There was a stunned silence for a moment after Access' proclamation.

"Now wait a moment, Access." Reed Richards turned to a nearby wall screen and began calling up data. "Both during and after Amalgam I worked to establish a database on those various individuals of the other universe that we interacted with." He stepped back as a figure appeared on the screen. Frozen in apparent conversation with a contemporary, the still showed a young blond woman, her blue and red garb a feminine version of the suit worn by Superman. Referring to the picture, Richards continued. "As you can see, Supergirl does exist in that Reality."

"A Supergirl exists, Mr. Richards." Access corrected. "That Supergirl was originally a construct created in a pocket universe to fill the void left when that pocket universe's hero, Superboy, was killed." He held up a hand to forestall any interruption. "Yes, I am aware that the Superboy of the other Reality is still very much alive. To make a long story short, during a period of upheaval between reboots, a scientist in that pocket universe created this Supergirl by the name of Lex Luther. A man I imagine would be on par with you, Mr. Richards and your peer, Dr. Doom, in his intelligence. In the pocket universe, he used that ability to aid his fellow man. In the main universe his alternate self was every bit as evil and callous as Dr. Doom." He paused to take a breath. "Needless to say that this Supergirl is in no fashion related to Superman. Her powers are not even the same." He smiled in a whimsical way. "It is amusing to see history, though rewritten, take similar paths." He pointed to the woman on the table. "When her original came to Earth, she was found by her cousin and eventually adopted by Earth people in the small town of Leeville. She took the secret identity of Linda Danvers." Now he pointed at the picture. "That Supergirl, in order to save the life of a young girl named Linda Danvers, merged with her to create a single being. So now HER secret identity is Linda Danvers."

"This is all good and well." Strange broke in. "But what exactly is it you wish us to do. Or perhaps I should ask, how do you expect us to do it?"

"I don't know." Access shrugged. "I only know that her soul must be joined with this body." This said while looking at Dr. Strange. Then to Reed Richards "and that the powers belonging to the body be restored to it."

Their attention centered on their conversation and the young woman on the table, none of the four noticed the small spider like shape that slowly crept out of the shadows in a corner of the ceiling. Scurrying quickly, the spider thing moved down a wall, moving behind machinery and out of site. Once at floor level, it moved around and under the machinery, getting as close as possible. Finally, again hidden in the shadows it stopped and settled to the floor, it's multifaceted eyes locked on the quartet. After a moment, a fissure appeared on its back.

From the opening arose an apparatus that resembled nothing more than a very miniaturized version of a satellite dish. The spider thing would record events and then, using every anti detection device at it's disposal, make it's way out of the Fantastic Four's Headquarters. Once clear it would fulfill it's programming. It would ready it's recordings for transmission and then, in a single, micro second burst, it would send it all skyward, bouncing the signal off a satellite. From there the signal would be transmitted back to another portion of Earth. In this case, Latvia.

"Dear?" Sue moved into the darkened Lab, frowning at the sight of Reed sitting at his console seemingly lost in thought.

It had been just two days since he had agreed to work on the problem of restoring the powers to the young woman. "Kara." Sue reminded herself. "I have to get used to that." He had worked almost non-stop since then, taking blood samples right then and there. And now here he was, simply sitting there.

"Reed, is anything wrong?" She moved up next to him, running a hand through his hair.

"Wha?" Reed shook himself from his contemplation and looked up at his wife. "Oh, not really, dear." He said. "I've isolated the type of radiation that caused her power loss. " he reached over and flicked a switch on the console. Before him a screen sprang to life, showing and enlarged cell, briefly outlined in a yellow glow.

"Access was under the impression that her powers had been stripped from her." He explained. "That is not entirely accurate. It would be more accurate to say that they had been masked. See the glow around the cell? Each and every cell over her body is covered with that. Basically it is a type of radiation that, while not harmful, and attaches itself to the cells of persons of her origin. " He stood up, stretching. "To restore her powers, I simply have to cleanse her system."

"Is that a problem?" Sue asked, not understanding Reed's moodiness.

"In itself, no." He admitted. "In fact, I have already developed the apparatus needed to perform the procedure." He stared at the view screen. "Just a matter of minutes and her powers would be restored."

"I don't understand, then." Sue tried not to let the exasperation she was feeling show. "What is the problem? What is troubling you?"

"I can't fool you, can I?" Reed smiled and, stretching and arm out to encircle his wife he pulled her close.

"Not usually, Reed Richards!" Sue smiled to take the sting out of her words. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"I can restore her, physically, at least." Reed explained. "But I am not now sure that it is a wise thing to do."

"What do you mean?"

"You heard Access, Dear. That young woman..."

"Kara, Reed. Her name is Kara."

"Okay, Kara. Kara was, will be, more powerful than the other Reality's Superman. Will we be doing the right thing in releasing that kind of power in our own Reality?" Sue stepped back, clearly shocked.

"Reed Richards how dare you!"

"What? Dear I am just concerned..."

"No, you are moralizing. You are trying to play god!" Sue was clearly angered. Taking a breath, she calmed herself...somewhat. "Reed, Kara is not one of your pet projects. She is a living being."

"Sue, look at this." Reed adjusted the controls on his console and the yellow infused cell was replaced with another cell...sans the yellow glow. "This is a single cell that I cleansed." He explained. "I then ran tests on that cell." He looked at Sue, the worry clear in his face. "Dear, that wom...Kara, is virtually invulnerable. According to the tests I ran, only radiation similar to that yellow radiation," He adjusted the controls again, this time depicting several multi colored substances. "Can harm affect her. I was able to reproduce the yellow radiation and discovered that, by slightly modifying the wavelength, which, incidentally changes the color of the radioactive substance, I could produce radiation that have other affects." He pointed to a green substance on the screen. "For instance, exposure to this substance could kill her. Though once removed from the proximity of the substance, her regenerative abilities would quickly nullify the affects. Provided, of course, the substance were removed before she were irrevocably poisoned." He pointed to the yellow substance. "Exposure to this substance will, as we have seen, mask, or nullify her powers." He grimaced. "The affects of this were permanent and instantaneous. No longer. Once cleansed, the cell developed a form of resilience. Now exposure to the yellow radiation will only mask her powers temporarily. A few hours at the most. " He pointed to a red substance. "This will have unpredictable results. Each one different." He shook his head and pointed to a white substance. "This has no effect whatsoever on her, but is extremely deadly to earth plant life The blue substance had no affect on anything, so far as I can tell."

"It sounds as if you have been hedging your bets." Sue remarked dryly.

"What do you mean?"

"Reed, you were worried that you would be releasing something that could not be controlled. A power of tremendous destructive capabilities. So you made sure you had some insurance." She pointed at the screen. "If something does go wrong with Kara, you have made sure that we have methods of stopping her." She turned her finger to him and poked him in the chest with it. "That being the case, Reed Richards, you have done what you could to safe guards our world. Now you get busy and cure that young lady." She turned and stalked towards the exit.

"Yes dear. Oh and Dear?"

"Yes?" Sue whirled around, ready for another confrontation.

"Kara, dear. Her name is Kara."

"Oh!" Sue glared at him and stamped out, Reed's laughter following her. Just outside the lab, she allowed the scowl to disappear to be replaced with a smile.

Sue gone, Reed returned to his work. In a matter of moments, it would all be up to Dr. Strange.

In the shadows, a small spider like thing settled down to watch and wait.

Sanctum Sanctorum!

Stephen Strange pushed away from his desk, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

Since taking his leave of Reed and Sue Richards and Access, he had been poring over his tombs and grimoires. He had initially, decided upon a course of research and, so far, had obtained nothing that would give him the results needed.

The problem was not in the act of restoring the soul. There were multitudes of spells and gimmicks for trapping or stealing a soul that could be reversed. But in each case, such a spell or gimmick required that the soul in question be contained or, at the least, readily available.

But how does one go about restoring a soul that is wandering free? Strange looked up, his brows arching. One doesn't. One first locates the soul and then proceeds.

Okay then. So how to locate the soul. His first thought was to travel to the other Realty (an ability he suspected Access knew he had) to get more information. He dismissed that however, after more contemplation. He already knew more about Kara than he would be able to discover over there. As far as they were concerned, she did not nor had she ever existed.

He had also contemplated enlisting the aid of Adam Warlock. He dismissed that notion as well. For reasons of his own, he was reluctant to trust Warlock.

"Perhaps it's the name." He had mused, at one time. In ancient times, a Warlock was an oath breaker, a betrayer. Not a male witch. Today, no self-respecting witch would claim to be a warlock and would instantly shun one who did claim to be one. Today, both male and female practitioners of the old religions used the term witch. Old Religions.

Strange stood and walked to the center of the room. Perhaps there was a way to gather more information. And he would not have to travel to the other Reality to get it. Quickly setting up an altar, Strange began Casting a Circle.

Lighting the candles and incense, he picked up his athame and moved to what would be the Northern boundary of his circle and began. Raising the blade up and outward, he used it to trace a pentacle in the air, the blade leaving purple trails.

"Guardians of the North. Lords of Air. I call you forth to guard and protect the circle. Let nothing evil enters within. By my will, so mote it be!"

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then, slowly, a bluish fog seemed to stream in from nowhere, covering the northern quarter. Lowering the athame, Strange slowly traced a curving line in purple flame as he moved to the east. Once again he raised the athame, again tracing a fiery pentacle as he called out.

"Guardians of the East. Lords of Earth. Rise up and come forth. Guard and protect this circle and all within. Let no evil enter. By my will, so mote it be!"

Twice more he called the quarters, calling forth the Guardians of the South, Lords of Fire and the Guardians of the West, Lords of Water. Each time leaving a purple pentacle blazing in the air and connecting each quarter with a fiery boundary until he once again stood in the north, the Circle closed.

Relaxing for a moment, Strange gathered his thoughts as he moved back behind the altar. Usually, after calling the Quarters and raising the Circle, he would call upon the Lord and Lady, using those aspects of the God and Goddess he felt most comfortable with. For, like most followers of the Old Religions, Strange was of the opinion that no matter what names one used to contact the Deities, one was still contacting the same being or beings. The name used was merely a focus for the person calling. If a person wished to obtain divine aid in matters of the heart, one would naturally call upon Aphrodite. In such a way, a persons energies would be focused towards the desired results.

In this case, Strange felt he would get better results by calling upon that aspect of Deity known to the orphaned Kryptonian.

Raising his athame, Strange once again traced a pentacle and began the Call of the God. Rao!

All was quiet in the Sanctum Sanctorum. In a circle of purple flames, Stephen Strange sat cross-legged, eyes closed. Had there been any witnesses, it would seem as if he slept. In actuality, he was not present at all.

His call had been answered instantly and with more forcefulness than he had expected. As if the Deity in question had been waiting for just such a request (request, not summons. One does NOT summon Deity.)

The presence of Rao had filled the circle, enveloping him, whispering to him. He had felt himself forced to the ground. Presumably to save him from falling when his astral self was detached from his physical self.

Though no words were clearly spoken, Strange recognized that he was being commanded to follow. So follow he did. The trip was not long, but then distances and times meant absolutely nothing in this astral place. It seemed no more than a blink of an eye and Strange was soon standing over the huddled figure of a young woman. With a shock, he realized that he was seeing Kara.

"Kara? Kara Zor-El?" Though speech, as used in the mundane world was impossible in this place, communication was just as simple. The woman, who had been crying, looked up at him through tear filled eyes.

"You know me?" Was the hesitant response? Strange knelt down beside her and took one of her hands, his heart going out to her.