After
the riots in the US were quelled, it was clear that the policing force would
need to employ metahumans in order to combat the more heavily powered criminals
that were emerging. However there will always be those who have the ability and
the control to help out in the line of fire, without the schooling of the
police academies. To accommodate those who wanted to help but didn’t want to
wear a badge, the government enacted the Superhero Rights Act, which allowed
individuals to take physical and mental exams in order to obtain a superhero
license. These superheroes are monitored by the GMA, but allowed to act on
their own. It takes much deliberation, training, and show for the GMA to grant
someone the license, but once received, that metahuman can be proud to be
counted as one of the few who are legally considered “super”.
The
car sped down the crowded streets of Hopling, narrowly avoiding taking out a
crowd of pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. The tires screeched as the
brakes were slammed and the wheel spun, making a sharp turn that nearly flipped
the beat-up car. Sirens echoed through the streets, but no police cars took
such risks to keep up with the escaping robbers.
“Think
we lost them?” One of the robbers looked out the back window. Sweat was beading
on his forehead as he gripped one of the money bags tightly in his hands.
“Course
we did, dumbass,” the driver sneered. “No pig could pull off stunts like me.”
The
criminals sped off towards the inner city, racing to reach their secret
warehouse where they stashed all the goods from previous jobs. Bystanders leapt
out of the way as the car went up on the sidewalk to avoid traffic jams,
leaving even more police cars in the dust. The fleeing thieves seemed to have
an incredible amount of luck on their side.
“I
can’t believe we’re pulling this off,” the robber in the back seat said,
watching the confusion in the wake of the car. “This is incredible.”
“Welcome
to the big leagues,” the man in the passenger seat chuckled, smiling to the
driver at the new guy’s awe. “It only gets better from here. Just wait til you
start throwing some of the money around and buying yourself the good stuff.
Once you start, you won’t stop.”
The
man started laughing, but was cut short as the passenger door was ripped off
the car. Before anyone could react, the passenger was pulled from the still
speeding vehicle by a blur of color.
“Damn,”
the driver muttered under his breath, “and he was a good guy, too.” The new guy
in the back seat was screaming, now confused as well as to what was happening.
“Shut the hell up!” the driver yelled back to him, his voice stern and without
any signs of panic. “Figured this shit would happen. Now we see if you got what
it takes.”
The
car skidded around a turn and the driver punched a button on his phone. A call
went out to the rest of his gang a few blocks away in the warehouse, alerting
them to the situation. “Get ready to shoot anyone who looks like a super!” he
called back to the rookie, who was still shaking and sweating profusely.
The
rookie bent down to pick up his gun, which he dropped on the floor earlier, and
sat back up just in time to see the car swerve around a big man standing in the
middle of the road. He flew to the other side of the car, slamming into the
locked door and banging his shoulder against the window. An icy shot of pain
went through his arm, and it took him a few seconds to realize the car was on
its side. He heard the driver scrambling out of the car, and then gunfire. He
tried getting up, but found himself stuck. Suddenly he felt the car lift off
the ground. The car door opened and he fell to the ground, hitting his head on
the pavement and knocking himself out.
“Well
you can tell this guy was new.” Marian nudged the robber on the pavement with
her boot. “Didn’t even know what hit him.”
“You
sound disappointed. Maybe next time you should do something instead of just
standing around, Mare.”
Marian
shot Tony an evil stare. He was in his early twenties, prime time of his life,
just like her, and loved nothing more than to show how “superior” his abilities
were to hers. Sure, super speed was impressive and damn useful in the field,
but she worked with what she had. Resistance to fatigue was just as useful.
“That’s
Marathon in the field, Bullet. Why don’t you try to be a little more
professional, and maybe not hospitalize the guy you’re handling the next time?”
Tony
shrugged his shoulders. “Mare is short for both. And what can I say, they just
don’t make criminals like they used to.”
He ran
off, leaving Marian fuming. She hated how pompous Tony acted sometimes, and it
made her hate him even more that she wanted him. There wasn’t a single trait
about him she liked, but she couldn’t keep her eyes, and sometimes her hands,
off him. She stomped off towards her father, trying to get her mind off her
crush and back to work.
Her
father’s name was Steve, but out here in the field he was known as Fist. He’s
the leader of Frontier, the premier superhero team of the city of Hopling, and
deserves all the recognition he has ever received. Standing at eight feet tall,
he towers over everyone, but it’s his humanity, willpower, and determination
that separates him from the other superheroes. Then again, the oversized hands
and super strength don’t hurt either.
Marian
stood with her arms crossed, trying and failing not to look angry. Fist was
giving a short interview with an officer, along with Natalie, his wife and
Marian’s stepmother. Natalie had come into their life due to her qualifications
for Frontier, but soon became a permanent fixture of the household. Teleka,
which was her codename, was a top-level telekinetic. She had no idea what was
on someone’s mind, but could rip out their brain to try and get a look.
The
interview was basic, boring stuff. Marian preferred the action to the
bureaucratic crap, but one question did catch her attention. The officer asked
where the Electric Eagle was, something that Marian never thought of asking
herself anymore. Alexander Jackson was a member of Frontier; a very active
participant at first, but now his time was mainly devoted to himself and his
own little world he dubbed “The Eagle”. The Eagle was a futuristic airship; a
floating utopia that drifted across the sky like a mobile Heaven. Jackson was
king of his world, and he rarely bothered coming down from his throne these
days.
It
took hours until everything was done. Pictures taken, evidence collected,
interviews conducted; finally the team was able to return back to base. It was
a standard night; Steve and Natalie finished off the paperwork, fielded calls
and other leaderships responsibilities, while Marian gave herself to Tony again
after a few drinks. Afterwards, feeling disgusting and hung over, she left him
snoring on the bed and went outside. The air was cool on her sweaty body, and
she stood on her balcony naked, looking over the bustling nightlife of the city
she protected.
This is it, she thought to herself, not
too sure if she was sarcastic or not. This
is the life of a superhero.
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