THE STRONG ARE SPARED
By  Iczerman
Author's note: Characters and their personalities are based on 'Superman: The Animated Series.'


        All alien languages have been translated into English to benefit the
reader.

     1
   "YAAAAYYYYY! Our Amy scored BIGTIME!" Serena said as she
danced around the     room.  "She's dating a billionaire!"
     " It...it was only one time." Stammered Amy. " And it
wasn't a REAL date."
     " Is it true that love at first sight lasts?"  Serena had
that wistful look in her eye.
     " Did you flirt with him?" Asked Mina with a wink.
     " No. We just went out to a reception."
     " Did you shake your boobs at him?" Asked Leeta with a sly
look in her eye.
     " NO!"
     " I don't know Amy...you're showing a lot of cleavage
there." Said Mina, pointing to Amy's low cut dress.
      "Do you really think so?" Asked Amy as she looked down at
her huge, firm bosom. "I gave up trying to hide my breasts, but
I'm still pretty covered up. No more than a third of my breasts
are showing."
      " A third of YOUR boobs is still alot for most of us
normal people." Leeta tried to feign jealousy.
      "Was he cute?"  Asked Mina and Raye simultaneously.
      "He was handsome, but he's also....Mr. Wayne keeps really
long hours and has a lot of .... responsibilities. Besides..He's
not my type anyway."  Said Amy.
     "You can never be too sure." Said Serena." It's not that
often that one has an opportunity
to move up in life. To be that rich.....at least you would not
have any financial worry's."
     "With my inventions and the proceeds from my..er...outings,
I think I won't have financial worries. All I have to do is
safely invest the money and in a few years, I'll be a
billionaire myself. And I will have earned all that money on my
own, it won't be just given to me.
       Amy had that determined look in her eye, thought Leeta.
She's serious.
     " Say Amy.." Began Mina. " Wasn't it your dream a while
back to become a doctor and help people? It seems you have
abandoned that dream and now your just out for yourself. "
     "MINA.!!!!"  Serena and Leeta gasped.
     " Mina's right." Said Raye." I remember too. You were
studying hard to become a doctor like your mother. And since
you've gone through all these changes..it seems you have become
..rather self centered. Don't look at me like that Serena! You
know its true!"
     "Are you questioning what's in Amy's heart?" Leeta was
starting to get angry.
     " I believe in our Amy." Pronounced Serena. " But I have to
agree with Raye for once. Amy." Serena's voice became soft with
concern. "Tell us...What happened to your dream."
     Amy became sullen. She hung her head as she remembered her
emotions each and every time her mother...
     " As you all know, my mother is a doctor. And for the
longest time I wanted to be like her. So I studied long and
hard... like she did. When I got back from my
second...outing.... I wanted to talk to her about my...changes.
But she kept irregular hours..so it was hard to meet with her. I
got a hold of her on the phone at the hospital and made an
appointment to see her. I was so
happy! I made her favorite dish for dinner and waited. An hour
later she called and said that she was needed at the hospital
and couldn't come."
      Serena came over and put Amy's hand in her own.
     " Two more times I made appointments with her..made her
write it down in her daily scheduler. But each time she called
an hour late and said she was busy. I realized two things at
that time. I admire my mother for caring for people and helping
them. But I also realized that I didn't want that type of life
for me or my children. I want to be a good mother to my children
like Serena is. I want to be there for them."
      Silence fell around the table. Amy, Mina and Raye started
to cry softly.
      Leeta and Serena went over to them and all five women held
each other close.
      "We're sorry Amy. We didn't know that you tried so hard to
make your mom understand.
We should never have doubted you." Said Mina between sniffs.
      " I wanted to share something wonderful with her, but she
was too busy. But I do understand why she is..... but I don't
want that for me OR my children."
      All the girls came over to Amy and held her,  giving her
love and support.
     "Amy,  I always knew you were special. You've been chosen
to do something.....something important. But never forget that
we are all behind you and that we love you." All the girls
nodded their heads in agreement with Serena.
     "Thanks you guys." Sniffed Amy. "Thanks for understanding."
      Serena and Leeta were the ones that held Amy the longest
when they separated to take their seats.
       "Well Amy, where are you going next? I asked Darien to
give you a ride to the airport and he said it was okay."
       "Thanks Serena. I will have a special car made for myself
later, one with special steering and heads-up displays. I've
always liked gull-wing doors also come to think of it. Anyway,
I'm flying to Metropolis....."
       "METROPOLIS.....wwOOOOwww."
        2
    "How come Mr. White gives me all of these techo-geek
stories? Why not give me something really exciting,
like...like...uncovering another Lexcorp scandal." Lois Lane was
slouching in the front seat of the Daily Planet company car.
     "Don't be too sure about that Lois." Said  mild-mannered
reporter Clark Kent from behind the wheel. "It's not every day
that Star Labs gets a whole new computer system. Dr. Hamilton
says that the new system is a technological breakthrough. He
sounded very impressed with the designer of the operating
systems and the hardware."
    " I hear she's a genius, and close to my age too." Jimmy
Olsen was tired of his generation being characterized as
slackers.
     " Yeah, right. Another pizza-eating, snot-nosed techo-brat
that needs a bath." Lois was not impressed.
     "Here we are. Star Labs." Said Clark as they pulled into
the parking lot.
      Star Labs was at the vanguard of the technological age.
The very best scientists, mathematicians, and physicists were
given a haven to explore their talents. It was Star Labs that
repaired Superman's rocket ship that brought him to earth and
turned it into a space-worthy vehicle once again.
     The trio walked through the front door and felt excitement
in the air. Traffic through the halls was busy but organized.
Faces had the look of eager anticipation.
     Lois saw one of the secretary's head towards the main lab
with cups of coffee. She had on a long white dress that came
down to her knees. But when she saw the girls huge, firm breasts
and low-cut neckline, Lois was mortified. How could Star Labs
hire such a bimbo? But she smelled the coffee and her caffeine
addiction kicked in.
     " Hey bubbles." She called. "Can we have some of that
coffee over here?"
     The girl did a light twirl around and came towards them.
When Lois saw the girls' thick protruding nipples poke through
the cotton top, she cringed mentally. I'm going to talk to Dr.
Hamilton about this, she thought. I was expecting Star Labs to
have a dress code or something.
      "Here you are mamm. Would you like cream and sugar?"
       Clark noted that the girl didn't take offense at Lois's
jibe. She had a bright smile on her face as she handed Lois her
quadruple cream, three-sugar cup of coffee. Lois was focused on
the cup of coffee, but HE noticed the thick bicep and forearm.
There was a lot more to this secretary than meets the eye,
     "Thanks. Where is Dr. Hamilton's office anyway?" Asked
Lois.
     " He is in the Main Lab getting ready for the new system
boot-up. I don't think there'll be any problems."
     " Sure, yeah. Lead the way then."
     The girl walked with a light, delicate lilt to her step.
Clark noticed that the natural tilt of her hips (exaggerated by
the smallest waist he had ever seen) caused her dress to swish
gently from side to side as she walked. The low cut back of her
dress only accentuated the thick, plump back muscles.  Her knee
length skirt did the same to the massive, bulging calves.
     " There's something oddly familiar about her. I think I've
seen her before somewhere." Jimmy said as they were going down
the hallway.
     They entered the main lab and were greeted by Dr. Hamilton.
     " Welcome to one of Star Labs greatest moments. And I see
you have met the designer of the new system."
      " We've met. But we haven't been introduced. I am Amy
Brigand -Anderson." The girl held out her hand first to Lois,
who almost spat out her coffee.
      "Er..na..nice to meet you. Lois Lane...Daily Planet." You
really put a sock in it this time Lois, she thought.
      "I'm Clark Kent."
      "Nice to meet you." When Clark shook Amy's hand,	he
felt the power of her Life Force flow from her bosom..er..body.
Clark sensed great strength cloaked with a mantle of gentleness.
Her quiet spirit, however, could not conceal the brave,
confident soul of a warrior. He felt his gut tighten as she
looked in his eyes. He thought Lois would be the only woman he
would ever be attracted to, but now he wasn't sure. The corner
of his mouth started to curl up into a smile.
     " Jimmy Olsen, photographer."
     " Hi!" Jimmy was startled by the sound of her voice, she
sounded just like a teenager! Now he remembered where he heard
that name! She was the one a month ago who fought off a bunch of
sword-swinging ninja's in Gotham City!
      " Will you excuse me please, I have a lot of coffee and
cokes to deliver." With another buoyant twirl, Amy turned around
and delivered the much needed morning start-ups.
     " She doesn't seem the type. And that dress she's wearing."
Said Lois in a huff.
     " She may not look it, but I wish she were one of ours. And
speaking about her attire, you should have been here the day she
arrived. My people are scientists Ms. Lane, and the men among
them are...you know....men. To say that she wore something that
left nothing to the imagination is an understatement. At the
initial presentation my people at first were...distracted.
I asked her about that later and she said that she wanted to "
get things out in the open."
Anyway, when she started talking about ionic alignment and
quantum organization, she had my people's attention. For she was
now speaking their language. The whole thing is based on her
Random Access Atomic Memory, R.A.A.M., where-by data is stored
at the atomic level, one bit per atom."
      A low whistle came from Jimmy.
     "To be honest, the men like working with her. People who
always came in late were showing up early, eager to get
started."
     "What about the women on your staff? How did they react to
her?" Asked Clark.
     "Many came to my office with their concerns. They didn't
like the short skirts and low-cut necklines. They felt that
women in the workplace had a hard enough time to break through
the "glass ceiling" and to get away from the objectification of
women. Ms. Anderson had a meeting with them and told them that
since she was an independent contractor, the laws regarding a
hostile working environment didn't apply. She made it clear that
she wanted them all to work together, but if they felt
uncomfortable they could be reassigned. Many of the women were
reassigned, but when they heard about all of the neat stuff
happening and how this was edge-of-the art-technology, many
asked to be put back on the job."
     " Who's going to pay for this stuff? The Taxpayers?" Asked
Lois.
     " No, Wayne Enterprises owns the patent for the operating
systems and the hardware. Outtell and Megasoft are going to have
some stiff competition from the newly developed Wayne Computer
Company."
     " Ms. Anderson is one of Bruce Wayne's  people?"
     " No, Ms Anderson is an independent contractor. Not only is
she a genius, but also an adept businesswoman. I heard that
Wayne Enterprises paid a lot of money for her services."
     Lois started to develop a grudging admiration for this
youngster.
     " Professor Hamilton? Sorry to interrupt, but we are ready
to start up the new system." Said Amy .
     The five of them went to the main terminal where Amy sat
down and started typing in commands on the keyboard. At
Professor Hamilton's nod, Amy typed in the start up code.
     Silence.
     Darkness.
     The entire room went black for five everlasting seconds,
then on the main screen the blue symbol of Mercury appeared.
     " Well, kid. Better luck next time." Said Lois, with just a
hint of smug satisfaction. "Clark, you can cover this fiasco.
I'm outta here." Lois started to leave the room.
     " Hmm... that's odd." Said Amy. " Professor Hamilton, who
was the builder and programmer of the original system?"
      " All the hardware and software came from Lexcorp, they
were the best when it came to mainframe computers at the time."
    " My operating system has a Tron program that looks for
anything suspicious and shuts it down. The symbol on the screen
tells me that there is a fatal error in the system. I will see
what the program comes up with."
      Amy accessed the program. After a few seconds the readouts
appeared on the screen.
      " UH...professor? Is this system linked to any other
system?"
      " No Ms. Anderson, This system is autonomous. No
information can be sent out without the proper codes that only I
have."
     " Well it seems that you have a leak. There is a small
subroutine imbedded in some of the old chips that got
transferred to the new system. It's sending all data to an
outside terminal."
      " Where is it going to? The government?"
    " No Sir, to Lexcorp. Everything that you have stored in
this system Lexcorp knows about.
It appears they were spying on you all this time."
     Lois was almost out the door when she heard this. Whirling
around she came running back to the terminals.
     " Wow..another Lexcorp scandal! I'll get a Pulitzer for
sure for this one." Lois was ecstatic.
     " Um.. Lois.. Didn't you just give ME the rights to this
story?" You were ready to walk out just a minute ago." Said
Clark.
     " That's right Lois." Said Jimmy.
     " Shucks, another story down the tubes."
     3
     The following are excerpts taken from the evening issue of
the "Daily Planet".
     Lois Lane: Your name?
     ABA: Amy Brigand-Anderson.
     Clark Kent: Your age?
     ABA: 19 years old, I will be twenty next month.
     LL: Explain the hyphenated last name.
     ABA: My family name is Anderson, but I have been adopted by
another family that means a lot to me.
     CK: How big are you?....Er...How tall are you ? (Lois
elbows Clark)
     ABA: I am six feet tall. But to clear the air, my
measurements are 115-18-46.
     LL: Your pretty straight forward about your attributes, to
the point of flaunting I would say.
     ABA: Why do you say that? I am being truthful, and I am not
ashamed of the way I look.
Everything I have, I have earned by hard work. You're not
accusing me of using sex to get where I am, are you?
     LL: It's been done in the past. And by just looking at you
it's easy to get that idea. You wear very provocative clothes.
The short skirts and the low-cut necklines are not standard
business attire.
     ABA: I am an independent contractor, I work for myself. I
wear what I am comfortable with. This is who I am. If people are
distracted by my appearance, then I don't want to do business
with them. The women at Star Labs adapted just fine. They even
invited me to join the AAWB. (Association for the Advancement of
Women in Business).
      LL: That's beside the point. We women have been fighting
for years for equality in the workplace. Even though there has
been progress, we still have a long way to go. And here you come
ruining everything women have been trying to attain.
     CK: Ms. Lane, aren't you being a little oversensitive?
     LL:  I could see why you MEN would like her. She's just
another toy for you men to look at and play with. She is against
everything women have fought and strived for, to be equals in
the workplace.
     ABA: How so Ms. Lane, by my appearance? Would you prefer me
looking like some nerdy computer geek?  Would that all of a
sudden make it okay? I thought women's rights were about
separating our work from our appearance, that we should be
judged on merit, not on our looks.
Ms. Lane, look at the Star Labs project, data that took three
weeks to process now takes less than a second with 75% more
accuracy. I think that says a lot.

***
     CK: Tell us about your education.
     ABA: I have graduated high school with highest honors. I
have also taken every advanced placement class offered by my
school.
     LL:  No plans for collage?
     ABA: I have been accepted to challenge the Master's exams
in both math and physics at The University of Metropolis. I may
yet attend collage in the future.
     CK: Those exams are tough. To my knowledge there was only
one other person to take those exams and pass.
     LL: Lex Luthor.

***
     LL: Tell us Ms. Anderson. Do you have a man in your life?
     ABA: Not at the moment. But I hope to some day.
     LL: What about Bruce Wayne? You were dating him for a while
weren't you?
     ABA: Only for one night. And it would have been great if
those ninja creeps didn't spoil things.
     CK: I have the Gotham Times here. It has a picture of you
in a formal dress wielding a sword fighting those "ninja guys."
Apparently you held your own against them. Tell us about that.
     ABA: I will, thank you. I have been trained by Julia
Diggers in the fighting arts, also by her mother....
     LL:  By a couple of Amazons.
     ABA: Why do you use that tone of voice Ms. Lane? Do you
know what the word Ama-zon means? It means No-man. Are you
saying that if a woman wants to be strong she MUST be anti-man?
Or are you saying that women must remain weak so they can be
protected by men? I do find the notion of a man wanting to
protect me a sweet and honorable one. But does that mean I have
to be a weakling?
      I am a woman of power Ms. Lane. I have worked hard to be
financially independent and I have trained hard to defend myself
and those I love. I love being strong, Ms. Lane.
But you think women should not seek strength or power, you think
they cannot handle it?
     LL:  Well, all the strong women I've met have been evil.
One was a criminal who tried to take over the world and the
other tried to make Superman her husband.
     ABA: Tell me Ms. Lane. Do you want to remain a newspaper
reporter or move up in the ranks? To become Editor in-Chief
perhaps?
     LL: A promotion is a good thing.
     ABA: So YOU want to become a woman of power. A woman
doesn't have to be strong like Superman to be powerful. She can
have a powerful position in a company, and have power and
influence over people. Does that make YOU an Amazon?
     CK: We've gotten a little of track here. But I find your
ideas about women and power to be interesting. What would you be
looking for in a man?
     ABA: Intelligence, kindness, and gentleness. He would love
me and respect me for what I am and what I could do. He would be
a devoted father and husband. He must give all of himself to me,
knowing that I would give all of myself to him. That's why I'm
pursuing business like I am, I want to be wealthy enough so I
could concentrate on finding a GOOD man, not a rich one.
     CK: Some one like Superman?
     LL: NO WAY!!!!(This part of the transcript was deleted at
time of publication.)
     ABA: You never know Ms. Lane. I'm young. I'm strong. With
the profits from my inventions and dividends from my investments
I would be able to be a full time mother to his children without
any financial worries. He may go for someone like me. Maybe even
find me sexy.....
     3.1
      Jimmy Olsen was walking down the halls of the Daily Planet
with Clark's cousin Karin when the door to one of the offices
flew open and out stomped Lois Lane. She was fuming.
       " Hi Lois, how
did....the.........interview..........go?" Jimmy tried to ask.
       " Ask Smallville, I should never have taken this
assignment! Aaarrrghhh! Of all the nerve! Who does she think she
is anyway?" People who were walking down the hall made way for
the Lane Express.
       "Geeze, what's eat'in her?" Karin asked. Jimmy shrugged
his shoulders as Clark and Amy stepped out of the office. Amy
bowed deeply to Clark.
        " I am SO sorry Mr. Kent." Apologized Amy.
        " Maybe you shouldn't have stuck out your chest and
wiggled your shoulders like that at the end."
        " I'm sorry, but I had to lighten things up." Giggled
Amy. " Is she that sour most of the time? Anyway, My teachers
are Barbarians, not Amazons.
       " I'm a little confused Ms. Anderson." Said Clark. "
Would you mind telling us the difference?" Jimmy and Karin
looked at Amy and nodded in agreement.
       " While we share the concepts about a woman's strength,
the primary difference is how we view men. Amazon's view men as
a necessary annoyance, only to be used for procreation. Whereas
we as Barbarians love men, but they need our help. It is up to
us to teach men how to live and also how to love us. The
marriage vows are taken seriously by Barbarians. It is we who
are responsible for our fulfillment, both sexually and
emotionally."
      "Could you teach me? That sounds great!" Karin was
enraptured.
      " Sure! My name is Amy Brigand-Anderson."
      " Nice to meet you! I'm Karin Kent, Clark's cousin." She
smiled as she shook hands with Amy. So this is the girl Barbara
talked to me about, she thought. She is a big girl, and she
looks strong, at least for a human. How can I find out about her
without letting her know I'm Supergirl?
     " So what brings you here to Metropolis, Karin?" Asked
Clark.
     " Don't you know what day it is? Today's Friday, we're
supposed to go to Six Banner Magic Island tomorrow."
      "Oh, it must have slipped my mind." Said Clark as he
scratched his head.
     " Hey, Six Banner, Cool! Could I come along Clark? I
haven't been there for a while!"
     " Sure Jimmy, you could keep Karin company. Say....um...Ms.
Anderson, would you like to come too?" Clark was minding his
manners.
     " Sure! It'll be fun!"
      4
     Clark Kent, with Jimmy and Karin in the back seat, dove up
to the Metropolis Ritz hotel and found Amy waiting for them at
the top of the stairs leading to the lobby. With a quick wave to
some unseen person, Amy lightly descended the steps to the
waiting car.
     " Wow." Whispered Jimmy and Karin when they saw her. Amy
was wearing blue shorts, a Metropolis Giant's baseball cap and a
tight, scoop neck T-shirt. Her big breasts bounced lightly as
she came to the	open door that Clark held for her. The shirt
tried in vain to contain Amy's massive, plump muscles. The short
sleeves only accentuated her big biceps. Clark remembered the
part of the interview when Amy said she quit trying to hide her
breasts. She didn't say anything about hiding her huge,
protruding nipples also. Clark was tempted to use his x-ray
vision to see if she was wearing a bra, but thought the better
of it. Come to think of it, this WAS the first time he was ever
tempted to use his x-ray vision for that purpose.
     " Thank you Mr. Kent. Hi guys!" Amy said as she got into
the car. Clark saw the car dip when Amy got in.
      Six Banner Magic Island was a good 30-minute drive from
the city limits. Amy and the kids were having a good time
talking about anything and everything. Out of the corner of his
eye he could see Amy's long, shapely legs and her bulging
calves. Or was it her nice smile that tickled his fancy. Here
she is, one day an astute businesswoman and the next day a
teenager like all the others. She did have the biggest, firmest,
breasts he had ever seen. And those muscles! She was an eye-
full, he thought. "Wow" was an understatement.
      They arrived at Six Banner a little after it opened. They
had to wait for some rides up to 30 minutes, but the time passed
quickly. (Amy couldn't ride the ones where the safety harness
had to be brought down in front of the chest). Amy won a teddy
bear at the "guess -your -weight" attraction. The attendant
guessed Amy's weight at 180 pounds, she was off by 170.  Amy,
Karin and Jimmy ate lots of ice cream and hot-dogs. Clark didn't
want to admit it, but he was having a good time with these kids.
      Amy and Karin were attracting alot of attention from the
male population as they each held one of Jimmy's arms as they
walked ahead of Clark. With his super hearing he could hear some
of the other teenage boys mutter about what Jimmy had that they
didn't. How did this guy rate TWO babes? One regular and one
extra-strength? And looking at Amy from behind in those shorts
of hers...

      " Attention everyone! Come to Six Banners new attraction,
'Superman Saves the Earth!' Thrill to the adventures of the Man
of Steel as he competes in a contest to save the world."

     " WOW...KEWEL!  Let's go Clark! Hurry up will ya!" All
three teenagers yelled as they ran ahead to the line that was
forming at the ride's entrance.
       The ride's attendant wore a sharp futuristic uniform.
When he gave the directions on safety, Amy couldn't help but
feel it sounded vaguely familiar, but thank goodness the ride
had seat belts. All four belted themselves in and made ready to
experience the new attraction. The lights dimmed and a vast
landscape appeared on the screen. A giant figure was walking
towards them, his steps causing the room to shake and stretched
out his hand. The crowd around them recoiled in mock fear.
      Then the screen went black.
      5
    Blue sparks surrounded them, their skin tingling from the
sensation. A gentle breeze blew on their faces as the blue
shimmers subsided and a lush, green landscape appeared before
them. In the distance they saw giant figures moving about, their
steps causing the ground to rumble.
     " Is this part of the ride?" Asked Clark.
     " You think saving your planet is a " ride" eh? Well,
that's confidence for ya. Now come over here and register." The
voice came behind a desk sitting out in the middle of nowhere,
the teddy-bear-like alien behind the desk was waving his paw at
them.
     " You are Mr.  ??"
     " Zark's the name, I'm the agent of the Gigatonians for you
smaller races. You have been chosen to prove your worth in the
contest of......Why am I saying this? Don't you know what's
going on?
     Four heads shook in bewilderment.
     " Okay, You have been selected to prevent your world from
being invaded in the future. The Gigatonians are the most
powerful race in the universe. That's them over there in the
distance. In earth units they are.....where's my
calculator....ah... they are 1000 of your ..."feet?" tall. Let
me look at yours." The furry alien came over to Amy and took one
of her hands and looked at it closely. Amy giggled as the alien
looked at her hand.
     " Excuse me sir, but that's my hand. My feet are down
there. But we can understand how big they must be."
      " And they have spaceships with guns big enough for one of
them to stand upright in the barrel. One blast from one of those
things and your planet is spacedust. But they are also the
sporting type of people. If your race competes in the contest
and wins the prize, then your planet is spared from invasion."
     " What about YOUR race, Mr. Zark?" asked Karin. "Did your
race win the prize?"
     " No, we surrendered and offered that some of us be their
agents. My races talent is in language and linguistics. I
learned your earth language in about 45 centons. But that
Russian earth variety was kinda tough."
      " And if we refuse?" Asked Clark.
     " We don't refuse." Said Amy sternly. " I will be glad to
represent Earth."
      " Amy, you look strong, but I may have to take your place
on this one." Said Clark as he took his shirt off, revealing his
Superman costume.
     " YOUR SUPERMAN??? WOW, what a story!!!" Jimmy was jumping
in the air. "Hey wait just one second, if your Superman and
Karin is your cousin, then your Supergirl, Right?"
     " That's right Jimmy." Said Karin lightly.
     " Nice to meet both of you!" Said Amy as she once again
held out her hand.
     " More than one champion is allowed per planet. The vids of
the contest would be easier to sell that way. Now come over here
and I'll register you and issue you your Holo-Compensators. I'll
then assign you quarters, and get the settings for the food-
machines for each of your types. Follow me."
     The roly-poly alien then left his desk (which vanished) and
beckoned the Champions of Earth top follow him.
     6

     The quarters for the "smaller races" turned out to be quite
lavish. Every need for their comfort was met. They each were
given a large room with all the amenities of a five-star hotel.
Amy chose a room overlooking a lush forest. Standing at the
window she could smell the unique fragrances of this world.
      An hour after they arrived at their quarters, Zark
returned to tell them the rules and answer their questions.
     " We are on the Planet Stadius, the staging ground for all
Gigatonian contests. The rules of the contest are simple. You
will be competing in three events.  I will tell you what they
are when it's the proper time. If you prove yourself worthy, you
will win the prize and your planets freedom.
     They were taken by shuttle to the stadium grounds.  Really
it was two areas. One for the "smaller races" and the other was
built at such a distance away that if you looked at them a
certain way, they looked the same size. But it was plain that
the other was a fair distance away and that the Gigatonians were
indeed close to 1000 feet tall. The seats were being filled with
spectators from all different planets for the contest. The
Gigatoinians themselves looked very much like humans. The males
looked to be in very good physical shape, the same went for the
females. Clark noticed that if the Gigatonian women were of
human size, they would all have great figures with very large
breasts. The clothes they wore reminded Amy of how the young
people of Jade dressed, this alien race were proud of their
bodies and were willing to show it.  The male and female aliens
were holding and kissing each other openly. The females
seemingly wanted the males to touch and kiss their ample
breasts, to which the males were willing to oblige. They even
seemed to enjoy it, thought Karin.
     On the grounds of the stadium was a huge conventional
looking barbell loaded with weights.
     " The first contest is "The Lifting". You are to raise the
weight over your head. If all lift the weight, more will be
added until only one contestant is left that can lift the
weight."
     " This contest is rigged form the start." Said Superman. "
I'll have to fly up to the bar to lift it while those aliens
could lift it normally."
    " Ah, that is where the Holo-Compensators come in." Zark
produced what looked like a wristwatch. " These are devices that
will produce a holographic image of your body the size it would
be if you were a Gigatonian.  You will also be able to see and
feel the weight due to the holographic technologies. But your
strength will not be compensated for, only your height. Any
strength you use will be your own. Here you go Kal-El, you have
number 11."
     " What about me!?" Supergirl and Amy said at the same time.
     " No, I'll handle this one." Said Superman sternly. "
Zark...I'm ready."
    There were ten other contestants in the contest, not
counting the Gigatonian champion. Elaborate viewing equipment
was installed around the area to that everyone could see the
contestants and their efforts.
     A cheer rose from the Gigatonian crowd when their Champion
entered the arena. Amy and Karin where struck by how good-
looking he was. Even Jimmy and Superman had to agree. The
Champion also was massively muscled. This was going to be a
tough contest.

     "Welcome all to the contest of worthiness. You, the
inferior races, will have a chance to prove that you are worthy
of existence. For the universe was made only for the strong.
This is why The Maker gave us the power and the right to rule.
But we are not unfair or unsporting, you have been given this
chance to show yourselves to our people and prove yourselves.
Our champion, the Crowned Prince Elishus will set the benchmark
to which you will compete. If you are worthy, a prize of great
significance will be given. If not, the invasion of your planet
is at hand. I, the Emperor of Gigatonius, declare the contest
begun. May your makers make you strong."

     "What kind of race would do that sort of thing?" Amy fumed.
     " That's a good question Amy, but I don't think this is the
right time to ask." Superman said. "First we must win, then we
could ask."
      The Prince went over to the loaded bar, and with perfect
form, lifted the huge weight over his head with ease. Several of
the other races tried to lift the weight, but failed. It was
then Superman's turn. When he activated his holo-compensator a
1000-foot tall image of him appeared in front of the Gigatonian
crowd, a cheer rise up to greet him, mostly from the female
aliens.
Superman took hold of the bar, and with a mighty effort,
completed the lift.
      " That's a good sign." Said Zark. " The crowd likes him
and he completed the first lift, but this is only the
beginning."
     As more and more weight was added to the massive bar while
more and more contestants were eliminated until only Superman
and the Prince were left. The Gigatonian completed his lift but
not without showing some effort, for the first time. Superman
took several deep breaths and tried to psyche himself up. Amy,
Jimmy and Karins cheers for the Man of Steel were joined by
several of the aliens. Taking hold of the bar, Superman let out
a yell, which brought the barbell to his shoulders. With a
mighty push of his pumped arms, he rammed the weight
upward....only half way. He strained at the lift for a good ten
seconds, both crowds yelling encouragement. But it was too much.
The weight came crashing down to the floor.
     Amy's face turned into a pale shade of blue. I have to do
something she thought. I'm not going to let our world be invaded
by these people if I have anything to do with it.
     " Zark! Get me one of those compensators!" Cried Amy.
     " Are you nuts! You think you're stronger than Superman?"
Jimmy was incredulous.
     " Don't underestimate me! Besides, I have to try." Jimmy
was taken aback by Amy's tone.
     " Great! The Gigatonians like this sorta thing. They may
even like you. But they will not start over for you, you will
have to lift the weight that Kal-El tried to and failed. Here's
compensator number 12. I'll call the Emperor, he'll like this,
it'll boost sales of the vid!" Zark was talking into his comm-
link when the Emperor stood up at the other arena.

     "We have another being that wants to represent Earth! Shall
we let this being try?"
     The crowd yelled their approval.
      "Then let it be so!

     When the image of Amy appeared in front of the alien crowd,
they went wild. Clapping and wild cheering greeted Amy's ears.
Both male and female Gigatonians were pointing at her. The
females putting their hands on their mate's biceps and squeezing
them, the males also were taking hold of their mate's breasts
and squeezing them. Their cheers gave Amy a rush of confidence.
      Amy went to the weight, and copying the Prince's form,
lifted the weight over her head, slowly. When she put the weight
down, she felt the blood rush into her muscles causing them to
become pumped and tight. That felt good, Amy thought. And for a
split second she hoped that the contest would go on. But the
clanging of the plates as they were loaded onto the bar brought
her back to reality. She would not put her own pleasure before
her friends or from saving her planet. But the feeling of her
muscles being pumped  was. .addicting.
     From what was mearly an exhibition to the Prince, turned
out to be one of the most hard-fought contests he had ever had.
For this earthling matched him lift for lift. And to top it all
off, she was becoming the crowd's favorite! And he had to admit
to himself that indeed, she was pretty, and the fact that she
was also strong caused him to admire her even more. But he
wasn't about to let this Earth-female get the better of him.
More plates were loaded onto the bar after each lift. Until the
Emperor himself stood, and held up his hand to silence the
crowds.

      " It is my duty to announce to you all that the next lift
will establish a new Gigatonian record, a record that has not
been broken for 1000 years. God Strength to the contestants!

     The prince had a grim look in his eye, the record!  It
would be a great honor to achieve such a feat! He blocked out
the cheering crowds and concentrated on the monstrous weight.
Making sure his grip was secure, he hoisted the weight to his
shoulders. Veins were popping out from his neck, and his
breathing was deep and fast. As the weight went over his head,
he let out a roar of triumph! The crowd was on its feet, and
flowers were thrown at him. He lifted his arms in exultation. He
looked over at his opponent and saw that she was also clapping
her hands and cheering him. None of his other opponents had done
that before.
     Now it was Amy's turn. Her muscles still pumped form the
previous lifts, she approached the bar confidently. She held up
her hands to silence the cheering crowd. The crowd complied, but
they still remained on their feet. The thought that she might
fail never entered her mind, until she brought the weight to her
shoulders. Doubt for the first time came into her mind, her
pumped legs were trembling from the massive weight. Reaching
deep inside of her, she summoned the last of her strength and
pushed the bar upward. It stopped midway up and stayed there for
what was 5 seconds to the observer, but an eternity to Amy. A
voice in the back of her mind, a quiet, almost pleading voice,
said to her not to hold them back, to let us show ourselves.
When she gave herself over to the small voices, the weight
started to move upward until her arms locked, completing the
lift! The bar came crashing down as Amy let it go from above her
head. Was that her muscles talking to her? She felt the torrent
of pleasure rush from her loins, through her abdominals, to the
tips of her nipples. Her nipples started to swell and become
hard and fully erect. She could feel her shirt tighten around
them, pulling it away form her breasts. Before she could become
embarrassed, the crowd roared its approval. Her embarrassment
subsided.
     The bar was again loaded to a heavier weight.  And the
Prince hoisted the bar to his shoulders, his great muscles
straining from the effort. With a push from his massive legs,
the bar shot upward, but not all the way. It was the Princes
turn to fight with the weight, but the weight dropped to the
ground with a clang. The crowd applauded his effort. He
maintained his Honor and integrity.
     Amy then walked up to the bar.  She was not only pumped
from the previous exertions, but flushed with....arousal? Energy
flowed from her loins to her nipples, then outward to her eager
muscles. She pushed the great mass upward with authority. She
held the barbell over her head, feeling the massive weight
trying to crush her, but to no avail. She felt her shirt snap
from her tightly belted waist as she deeply inhaled the
invigorating air. Her massive, rising breasts the culprit. We
are here for you, the small voices said. We would like to do
more for you. Call on us when you want us. The cheering crowd,
however, shook her from her thoughts. Her feelings of
arousal subsiding.
     Back at the smaller arena, Karin and Jimmy were running
towards Amy.  Jimmy was making circles with his fist( WHOO!
WHOO! WHOO!) . Even Superman forgot his dignity and ran towards
her. All three jumped into Amy's arms and they all hugged each
other.
     " I've NEVER seen anything like it! You
were...were....FANTASTIC!!!"
" Thanks Jimmy." Amy sniffed through her tears of joy.
     " Say Ms. Amy." Said Zark. " It's not quite over yet.
You're the winner of this event. It is customary to show the
audience that you're proud of your body. Do a...what's the
word?.... a bodybuilder pose? Yes...that's the word. If you
don't you may offend the Emperor. Plus it would help sell the
vid!"
      " Ooooo....kay!" Amy was surprised at her own tone of
voice. She sounded like she wanted to show these aliens how
strong she was. After the three earthlings separated from Amy,
she put her left hand on her hip and looked at her right arm,
started to flex her bicep...slowly. The cheers from the
Gigatonian crowd gave way to a awed hush as Amy's bicep got
bigger and higher. At the 2/3's part of her flex the crowd leapt
to its feet, yelling its approval. ( The females yelled the
loudest). Even the Emperor rose to his feet to get a better
look. When her bicep reached it's summit, the sleeve of her
shirt ripped, unable to contain the growing, expanding mass of
muscle. A small smile appeared on Amy's face when she started to
pump her arm until a huge vein appeared on the very top of her
bicep. (This last part was included in the Director's cut of the
contest vid, which outsold the original release.)
   The first day of the contest came to a close. Amy, Karin,
Jimmy and Clark had a sumptuous meal brought to them,
compliments of the Prince of Gigatonius.
    " Amy, I'm speechless." Said Clark. " You
were...were....great!  Clark didn't tell her that when she
flexed her bicep, he felt his gut tighten and his "blood
starting to flow".
    " When I saw you at first I thought you looked strong, but I
never guessed..." Karin was also lost for words.
    " Thanks, I want to do my best."
    " Anyone for the understatement of the year?" Said Jimmy,
rolling his eyes skyward.
         7
    " Is that the girl?"
     " Yes, master."
     " You're sure."
     " Yes."
     " Any other..'talents'... that we should be aware of?"
     " Teleportation, flight, the one observed spell is a
'create ice' spell that can be altered in intensity. It froze a
large dragon in its tracks instantly. She is well trained in the
martial arts, and her favorite weapon is a special, enchanted
sword. "
     " She could be a problem, watch her. If she proves her
worthiness in the contest, kill her. She can't save them if she
doesn't accept the prize."
       The shadowy figure bowed to its master and slipped away
into the swirling vortex.
      8
     Amy heard the familiar knock at her door.
      Zark.
     The teddy-bear like alien had taken a fancy to Amy ever
since her victory in the "lifting" contest a week ago. Now every
morning, Zark would accompany Amy to breakfast, paw in hand.
All five beings had at least one meal together, for the contest
was not the only thing on their minds. Jimmy and Karin went
exploring the planet, with Jimmy riding on Karin's back.  After
the second day of  " The Stragedy" contest, Jimmy and Karin got
bored and decided to try to find out as much about their hosts
as possible. Zark gave them the necessary passes to move about
the planet without hindrance.
      The second event on the contest was held on a vast plain.
Zark wanted to shuttle them over, but when Amy told everyone
that she knew a flight spell, they decided to fly themselves
there.
     Zark rode on Amy's back while Clark had Jimmy. The flight
to the contest sight was exciting for Zark, he was used to
shuttles and spacecraft. But to fly with the wind in your face
and the only thing holding you on were your legs, with no safety
straps, THAT was new. One time by accident Zark fell off Amy's
back and was rescued by a quick flying Amy. When he started
doing it on purpose (He liked to be in Amy's arms next to her
breasts rather than on her back;)), Amy told him that next time
Karin would take him.
     The site of the second event looked kinda familiar to Amy.
Giant squares were subdivided into 64 sections. Giant monoliths
of what looked like solid marble lined up in two rows on
opposite ends, 16 for each side. Some of the monoliths were of
different sizes and shapes, but the front row statues all had
the same shape.
     When Zark explained the rules of the event to Amy, she
chuckled a little. It was exactly like chess! But with giant
1000 foot tall pieces. The point of this event was to have the
strength and the endurance not only to move the monoliths, but
also the skill and intelligence to "checkmate" your opponent.
     Playing the game brought back memories, to when she played
with Birty. And of the subsequent battle and Birty's "healing"
by Usagi. Amy remembered how fun it was to play, and soon was
immersed in not only her matches but in the matches of others.
The Prince himself turned out to be a skillful player and after
a week of matches, it was again Amy against the Prince for the
final game.
      Clark was relieved that he didn't have to "save the world"
for once. He was even entertained watching Amy's matches. She
was not more than six feet away from him, but a half-mile away
he could see the 1000-foot hologram of Amy moving the huge
"chess" pieces. She had to lift some of the pieces with her arms
straight out from her body on account of her big breasts. Clark
smiled when he saw her thick deltoids bunch up when she lifted
the marble monoliths. He then realized that he didn't feel
inferior or emasculated. Here was this girl..no...woman,  who
was obviously much stronger than he was, and he didn't feel
threatened by her in the least. Who would have known that
someone so quiet and gentle could have such power? That's what
he liked about her, she wasn't pushy or arrogant like some
people he knew.
       Amy executed a brilliant "Queen" sacrifice that caused
the Prince to resign three moves later. Years later the vid of
this match was re-examined and re-analyzed by the foremost
experts of the game.
      That night Karin and Jimmy related to Clark and Amy their
findings about the planet and their hosts. The planet they were
on was only known as "Stadius". There were no timepieces or
chronographs anywhere on the planet. And yes, the Gigatonian
ships were gargantuan, but sleek and graceful. They saw the main
guns extend and retract from the smooth hull during a tour that
the captain of the ship gave them. He knew they were from Earth
because he was in the front row during Amy's "lifting" contest
and granted them special privileges.  It was apparent that their
hosts knew they were coming because of the lavish quarters made
for them and the other "inferior" races.
      "But there is one thing we do know, we're far from earth.
Notice the stars at night? They're all wrong. I've studied
astronomy on Argos, we may not even be in our quadrant of the
galaxy." Karin grew silent as she remembered her days on Argos
before it was destroyed by the same cataclysm that destroyed
Krypton.
     " I got some pictures to prove this place exists, that
would help prove our story." Said Jimmy.
     " Hopefully this will soon be over, the third event starts
tomorrow, and I've won two. But we must be on our guard. These
giant aliens seem to be civilized, but why do they think they
can go around invading people whom they deem inferior?" Amy was
perplexed.
     " Maybe the only reason is...is because they can." Said
Clark. " But I don't think the subject is up for debate. Amy,
its up to you."
     " I'll do my best." Amy said as she clenched her fist, her
bicep bulging when she bent her arm.
      9
     The final event was the most anticipated one of the
contest, a direct one on one struggle against one's opponent.
Zark rode on Amy's back as the Earthlings made their way to the
final staging area. Massive tables were erected on a vast plain,
with what looked like an elaborate curling mechanism built on
the top of each.
     " This event is called the 'Struggle', you are to hold one
end of the machine and curl your arm until your opponents hand
touches the sensor. Amy, you have become the crowd favorite,
your matches will be followed closely by all...er....give'em a
good show eh....I've invested a lot of money in the company that
will produce the vid." Zark was confident that Amy would win.
     Zark was right. Many Gigatonians followed her to whichever
table she had a match on. She switched arms a lot to prevent
fatiguing just one. But her muscles responded easily and she won
every match. She had a great pump going when the final match was
starting. And wouldn't you know it, again it was the Prince
himself matched up against Amy.
     Amy's giant hologram stood at one end of the table and the
Prince stared at her from the other. Rumor had it that he was
weakening, that he was unworthy to represent the "Master Race".
Another rumor was that the Prince was smitten with the tiny
Earthling and was letting her win, thereby betraying the code of
conduct for Gigatonian royalty. The gossip tabloids were buzzing
about an alleged affair between the Prince and an inferior
commoner. How romantic! Giving up the throne of the greatest
Empire in the universe for love!
      The Emperor himself relieved the referee of this final
match, and gave the signal to begin. The Prince was strong, Amy
thought, but she would not go down without a fight! Amy's
started to pull with all of her strength, her bicep swelling
higher and higher. The Prince's eyes grew wide as his arm was
slowly straightened to almost touching the sensor. Then,
gritting his teeth, he curled with all his might until he was
one mimker from winning. His arm then was slowly pulled back! He
Looked over to Amy's hologram and saw her face was flushed and
she grit her teeth. Again.... he redoubled his efforts.
       After the contest many viewers of the vid were treated to
what was billed as the greatest match of " The Struggle" ever!
Back and forth these gladiators fought. Sweat pouring down both
contestants' faces. Huge biceps straining, giant veins forming
and muscles forming on top of muscles.
       But to Amy it was a different story. She was about to win
when the small voices pleaded with her not to end the contest
just yet. The voices wanted Amy to let her muscles work. Her
muscles liked to grow and become huge when put to the test. The
familiar stirring in her loins added to the conflict that was
going on in Amy's mind. She had to choose again between winning
and letting her body feel and experience the combination of
power mixed with pleasure. She knew that this could be a
problem, she can't let her desire for pleasure get in the way of
her duty to her friends and to Earth. She won two of the three
events..why not let herself enjoy the moment? She gave in to her
muscles desires and began to flex her arm slowly. Pump after
pump of her bicep was rewarded with a flush of ecstasy. She grit
her teeth to keep her concentration, she didn't want to lose
after all, but only to experience this once in a lifetime
opportunity, to be tested to one's full capacity. She opened her
eyes and could see her bicep swelling time after time. The huge
vein at the top of her bicep must have stood out about one inch
when she was at the top of her flex. She saw her skin glow from
her sweat in the sunlight. Her nipples started to grow longer
and harder with each pump of her bicep until they were again
fully erect. The curls slowly became easier as time went on. She
let her arm straighten one more time just a little too
much......
       The Prince was close to the end of his strength. He must
win! He could not face his Father the Emperor if he lost all
three events! With a mighty roar, he put the last of his
strength into one last mighty, desperate curl. He could hear the
sensor go off! He won! A split second after the sensor sounded,
he was yanked off his feet. Losing his grip, he fell to the
ground with a thud.
       A mixture of laughter and cheers greeted the Prince as he
picked himself up from the ground.
Regaining his composure, the Prince did the customary victory
poses as is required by the rules of contest etiquette. Amy
stood behind the prince, quietly watching him do his routine.
Soon the crowd started to yell something in their language and
pointed at the hologram of Amy. Their voices then began chanting
her name.
      " This has never happened before!" Said an excited Zark.
"Amy, go beside the Prince and do one of your best win poses.
They want to see you pose again!"
     Amy's hologram walked beside the prince, who took her hand
and kissed it. Amy tried to look coy as he did this, sparking
laughter from the crowd.
     Somewhere inside Amy urged her not to hold back. She wasn't
going to stay with these people and for sure she didn't want
them to forget her. Okay, she thought, we'll show them what we
can do!
     Amy chose to do a double bicep pose. As she slowly flexed
her biceps, she commanded her nipples to grow at the same time.
She raised her chest when she inhaled deeply, the tops of her
breasts rising until only her eyes were seen by the cheering
crowd. When her nipples were fully erect, she felt her massive
biceps tear apart her shirtsleeves and felt her shirt snap free
from her belted waist. She started to pump her biceps slowly,
reducing the sleeves to shreds. She thought about trying to rip
the front of her shirt but thought better of it, she saw the
Emperor and the Prince staring at her out of the corner of her
eye, their mouths half open.
     The Emperor cleared his throat.

      " The contest is now ended! Amy Brigand-Anderson, you have
proved yourself and your planet worthy of existence! The prize
will be conferred tomorrow, when we can fashion one the proper
size that is."

     The crowd laughed and started to cheer Amy and the Prince.
The Emperor came over to Amy's  side, took her hand and raised
it up over her head. The Prince followed suit on Amy's other
side and all three smiled at the adoring crowd. Many camera 's
and vid recorders captured the moment.
     10
     "I'm sorry about that shirt Amy." Said Zark as they walked
to Amy's quarters. " It must be a malfunction in the replicator,
that material was supposed to be stronger that what you had
before, a special Gigatoinian fabric.
     " That's okay Zark. I want to thank you for being our host
and guide during this contest.
     Amy wasn't tired, but she looked forward to a good night's
rest. She always kept the windows open to let the fragrant air
circulate throughout the room.  She had that impression again,
that  tonight was going to be special. She anxiously took off
her clothes and sprawled on the nice firm bed. Breathing deeply
of the night air, she soon fell asleep.
      Gray, that was the color she saw. A misty, dank sort of
hue. This was not like the other dreams, where she had gotten
stronger. She felt...closed in...cold. A cold barrier was
closing in on her. She tossed in her bed from side to side. But
that too felt cold. Back in her mind she could  hear a deep,
distant rumbling as the barrier kept closing in on her. For the
first time, she felt afraid, but this was only a dream, albeit a
bad one. In the distant gray fog, she saw a small ball of light.
It performed a very joyful and buoyant little jig, and came
right up to her face. Amy felt herself smile.
      " Amy." The small light said. "Make us big and hard , let
us make you feel good."
      Amy couldn't help but giggle. Okay she thought. I will let
you play your little game.
      She took a deep breath, her huge breasts now being held in
her hands. She felt her nipples start to grow. It did feel good.
They grew longer until they seemed to become wrapped around by
the gray, cold barrier. More...she thought, I want to grow
bigger and stronger. A shockwave of pleasure coursed through
Amy's body, focused on her growing, hardening nipples. When they
were fully erect, She felt the ground tremble, then stop.
Beautiful blue raindrops enveloped her body, causing her skin to
tingle.
         She awoke from her sleep, her body tingling all over.
Getting out of bed, she saw that her nipples were fully erect.
Her clitoris was also engorged with blood. She went over close
to the window, to breath deeply of the fresh air. She felt her
strong heart beating, pushing blood into her nipples and
clitoris, forcing them to become bigger and harder. Amy didn't
think that something like this could feel so good! Her nipples
and clitoris throbbed and pulsed upward with each heartbeat.
      A gentle breeze wafted through the window, and gently
kissed her. Her body shook from the power of her arrival. She
just stood there, letting the breeze caress her body into
climaxing.
      In the back of her mind, she could hear... what was that?
The doorbell and voices?
      Rats! She thought. Just when I was starting to enjoy
myself. Getting a big towel, she walked to the door
     " Who is it?" She asked. Her voice cracking a little.
     Hey Amy! Wake up! We got to get to the ceremony quickly, or
we'll forfeit the prize. Get a move on in there!"
     It was Karin.
      "Be right out! Give me a couple of minutes, I have to
shower and stuff."
     " Okay, but be quick about it, I'm HUNGRY!
     11
     The ceremony to confer the "prize" was an elaborate affair.
The Emperor spoke of the events on the contest. He cited Amy's
strength, and intelligence, (and  good looks) as reasons to
spare Amy's planet. The prize itself consisted of a large green
gem, set in gold surrounded by smaller green gems. If one looked
hard enough, one could see faint flashes of light inside.
     " We know about your sector of space. Place the prize at
this location and when the times comes for us to enter your
quadrant, we will "pass over" it. We must leave this staging
area soon. But I will instruct Zark to be your host for as long
as you wish top stay here. This has been a most worthy contest."
Said the Emperor.
      When the stadium was emptying, the Prince came over to
talk to Amy.
     " You have been a worthy opponent. If you were Gigatonian,
I would ask that you come with me and see if we are suited to
become mates. Nobody would question your worthiness and the
rules banning royalty from mating with commoners would be set
aside."
     " Th...Thank you." Said Amy blushing. " I am honored. You
are most kind."
     The Prince took Amy's holographic hand and kissed it. Amy
could feel his warm, gentle lips on her own flesh and blood
hand.
     " Good fortune and God-strength to you, Amy-Brigand
Anderson."
     "And to you." Amy said as she did a little curtsy.

***
      The four Earthlings were talking in the dining room after
Lunch. Clark was closely examining the prize.
     " What do you make of that thing, Clark." Jimmy asked. " Is
it a machine or a living thing or a great big sapphire or what?
"
     "There does appear to be some kind of circuitry inside. My
x-ray vision could see that its there, but it can't magnify
things that are that small. For being a thousand feet tall,
these aliens have mastered micro circuitry. Where are we
supposed to put this thing?"
       "The Emperor gave me the coordinates. It's a planet
several hundred light-years away from earth. Farther than
Krypton. It would take decades in your spaceship to take this
there, but I wouldn't even know the place if I got there. I
guess this is another puzzle to solve." Amy was starting to get
worried.
" Bajor. It's the planet Bajor." Said a voice behind them.
     All four turned around and saw a figure surrounded by
shimmering blue wisps of light. The figure materialized into the
Six Banner ride attendant they saw two weeks ago.
     " Alright you." Said Clark. " What's going on here? You're
obviously not some ride attendant. Who are you and what do you
have to do with all this?"
     " A fair question that deserves the truth. I will shed my
disguise to let you know I am telling the truth." The attendant
tapped a device on his wrist, causing him to again be surrounded
by the blue light. When he finally assumed his proper form, Amy
gasped.
     " The Shogun."
     " That was one of my various persona, in truth I am captain
Mark Solomon of the United Federation of Planets. I command the
temporal vessel  J.L. Picard. I am from the 29th century."
     The four were stunned. Jimmy was the first to find his
voice.
     " Yeah, sure. And why should we believe you?"
     " You don't have to, but it seems to me you don't have a
choice. You are on a planet that is far from any federation
sector. From the information we were able to gather, the
Gigatonian empire surrounds the four quadrants. We had used the
experimental 'folding ultrawarp' technology just to get here.
You see, this is the 28th century. We were invaded by the
Gigatonians in the 29th century before another contest was to be
held. We couldn't even go back to the past and prevent the
contest from taking place, we didn't have a suitable candidate
to enter the contest. I am now, by definition, a renegade. We
have a Temporal Prime Directive, not to go back in time to
change history. But this situation called for drastic measures.
I was on patrol in a remote part of the sector when we got the
news from the Mars colony. Earth, Vulcan, New Kronos, and
Romulus were destroyed in a matter of seconds. We got the
information about the contest from Ferengi spies. But to find a
suitable representative, that was the hard part. We knew of Kal-
El and were going to enlist his help. He dealt with aliens
before so our story would have been believed. But then, YOU
popped up.
       He nodded to Amy.
      "We traced your actions and performed a couple of tests to
see if you were suitable. That little thing with Bane from
Gotham City was just a test."
     " And those men of yours? The ones Bane defeated?"
     "Nothing more than cyborgs. We needed you to compete in the
contest here in the 28th century in order to prevent millions
from dying in the 29th century. It's a bonus that we got Kal-El
and Kara to go along in case of any accidents or that Amy
failed. A shrine has been erected on Bajor to house the prize.
And a cover story about a long lost religious location will be
circulated, that will warrant guards and prevent theft. But only
the Kai knows about this breech of protocol. You would like
Bajor. It'll be springtime when we get there.
     " Why didn't you just ask instead of just whisking us
away?" Asked Karin.
     " And what would someone like Ms. Brigand-Anderson say if I
appeared out of thin air and said: 'Hello, I'm a renegade
captain from the 29th century, would you put your life on the
line in a contest to save a world that won't exist for another
900 years? Oh, time travel? No problem there Ms. Anderson, we
got that problem licked.' So I had to resort to these
rather..desperate measures."
     All four were silent.
    " I guess you did save the world after all Amy, even though
you won't be around to see it! Said Jimmy. " Say, could I get a
picture of you with Amy? This would be the story of the
millennium!"
      The captain hesitated but then agreed.
      They were transported to the temporal vessel after Amy
turned in her holo-compensator and said goodbye to Zark. He was
looking forward to being with Amy a little longer, but he took
the parting well.
      " I'm going to miss that little fur-ball." Said Clark.

***
      They were taken to Bajor and stayed there for a couple of
weeks. It was springtime and the weather was beautiful. A
beautiful and deeply spiritual ceremony was performed and the
Prize enshrined in a transparent neutronium casing.
        All too soon it was time that everybody elected to
travel back in time to their own world. The captain tried to
persuade them to tour the Federation because in the future, the
past is already fixed. They had plenty of time! Jimmy was
particularly anxious to get back.
      They were gathered at the beam up point when the Captain
wanted to talk to Jimmy alone. Taking him aside the Captain made
sure his eyes were in the sunlight so it was normal for him to
put on some sunglasses. When he did, he brought out a small
cylinder and a bright blue flash hit Jimmy in the face, causing
him to faint.
      " Don't worry." Said the Captain. " He's all right. I had
to wipe his memory of these past few weeks. He's a temporal
risk. And his pictures of these events must be destroyed. The
technology works only on humans, and I trust Ms. Anderson is
good when it comes to keeping secrets.  Aren't you Ms.
Anderson?" He said with a knowing look.
      Amy had to agree.
      " We will send you back to your time, when you would have
been walking out of that ride.
Thank you again Ms. Anderson and to you Kal-El and Kara. You
won't be seeing me again, unless you live to be 1000 years old."
     12
"James Olsen to the front desk please, James Olsen to the front
desk." The overhead paging system of the Daily Planet was too
loud, a lot of people thought. But Perry White insisted on it
being that loud.
      "Hey smallville, speaking of teenagers, how did the baby-
sitting job go yesterday?"
      Clark sat at his desk typing. He tried not to show that he
was annoyed by Lois's constant sarcasm. He could handle it if it
was only directed at himself, but directed at someone like Amy
pushed his well-honed patience almost to its limit. But he took
control of himself and answered in his usual, self-effacing way.
     " Fine Lois. As a matter of fact, I had a good time, to
tell you the truth. That new Superman ride was swell!"
     Swell? Lois thought rolling her eyes upward. That's
smallville for ya, she thought.
     "Good morning, Mr. Kent. And to you Ms. Lane." Amy said
cheerily as she walked to Clark's desk with Jimmy.
     Amy was wearing her tailored business suit. The top four
buttons of her blouse were open, revealing the vast, customary
cleavage. The short, hip-hugging skirt had a long slit up the
left leg. The jacket was buttoned at the waist, showing how big
her curves were. She walked past Clark and leaned on a desk,
making sure Lois saw her long, shapely legs and her big, firm
breasts.
      Clark caught the mischievous glint in Amy's eye as she
walked past him. She's trying to annoy Lois, he thought. He
almost started to chuckle. He stood up to shake her extended
hand, not noticing that he stood taller and thrust out his chest
a little more than usual.
      " I'm leaving soon. I would like to thank you for showing
me around town. Mr. White was kind enough to let Jimmy take me
to the Airport. And here, before I forget."
     Amy handed Clark her personal card with her home phone
number printed on it.
     " Call me, If you like. Okay Jimmy, let's jam!" Amy took
Jimmy's arm and walked out of the pressroom.
     Clark couldn't help but hear all the men gripe about
Jimmy's luck. First Supergirl and now Ms. Anderson! What does
that guy have anyway!!??
      He felt Amys card get swiped from his hand by Lois, who
tore it up and threw it in the trash can.
     " You don't stand a chance, smallville." Lois stomped away
before Clark could object.
     Sitting down at his desk, he noticed another of Amy's cards
underneath a couple of papers. He smiled to himself and put the
card in his coat pocket.
     13
     "Master, please..the plan was flawless....!"
      "She is alive, is she not?"
      "Yes..but I didn't think anyone could do that! Please have
merc..."
      " I will not tolerate failure, ask Granny.
      "Master Darks....."
        ZZZZZZITTTT
     14

     The Gigatonian contest maintenance office.

     "Hey Zonk, was that a contest or was that a contest?"
     "Your right about that Zerk. Was the rumor true about the
prince asking that earthling Amy to marry him?"
     "Then he would have to marry her hologram..but that would
have been enough for me...I'll tell you what!"
     "Hey Zonk, what was that call all about at the Starship
Cruncher. That thing never malfunctioned since it was made 500
years ago."
    " It was weird. I get this call and they tell me the things
ker-schmutzen. I go into that thing and all I find are these two
holes about this high." Zonk held his paws halfway over his
head.
    " What could dig two holes into neutronium?"
    " I don't know, but its gonna be a pain to repair that
thing. The whole mechanism is shot! Glad I don't have to pay for
it!"
    "Zonk, er... what was the number of that malfunctioning
holo-compensator you were looking for?"
    " 12, why?"
    " Here it is, and its been used." Zerk tossed the unit to
his partner.
    " Yup, its this one all right, let me check it." Zonk
pressed some buttons and when the read out came, he smacked his
paw on his forehead.
    " The STF (strength transfer function) is way off. Instead
of 1 to 1, the strength ratio was .001 to one!"
    " POOF!!! One more planet bites the spacedust. That alien
didn't have a chance. How could you when your strength was
1/1000 of what is should be."
    Zonk then got up on some boxes, holding up the
malfunctioning unit.
    " On your knees! It is I, Zonk! The future savior of
planets. I will save countless worlds by disposing of this
wretched device!"
    " Hail Zonk! Hail Zonk! I am not worthy! I am not worthy!"
Said Zerk as he mockingly fell to his knees.
    " Were's that Mr. Disintegrator? There it is!  Head's up!"


ZZZZZZZIITTTT!!!

THE END