by Libbylawrence
Later, in the Fortress of Solitude, Superman sat across from the Martian girl and listened to her story.
“My name is M’gann M’orzz. My uncle raised me. He was a member of the Red Brotherhood. When they decided to replace someone close to you with an agent, they naturally thought of Lois Lane, but by then you and she had broken up. Then, as Clark, you started seeing Lana Lang, but again you abruptly ended that relationship. They wanted Kara, the first Supergirl, but she died in the Crisis. So they decided to have me emulate another Supergirl. They had picked up facts about the futuristic Lydia-7 from your mind, and they had me pose as her.
“Since our information was limited, I mixed up the future Supergirl’s real name when I told Superwoman my name was Lydia-7, an error I only realized after you called me Louise. I telepathically scanned your mind to learn that her real name was Louise-L. Luckily, with the other information I was able to glean, I quickly concocted a credible-sounding story that I had altered my name to Lydia in honor of Supergirl’s best friend from that far future era, Lydia-T, who had died along with the rest of the inhabitants of that era’s floating city of Hattan. (*) My story of being from a lost future timeline and lack of any emotional resonance the original Kara possessed made it easier for you to accept me in the role, even after my error. I was naturally hostile toward Valor at first, since discrediting her made my own integrity seem more sincere.” (*)
[(*) Editor’s note: See Superman Family: Recovery, Chapter 2: The Sleeper Awakes, Supergirl: A Hard Act to Follow, and World of New Krypton: Supergirl and Valor: Homecoming.]
“And you killed or abducted the real Louise-L?” demanded Superman.
M’gann shook her head. “No, no! As far as we knew, her timeline was lost in the cosmic Crisis!”
Superman lowered his gaze for a moment. “You never have tried to harm me,” he said. “In fact, you’ve been a friend and an ally all this time. And you’ve remained a hero throughout.”
“I never knew what a family was like,” explained M’gann. “My uncle was cruel and cold, but you — you were so kind and caring. I came to want nothing more than to really be your partner. I wanted to be the girl you thought I was, and I would never have let you know the truth about me, except that I received a mental signal mere hours ago that let me know my… let me know the Martians were about to activate all their agents!”
“So, you came to warn me!” replied Superman. “Well, thanks to you, the Prankster and Mimic are secured. I understand, from what the Red Tornado has told me over my JLA communicator, that the Brotherhood has been defeated, and the captives have been found.”
“I’m so glad to hear that!” the young Martian girl said, looking relieved. “Again, I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!”
Superman reached across the table and took her hand. “I forgive you, but you don’t need to feel so badly. You and I can still be friends. In fact, I’d say you’ve become a real heroine in your own right. Perhaps it is best if Kara’s role remains vacant until Jasma grows up. But just because I don’t think you should be Supergirl any longer, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t stay on Earth and become Mars Girl, or Miss Martian, if you’d like!”
The petite alien girl embraced Superman and wept softly for a moment, then looked up at him with appreciation. “I promise you — I will make you proud!” she vowed. “I will make Miss Martian a name of honor!”
Superman smiled and patted her back. “I know you will, M’gann,” he said softly.
***
Elsewhen:
A man in purple robes looked over to a sultry female companion and said, “Superman thinks the Martian girl was always Louise-L, mistakenly known as Lydia-7. He does not suspect that I diverted the original Louise from his era to an alternate timeline for my own purposes. With a bit of my own mind-alteration weaponry, I even made Miss Martian believe that she has been posing as Lydia for longer than she actually has been!”
The female smiled and said, “Time Master, you are brilliant! We can use the real Louise-L as we please, should we choose to do so, and Superman and Miss Martian — and even Louise herself — will never know she was ever truly in his era as Supergirl!”
The End