive crystalline fortress took shape before her. Finally, with blinding flashes of brilliant purple light and an ear-splitting roar, the amazing process completed itself, leaving a stunned Lilly Truscott standing there with an astonished expression on her face.

"Wow…" she managed as she slowly, cautiously stepped inside the incredible fortress. She stared up at the glowing crystals towering far above her. "What the hell did I do?"

"You have finally embraced your true heritage, my daughter," a soft voice replied. Lilly whirled around to see what appeared to be a middle-aged man with short brown hair floating in the air above the chamber. He was dressed in gleaming white and he smiled kindly at her. His entire body shimmered with an ethereal light, and Lilly realized she could see completely through him.

"W-what are you?" Lilly practically screamed.

"I am Zor-El…and I am your father."

"W-wait a minute… y-your voice… it's the same one I've been hearing ever since I found the crystal!" Lilly exclaimed. The image of Zor-El nodded gravely.

"I sent it with you on your journey to Earth, my child, in the hopes that it would help you to rediscover your lost birthright. Through its energies, I was able to guide you here, where our journey together can at last begin."

"If… if you're my father… then who I am?" Lilly demanded.

"Your name is Kara, and you are the only survivor of the planet Krypton," the image of Zor-El replied softly. "Even though you have been raised as a human being, you are not one of them."

"I don't understand…" Lilly managed, blinking back tears.

"I know this may be difficult for you to accept my daughter," Zor-El's image said gently. He took a slow, careful step towards Lilly. "If you will allow me, I will show you all you need to know."

"H-how?" Lilly stammered. The image of Zor-El reached out its shimmering transparent hand towards Lilly.

"I will not hurt you," he promised. Something in his voice - his gentle, calming tone – made Lilly want to trust him. And if he truly did have all the answers she had sought for so long, then wasn't it worth the risk? Slowly, hesitantly, Lilly stretched her hand out towards the shimmering image of Zor-El. Time seemed to almost stop… and then their fingers gently touched, and Lilly was swallowed in a burst of brilliant white light as more than a thousand years of memories and knowledge surged through her…

Five years later…

"Stewart, get in here!" Perry White roared. Lilly flinched, not expecting her new boss to be quite so… intense. A few moments later, a young woman with long, curly auburn hair walked into the office, an annoyed expression on her face.

"Chief, I'm due at the airport in half an hour!" she exclaimed. "This could be the biggest story of the year!"

"And it's still going to be," the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet said calmly. "In fact, you're going to have help. Miley, I'd like you to meet Lilly Truscott; she's starting with the Planet today." The brunette turned to look at Lilly, and for the briefest of moments her tough façade cracked. In fact, Lilly could almost have sworn she saw a flicker of something in the brunette's eyes.

"Nice to meet you Lilly," Miley said softly. Then she whirled back towards her boss. "And since when do I need help on a story?" she demanded.

"Since I just said you do," Perry White replied, a slight edge to his voice. "It'll give you an opportunity to show Lilly the ropes, and she can cover crowd reactions on the ground for you." Miley looked like she was about to open her mouth to argue again, but Perry cut her off.

"Unless of course, you don't think you can handle that," he said quickly. "I can always assign Torres to cover the demonstration." Miley's face immediately turned red, and Lilly knew without a doubt that the young brunette was beyond angry. Finally, she turned and stormed out of the room.

"You coming, Truscott?" she shouted back.

"Don't worry, Stewart's bark is worse than her bite," Perry quipped. "She can teach you a lot though. Good luck."

'Thanks Mr. White," Lilly said nervously. She gathered her things and hurried after Miley, hoping she wasn't going to regret her decision to get a job as a reporter.

A few minutes later, Lilly found herself in Miley's car, speeding to their as yet unknown destination. The trip was tense and quiet, and finally Lilly couldn't stand it anymore. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"I'm really sorry about Mr. White," Lilly said carefully, nervously adjusting her glasses. "I honestly didn't know he was going to do that."

"Perry's always like that," Miley muttered. "He wants the story his way, or not at all."

"If you want, I can just stay out of your way and let you do your job," Lilly offered. Miley looked over at her for a moment, and for the second time since they met, Lilly could see her tough exterior slip away.

"You don't have to do that, Lilly," she said with a sigh. "I'm sorry if I sounded like I was angry with you before. It' just frustrating, you know?" Lilly nodded.

"I understand," she said softly. "Sometimes you just want people to stop telling you what to do and let you prove you can do it on your own." Miley looked at her again and a smile finally worked its way onto her face. For the first time, she allowed herself to really notice the pretty young girl trying to hide behind her gold-rimmed glasses.

"Yeah, exactly," she agreed. "You know… you're not at all like I thought you'd be."

"What do you mean?" Lilly asked.

"I've been stuck with new hires before," Miley replied. "Usually they do nothing but ask stupid questions and get in the way, but you've been nothing but nice."

"Well, you know what they say," Lilly said nervously. "Do unto others…"

"That's never worked real well for me," Miley admitted. "Honestly though, you're the first person in a long time to actually get me to apologize."

"Really?" Lilly asked, not entirely certain how to take such a revelation.

"Really," Miley said simply. "Just don't get used to it, all right?" she added with a grin.

"Whatever you say," Lilly answered with a grin of her own. "So, you gonna tell me where we're going?" Miley arched an eyebrow.

"Don't you watch tv?" she replied, sounding astonished.

"Um… no, not really," Lilly admitted. "Too much violence, you know? I'd rather read a book any day."

"O-kay…" Miley said after a moment. "Well, we're heading to the Metropolis Airport to cover the unveiling of Lex-Air's new hyper-speed jumbo jet. According to their PR, it's supposed to be able to travel from one side of the country to the other in under an hour."

"Can it really do that?" Lilly asked curiously.

"I doubt it," Miley quipped. "That's what we're gonna find out though."

They arrived at the airport not long after, and were taken to the massive hangar representatives from Lex-Air had set up for their demonstration. A tall woman in a business suit with short brown hair and icy blue eyes greeted them as they approached.

"Welcome, I'm Mercy Graves," she introduced herself. "The demonstration should start in just a few minutes. In the meantime, we've prepared some refreshments." She gestured to a variety of food and drink set up on a table nearby. Miley nodded politely to the woman and turned to Lilly. The blonde girl's eyes, still covered by her ever-present glasses, were riveted on the huge aircraft standing beside the hangar. At first glance, it looked almost like a normal jet. Instead of the usual engines placed on its wings however, there was what looked like the three massive engine thrusters of a space shuttle emerging from the rear of the plane.

"Wow…" Lilly whispered.

"Big, isn't it?" Miley quipped.

"You have a gift for understatement," Lilly said with a grin.

"So, all you have to do is interview a few of the people in the crowd over there," Miley continued, gesturing to a large group of people gathered near the main airport terminal. "Just relax and pretend you're talking to your friends, it's easy."

"Is there anything specific I should ask them?" Lilly asked uneasily.

"Just ask them what they think about Lex-Air and their new toy," Miley replied. "You can do it."

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you will all please board the aircraft, it's time for the demonstration to begin," the voice of their host announced.

"Time to go annoy Lex-Air's finest," Miley said with a grin. "Good luck, Lilly."

"I'll do my best," Lilly promised. "You be careful up there, Miley."

"No worries," Miley said confidently. Then she turned and hurried over to the aircraft to join the rest of the media who were already making their way on board. Once everyone was on board, it slowly made its way out onto the runway. Then, as everyone watched in amazement, its massive engines flared a brilliant blue and it roared into the sky.

"Well, I guess I better start interviewing," Lilly reminded herself. "Don't want Miley to give me a hard time for not doing my job!" Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the excited crowd of onlookers. She saw a young man about her age, with unruly brown hair, and decided to try talking to him first. Taking out the small tape recorder Miley had given her, Lilly walked up to him and clicked it on.

"So what do you think about all this?" she asked him with a smile.

"Looks awesome to me!" the young man said excitedly. "Um… is it supposed to do that, though?"

"Do what?" Lilly responded. The young man pointed up into the sky. Lilly turned to look… and her eyes widened in horror as she saw the jumbo jet weaving erratically across the sky. A moment later, a sound like thunder echoed through the sky and a thick plume of dark smoke rose from the huge aircraft.

"Oh my God…" Lilly managed.

"They're gonna crash!" someone in the crowd screamed in terror.

"You're from the news, right?" the young man asked, his eyes still riveted on the sky. "Don't you think you oughta…" He stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly noticing the blonde-haired girl he had been talking to was nowhere to be seen.

"…do something?" he finished miserably.

Lilly, meanwhile, managed to slip around the back of the huge hangar, finding a place she could hide in the shadows. The moment she had always dreamed of had finally come. Once she revealed herself to the public though, she knew there would be no turning back. Her life would never again be the same… but Miley and everyone else on the plane would die if she didn't act. Even though she had just met the fiery brunette, Lilly already found herself caring for Miley, and was determined to save her.

Slipping off her glasses, Lilly quickly shed the simple business suit she'd been wearing to reveal the brilliant blue, red and yellow outfit her father had given her years before. A short red skirt bared her long legs, and a long red cape flowed down her back. A large red and yellow 'S' symbol – her family's crest back on Krypton – glittered on her chest. Shining red boots adorned her feet and part of her legs. With a running jump, Lilly hurtled upward into the sky and took off like a rocket towards the falling aircraft, her cape fluttering behind her.

Okay, Lilly… so how do you catch a falling airplane? She thought frantically to herself. Guess I'll have to try the direct approach!

Hurtling towards the nose of the plane, she flew up alongside it and wrapped her arms around it, digging her fingers into the steel as she struggled to pull the plane upwards again. The plane twisted and groaned as she fought with all her strength to pull it level again.

"Hang on!" she shouted through the cockpit window. The pilot and the rest of the flight crew stared at her with wide eyes, expressions of horror and disbelief etched on their faces.

"W-what are you?" the pilot shouted back.

"A friend," Lilly managed. "I'm going to help you, okay?"

"I-it's the engine!" the panicked pilot screamed. "The nuclear engine! It's gonna blow!"

This sucker's nuclear? Lilly thought to herself in dismay. Great, just great!

"I'll take care of it!" she promised. She noticed with alarm just how fast the ground was rushing up towards them. Where the heck was this thing's landing gear? She took a few precious moments to scan the underside of the plane, peering through its metal skin, until she found what she was searching for. Her eyes flared, and twin beams of fiery red light sliced open the doors concealing the jet's landing gear, allowing the wheels to drop down into position. Closing her eyes, she pulled upward with everything she had, praying to whoever was listening that her desperate stunt would work.

Somehow, someway, she was able to guide the crippled jet to a screeching landing back at the airport a few tense moments later. As soon as they were on the ground again, Lilly flew around to the back of the plane, where the experimental nuclear engines continued to burn.

No time to be subtle! She reminded herself. After taking a few moments to determine exactly where the engines stopped and the rest of the plane began, Lilly used her powers again to literally tear the engines free from the plane and then hurtled up into the sky again with her deadly cargo. She could tell the engine was only moments away from exploding, and it would take a large chunk of the city with it unless she could get it far enough away in time.

Flying as fast as she could, Lilly tore through the atmosphere and hurled the crippled engine into space. Moments later, a blinding blue-white flash tore through the vacuum as the nuclear engine disintegrated in a titanic explosion. Satisfied the danger was past, Lilly turned and hurtled back to Metropolis.

The first emergency vehicles were just arriving on the runway when Lilly returned. Speeding over to the crippled plane, she tore off the outer door and floated inside.

"Is everyone okay?" she called out. She unconsciously scanned the crowd of passengers, looking for Miley, and was relieved when she saw the brunette standing nearby, looking slightly disheveled but otherwise okay. Miley noticed her then, and her eyes went wide. Part of her wondered if she was imagining the stunning blonde goddess standing in front of her; the other half prayed she wasn't.

"W-who are you?" she managed to get out. Lilly just smiled.

"A friend," she said simply.

"You saved us?" Miley asked incredulously. Lilly nodded.

"I'm just glad everyone's okay," she replied. "Emergency personnel should be here in a few minutes." Then, giving Miley one last smile, she turned and flew away, leaving the brunette reporter standing there with a stunned expression on her face.

Lilly soared high over Metropolis, reveling in the feeling of the cool night air against her face. Now that she was revealed to the world, she could finally do what she'd always wanted to do, and so she went looking for anyone else in need of help. As she flew over a rougher part of the city known as Suicide Slum, her super-hearing picked up a cry for help. Far below, she could see a young woman struggling against two big, rough-looking men in a dimly lit alley, and she swooped down towards them.

"Let me go!" the terrified young woman screamed.

"Shut up and give us your purse!" one of the men shouted angrily.

"I think you should listen to the lady," Lilly's voice interrupted. The two men spun around to see Lilly hovering just off the ground a few feet away.

"Who the hell are you?" the same man hissed, pointing his pistol at Lilly.

"S-Sam!" the other one stammered. "S-she's floating!"

"I'm not gonna ask again," Lilly said sternly. "Let the young lady go."

"Go to hell, freak," the first man growled, and he fired his pistol twice in rapid succession. The bullets bounced harmlessly off Lilly's chest.

"Okay, don't say I didn't ask nicely," Lilly retorted. Her eyes flashed with a fiery red light and the thug dropped his suddenly red-hot pistol with a howl of pain. His partner reached for a knife, but Lilly let loose with a powerful gust of breath that sent both men flying backwards, and they crashed into the back wall of the alley with a bone-crunching thud. One of them stayed down, but the other tried in vain to get to his feet again. Lilly didn't give him the chance. She shot forward and snagged a piece of chain lying nearby, which she quickly used to tightly bind the two thugs

"Now just sit there like good boys while I take you to jail," Lilly said with a grin. She turned to look at the young woman they'd attacked, who was staring at her with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"W-who are you?" she whispered.

"Just a friend," Lilly said warmly. "I hope you're all right." The young woman nodded dumbly.

"I'm glad to hear it," Lilly replied with a smile. "Now why don't you find somewhere safe to go? I've gotta deliver these creeps to the proper authorities." Waving goodbye, she flew off again, dragging the two would-be muggers behind her. She spotted a police officer walking his beat not far away and landed near him.

"Officer?" she called out. He spun around, and his jaw dropped as he took in the sight of Lilly standing there with the two thugs bound in chains.

"These two tried to steal an innocent young lady's purse," Lilly said simply. "I'd say it's not their first time, either." She reached into one of their pockets and pulled out the pair of wallets she'd found earlier with her x-ray vision, showing them to the officer.

"They're all yours," Lilly quipped, handing the chain to the still stunned officer. Then she rose into the sky once more, leaving him standing there with his mouth hanging open.

Not long after, Lilly found still others in need of help. A heavily armed gang of bank robbers were attempting to flee the scene of their crime, with the police in hot pursuit. Lilly watched from above as two of the criminals began firing back at their pursuers. One shot tore into the right front tire of the lead police car, causing it to swerve violently towards a nearby storefront. Lilly swooped down and caught the out of control police car and guided it to safety, then she took off after the fleeing criminals. She flew alongside the getaway car and peered inside.

"Pull over!" she shouted. The driver took one look at her and almost lost control.

"Okay, you can't say I didn't ask nicely," she quipped. Heat vision streaked from her eyes and melted their tires. The car screeched to a violent stop moments later. The four criminals jumped out, brandishing their weapons, but they were totally unprepared for what awaited them.

"W-what are you?" one of them, the former driver, gasped.

"What, haven't you ever seen a flying girl before?" Lilly greeted them with a smile. "Now how about you put down those guns and just be good boys?" She knew there was no way they were going to do so, but she felt like being a little playful anyway. As she expected, they responded with a hail of gunfire. Lilly shrugged it off without a complaint, and then, in a blur of super-speed, she disarmed them all.

"Now look what you've done – you broke your toys!" Lilly quipped as she crushed the guns in her super-strong hands. One of the thugs decided to try attacking Lilly with his bare hands, only to be dropped by a quick slap to the face. He fell to the ground, solidly unconscious.

"Anyone else?" Lilly called out. The other three criminals were upon her before she could say anything else. She drove her knee between the legs of one of them, flipped another over her shoulder and sent the third flying with a fast kick. When the police finally arrived on the scene, they found the three would-be bank robbers all tied up and waiting for them… and Lilly rapidly disappearing into the night sky overhead.

After a busy night of helping the citizens of Metropolis, Lilly finally decided to end her aerial patrol. As she passed over a quiet suburban neighborhood, the plaintive sound of a cat's meow reached her ears. A small smile lit up her face when she caught sight of a small white cat apparently stuck in a nearby tree, and a young blonde-haired girl in pigtails standing beside it, calling out to her beloved pet.

"Need some help?" Lilly said as she landed gently beside the girl. The little girl stared at her for a long moment, then back at the tree.

"Whiskers won't come down," she said simply. "I think she's scared…"

"Well, let me see what I can do," Lilly said warmly. She floated up into the tree and reached out for the frightened kitty.

"What do you say, Whiskers? I promise I won't hurt you…" Fortunately, the kitten decided to be nice, and Lilly was able to pick her up and carry her back to her waiting owner without a problem.

"Gee, thanks lady!" the little girl gushed.

"You're welcome sweetie," Lilly replied.

"Are you an angel?" the little girl asked innocently. Lilly smiled shyly.

"No," she answered honestly. "Just a friend. I have to go now, okay?" Lilly rose into the sky once more, waving to the little girl as she did so.

"Be good… and take good care of Whiskers!" she called out.

"I will!" the little girl shouted back, returning Lilly's wave with one of her own. "I promise!"

As the morning sun rose over the frozen arctic wilderness, Lilly returned to the Fortress of Solitude for the first time since she'd moved to Metropolis. She was anxious to share the details of her public debut with the one person who would truly understand.

"You… enjoyed it?" Zor-El's disembodied voice echoed throughout the Fortress of Solitude. Standing on the far end of the huge main chamber, beside the mechanism that allowed her to speak to her father's spirit, Lilly hung her head.

"I'm sorry, father… but you can't imagine how good it felt!" she gushed. She looked up, her sapphire eyes sparkling. "Helping people, it just feels so right!" The ghostly image of Zor-smiled at his daughter.

"It does, indeed," he said softly. "You make me very proud, Kara… but you must still be careful to maintain your secret identity." Lilly frowned.

"I don't understand, father," she whispered. "Why?"

"The reasons are two," Zor-El intoned. "First, your help would be called upon endlessly, even for those things the people of Earth could easily do for themselves."

"And the second?" Lilly asked.

"You may eventually find yourself with enemies," Zor-El continued, "and they would not rest until they found a way to hurt you… by hurting those you love." Lilly took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're right," she said after a moment. "I understand, father… and thank you." She managed a small smile.

"I guess I just got a little excited…"

"Do not blame yourself, my daughter," Zor-El said solemnly. "We have all known what it is to give into a moment of vanity. It is an affliction common to all… even on Krypton." His eyes shone with great sadness.

"Why, it if were not for vanity… at this very moment, I could embrace you in my arms…" There were no words that could match the sadness that suddenly filled Lilly's heart, so she did the only thing she could think of: she held out her arms towards her father's ethereal spirit as if to embrace him in return…

The following day, virtually every newspaper and television station in the city was talking about Metropolis' new guardian angel. Everyone wanted to know who she was, and where she'd come from, and the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet was no exception.

"All right people!" he shouted to his entire staff, who was gathered in his small office. "I want to know everything there is to know about this mystery lady, and I don't care what it takes!" He stalked from one reporter to another.

"Ron, what's her name? Cat, where'd she come from? What's she got under that cape of hers, batteries?" Each of the reporters just shrugged, having no idea how they were supposed to answer such questions. Standing in the back of the crowd, wearing her hair up again, Lilly fought not to smile behind her glasses. Perry White stopped in front of Miley.

"Stewart, does she have a boyfriend? Or heck, a girlfriend?" Miley opened her mouth to say something, but Perry was already walking back to his desk.

"Now listen boys and girls, whichever one of you gets it out of her is gonna wind up with the biggest interview in the history of this business!" He paused for a moment, to let his words sink in. "Now get to work on that story! Move!" Everyone ran out of the office, eager to get started on the story, and to get Mr. White off their backs. Lilly walked carefully over to Miley.

"I'm really sorry about not waiting for you last night, Miley," Lilly apologized. "After everything that happened, I thought it was more important to get the story back to the 'Planet."

"That's okay Lilly, I understand," Miley replied. She smiled. "Heck, I'd have done the same thing!" Lilly grinned.

"So…what was she like?" she asked after a moment.

"She was… incredible," Miley said softly. "Like an angel." Though she tried to hide it, Lilly could tell Miley was blushing slightly, and somehow that made her feel… anxious.

"I've got no idea how I'm gonna find her so I can interview her, though," Miley continued.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll come up with something," Lilly replied lightly. "Hey, what's that sticking out of your notepad?" She gestured to the small notepad Miley often used, and the small piece of paper that appeared to dangling from it. Frowning, Miley reached down and pulled out the small piece of paper. Written on, in handwriting she didn't recognize, were the words that would change her life:

Tonight at eight, your place – Hopefully, A Friend

"Oh my God…" Miley whispered, her eyes widening as she read the words.

"What is it?" Lilly asked, sounding concerned.

"N-nothing!" Miley lied, quickly slipping the piece of paper into her pocket. "You know what, I'm not feeling so good… I think I'm gonna go home. Could you let Perry know for me?" she said in a rush. Turning, she grabbed her coat and rushed out of the building before Lilly could say another word. As she watched Miley go, Lilly couldn't resist a grin.

Miley spent most of the day trying to find the perfect outfit to wear during the interview, and after a quick dinner, she rushed out onto the large open balcony of her penthouse apartment to get things ready to greet her anxiously awaited visitor. She took a few moments to arrange the patio table and chairs that took up most of the place and then sat down to wait for her guest to arrive.

Unfortunately, Miley wasn't exactly known for her patience. Soon, feeling frustrated and nervous, she decided she needed a drink. She had just turned to head back into her apartment when Lilly appeared in the sky overhead, once again dressed in her red and blue uniform. Smiling, the angelic blonde drifted down and landed gently behind Miley.

"Hi," she called out gently. Miley spun around so fast she nearly fell over.

"Jesus!" she swore. "I-I mean, hi!"

"Are you okay?" Lilly asked carefully, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.

"Y-yeah, fine," Miley managed, holding her hand on her chest. "You just surprised me is all."

"I'm sorry," Lilly apologized. "I can come back later if you want…"

"No!" Miley shouted, a little too loudly. "That's okay, just… don't leave, okay?"

"I won't," Lilly promised, smiling a little. "So, I figured people must be really curious about me…"

"You could say that," Miley said lightly.

"Well, I guess I owe them some answers," Lilly admitted.

"What's your name?" Miley asked her carefully.

"Kara," Lilly replied softly. "That's my birth name anyway… but you can call me whatever you want."

"That's very pretty," Miley said honestly. "Kind of an odd name for a superhero though. Why not just call yourself 'Supergirl' or something?"

"I've never really thought of myself that way," Lilly admitted. "I just want to help people."

"Don't you at least want people to know who to thank when you save them?" Lilly pressed.

"You're not gonna give this up, are you?" Lilly asked with a smile. "All right, if it means that much to you… I guess you can call me 'Supergirl'." Miley immediately picked up her notepad and wrote 'Supergirl' on it, underlining it repeatedly.

"So where are you from?" Miley continued. "I mean, I've never known anyone who could actually fly…" Lilly took a deep breath.

"That's kind of a long story, Miss Stewart…" she began.

"Miley," the brunette reporter corrected her. She felt oddly nervous. "You can call me Miley." Lilly smiled again.

"All right… Miley," she said softly. "Like I was saying, it's kind of a long story, but… I'm not from here. I mean, I wasn't born here. Earth, that is!" Miley arched an amused eyebrow.

"Okay, so I'm a little nervous too," Lilly admitted, smiling shyly. "Anyway, like I said… I'm not from Earth."

"Where are you from then?" Miley asked, sounding like she didn't believe any of it.

"A planet that doesn't exist anymore," Lilly said quietly. "It was called Krypton." She turned and walked slowly towards the edge of the balcony, her eyes scanning the night sky.

"It exploded out in space, a long time ago," Lilly said distantly. "I was the only survivor. My father – my real father – sent me here as a baby, just before the end." Miley looked up from her notepad.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "That's must've been terrible…" Lilly shrugged.

"I don't remember any of it," she responded quietly. "I actually only found out where I was really from a few years ago."

"So it that way you can, you know… do all those things?" Miley asked her curiously.

"Yup," Lilly replied with a nod. "Something about Earth's yellow sun and the way it affects me." She paused.

"To be honest, I'm still learning what all I can do," she admitted.

"Like shooting those ray beams out of your eyes?" Miley asked with a grin.

"Yeah, among other things," Lilly answered. "I can also sort of… see through things."

"Really?" Miley asked in amazement. An impulsive idea suddenly seized her. "What color underwear am I wearing?" she asked quickly, walking around one of the large decorative flowers planters on the balcony.

Okay, where the hell did that come from, Miley? She practically screamed at herself.

"What?" Lilly gasped as her head snapped around.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you!" Miley said quickly.

"You didn't," Lilly said truthfully. "It's just… that planter must be made of lead." Miley looked down at the large metal planter she was standing partially behind.

"Yeah, I think so… why?" she asked.

"I kind of… have a problem seeing through lead," Lilly admitted.

"Oh yeah?" Miley responded. She smirked. "Nice to know you have a weakness," she said playfully.

"Thanks," Lilly quipped. "And, um… pink." Miley didn't understand what Lilly was talking about for a moment; then she realized she had walked out from behind the large planter. Her cheeks instantly turned a brilliant shade of pink and she instinctively darted behind the planter again, struggling to maintain what little remained of her usual self confidence.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you, Miley," Lilly apologized, fighting the urge to giggle.

"No, no, it's fine," Miley retorted, trying to look like she was busily writing something down. "You can't embarrass me. So, um… do you... like pink?"

What are you doing? Miley half-shouted to herself again. Lilly walked slowly over to her.

"Sure," she replied, her voice suddenly becoming husky. "I like pink a lot…" Miley swallowed, her blush deepening.

"Look, if you're really want to know about my powers… why don't you take a little trip with me?" she said softly.

"A trip?" Miley asked nervously. "What kind of trip?" Lilly flicked her eyes skyward.

"Are you serious?" Miley gasped. "I can't fly!"

"I was thinking I could take care of the flying, if that's all right," Lilly replied gently.

"I, uh… I don't know…" Miley managed.

"Where's your reporter's curiosity?" Lilly asked with a grin. Miley found she couldn't help smiling back.

"All right… but you promise you won't drop me or something?" she pressed. Lilly nodded.

"I promise," she said softly. Then she reached out and slowly took the pen and notepad from Miley. She smiled. "Trust me."

"I do," Miley whispered, and she meant it. Lilly stepped up beside Miley and gently wrapped an arm around the taller brunette's waist. Miley suppressed a slight shiver, and she knew it had nothing to do with being cold. Then the two young women slowly rose into the air together. Miley let out a high-pitched squeak of alarm.

"You okay?" Lilly asked, sounding concerned.

"F-fine!" Miley fought to find her voice. "You might wanna turn around though… I think I left my stomach back there!" Lilly grinned.

"You'll get used to it," she said warmly. "Now, I wanna show you the world the way I see it…" They soared high over the city, the thousands of lights below glittering like a sparkling river of diamonds.

"Sweet niblets…" Miley gasped. "It's so beautiful!"

"I'm glad you like it," Lilly whispered, smiling warmly, "but we're not done yet…" They soon left the city behind, and were soaring over a shadowy wilderness. The moonlight sparkled off the silvery surface of a large lake far below. They flew on still further, until they found themselves passive over a huge, thundering waterfall. Miley grinned, reveling in the feel of the cool spray on her face.

"This is amazing," she whispered. She turned to look at Lilly. "And so are you…" Lilly blushed.

"Thanks," she managed. For a long, quiet moment, Miley simply reveled in the feel of the cool spray on her face. Lilly smiled, enjoying the rapt expression on the brunette reporter's face. A feeling she had never experienced before swept over her, a kind of warmth that crept into a part of heart she hadn't even realized existed. Still smiling, Lilly carefully slipped her arm out from around Miley's waist and took one of her hands instead, extending her arm so Miley could actually fly beside her. The brunette reporter opened her eyes and grinned.

"Thought you might wanna try it yourself," Lilly said warmly.

"I love it," Miley replied softly, her eyes sparkling. Then she closed her eyes, reveling in the incredible sensations of flying free as the wind blew through her long brown hair. She became so lost in it, she was no longer focused on gripping Lilly's outstretched hand, and suddenly, without warning, her hand slipped free and she plunged downward with a scream. Lilly hurtled after her, and caught her moments later.

"Are you okay?" Lilly gasped. "I'm so sorry, I should've held on tighter!" Miley was shaking in her arms. Leaving one arm securely wrapped around Miley, Lilly carefully reached out and slid a finger under the brunette reporter's chin and gently lifted her face until their eyes met again.

"Are you all right?" she whispered.

"Y-yeah…" Miley managed, feeling herself being suddenly drawn into Lilly's deep blue gaze. How had she not noticed just how incredible the blonde angel's eyes were? And why was she suddenly unable to tear herself away from them?

Can you read my mind? Do you know what it is you do to me?

"Miley?" Lilly's voice startled Miley back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Sorry, I uh… did anyone ever tell you have really pretty eyes?"

"No, I don't think anyone has ever said that to me before," Lilly answered with a smile.

Don't know who you are… just a friend from another star…

"Y-you know… you could take me with you whenever you decide to rescue someone," Miley said softly. "I could c-cover the story…" Her voice dropped.

"…and then w-we could just stay like this…"

Here I am, like a kid at school… holding hands with a god… I'm a fool…

"I think I'd like that," Lilly whispered. "I wouldn't want to put in you danger, though. And by the way… we're back."

"What?" Miley replied, not understanding. Then she looked down, and realized they were slowly coming to land on her rooftop balcony again. They gently touched down and Miley reluctantly let go of Lilly.

"Well, thanks… that was nice," Miley managed. "Except for the falling part, anyway." Lilly grinned.

"I'm glad you liked it," Lilly said softly. "We'll have to do it again sometime… but right now I'm afraid I've got to go."

"Will I see you again?" Miley asked her quickly.

"Sure," Lilly said with a smile. "Just look up…" Then, as quickly and quietly as she arrived, Lilly was gone again, disappearing into the night sky.

If the news of Supergirl's arrival in Metropolis got everyone's attention, Miley's exclusive interview with the Girl of Steel suddenly made everyone in town huge fans of the Last Daughter of Krypton. Everyone was talking about her… everyone, that is, except for the one person who would soon wish she had never heard of her.

A sleek black limousine pulled up to the tallest building in Metropolis, and a young woman with shoulder length dark brown hair climbed out. Followed by her ever-present driver and bodyguard, a hulking man known only as Graves, she calmly walked inside the building.

"Good morning, Miss Luthor," the receptionist greeted her. "Mr. Manheim is waiting for you in his office. He said it was urgent."

"I'm sure," Mikayla muttered. "Thanks Grace, I'll take care of it… and hold my calls until further notice. I don't want to be disturbed." The receptionist nodded, and Mikayla continued on to the elevator. Her office was at the very top of the building, on the 30th floor, and she found her unwelcome visitor standing at the far end of the large room, staring out the huge windows at the city far below. He turned to face her as he heard her come in.

"You're late," he greeted her.

"Since you're an uninvited guest in my office, I'm going to ignore that," Mikayla hissed. "Now what the hell are you doing here, Liam? Don't you know how dangerous it is for us to be seen together?"

"As welcoming as ever," Liam Manheim quipped. "And I'm here about the front page story in this morning's paper… didn't you read it?"

"I try to ignore it whenever possible," Mikayla replied. She supposed other women might have found Liam handsome, even charming, but as far as she was concerned, he was just arrogant and annoying… and, for the moment, a necessary evil.

"Then allow me," Liam replied. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a copy of the Daily Planet, which he proceeded to toss onto Mikayla's desk.

"Your old girlfriend aside, we've got a serious problem," he muttered. With an annoyed sigh, Mikayla picked up the paper and began to read it.

"So she's the one who saved my new plane the other day, hmm?" Mikayla said after a moment. She snorted derisively. "And what kind of name is Supergirl?"

"This is serious, Mikayla," Liam growled. "She could ruin all our plans!"

"You worry too much," Mikayla retorted, dropping the paper on her desk. "If I didn't know better, I'd wonder how you ever inherited your father's business!"

"The same you inherited your uncle's," Liam snarled, glaring angrily at Mikayla. "So the thought of a super-strong, invulnerable girl scout sticking her nose into our business doesn't concern you in the least?" Mikayla made a dismissive gesture.

"Not really," she muttered, leaning back in her chair. "I didn't get where I am by panicking… unlike some people. But, if it'll make you feel better, I'll take care of her."

"How?" Liam demanded.

"That's not your concern," Mikayla replied calmly. "LuthorCorp is perfectly capable of taking care of itself… and so am I."

Later that afternoon, Miley and Lilly found themselves at the Metropolis Academy of Sciences, attending the opening of a new rock & gemstone exhibit. It wasn't where either of them particularly wanted to be, but they knew better than to argue with their editor-in-chief when he insisted on getting a story. As they listened to the museum's curator droning on about the exhibit and its sponsor, Lilly carefully leaned in towards Miley.

"That was some story you got," she whispered.

"Thanks," Miley replied with a smile.

"So are you two… really close now?" Lilly asked, carefully adjusting her glasses.

"I didn't say that," Miley managed, blushing furiously.

"Then maybe you can introduce me to her sometime?" Lilly suggested innocently.

"Sorry, she's all mine," Miley said. "I mean, the story is!" she added quickly. Lilly had to fight to hide her grin; secretly, she was feeling much the same as Miley was, but she didn't yet know what to do about those feelings.

"Sorry," Lilly said with a shy smile. "I didn't know you liked her so much…"

"I don't!" Miley said sharply. Noticing people were starting to stare at them, Miley immediately lowered her voice. "Look, I… I don't know, okay? Besides, she's probably forgotten all about me by now…"

"Never…" Lilly whispered to herself.

"What?" Miley replied, and Lilly realized she'd spoken loud enough for Miley to overhear her. She opened her mouth to try and explain, but the deafening sound of an explosion cut her off. The wall at the far end of the exhibit room disintegrated, and three men in armored battle suits rushed in, weapons blazing.

"Nobody move!" one of them shouted. Another grabbed the curator by the front of his shirt.

"Empty those display cases!" he demanded.

"Looks like they're after the gems…" Miley whispered. She turned to say something to Lilly, only to discover her blonde-haired friend had vanished. An instant later, Supergirl thundered across the gallery, snatching the terrified curator away from the armored intruders. Once he was safely out of harm's way, she turned back to the would-be criminals.

"I guess you guys haven't heard," she said simply. "Metropolis is under my protection now… so why don't you just give up and save yourselves a whole lot of trouble?"

"Oh, we've heard," the leader of the three sneered. "In fact, we've been waiting for you…!" He raised his arm and fired a blast of brilliant blue energy at Lilly at point-blank range, sending her flying across the gallery. The attack stunned her more than anything else, but the three armor-clad goons quickly followed it up with a second, more powerful volley that drove her through the wall behind her. Shouts and screams echoed behind her as people fled the gallery in terror.

Lilly was on her feet again in moments, shaking off the dust and loose debris as she hurtled forward again. She was able to dodge yet another attack and drove one of the attackers through the glass display cases behind them, but the other two were quick to counterattack. One of them unleashed a flamethrower weapon that threatened to envelop her in a jet of searing flame, and Lilly was forced back. Staying just out of his range, she exhaled a blast of super cold breath that froze his weapon solid. Behind her, the other extended a knife-like blade made of pure energy from his armored gauntlet and leapt at Lilly, slashing at her with it. Lilly blocked it with her forearm and sent her would-be attacker flying back with a quick kick.

By then, the leader of the three was able to recover, and he attacked Lilly again. The other two joined in as well, and Lilly was soon enveloped in a crackling web of powerful energy. The searing heat and pulverizing force was more than even she could endure, and she cried out in pain as she fought to stay standing.

"That's it!" the leader called out triumphantly. "Give her all you've got!" Struggling against the onslaught of deadly sapphire energy, Lilly gritted her teeth and set her feet. Finally, with a shout, she forced the storm of energy right back at her attackers, sending all three of them hurtling across the gallery, where they met the walls and floor with bone-shattering force.

"Okay, that stung a bit," Lilly muttered to herself as she watched the three armored mercenaries try in vain to pick themselves up from were they'd fallen. "Time to take care of their little toys before anyone else gets hurt!"

Quick as a thought, she flew over to where the three mercenaries still lay sprawled on the floor and, one by one, tore them out of their armored suits. She had the first two dispatched in moments and used some of the wreckage to bind them together. The third was still trying desperately to get back to his feet so he could resume his attack, but Lilly stopped him by pinning his wrist to the ground with her foot, all but destroying the energy weapon in his armored gauntlet as she did so.

"Going somewhere?" she taunted him.

"You haven't won yet!" the mercenary growled threateningly.

"Oh, I don't know," Lilly retorted. "Things are looking pretty good… to me…" Without warning, an unexpected wave of weakness and pain washed over Lilly, and she found herself struggling to get out the last few words.

"H-hey, w-what's going on?" she managed. The unpleasant sensations grew stronger and Lilly sank to her knees, suddenly unable to stand. It felt like a thousand fiery needles were stabbing into her skin, all over her body, and she gasped out loud.

"Wh-what are you doing to me?" Lilly demanded through clenched teeth.

"I'm not doing anything," the leader of the mercenaries sneered, "but I know an opportunity when I see one! Later, Blondie!" Cruelly kicking Lilly in the ribs, dropping her to the floor, he turned and ran away as fast as he could. She could do nothing to stop him. The waves of searing pain were growing worse, and for the first time since she'd discovered her incredible powers, Lilly began to wonder what it would feel like to die.

"Supergirl, are you all right?" a familiar voice cried out. Lilly looked up to see Miley rushing over to her, an expression of alarm on her face.

"It… hurts…" Lilly gasped.

"I don't understand," Miley replied as she tried to help Lilly stand. "What's doing this to you?" She wrapped an arm around Lilly's waist and carefully guided her to her feet. In return, Lilly slipped one of her arms behind and around Miley's shoulders. She didn't notice that the carefully concealed pocket in her cape had slipped open slightly, and for a brief moment, an astonished Miley could see a familiar pair of glasses hanging out of Supergirl's cape.

"W-what?" Lilly managed, noticing the stunned expression on Miley's face.

"Nothing," Miley said quickly, struggling to ignore the thoughts rampaging through her mind. "We've gotta get you out of here…" Then, amidst the shattered wreckage of one of the display cases, she saw it. It looked like a small, ordinary rock, but it was glowing with a pale green light. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, but somehow Miley knew it had to be responsible for Supergirl's suffering. She gave it a savage kick that sent it flying away into the shadows. As soon as the glowing green rock was no longer near her, Lilly felt the pain fade away, and she sighed in relief.

"Are you all right?" Miley asked her carefully.

"I'll live," Lilly managed as she gently disentangled herself from Miley. "What in the world was that?"

"Some kind of glowing green rock," Miley answered. "It must've been part of the new exhibit."

"Where did it go?" Lilly asked worriedly.

"I took care of it," Miley replied. "Don't worry about it right now, okay?"

"But why did you come back?" Lilly continued, concern evident in her voice. "You could've been hurt!"

"I… I wanted the story, okay?" Miley retorted. It wasn't the truth – not all of it, at least – but she couldn't quite bring herself to admit why she had really rushed to Supergirl's side. The sight of the angelic blonde lying on the ground, writhing in pain, had been almost more than she could stand.

"All right, all right," Lilly said, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm sorry." She managed a small smile.

"I'm just glad you were here," she said softly. "Thank you, Miley… you saved my life." Miley felt her cheeks grow warm.

"You're welcome," Miley whispered.

"Well, uh…" Lilly cleared her throat. "I should probably take care of the rest of those armored goons before they try to escape too…"

"Do you have any idea where they could've come from?" Miley asked.

"No," Lilly admitted. "I kinda doubt they're gonna tell me either. But maybe…" She walked over to where the two remaining mercenaries were still bound and carefully picked up the twisted remnants of one of their helmets. The metal plating inside had been torn open on one side, revealing a mass of circuitry and tangled wires… and a tiny, microscopic symbol only Lilly's super eyes could see.

"There's some kinda symbol in here," Lilly said out loud. "It looks like an 'L' and a 'C' joined together, in red and gold…" Miley sucked in a breath. Lilly looked up at her.

"What is it?" Lilly asked in concern.

"I, um… I know that symbol," Miley admitted, hanging her head. She closed her eyes. "It's the corporate symbol for LuthorCorp… Mikayla Luthor's company." Lilly frowned.

"You sound like you know her," she said quietly.

"Are you kidding? Everyone in town knows her!" Miley gasped. "She's the most powerful businesswoman in the country, maybe the world!" The fire immediately went out of her voice.

" And I, um… I kind of used to date her. Until I saw her for what she was."

"Are you telling me your ex-girlfriend just tried to kill me?" Lilly exclaimed.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Miley shouted back. "I don't even talk to her anymore!" Lilly sighed.

"I'm sorry, Miley," she whispered. "I didn't mean to shout… and I know you didn't have anything to do with this. I guess it's just been a rough day…" She shook her head.

"Look, I'm gonna take care of these guys, and then I guess I better have a conversation with their boss, okay?"

"Supergirl…" Miley said warningly. "I know you're upset, but unless you can prove Mikayla actually had something to do with this, confronting her won't do any good. She'll just hide behind her high-priced lawyers, and you'll never get to her."

"Are you serious?" Lilly asked incredulously. Miley nodded slowly.

"Trust me, she's made getting away with murder – literally and figuratively – a fine art," she quipped.

"Those goons were still using weapons made by her company," Lilly argued.

"She can just say they were stolen," Miley pointed out.

"Miss Luthor has an answer to everything, doesn't she?" Lilly retorted.

"She certainly thinks so…" Miley muttered under her breath.

"She found what?" Mikayla thundered, her enraged voice echoing through her massive office.

"Supergirl, somehow found our corporation's ID symbol on the internal circuitry of the battle suits used by the three mercenaries you sent to kill her," Graves, her ever-present assistant and bodyguard, replied calmly. Mikayla glowered at him from the other side of her mahogany desk.

"I thought that was supposed to be microscopic!" she hissed.

"So far as I'm aware, it is," Graves responded. "She must have some powers we're not aware of…"

"Wonderful," Mikayla growled, cutting him off. "I guess we can add microscopic vision to that super-powered twit's list of abilities…!"

"She still can't prove anything," Graves said in his deep, slightly accented voice.

"Maybe not," Mikayla agreed grudgingly, "but I'm not about to take any chances. Damn Liam, this is all his fault! Now I've got to get rid of her!" She stood up.

"What else have we got?" she demanded.

"Those suits were the most powerful weapons systems ever created by LuthorCorp," Graves said with a slight shake of his head, "and they barely even slowed her down."

"Well, we'll just have to think of something else," Mikayla muttered.

"Actually, one of our technicians picked up something from the site of the battle that may prove useful," Graves suggested. Mikayla arched an eyebrow.

"It couldn't hurt to check it out, could it?" he pressed.

"Fine," Mikayla relented. "Where?"

"The main lab," Graves replied simply. Not even bothering to acknowledge him, Mikayla spun on her heel and stalked out of the office. The trip to the lab, twenty stories below, took only a few minutes thanks to the towering office building's express elevators, and soon Mikayla was standing in front of LuthorCorp's head scientist, the balding Professor Ivo.

"Well, professor?" Mikayla asked sharply.

"See for yourself," Professor Ivo replied. He gestured to a large glass specimen case standing in the center of the lab. Inside it was what appeared to be a large dark-colored rock, glowing with a brilliant green light.

"One of our men recovered it from the scene of the battle at the museum," the professor explained. "Apparently, this rock brought Supergirl to her knees."

"What is it?" Mikayla asked, her eyes wide.

"It appears to be a meteor fragment of some kind, containing some unique minerals we can't even identify," the professor told her. "It's also emitting a particular type of low-level radiation, which appears to be responsible for the way it's glowing."

"And this hurt her?" Mikayla asked, astonished. Professor Ivo nodded.

"I believe it's the radiation," he responded. "So far, it's had absolutely no affect on any of us here in the lab, but according to our spy, it nearly killed Supergirl. Our best guess at this point is that it only affects Kryptonians, like her." He paused.

"That's why we decided to call it… kryptonite."

"Do you think you might be able to make a weapon of some sort out of it?" Mikayla asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I don't see why not," Professor Ivo said after a moment. "Did you have something particular in mind?" Mikayla's lips twisted upward in a cold smile .

"Oh, let's just keep it simple… some high-velocity ammunition should do just fine…"

Three days passed, and Lilly was still unable to find any evidence proving Mikayla Luthor had been behind the attack in the museum. She'd scanned the Daily Planet's news archives, attempted to use the information stored in the Fortress of Solitude, even asked some of her fellow reporters, but every attempt seemed to run into a dead end; and with each failure, her frustration grew. It didn't help that she couldn't stop thinking about Miley either.

She couldn't explain her feelings for the feisty brunette reporter, but they were making it harder and harder for her to be around Miley without telling her the truth. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered what it felt like to have Miley in her arms as they flew together through the night sky, and she wanted to experience that feeling again. She wondered if Miley could possibly feel the same way… and could she take the risk? Her father had warned her that anyone close to her could potentially be in danger. Was she truly willing to take that chance, just so she could admit her feelings to the young woman she was rapidly falling in love with?

"Watcha thinkin' about?" a familiar voice called out. Lilly looked up from her computer to see Miley standing over her, an amused grin on her face.

"Oh, hey Miley," Lilly greeted her. "What's up?"

"I was gonna ask you that," Miley replied, still smiling. "Still working on that Mikayla Luthor story of yours?" Lilly sighed.

"Yeah, for all the good it's doing me," she muttered. "How about you? Working on the latest Supergirl story?"

"Sort of," Miley replied. "Actually, I could use your help. Could you come over to my desk?"

"Since we're the only two people left in the building, I think that could be arranged," Lilly quipped.

"What can I say, not everyone is as good as we are at working late," Miley replied, her grin widening. "Come on, I wanna show you something." Lilly nodded and stood up, following Miley over to her desk. Lilly didn't know it, but she wasn't the only one doing a lot of thinking. Miley, too, was lost in thought.

Ever since the day at the museum, when she had accidentally caught of glimpse of what Supergirl apparently hid in her cape, Miley was determined to prove what she already suspected: that Lilly was Supergirl. She didn't know why, exactly. For once, it wasn't for her career; it was far more personal than that. She just had to know if the young woman she was proud to call her friend was the same person she was already hopelessly in love with.

"So what did you want to show me?" Lilly asked when they reached Miley's desk.

"Have you ever seen a real gun?" Miley asked her.

"Just on tv," Lilly said with a smile. It was a lie, but Miley didn't know that.

"Really?" Miley replied. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a small pistol.

"Uh, Miley? What are you doing?" Lilly asked nervously.

"Testing a theory," Miley replied calmly. She pointed the gun at Lilly.

"See, if I'm right, nothing's gonna happen to you when I pull the trigger… because you're Supergirl." Lilly's eyes went wide.

"Miley, you don't know what you're saying!" she gasped. "Please put the gun down!"

"You know I'd never hurt you," Miley replied gently. She slowly raised the gun. "Now don't fall down okay, 'cause you're just gonna have to get back up again!"

"Miley, wait!" Lilly cried out, but it was too late. Miley pulled the trigger and the gun roared… but the bullet did absolutely nothing. Lilly didn't even flinch. Miley gasped.

"You are Supergirl…!" she breathed. Lilly sighed. There was no way she could explain away not being harmed by the gun; whether she liked it or not, her secret was out. Knowing any further attempt to hide the truth would be pointless, she slowly took off her glasses and shook her hair free.

"You're right, I am," she said softly. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You realize that if you'd been wrong, Lilly Truscott would be dead."

"Even us normal humans can't be hurt by blanks," Miley quipped. She emptied the gun to show Lilly the harmless ammunition. Lilly groaned and closed her eyes; she couldn't believe she had been tricked so easily.

"Gotcha!" Miley said with a grin. "Didn't I tell you I'd never hurt you?"

"I don't believe you did that," Lilly muttered. She opened her eyes, fighting not to grin as well. "And I can't believe I fell for it!"

"I'm sorry, I just… I had to know the truth," Miley managed.

"I think we need to talk," Lilly whispered. Miley opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off by the sudden sound of screeching tires and screaming, followed by a thunderous crash. Miley and Lilly exchanged brief, alarmed expressions before they ran over to a nearby window. They were greeted by the sight of a large, smoldering SUV all but embedded in the side of a nearby building. It had seemingly come to rest atop the remains of a fire hydrant, and the torrent of water that should have been shooting up into the sky was somehow gushing up inside the SUV.

As Miley and Lilly watched in horror, the terrified driver struggled to get out as the water slowly began to rise up around him, but the awkward position of the SUV prevented him from being able to actually open any of the doors. He punched and kicked at the windows in helpless frustration, but nothing seemed to work. For a brief moment, it looked like he was about to drown… and then, just in the nick of time, the familiar red and blue figure of Supergirl swooped down from the sky.

"Go get 'em, Lilly," Miley whispered proudly. "And while you do that, I'm gonna get the story!" Snatching a pen and notepad off her desk, she rushed outside as fast as she could. She arrived just in time to see Supergirl tearing open the roof of the SUV and pulling the terrified driver to safety. Miley paused to write something on her notepad.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something in the distance, something just catching the sunlight. Her eyes widened as she recognized the telltale shape of a gun barrel. Miley could just make out a man in dark clothing crouched in a nearby alleyway, lurking in the shadows as he took aim at Supergirl with his weapon. She briefly wondered just what kind of gun the would-be sniper believed could possibly hurt Supergirl; then she noticed a faint green glow emanating from a chamber in the center of the gun, and a terrible realization struck her like a blow to the stomach.

It's that glowing green rock again… it has to be! HE'S GOING TO KILL HER!

"Supergirl, get down!" Miley shouted at the top of her lungs as she ran towards the angelic blonde, still standing on top of the wrecked SUV as people crowded around her. It was a trap, it had to be, and the Girl of Steel was totally oblivious to what was about to happen. Miley knew there was no way she could outrun a bullet, but she'd be damned if she didn't try to do something; there was no way she was going to let Lilly die right in front of her.

"He's got a gun! In the alley!" Miley screamed. Lilly at last heard her and started to turn towards her. She caught sight of the partially-concealed gunman crouched in the alleyway just as Miley reached the SUV, and then the sound of a distant gunshot echoed in her ears. Miley heard it too, and in a last act of desperation, she hurled herself in front of Supergirl, even as Lilly watched in horror. A second later, Miley felt the fiery impact of the kryptonite bullet as it tore her through her, and she collapsed. She had time to smile briefly up at Supergirl, grateful that was all right, and then Miley's eyes slid closed as darkness took her.

For a long, nightmarish second, all Lilly could do was stare at Miley's fallen body… and then a rage the likes of which she had never known swept through her. With a cry of anguish, she hurtled herself straight at the would-be assassin and flattened him with a single, bone-crunching punch. Satisfied he wasn't getting back up, she took his weapon and twisted it into a makeshift set of manacles around his wrists. Then she flew back to Miley's side as fast as she could.

"Miley!" she practically screamed. "Miley speak to me!" She gently pressed two fingers against the side of Miley's neck and felt an extremely weak pulse. She'd seen Miley get shot, and even though she didn't want to admit it, she knew there was no way the feisty brunette reporter could possibly survive the terrible injury… but there was no power on Earth that was going to make her let Miley go. She knelt down and carefully picked Miley up, then turned to the crowd of people still gathered around the SUV.

"Call the police to come pick that guy up!" she shouted, "and wait here 'til they arrive!" Not bothering to wait for an answer, she turned and hurtled upward again, flying as fast as she dared.

"Damnit Miley, why did you do that?" Lilly shouted as they flew upward, fighting back tears. "Don't you know how much I care about you?" She held Miley against her, resting the brunette's already cool cheek against her own, as they flew on.

"Well you're not gonna die, you hear me? You're not gonna die!" It took only a few minutes to reach her arctic fortress, and Lilly wasted no time bringing her inside. Sensing her presence, Zor-El's spirit shimmered into being.

"My daughter, what is wrong? I sense great distress…!"

"I need the rejuvenation chamber!" Lilly shouted. "Hurry, it's an emergency!"

"Have you been injured?" Zor-El asked.

"It's not for me, it's for her!" Lilly yelled, holding up Miley. "She's dying!"

"There is no way to tell what effect it might have on a human being…"

"I'll take the risk, whatever it is!" Lilly pleaded. "Father, please!" Turning, Zor-El gestured into the distance, and a partially-hidden doorway slid open. Lilly turned and rushed inside. Past the doors, in a smaller, separate chamber, was what appeared to be a laboratory of some sort. Lilly gently laid Miley in a bed of crystals and spun towards the nearby control panel. She waved her hand over an tall clear crystal and it began to glow with a pale blue light. The bed of crystals surrounding Miley took on a similar glow, and a shimmering wave of energy soon enveloped her dying body.

Please God, let this work…! Lilly whispered to herself. A tiny beam of light crackled down from another array of crystals in the ceiling, briefly analyzing the deadly kryptonite bullet still lodged in Miley's body before vaporizing it entirely. Lilly glanced at the various readouts above the control console, particularly the one showing Miley's vital signs, and breathed in sharply. Miley was dying… and it seemed even the power of the rejuvenation chamber was helpless to prevent it. A few more seconds passed, and still she showed no sign of improvement. Lilly made her way to Miley's side and took the brunette reporter's hand in her own, joining their fingers together.

"Damnit Miley, fight!" she cried out, gently squeezing the cool hand she held. "You can't leave me here alone! I need you!" A shrill alarm sounded from the control panel, a grim warning that Miley didn't have much longer. Lilly sank to her knees.

"Please…" she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. Lilly was so overwhelmed by her grief she didn't notice a wave of brilliant bluish-white light suddenly shimmer along her and Miley's joined hands. The effect was incredible though. Miley's body suddenly jerked upwards, and the control panel emitted a loud screech. Lilly looked up, her vision partially obscured by her tears. Her eyes widened when she saw what had appeared on the main screen: Miley's vital signs, somehow growing stronger.

"It can't be…" Lilly whispered. "Can it…?" Then a weak but reassuring voice told her all she needed to know.

"Where… where am I…?" Miley asked in a barely audible voice. Lilly's eyes widened.

"Miley?" she gasped. "Oh, thank God!"

"L-Lilly?" Miley's weak voice replied.

"I'm here, Miley!" Lilly responded, squeezing Miley's hand as she tried to fight back still more tears. "Just lie still, okay? You're gonna be all right!"

"How am I still alive…?" Miley asked weakly. Lilly managed a watery smile.

"Because I wasn't gonna let you die," she said simply. "You mean too much to me…"

After a few hours in the rejuvenation chamber, Miley was virtually back to normal. Lilly gave her an official tour of the Fortress of Solitude, and then insisted she eat something. Miley agreed, but only if Lilly would eat with her. Grinning, Lilly agreed. A few super-speed trips around the world later, Lilly set out a dinner the likes of which Miley had never seen.

"Lilly, you didn't have to do all this!" Miley gushed. "Pasta from Italy, sushi from Japan…!"

"I wanted to," Lilly replied with a smile. "Besides, after everything that's happened…"

"I guess we still need to talk, huh?" Miley said softly. Lilly took a deep breath.

"Miley… you could've died. You would've, if not for my father's technology," Lilly managed. "Why? Why did you jump in front of me like that?" Miley suddenly found it difficult to look at the blonde-haired Kryptonian, and she focused on the plate of food in front of her instead.

"Ever since the night we spent together, when you took me flying with you, I've been struggling with these… feelings… for you," Miley whispered. "I didn't want to admit it first, but when I thought I was about to watch you die…" She blinked away a tear. She raised her head and met Lilly's glittering sapphire gaze with her own.

"I love you, Lilly…"

"Oh, Miley…" Hearing Miley admit her feelings, Lilly felt whatever doubt she might have had about her own feelings dissolve away. She stood and pulled Miley into a warm and wonderful kiss, almost whimpering as she did so. They stopped only when air became a necessity, and Lilly couldn't help smiling as she looked into Miley's eyes.

"I love you too, Miley… and I think you should know everything."

"I want to," Miley whispered. Grinning, Lilly took Miley's hand in her own.

"I'll explain everything later," she said softly. "Right now, there's only one thing I want to do…"

"What's that?" Miley asked. In response, Lilly pulled Miley to her again and kissed her passionately. There was an unspoken need for each other that neither young woman had dared to voice, but actions spoke louder than words. Soon they were utterly lost in each other, gently revolving as they floated through the air in each other's arms.

"W-wow…" Miley managed when they at last parted for air. She looked down at the ground beneath them. "D-did we do that?"

"You ain't seen nothin' yet," Lilly said with a sultry grin. With Miley still in her arms, she gently glided across the fortress to her seldom-used living quarters. It had been years since she'd used it last, but tonight was going to be a joyful exception. She and Miley floated down onto the semi-circular bed below light as a feather.

"Stay with me tonight…" Lilly whispered. Miley gently ran her fingers along Lilly's side, making the blonde-haired Kryptonian shiver.

"And every night," she breathed. Then she covered Lilly's lips with her own, even as her fingers crept underneath Lilly's skirt. Soon their clothes were shed and the night was filled with the sounds of soft gasps and excited whispers as the two young woman made gentle, passionate love to one another…

When the first rays of the morning sunshine shone over the arctic wilderness, they found two young women still lying in each other's arms after a long night's lovemaking. Miley sighed contentedly and snuggled against Lilly, who still held the brunette reporter in a warm and loving embrace. Lilly couldn't help smiling; waking up with Miley in her arms was heaven. She had been awake for some time, enjoying the feeling of Miley's warm, bare skin against her own as she watched the woman she loved sleep. She looked so peaceful, so innocent, her lips twisted upward in a faint, happy smile. Not at all like someone who had been at death's door just a short while ago. The thought of it still made Lilly angry. Miley had almost died, and for what? Lilly knew she'd never be able to rest until she found out.

Slipping quietly out of bed, being careful not to wake Miley, Lilly dressed in her costume again and made her way out into the Fortress' main chamber. Sensing her presence, Zor-El shimmered into being.

"Is your friend still here?" he asked.

"Her name is Miley," Lilly replied calmly. "And she's… more than a friend, father."

"I see…"

"Were you able to find the information I asked about?" Lilly asked, ignoring the slightly disapproving tone in her father's voice.

"The man who tried to kill you has been identified by the police as Charles Nelson Dailey, a career criminal," Zor-El replied after a moment. A three-dimensional holographic image of the man in question appeared beside him. "He is currently being held at the Metropolis County Jail, pending his arraignment."

"I need to know who that man works for," Lilly said solemnly, though she already had her suspicions. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess I'll have to pay Mr. Dailey a visit."

"If you set yourself on the path to revenge, it can only end with self-destruction," Zor-El said gravely.

"I'm not interested in revenge," Lilly replied, only half-truthfully. "I just want to make sure whoever's behind this doesn't hurt anyone again… especially Miley." Zor-El was silent for several long moments, his ethereal eyes focused intently on his daughter, almost as though he could see into her very soul. Then, finally, he turned away.

"Very well… but I must warn you about his weapon's ammunition."

"What is it?" Lilly asked him.

"It appears to have been forged from a radioactive meteor fragment with unusual properties," Zor-El responded. "In fact… I believe they may be the remains of our home." Lilly's eyes went wide.

"Those are… those are pieces of Krypton?" she asked in an astonished voice. Zor-El nodded. The holographic display changed to show the glowing green crystalline structure of the meteor fragments.

"There are minerals present that could only have come from Krypton," he continued. "And I believe they would be extraordinarily lethal to anyone from our world." Lilly gasped.

"The rock at the museum…" she whispered to herself as realization dawned on her. "She must've gotten her hands on it somehow… turned it into a weapon…" She squeezed her hands into angry fists.

"I have to return to Metropolis," she announced, struggling to control her raging emotions. "Please take care of Miley for me while I'm gone. Give her anything she wants… but don't let her leave the Fortress."

"You wish me to keep her prisoner?" Zor-El asked ominously. Lilly shook her head.

"No… but I know she's not gonna be happy when she finds out where I've gone." She paused. "And I don't want her getting hurt again." She looked up at her father's shimmering spirit an swallowed.

"I know you don't understand, but this is something I have to do," she said softly.

"Be careful," Zor-El said gently. "I have already lost my home, and my wife… I do not wish to lose my only daughter as well."

"You won't," Lilly promised, and she turned to leave.

"She means a great to you, doesn't she?" Zor-El stopped her. This… Miley." Lilly closed her eyes.

"I love her…" she managed. "More than I can say…"

"Then perhaps we understand each other better than you think, my daughter," Zor-El told her, the corner of his mouth rising in the ghost of a smile. "I, too, have known what it is to love another so much that I would be willing to sacrifice everything for them." Lilly managed a tearful smile.

"I love you too, daddy…" she whispered. And with that she took off, flying away as fast as she could.

As Lilly approached the Metropolis County Jail, she heard the sound of sirens in the distance. She could also hear voices shouting, and dogs barking.

"I've got a bad feeling someone just decided to give themselves an early parole," Lilly muttered to herself. "Maybe I can give the boys in blue a hand." Swooping down, she began to scan the countryside around the prison with her x-ray vision. It didn't take her long to find the single convict trying to hide in the shelter of a small cave nearby. She instantly recognized him.

"Well, well… just the man I was looking for…" she quipped. Hurtling downward, she smashed through the roof of the cave itself and landed in front of him just as he was about to try and slip away.

"Charles Dailey?" Lilly greeted him. "We need to talk."

"Go spit!" the thug howled in outrage, swinging his handmade shiv. "I ain't tellin' you nothing!" Lilly easily caught his wrist before he could complete his attack and held it still.

"I haven't asked you anything yet," she replied, smiling grimly. "But since you brought it up… who are you working for?"

"Forget it, freak!" Dailey shouted angrily, struggling to escape. "There ain't no way!"

"Is that right?" Lilly quipped. "Can you fly?" Without warning, she soared upward again, taking the frightened would-be sniper with her. She waited until they were far above the ground, and then she let him drop. His terrified screams echoed across the night sky, until finally Lilly swooped down and caught him by the ankle

"Well? Feel like talking now?" she demanded.

"M-Manheim! Liam Manheim!" Dailey shrieked. Lilly tried to hide her astonishment.

Manheim? I remember seeing that name in the Daily Planet's news archives… he's the leader of Intergang, a big organized crime outfit! Lilly thought to herself. What's going on here?

"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?" Lilly taunted him as she dropped him gently on the ground. "So tell me, what does the high and mighty leader of Intergang want with little old me?" When Dailey again refused to answer, Lilly decided to try a new trick. Her eyes took on a fiery red glow, and pale wisps of smoke began to curl up from the front of Dailey's shirt.

"Feeling a little warm?" Lilly asked him lightly. "If it's not hot enough for you, I can always turn up the heat…"

"NO!" Dailey cried out in terror, trying to back away. "Turn it off!"

"Sure," Lilly replied calmly. "Just tell me what I want to know."

"All right, all right!" Daily screamed again. "I was supposed to get rid of you before the shipment arrived tonight!"

"What kind of shipment?" Lilly demanded.

"I don't know, I swear!" Dailey pleaded. "It's supposed to be coming in at Pier 59 at midnight tonight, that's all I know!"

"Well, I guess I'll just have to go see for myself," Lilly said lightly. "And thanks for the info… enjoy your trip back to jail." Before the would-be sniper could say anything else, Lilly knocked him out with a quick chop to his neck. She paused long enough to turn him over to the search parties from the prison, then she disappeared into the night sky again.

"Hurry up, get those crates off the ship!" Liam Manheim shouted angrily, his voice echoing across the almost empty docks at Pier 59. "The harbor patrol will be back in 15 minutes, we need to be out of here before they return!" A group of six men dressed in dark grey coveralls quickly began to follow his orders.

"Idiots," he growled as watched them struggle with their task. "Is this what I get for $500 an hour? I shouldn't even be out here!"

"Just can't get good help these days, huh?" a feminine voice called out. Liam spun around, jerking a pistol from his belt.

"Who's out there?" he barked. "Show yourself!"

"Aw, is that supposed to scare me?" the female voice replied. "By the way, you might want to look up." Liam immediately did so, and his jaw dropped open when he saw Supergirl floating in mid-air just over his head.

"Hi there," Lilly greeted him coolly. "I'm looking for a bad guy. Are you a bad guy?" Liam responded by pointing his pistol at her, his eyes narrowing in fury.

"You don't read much, do you?" Lilly quipped. She quickly slapped the gun out of his head and knocked him to the ground with a sharp kick to his chest.

"Now then, why don't you tell me what you're doing here and I'll decide whether or not you should go to jail," she said lightly as she landed beside the stunned criminal.

"I should never have trusted Luthor," Liam muttered. "This is all her fault!" Lilly's eyes narrowed.

"Sounds like we have a friend in common," she said softly. "And who might you be?"

"Mr. Manheim!" an alarmed voice shouted. Lilly turned to see the would-be thugs in dark coveralls rushing towards her, holding crowbars and other makeshift weapons.

"So you're Liam Manheim, huh?" Lilly continued. "I think you and I need to have a talk about your business with Mikayla Luthor… after I take care of your friends." She waited until the thugs were nearly upon her, then she exhaled a powerful blast of air that sent them flying backwards. Moving quickly, she snatched a large fishing net hanging nearby and tossed it over the sprawled thugs. A second gust of breath partially froze the net in place over them, holding them in place.

"There, all ready for the police," Lilly said, satisfied with her work. "Now then, what's in these boxes you don't want anybody to see?" She walked over to one of them and focused her x-ray vision on it, peering inside.

The metallic crate was filled with row after row of handguns and rifles, neatly packaged and organized. They looked suspiciously similar to what the would-be sniper had used to try and kill her, and not at all like ordinary weapons. Thrusting her hand through the side of the box, she pulled out one of the rifles and carefully scanned it with her x-ray vision as well. It was definitely some kind of hi-tech weapon, and hidden within its advanced circuitry was the familiar symbol Lilly had been expecting to see. Furious, she stalked over to where Liam was still lying sprawled on the ground and yanked him roughly to his feet.

"What were you going to do with these?" she demanded, holding up the rifle in her other hand.

"Go to hell," Liam growled. Lilly responded by tightening her grip on his throat, slowly cutting off his air supply

"Tell me!" she screamed.

"What do you think?" Liam managed. "There's enough firepower in those crates to outfit an army!" Lilly felt her blood boil.

You tried to kill me, and you almost killed Miley, just so you could sell guns to a bunch of killers? Lilly seethed. That's it, Mikayla… you're going down!

"You're out of business, starting now," Lilly muttered, crushing the rifle in her stronger than steel hand. "Don't worry, your friend Mikayla Luthor is going to be joining you in a nice jail cell real soon!" With that, she tossed Liam aside and soared upward again, even as the sound of sirens began to close in.

Angry as she was, Lilly didn't feel like wasting time actually introducing herself to the woman she'd come to hate. She soared right through one of the windows of Mikayla's office and landed right beside her desk amid a shower of glass.

"My attorney will be in touch about the window," Mikayla Luthor said simply, her face betraying no emotions.

"It's over, Mikayla," Lilly growled. The corrupt executive remained sitting at her desk, her fingers steepled together.

"What makes you think so, Supergirl?" she retorted.

"I know what you're up to, Mikayla," Lilly replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Liam Manheim and his friends are in jail; your weapons never left the harbor."

"You have no proof I had anything to do with that," Mikayla said lightly.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Lilly muttered. "Liam and I had a nice conversation about your business dealings together. There's also Miley's attempted murder. Face it witch, you're finished… and I'm here to make sure you never hurt anyone again."

"Think so?" Mikayla hissed. "You've obviously never heard the first rule in business…" A bolt of crackling greenish energy tore through Mikayla's desk and knocked Lilly to the ground.

"…always be prepared!" Mikayla finished with a snarl. Grinning, she stood up from the smoldering ruins of her desk and slowly walked over to Lilly. Instead of her usual business suit, she was wearing an amazing armored battle suit of her own. It seemed to be made of some unknown kind of metal, but it clung to Mikayla's body like a second skin. Most of it was emerald green, except for the boots and gauntlets, which were a dark purple. A kind of elongated yellow hexagon marked the center of her chest plate.

"In case you're wondering, that was the same stuff that almost killed you at the museum," Mikayla continued, still smiling. "We call it kryptonite. I had a very special suit made for me, in case of… an emergency. Looks like it's going to be useful after all." As Lilly struggled to stand again, Mikayla unleashed another blast of kryptonite radiation that drove the Girl of Steel to the ground.

"I usually don't like getting my hands dirty with this sort of thing," Mikayla quipped. "Hell, I even hired someone else to get rid of my uncle so I could take over his company. I have to admit though… this is actually kind of fun." Her cold grin grew, and yet another bolt of green energy crackled from her gauntlets to envelop Lilly's body. The Girl of Steel cried out.

"Does it hurt?" Mikayla taunted her. "I hope so." She paused to tap a hidden switch on the side of one of her gauntlets, and the twin blasts of emerald energy she fired afterward were far fiercer and stronger than they had been before.

"I can even control the strength and intensity of the radiation," Mikayla pointed out as Lilly writhed in pain. She grinned again. "But I'm sure you can feel that without me having to tell about it…" She stepped forward slightly, until she was standing directly over Lilly's body.

"You've caused me enough trouble barbie doll, and I'm looking forward to making you suffer in every way imaginable!"

Back at the Fortress of Solitude, Miley was not at all pleased to discover that Lilly had left without her. She was even angrier when she learned why Lilly had left. At her insistence, Zor-El's spirit used the Fortress' technology to tap into one of the U.S. government's orbiting surveillance satellites, so they could see what Lilly was up to. The terrible sight that greeted their eyes – a seemingly victorious Mikayla Luthor standing over Lilly's prone body, still training her rays of deadly kryptonite radiation on the helpless Girl of Steel – made Miley cry out.

"Lilly!" she sobbed. Her previous anger was all but forgotten; the sight of the woman she loved in danger was enough to wipe away everything but love and concern. "What's happening to her?"

"It's the lethal radiation generated by the fragments of Krypton," Zor-El responded solemnly. "Mikayla Luthor has apparently created yet another weapon capable of using it."

"Fragments of Krypton?" Miley repeated. "Is that what that rock at the museum was?" Zor-El nodded. Miley swallowed.

"That could kill her!" she wailed. "Lilly could die! Please, we have to help her!"

"I cannot leave this Fortress," Zor-El said solemnly. "Even if I wanted to, there is nothing I can do…"

"There has to be something you can do!" Miley pleaded with him. Zor-El stared at her for a long moment, and he watched as a single tear trickled down Miley's cheek.

"You love her," he said softly. "As much as she does you."

"Yes…" Miley managed through her tears. Zor-El looked away for a moment, as if struggling with a great decision, then he turned to face Miley again, slowly reaching out to her with one ghostly hand.

"Then, for the love of my daughter, I will do the one thing I can. Give me your hand, Miley… and together we can save her."

"W-what?" Miley asked nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"I can give you the last of my energy… and the power to save my daughter. You have only to take my hand… and trust me," Zor-El said gently. Miley didn't truly understand what Lilly's father was saying, though in truth she didn't even understand just what sort of being he was supposed to be. Still, if there was any chance of helping the woman she loved, Miley knew she had to take it. Taking a deep breath, she slowly reached out towards Zor-El as well.

"W-wait a minute," she said hesitantly, stopping her hand moments before she could touch Zor-El's transparent glowing fingers. "The last of your energy? W-what's gonna happen to you?"

"I will be no more," Zor-El said quietly, "and it will be up to you to take care of my daughter when I am gone. Tell Kara… to remember me." Miley gasped. She wanted to say something, to tell Lilly's father that he didn't have to do this, to sacrifice himself… but then she felt Zor-El's ethereal fingers touching her shoulder, and everything else was swept away as a jolt of unearthly energy shot through her. Miley cried out, and the world around her dissolved into brilliant white nothingness…

"Had enough yet?" Mikayla cruelly taunted Lilly, briefly halting the kryptonite assault. She reached down and grabbed Lilly's long blonde hair, pulling her up by it until their eyes met.

"The radiation feels like fire in your veins, doesn't it?" Mikayla hissed. "Burning away your strength and your energy…"

"You… haven't won yet… witch…" Lilly managed.

"Oh, but I have," Mikayla retorted. "I'm just enjoying myself!" She drove her knee up into Lilly's stomach and tossed her aside. She followed it up by jumping into the air, hoping to drive her armored foot into Lilly's face when landed. Fortunately, Lilly saw the attack in time and rolled out of the way, leaving Mikayla to land on empty ground.

"You don't really think you're going to leave this room alive, do you?" Mikayla snarled at her.

"The thought had occurred to me," Lilly quipped. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the shattered window she had flown in through, and she realized it was her only hope of escape. She darted towards it, but she was still so weak from the kryptonite that she unable to move nearly fast enough. Mikayla saw where she was going and caught her with another blast of kryptonite radiation, and Lilly fell back with shout. Then Mikayla was upon her again. Lilly struck her as hard as she could, but the attack was far from full strength, and the evil executive shrugged it off. Then she backhanded Lilly across the room with bone-crunching force.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Mikayla sneered. "Unfortunately, you're also annoying!" She blasted Lilly against the wall, then, before she could recover, she grabbed the Girl of Steel by the throat. She slowly raised her other hand, and Lilly watched as a set of razor-sharp talons, gleaming with a faint green glow, extended from her other gauntlet.

"Any last words?" Mikayla hissed.

"How about 'I give up'?" another voice interrupted. Mikayla turned to see who it was, only to receive a devastating punch that sent her flying.

"W-what?" Lilly managed, wondering who could possibly have come to her rescue. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of a young woman with in a blue, red and white costume with a long, flowing white cape and a white hood that concealed most of her features. The familiar 'S' symbol was emblazoned on her chest.

"W-who are you?" Lilly asked. Then she noticed an even more familiar crooked grin peering out from underneath the white hood.

"Miley?" she gasped. The feisty brunette nodded.

"It's me," Miley whispered. "I'm here, Lilly…" She reached out and gently helped the woman she loved to stand again.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. Lilly nodded.

"I'll live," she responded. "But what's going on? Why are you dressed like that… and how were you able to hit Mikayla like that?"

"It's a long story," Miley replied carefully. "I promise I'll explain everything later, okay? Right now we've got to deal with Mikayla!"

"I was wondering when you were gonna remember me," Mikayla snarled. Fully recovered from Miley's surprise attack, she unleashed another of her own, firing two beams of crackling green energy at her enemies. Miley and Lilly both went down hard, but Miley was back on her feet a few moments later. Mikayla stared at her with wide eyes.

"Sorry, that green stuff doesn't work on me," Miley taunted her.

"Guess I'll just have to find another way to put you down, whoever you are," Mikayla retorted. "After I finish with your girlfriend!" She raised her hands, her gauntlets crackling with kryptonite radiation, but Miley calmly stepped in front of her.

"You'll have to go through me first!" she snapped. Her eyes blazed with red light and twin beams of heat vision crackled towards Mikayla, but the evil executive easily blocked the attack with a shimmering transparent force field that suddenly sprung from one of her gauntlets.

"That the best you've got, sweetheart?" Mikayla taunted her. She surged forward, using the force field like a battering ram, driving Miley to the ground. Before she could follow up the attack, Lilly landed a furious punch that sent Mikayla hurtling across the room, where she smashed into the far wall with enough force to actually damage her armor.

"Don't you touch her!" Lilly shouted in a rage.

"Stuck a nerve, didn't I?" Mikayla sneered. "Maybe I can open that up into something truly painful…!" She stood again, ruptured circuits sparking and hissing all along part of her damaged leg armor, and raised her arm as if to attack again. Before she could do so, Miley flattened her with a devastating punch of her own. The armored plating on her right shoulder was torn open by the impact, exposing still more circuitry. Realizing there was no way she was going to be able to continue fighting two super-powered heroines, Mikayla gritted her teeth.

"Fine," she growled. "But I haven't lost yet!" She tapped a hidden control on her belt.

"What are you up to now?" Lilly snapped.

"I'm ending this pointless little game of ours," Mikayla muttered. As Lilly watched, her battle suit began to glow softly as brilliant bolts of electric current crackled all over its surface.

"Don't do anything stupid, Mikayla," Miley warned her as she walked up beside Lilly. A deep, echoing tremor suddenly shook the entire building.

"I'm not," Mikayla hissed. She grinned. "I'm just absorbing all of this building's electrical current into my armor. When I'm done, not even you and your little girlfriend will be able to survive!" As she spoke, both of her armored gauntlets began to glow as well.

"You're out of your mind!" Miley shouted. "You'll kill yourself!"

"No…" Mikayla sneered. "Just you." She raised her arms and opened her hands, both of her gauntlets glowing like twin, fiery suns. The building shook again, even more violently.

"We've gotta stop her…" Lilly whispered to the woman she loved. Miley nodded solemnly.

"I'm ready," she whispered back. A split second before Mikayla could unleash her final attack, Miley and Lilly simultaneously trained their combined heat vision on the exposed circuits of the evil executive's armored battle suit. The effect was startling. All of the suit's internal circuitry completely overloaded, and Mikayla was instantly consumed in a searing, charring web of blinding electrical current. She screamed, a terrible, agonized banshee's wail, and Miley and Lilly had to force themselves to look away. Finally she collapsed, smoke pouring from the ruined battle suit and the ravaged body inside.

"Oh my god…" Miley breathed.

"She did it to herself," Lilly said softly.

"Is she…?" Miley couldn't quite bring herself to finish the sentence. Lilly carefully knelt beside Mikayla's still body and felt for her pulse.

"She's alive," Lilly announced. "Not by much, though… she needs medical attention, badly." Miley nodded slowly. Lilly turned to look at her.

"We're gonna have to get her to a hospital," she said. "We can also make sure the authorities know exactly what Miss Mikayla Luthor's been up to." Miley nodded.

"And then, you and I are gonna have a nice long talk…"

A few days later, Miley and Lilly once again greeted the dawn in each other's arms, lying together in what had become their bed at the Fortress of Solitude. Mikayla Luthor remained in a coma at Metropolis General Hospital, facing federal charges of gun smuggling, first degree murder, attempted murder, and more… if she ever regained consciousness. Liam Manheim and his cronies had, amazingly, escaped prosecution, largely thanks to their high-priced lawyers and a crooked judge or two. Nonetheless, the two young lovers had emerged from their ordeal alive and well, and for that Lilly would be forever thankful.

Learning of her father's sacrifice had been difficult – and had involved more than a few tears in Miley's arms – but even though Lilly was still struggling to understand what her father had done, knowing that she still had Miley seemed to make things easier. What the future might bring she didn't know, but as long as she had the woman she loved in her arms, she was ready to face it.

"Watcha thinking about?" Miley asked her softly, slowly running one of her fingers over Lilly's bare shoulder.

"Us," Lilly admitted. "What do you think's gonna happen with us, Miley?"

"You're not having second thoughts, are you?" Miley asked in a worried tone. Lilly shook her head.

"No… I love you, Miley Ray Stewart, and I always will." She smirked. "Besides, who else can I make love to in mid-air?" Miley blushed.

"I never expected to be able to do all the things I can do now," she admitted. "After everything we've been through with Mikayla though, I think I'm ready to retire from the superhero business!"

"Awww, I was hoping I'd have someone to patrol with at night," Lilly fake-pouted.

"You still want to be Supergirl?" Miley asked her carefully. Lilly nodded slowly.

"I still want to help people if I can," she replied. "I feel like it's what my father sent me here to do." Miley smiled proudly and kissed Lilly softly on her cheek.

"I think maybe you're right," she agreed. "And I'll always be here if you need me." Lilly grinned.

"Forever it is," she whispered, and she caught Miley's lips in another passionate kiss, all the worries of the world fading away as she held the woman she loved tightly in her arms…