Lara awoke with a start. The last thing she remembered was being dragged, against her will, into a TV screen, and into whatever mayhem Mxyzptlk had in store for her and her father. The experience was quite disorientating, and it took Lara a few seconds to get her bearings.

 

She found herself lying on the grass, in the middle of what was meant to be Metropolis Centennial Park. But, as they had seen on the TV, Mxyzptlk had completely redecorated.

 

As Lara sat up, she noticed that she was now wearing her Supergirl outfit, and her dad was lying a few feet away. “Dad!” she cried, rushing over to him. To Lara’s relief, Superman sat up, looking relatively unharmed.

 

“Lara!” said Clark, hugging his daughter. “Are you okay, sweetie?”

“I’m fine, dad.” said Lara, “But I think we might be in trouble…”

 

The father-daughter duo gazed around at the chaos unfurling in the park. There certainly was circus music playing over the speaker system, which matched the new cartoony aesthetic that had been applied to the entire area. Both Clark and Lara felt pretty uneasy about this.

 

Centennial Park was known for its giant statue of Superman, and the memorial to those who had perished in the Doomsday incident, 12 years ago. It had occurred before Lara was born, but she knew all about it from basically everyone who was old enough to remember it, especially her parents.

 

Doomsday was a nearly unstoppable alien monster, who had been unleashed upon Metropolis after centuries of imprisonment. Dozens of civilians had been killed by the monster's rampage, including (though this was debated by many people) Superman himself. Doomsday and the Man of Steel had fought each other to the death at this exact location, leaving two lifeless bodies, of two of the most powerful beings on Earth, lying in the centre of Metropolis.

 

After that, Doomsday’s body was restrained, and jettisoned into deep space by the Justice League, and Clark was laid to rest in the Fortress of Solitude. After six months of international mourning, Superman returned from the dead, his body having been slowly rejuvenated by the Kryptonian technology at the Fortress.

 

Lara had always felt uneasy whenever she thought of that story. Even though it had occurred before she was born, and she knew that her dad had eventually recovered, it still served as a reminder that her dad wasn’t invincible. For all the amazing and wonderful perks of being a superhero, it was still important to remember that it was also an incredibly risky lifestyle.

 

Despite the Man of Steel’s miraculous recovery, the Doomsday incident was still remembered as a dark day in history, with its anniversary considered a day of remembrance in Metropolis. As a result, Centennial Park was known for its quiet and peaceful atmosphere, Mxyzptlk had clearly crossed a line by choosing to deface it with his mayhem.

 

“He’s got some nerve doing this here, especially on your first day!” said Clark, as they stood up, and began making their way towards the statue, where the imp had been making his broadcast.

 

“Will Conner and the others be able to follow us?” asked Lara, trying not to sound scared.

 

“I doubt it.” said Clark. “Myx made sure to only grab us, and he’s probably sealed the park off to prevent other heroes from getting in.”

 

It was at this point that Lara realised something. “Wait!” she gasped. “He grabbed us, but not Conner? And he’s doing this on my first day as Supergirl. He’s even dressed me in my costume. You don’t think…?”

 

Clark nodded. “Like I said; he’s clearly been waiting for the right moment, and it looks like he’s…” He paused, when he noticed Lara’s expression; She was trying to put on a brave, determined face, that wasn’t quite hiding the fear and guilt in her eyes.

 

“He’s doing this because of me.” Lara concluded. “All of this is because of…”

 

“No, sweetheart.” said Clark. “That’s what people like him want you to think. But this chaos is his fault, and his alone. Understand?”  He held Lara’s hands in his own, giving her a small reassuring smile, and Lara nodded.

 

“That’s my girl!” said Clark, “Now, let’s go show that imp why he shouldn’t mess with the Girl of Steel!”

 

As they flew towards the statue, Lara examined the terrain from the air. There were no signs of any civilians in the park, which was either a very good, or very bad sign. Mxyzptlk usually only focused on harassing Superman, rather than innocent bystanders, but he had been known to use them as pawns when it suited his purposes. Lara silently hoped that anyone who had been in the park when Myx had arrived, had been allowed to go free.

 

It was at that point that they spotted the 5th Dimensional imp at the feet of the defaced statue. He was lounging in a deck chair and reading an upside down newspaper, while he apparently waited for Clark and Lara to approach.

 

Clark signaled for Lara to follow his lead, as the two of them landed gently on the ground, and Clark cleared his throat. “Long time no see, Myx!”

 

Mxyzptlk looked up and grinned wickedly at the Man of Steel. “Hey there, Supes!” he cackled, floating up from his chair, and hovering over them, newspaper tucked under his arm. “Glad to see you and li’l Lara could make it. What d’ya think of my redesign of this dreary old park?”

 

Lara wanted to respond firmly and proudly with how horrible his changes were and how he’d pay for this, but hearing his words she had a very different reaction. “What… did you just call me?”

 

“Lara Ella Kent. Great choice of names by the way, princess.” The imp pulled out a comically large cigar and lit the end. “Why so surprised, Supergirl? I can alter reality at a whim, ‘you really surprised I know that much about you?” He took a deep pull on his cigar before exhaling; dozens of bubbles flew out of his mouth to pop in Lara's face. “But don’t worry kid! Your secret is safe with me. Ask your old man.” He seemed to grow tired of the cigar and threw it over his shoulder, landing far away and blowing up like a stick of dynamite. “Tell her Clark. I’ve kept your secret a long long time! I never got what you mooks in the capes and tights saw in secret identities anyway, but I’ll keep my mouth shut. It’s more fun this way.”

 

Clark put a calming hand on Lara’s shoulder, knowing how much this must have rattled her. “What do you want this time Myx? You’ve been too quiet for too long to just show up for no reason.”

 

“Quiet?!” The imp looked insulted. “Supes, I have never once in my considerable life been quiet! There’s just more than this one universe to have my fun in! If you only knew what kind of mayhem I’ve been up to in the multitude of realities parallel to this one.” He looked up at the sky, reminiscently. “There are several universes where everything's made of Lego, for cryin’ out loud! You can’t expect me to ignore them, can you?”

 

Lara shook her head, trying to ignore Mxyzptlk’s insane ramblings, and spoke in what she hoped was a determined voice. “You haven’t answered the question. What do you want this time?” 

 

Myx grinned, though whether it was because he was impressed at Lara’s determination or he just thought it was cute, Lara couldn’t tell. “Oh I have so many fun things in store for you and your dad, little miss Supergirl! Just you watch...” He held up one hand as he spoke, and the supers braced themselves for whatever was coming next. 

 

There was a small flash of light, and Myx now seemed to be wearing an oversized knitted glove, with multi-colored blinking lights stuck on with duct tape. “I’ve been wanting to try out this little doodad for a while now. I got the idea from a movie I watched last summer.”

 

Lara blinked as she stared at the glove, as she recognized the design that Myx was trying to emulate. “Hey!” she said, trying not to smirk. “Is that supposed to be the infin-?”

 

“QUIET!” yelled Mxyzptlk suddenly, making Lara jump a little. “The writers have enough problems without getting sued!”

 

Lara and Clark exchanged a look. Clark’s expression seemed to say “He says stuff like that all the time. Don’t let him confuse you.”

 

“But yes, you’re correct.” continued Mxyzptlk. “So it looks like I don’t need to explain to you what the ‘Eternity Mitten’ is capable of…”

 

“The what?” said Lara.

 

Myx ignored her, and carried on speaking. “Because when this baby disintegrates, it disintegrates!” He snapped his fingers.

 

Lara flinched, expecting a bright flash and a deafening noise. But there was no such thing. Instead, the ‘Eternity Mitten’ crumbled into dust.

 

“Huh…” said Mxyzptlk, staring nonplussed at his now-ungloved hand. “Well, whaddya know…. It disintegrated.”

 

Lara couldn’t help but giggle slightly at the wordplay. While she knew Myx was capable of much worse, and that he had to be stopped, she also had to admit; Mxyzptlk was kinda funny.

 

“Aha!” cried Myx, as he noticed Lara’s laugh. “At last! A hero who gets the classic comedic stylings of Mxyzptlk!” He waved his hand, and a large translucent pink bubble formed around the Girl of Steel.

 

“Hey!” cried Lara, banging against the bubble’s shell which refused to pop. “Let me go!”

 

“THAT’S ENOUGH, MYX!!” yelled Clark, flying forward and grabbing the Imp by his shirt collar. “Let my daughter go, or else!”

 

“Sheesh! Temper, temper.” said Mxyzptlk, and he quickly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 

As Clark and Lara looked around for any sign of their opponent, they heard his voice ring out over park’s speakers. “Don’t worry, Supes!” he said. “You have my word that I will not harm a single hair on Li’l Lara’s head.”

 

There was a loud sound of metal groaning, and the heroes looked up to see that the Superman statue had now transformed into one of Mxyzptlk, complete with a wicked grin and an oversized mallet. “That being said…” continued Myx over the speakers, “I’m not sure if I can say the same for these bozos!”

 

All over the park, there were dozens of smoke puffs, just like the one Myx had used to escape Clark’s grasp. Dozens of Metropolis civilians suddenly appeared, each one of them wearing a blindfold that they could not remove. Lara realised, with a sense of dread, why the park had looked so deserted when they had arrived. Mxyzptlk had been keeping them hidden, so as not to spoil the surprise. Now there were dozens of innocent bystanders, wandering aimlessly around the park; They were sitting ducks!

 

The giant statue of Myx leapt off of its plinth, and began making its way towards a scared and confused looking man sitting on a bench. With only a brief moment’s hesitation looking to Lara to make sure she was ok, Clark took off, flying over to the old man, and moving him out of harm’s way.

 

Lara watched helplessly from her bubble, wishing she could do something, as Myx floated up next to her, munching from a bag of popcorn. “Enjoying the show, princess?”

 

“Shut up!” snapped Lara, “You’re just a jerk, who thinks that hurting other people is funny!”

 

“Guilty as charged!” chuckled Myx, before sighing. “Lara, I can’t help but feel like we got off on the wrong foot. I reckon if we put aside our petty differences, you’d see that I’m actually a pretty decent guy!”

 

Lara looked out across the park. She watched her father rounding all the park’s residents into a gazebo on the far side of the park, where he’d be able to protect all of them at once. 

 

Lara then looked back at her captor. “If you really were a ‘decent guy’, you’d stop tormenting everyone!”

 

Mxyzptlk didn’t seem to hear her remark as he continued his speech. “I mean, c’mon Lara! We’ve got so much in common! I’m a trans-dimensional imp, you’re a trans girl. We’d make a great team!”

 

Lara was very quickly realising why her dad had always been so aggravated by Mxyzptlk. The imp was insufferable! She began to concentrate, as she ignored the imp’s rambling. Trying to remember how her dad had defeated him in the past.

 

She remembered Clark telling her that Myx would occasionally simply grow tired of tormenting him, and teleport back to the 5th dimension by saying his name backwards. Other times, Clark was able to trick the imp into speaking the magic word, which would also send him home, for a few months at least.

 

Lara sighed internally. It had taken her a while to even say the name ‘Mxyzptlk’ forwards, let alone backwards. How the heck was she supposed to trick Myx into saying a word that she couldn’t even pronounce. Even if she could remember the name backwards, she’d probably mess it up with her lisp.

 

A light bulb came on in Lara’s head, as a crazy idea popped into her mind. It sounded dumb in her head, and if it failed, she would only succeed in making a complete fool of herself. But it was the only plan she had, and she was the only one in a position to pull it off. 

 

The young Supergirl closed her eyes, as she got into character. All her years of begging and manipulating her parents were about to pay off…

 

Lara slumped against the edge of the bubble as she sank to the floor. She let out a large sigh as she hugged her knees, and did her best to look utterly miserable. “I can’t do this!” she sobbed, hoping that it sounded convincing. “I… I’m not cut out to be Thupergirl…” It wasn’t often that she lisped on purpose, but she was glad that it still sounded pretty convincing.

 

Mxyzptlk paused, and stared at Lara with genuine surprise. “Wait, what?” he said. “You’re giving up just like that?” 

 

“I can’t fight you!” said Lara, keeping the act up. “You’re a thupervillain, and I’m jutht a kid!”

 

“Yeah, but…” Myx actually looked worried that he had apparently upset Lara so easily. Maybe he was concerned about the repercussions if Clark noticed, or he might have just felt bad. “You’re the daughter of Superman! That’s not so bad!”

 

“I guess…” sniffed Lara, looking away and trying not to smirk. “But I’m not even a real…”

 

“HEY! Whoa, whoa, Whoa!! Stop right there, and do not even finish that sentence!!” yelled Myx, brandishing an old-fashioned stop sign, complete with lights and a siren.

 

Lara was able to hide her victorious grin with a look of surprise at Myx’s reaction. “What? What do you mean?”

 

“Don’t get me wrong!” said the imp, vanishing the stop sign with a puff of smoke. “I’m all in favor of pulling pranks and being an annoying pest. It’s what I live for! But I draw the line at making kids like you feel dysphoria. That’s just… not funny!” He said the last two words as if not being funny was the most heinous thing imaginable.

 

“Aawww!” said Lara, grinning not only because her plan was working, but also because Mxyzptlk seemed to genuinely care about her identity. “Thanks, Mythx... Myth...!” She put on another convincing display of lisping.

 

“Wow…” said Myx, gazing at Lara. “That is some seriously potent adorableness ya got there, princess!” He snapped his fingers, and Lara’s bubble expanded a little, giving her some more space. “Perhaps you and I should talk.”

 

Lara rolled her eyes when Mxyzptlk wasn’t looking. She could tell that he was just trying to manipulate her, and probably didn’t even feel bad about making her ‘cry’. Still, this meant that her plan was working, if Myx didn’t see her as a threat.

 

“I don’t know what your dad has told you about me kid, but I’m not such a bad guy. I’m just looking to make my own fun!” He waved his hand and a huge chocolate ice cream cone appeared in Lara’s hand. “I feel a cute kid like you could appreciate a little mischief!”

 

Lara made sure to over react her excitement over the ice cream and pretend not to hear what he’d said. “Uh huh… could I please have thtrawberry inthed?”

 

“Strawberry? Comin’ right up!” The Imp waved his hands and the chocolate dessert changed to the appropriate flavour. 

 

“See Kid, I have a proposition for ya.” Myx said, leaning against the bubble in a casual conversational pose. “You see, not everyone in the universe appreciates my particular style of humor, and every so often I find myself threatened… frequently by a ticked off Kryptonian from one universe or another. I’ve been looking to have some muscle travel with me, to keep me safe or break me out if I get in over my oversized head.”

 

He stopped talking for a moment when he noticed that Superman had knocked down the living statue, and was breaking it apart. To keep him busy, Myx waved his hands to make the trees and bushes sprout googly eyes and come alive. The plant creatures each focused on a differ civilian to divide Clark’s attention. 

 

“So what do you say kid?” said Myx, turning his attention back to Lara. “You can be my Kryptonian muscle, travel the multiverse, laugh at my jokes, and I use my powers to give you just about anything you could want.” He was so confident she would take the deal that he got rid of the containment bubble and offered his little hand to her.

 

Lara kept her attention on the otherworldly salesmen, fighting the urge to fly off and help her dad. She had to stick to her plan. Dad could handle the little monsters, while she would take on the big guy. “Well gee, mithter… that ith a pretty good deal…” She said in a sweet and innocent tone, ignoring the offered hand. “But are you thure your powerth can keep up with the imagination of a girl like me?”

 

“Is that a challenge, princess?” Myx scoffed. “When Myxyzptlk says he can grant your every wish, he means it!” The imp floated into the air as his hands began sparkling with silvery-blue energy. “Mayhaps you need a demonstration… Shmibbidi Shmobbidi Shmoo!!!” There was a bright flash, as the imp’s spell hit Lara.

 

The young Supergirl felt a strange sensation, as her costume began to morph. Her skirt grew in size, blooming out around her lower-half, and becoming ruffled and frilly. The emblem on her chest faded, as the bodice of her outfit turned a light glittery blue, and her cape vanished into thin air. The bracelets on her wrists became long velvet gloves, reaching up to her elbows. Lara felt her shoes becoming glass slippers, and a tiara materialised on her forehead. Finally, the shoulders and neckline changed shape and became ruffled, allowing room for a pretty silver sapphire necklace on the girls neck.

 

“There we are!” said Mxyzptlk, raising his hands in a ‘tada’ gesture. “Much better than that cape-and-tights combo! So last year!” He snapped his fingers, and a mirror appeared in front of Lara, who blushed a little when she saw her reflection.

 

While there was a small voice at the back of Lara’s head that seemed to be concerned with the apparent loss of her brand-new superhero outfit, Lara felt a sudden surge of euphoria as she took in the beautiful dress that she was now wearing. 

 

Lara had expected Myx to simply conjure up a cheap trick-or-treat outfit, but this dress looked like it was made for actual royalty! If Damian had been there, he would have asked for the name of the dressmaker.

 

“Well?” said Myx, appearing behind Lara’s reflection. “Whaddya think?”

 

Lara suddenly remembered her plan, and immediately dropped back into sweet-and-innocent mode. “I LOVE IT!!!” She cried, giggling and twirling. “Look! I’m Thinderella!!” 

 

“Cinderella.” corrected Mxyzptlk, cheekily. 

 

Usually, Lara would’ve been annoyed at someone making fun of her lisp, but she was glad to hear it coming from Myx. It meant her plan was working. She just had to keep up the act.

 

“Anything else I can do for you, Cutie-Pie?” Mxyzptlk asked, now hovering in the air in a relaxed position, with a smug grin on his face. “A pony, perhaps? Or a tea party?” 

 

As he listed off his suggestions, they poofed into existence behind him. A small, confused looking pony materialised, along with a table displaying a fancy tea set and a selection of cakes.

 

Lara couldn’t help frowning a little at this. While certainly liked being girly, she didn’t appreciate the implication that being a girl automatically meant that she loved ponies and tea parties.

 

“Mithter Myxth?” asked Lara. Maintaining the sweet-and-innocent act, along with a convincing lisp was starting to get on Lara’s nerves.

 

“Please!” sorted the Imp, “‘Mr. Myx’ is fine.”

 

“Hey!” snapped Lara, enacting the next stage of her plan. “Thtop doing that!” She did her best to sound more hurt than angry. That way, she would hopefully be seen as less of a threat.

 

Mxyzptlk couldn’t help himself any longer, and he burst out laughing. “Thorry!” He cried through his hysterics. “I don’t think I can ‘thtop’!”

 

“You’re thuch a jerk!” said Lara. Any moment now her plan would either succeed, and she’d be a hero, or it would fail, and she’d be an embarrassed loser. “But I know how to thend you back to where you came from! I just need to thay your name backwardth!”

 

Myx howled with laughter. “Oh I’m sorry, cutie-pie!” he guffawed, “But it needs to be me who says it, not you! But I’d like to see you try to pronounce it!”

 

The Imp floated down so that he was face-to-face with Lara, who glared at him. If the Girl of Steel had learned how to summon her heat vision, then Myx would have been on fire at that moment.

 

“I. Am. Thupergirl.” said Lara, not breaking eye-contact.

 

“I think you mean ‘Supergirl!’” chuckled Mxyzptlk.

 

“You don’t belong in Metropolith!” Lara continued.

 

“Metropolis, cutie-pie.” corrected Myx, smugly.

 

“I’m gonna thend you back where you came from...” said Lara, her tone getting more frustrated.

 

“SEND me home.” the Imp added, not tiring of his game.

 

“Kel-Tip-Thikth-Um!” shouted Lara.

 

“Ha!” yelled Myx, slapping his knee. “I told you it has to be ME who says it! And it’s pronounced ‘Kel-Tip-ZIX-Um’ not...!”

 

The circus music that had been playing over the park’s speakers since they had arrived suddenly stopped with a record scratch. There was a momentary silence, as Lara and the Imp stared at one another. 

 

Then, Lara grinned. “Oooh! So that's how you're supposed to say it! Thanks!” She felt relieved at no longer having to play up her lisp. “Kel-Tip-Zix-Um, huh? Sound's kinda stupid."

 

Myx’s smug expression fell, as he realised that Lara had outwitted him.

 

All across the park, the trees started shifting back into place, and returning to their normal shape. The Superman statue reassembled itself and flew back to it’s plinth, as the civilians huddled in the gazebo were finally able to remove their blindfolds.

 

Lara felt the fabric of her dress flutter, as if caught in a breeze. She looked down to see that it had turned back into her Supergirl outfit. The gloves, slippers and jewelry had vanished too. She had to admit, part of her had been hoping that she would be able to keep the dress, but it was still a relief to have her regular costume back. Finding a replacement would have been difficult.

 

Mxyzptlk sat down on the floor dejectedly. All of his chaos had been undone, and everything that he had conjured up or transformed was now returning to normal. He had clearly lost.

 

“Well…” He remarked. “Poop!”

 

“One more thing, before you go!” said Lara, floating into the air with her hands on her hips, just as she’d seen her dad, cousin and plenty of other heroes do in the past. “Don’t call me ‘Cutie-Pie’.”

 

Mxyzptlk looked like he was about to respond with some witty retort, but at that moment, he simply popped out of existence. 

 

Lara had barely a second to contemplate her victory, before her dad flew right up to her, and pulled her into a massive hug. “Lara!! You did it, sweetie! Are you okay?!” The pride in Clark’s voice was slightly tinged with concern.

 

“Dad! I’m fine!” said Lara, though she was grateful for the hug. “Why do you sound so surprised? Think I couldn’t handle Mxyzptlk?”

 

Clark chuckled as the two of them embraced. Then the ground shook as Conner landed a few feet away, in full Superboy getup. He was closely followed by Krypto, who was now wearing his “Superdog” costume, a blue and red dog harness with the Super emblem on the front, and a small red cape on the back.

 

“Dad! Lara!” Conner yelled, rushing forward, as Krypto barked and leapt around them. “Are you okay? What happened with Myx?!” It was rare to see Conner acting like this. He looked seriously concerned.

 

“Conner! It’s okay!” Clark laughed. “Myx has been dealt with. Lara saw to that.” He smiled proudly at his daughter.

“Wait, what?” Conner stared at his dad, before turning to his sister, who shrugged and nodded.

 

Behind Conner, Lara saw Spoiler and Red Robin arrive, with Steph swinging in on a grappling hook, and Tim flying down with his suit’s retractable wings. The three Titans looked like they had come ready to fight, only to find that the battle had already been one.

 

“What’s going on here?” Spoiler asked, looking around. “Don’t tell me, we missed the butt-whopping?”

Conner turned and grinned at his girlfriend and boyfriend. “Guys! Supergirl defeated Mxyzptlk! My little sister is a hero!!”

 

The civilians who had been huddled in the gazebo were starting to crowd around the heroes, trying to get a good look. Once Conner made his announcement, the whole park began clapping and cheering for Lara. 

 

Lara felt her spirits swelling with pride as the civilians started making their way over. She then felt herself being hoisted up onto Conner’s shoulder, as her brother encouraged everyone to cheer for her.

 

“Let’s hear it for Supergirl!!” cheered Conner, and the whole crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

“You go, girl!” Yelled Tim and Steph in unison.

 

Then, Lara heard a muffled bark and saw Krypto running over to her. “Hey boy! What have you got there?” She asked, seeing he held an envelope of a very familiar bright green hue in his mouth.

 

The dog floated up in front of Supergirl, allowing Lara to take the letter from his mouth. The outside read: 

“To Miss Lara El, 

Metropolis, DE USA

Earth 1011”

 

“1011?” Lara read allowed. She put the envelope in her pocket for later. There wasn’t much of a chance to read it while surrounded by people. Plus she was enjoying the cheers a little too much to be concerned about what Myx had written at the moment.

 

Her joy only grew as Conner carried her on his shoulders through the crowd, all of them shaking her hands, patting her back, thanking her for saving them! She was practically getting a warmer reception than Superman! Yes, the note could wait. For just a little while she was going to enjoy being Supergirl!

________________________________________________________________

 

Shortly afterwards, the police and reporters began showing up, and the heroes felt it was time for them to leave. They made their way to the roof of a nearby skyscraper, where they found a much calmer atmosphere, overlooking the Metropolis skyline.

 

Once they had a little privacy, Clark and Lara made a few phone calls; first to Ma and Pa Kent, to let them both know that everything was ok. Then to Lois, to fill her in on the details. Lara was filled with joy to hear her mom gush about how she had been watching on the news, and how amazed she was that Lara kept finding new ways to make her proud. 

 

After promising Lois that they’d be home later that evening, Clark turned his attention back to Lara. “Well sweetie, this was a spectacular first day for you. How do you feel about dinner at Bibbo’s as an extra little celebration?”

 

She lit up at the idea. Bibbo’s Diner was a family favorite spot both in and out of costume. The owner Bibbo Bibboski was an old friend of Superman, so much so that he had even injured himself trying to help Superman when Doomsday had attacked. Bibbo’s bravery had led to a mutual admiration between him and the Man of Steel.

 

“Sounds great! Can I-” She was going to suggest going as Supergirl, but then they’d all be in costume… which would mean Stephanie couldn’t eat with her mask on.

 

“It’s ok.” The blonde chuckled, seeing Lara hesitate. “You can have a family dinner with Conner. Tim and I can change, and get a separate table.”

________________________________________________________________

 

It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would work in a pinch, so off they went, and before long, four Kryptonians were sitting together in a booth; Krypto was known by the staff as a “service animal” so even he got a seat. The pair of former Robins were seated, in their civilian clothes, at the counter not far from the booth.

 

All of them ordered burgers and milkshakes, along with some hot wings and jalapeno poppers that Conner insisted on getting too. Even Krypto got his own cheeseburger. Only once they were all comfortable and their food was delivered, Lara returned to the matter of Myx’s note.

 

Looking around to make sure that there wasn’t a waitress nearby to see or hear anything, she took out the envelope and tore it open to find a letter written in big loopy cursive writing. She could vividly imagine Myx writing this with a comedic oversized feather quill. She quietly read it aloud so only her family and friends could hear.

 

 “Dear Lara, if you are reading this then congratulations! You won! I had to make sure you got this note so I gave it to the Kryptonian with the most sense in the family.” She paused at that for a moment, the dog actually seemed a bit smug at the compliment and was contentedly wagging his tail.

 

She continued, “Sorry(not sorry) for being such a pain in the neck, but I couldn’t let your first day as a hero be so uneventful! You needed a real threat to make today worth remembering, and since no one else wanted to step up, I volunteered myself for the task!” Lara actually smiled at that. She had been worried that the chaos from earlier had been her fault, but not in this way. No, it had been meant for her benefit in a roundabout way. It was that crazy old imp’s way of trying to help and she found she couldn’t be mad about it.

 

“Hold on to this victory li’l Lara and enjoy it. I never fall for the same trick twice. But I hope this helps show both you and the world just what the new Supergirl is capable of. Warmest wishes, Mxyzptlk.” Lara met her father’s eye once she was done reading. “Well what do you know about that.”

 

Clark sighed and nodded “Now you see why I have mixed feelings about Myx. Sometimes he’s the biggest pest when he’s trying to help.” He paused, looking at the note, “Hey there’s more.”

 

Lara looked back down and read, “PS: Tell the three idiots that Mister Twister is planning to break out in the next week.”

 

Father and daughter looked at each other and for half a moment wondered who the three idiots were, but they quickly got their answer as they saw a waitress heading over to Tim and Steph, with two desserts. Stephanie had a huge Belgian waffle ice cream sundae set down in front of her and Tim got a mocha latte the size of his head topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

 

“Uh… Excuse me…” Steph said after a brief hesitation, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

“They were sent over by the young man in the sunglasses.” The waitress gestured towards the Kents’ table and Conner winked and gave the pair finger guns. As his partners blushed and waved back before diving into their desserts, Lara and Clark knew they had spotted the ‘idiots’.

________________________________________________________________

 

Just as the heroes were finishing their meal, a new figure came out to see them. A man who matched Clark in size and build, wearing a bandanna on his head and a Superman t-shirt under a heavily stained apron. It was the restaurant owner, Bibbo Bibbowski himself.

 

“Supes, my man!” He reached across the table and shook Clark’s hand. “My boy!” He fist bumped Conner. “My dog!” He scratched a very happy Krypto behind his ears. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you too, my girl!” He laughed to himself, tipping an invisible hat in Lara’s direction. “I had wondered if you would come here to celebrate! Great job out there today!”

 

“T-thanks Mr. Bippo.” Lara said, a bit nervous that this man, who had seen her a few times before she had come out, might recognize her now. “It’s nice to meet you! Dad’s told me all about you!”

 

“Just Bippo please. I bet your old man has told you stories about me!” He sat down on the edge of the booth.

 

“Like the time you punched dad and broke your hand because you thought he was just a punk in a costume?” Lara asked and Conner laughed, also knowing the story.

 

The large man laughed along with Conner. “That’s exactly the sort of story that I mean kid. I bet a few days on the job you’ll have some great stories too. You’ll have to come back and tell me some of your own tales later. I’ll make it worth your while, heroes on the wall always eat free!” 

 

He nodded his head to a wall of framed photos of various superheroes. Superman’s picture hung proudly in the center, but he wasn’t alone. Lara knew that Kara and Conner had their own pictures, as well as Nightwing, three different Batgirls, Donna and Diana and many others.

 

Even Batman appeared in multiple pictures beside his partners and sidekicks over the years. Every member of the bat family saw it as a personal challenge to try and make Bruce smile or react in some way. Dick and Steph had tried making faces, Harper and Cass had kissed, one older picture even had a teenage Jason Todd Robin flipping off the camera. Nothing worked. Every time Bruce stood there grim, quiet, and bored. That is until Damian came along. The father son picture showed the young Robin as the grim one who thought this beneath him, and had earned the tiniest smile from his father at the irony. Damian had said succeeding where his family had failed was one of his proudest accomplishments as Robin.

 

There was also a famous pair of pictures of the Flash. The first of Barry posing with a recently captured and cuffed Captain Cold. When Wally had taken up the mantle, he made sure to wait till he too had captured Cold to take his own picture. Even the captain had been touched by recreating the moment.

 

“Do I really get my own photo already?” Lara asked excitedly. 

 

“Oh absolutely! Here sis!” Conner pulled out his cellphone and held it up. “I can take it right now if you want.”

 

“Now!” Lara exclaimed and quickly checked her hair  in her reflection of a window. She had to get this right. Some of these pictures were hung up for all to see for years. She flew a short distance off the ground so she was level with a “Bippo’s” sign on the wall all heroes used for the picture. 

 

“Oh wait a moment.” She quickly flew over to the photos and found Kara’s old picture. She nodded and flew back to her spot floating beside the sign and took up a pose matching her predecessor as Supergirl; a wide smile accompanied by a V for Victory.

 

Conner nodded his approval and snapped the picture. “There we go…” He took a moment to mess with the image before hitting send, giving Bippo, Lara and Clark all their own copies. Lara checked her own phone and was delighted, not just by how her pose was exactly what she had been going for, but that Conner had added a trans pride flag filter over top of it.

 

“This is amazing! Thank you!” Lara hugged her big bro tight, getting a lot of “Dawwws” from around the restaurant, especially from Tim and Steph who had snapped a few pictures of their own.

 

“Perfect! Thanks SB.” Bippo said, nodding his approval at the picture. “I’ll print it out tonight and you’ll be on the wall tomorrow.” The owner shook hands with Clark once more and bid the family goodnight. 

 

“We should get going. It is a school night.” Clark said gently, getting out his wallet. The meal was free but he always left a large tip for the staff anyways.

 

“Oh… right…” Lara had all but forgotten about school in the excitement of the afternoon. She saw Tim and Steph pay for their own meals and leave ahead of the group, probably to find a place to change back into their costumes.

 

“Hey, you can do this Lara.” Conner said, giving her another hug. “You saved the city by yourself today. You’re Supergirl! You can do anything!” 

 

Lara smiled up at Conner. “Thanks Kon. Can I maybe call you tomorrow? Talk about how school goes?”

 

“Of course. Any time… well unless tomorrow is the day Mister Twister breaks out, but I’ll call you back if I’m not busy. Pinkie promise.” He hugged his dad goodbye as well, “I’ll let you know when we get home dad. Say hi to Lois for us.”

 

As they walked out of the restaurant Krypto nuzzled his head against both Lara and Clark in his own little goodbye. Then they went their separate ways, Conner and Krypto to find Tim and Steph and the teleporter home, and Lara and Clark flying into the night sky to get back home.

 

Lara was quiet for the flight. She would have a lot to think about and a lot to get ready before school the next day. But she wasn’t afraid anymore. Conner had been right. She was Supergirl, and she could do anything!