Story Time!

Okay, so, story time! This is the introduction to the superhero I've been developing. I don't know how much more of the story I'll write on the blog, if anything. It'll probably depend on the reception. So here you go:

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    Audey Galant crouched upon the rooftop. She felt the cool night air upon her face. Her teeth chattered as the wind picked up, and it whistled through the elms and blew through her long cape, lifting it in short, lively billows. It was nearly time.

    She had been planning out the route for some time. The merely circuitous observation of a town was not of much use unless she took the crime rates into consideration. She had watched the evening news for weeks, taking notes on the location of every mugging, every violent crime. As the only vigilante superhero in Troublefree, she had to make the best use of her time on patrol. It felt strange to her that she was the only hero, and she wondered briefly if the name of the town had anything to do with it. She made a mental note to talk to the city founders about changing the name.

    After tonight, she knew the world would take notice of the town. Everyone would know the name of Troublefree, and they would know how it was protected, how it was a place of justice.

    Audey thought about the last few weeks. She knew the value of keeping her identity secret, and had not let on, even to her best friend, about her newly manifested powers. She could not put the people around her in danger. No one could know. It tore her apart to lie to those she loved, but that was the burden she had been given. It was the burden she freely bore. With her powers came responsibilities. That was her mantra. Her code. And so she had lived life like she always had, she had eaten her cereal, walked to school, socialized, studied. She was the every-teen. No one suspected. No one could have. Audey was the essence of normality.

    Yet, every evening, Audey raced to her room, shut her door, and immersed herself within another life. It was a slow process, but one that excited her. Designing a uniform. Choosing a name. Developing the proper tools to become the city's protector. And that is what she was. She would become the face of Troublefree. She would stand between the forces of evil and those they would attempt to intimidate and bully. It was who she was, at her core, it was that spark that defined her very being. She was the embodiment of justice and retribution, the protector of the innocent.



    Audey breathed deeply. The night air had begun to chap her lips. She made another mental note for an addition to her costume: A utility belt with a pocket for chapstick. But tonight, her first stop was the supermarket. Two days ago, there had been a purse snatching in the parking lot. A street light had burned out, and the elderly victim never had a chance. According to her report to the local newscaster the next day, the man had made off with about $20. The supermarket changed the light bulb soon afterward. The supermarket perhaps would not be the site of Audey's greatest victory, and perhaps she would not have bothered at all, but she refused to ignore the plight of any victim, and she had an errand to run. Besides, she only had recently aquired her powers, and she knew better than to push her power of flight to the limits on the first run. She had read enough comics in preparation to know the consequences of such recklessness.

    Audey smiled, and whispered quietly, "I'm off to the supermarket pick up some milk... and some JUSTICE!" Her hand curled into a dramatic fist as she gazed across the cityscape. It was finally time to let loose. It was time for her first flight as protector of Troublefree.

    The initial feeling was indescribable, the weightlessness of her body, and the wind parting across her body as she shot through the night sky. She felt a freedom and excitement she had never experienced before. The power of flight was more beautiful than she imagined.

    The ground shook as she landed suddenly in a heap. The thought passed through her mind that this was the part she should have practiced more. Trying to control the full weight of her falling body was not as easy as she had expected. She moaned softly.

    A light suddenly shot on from behind her. She wasn't sure how far she had made it. A few blocks, certainly. She hadn't anticipated her speed. It seemed to be someone's front yard.

    "Audey, is that you?"

    "Mom?"

    "Did you... did you just jump off the roof?"

    "No, mom, I... I mean, who are you? I'm not Audey. I'm the Lady of the Evening!"

    "What?!"

    "I am the Voice of Justice in a world struck dumb!"

    "Are you okay? Why are you wearing one of my sheets on your back?"

    "I AM JUSTICE GIRL!!!"

    "I think your arm is broken."

    "Ouch! Don't touch it, mom! ...I mean, random lady. Whom I don't know."

    "I'm getting your brother to drive you to the emergency room. Maxfield!"

    Max almost died laughing as he approached.

    "Shut up, dufus! It's not funny."

    "It's hilarious! What are you doing, Audey?"

    "I'm not Audey, I'm Justice Girl... Audey doesn't wear goggles. Also, I have a cape."

    "Oh, that's awesome!" Max scooped up his little sister in his arms almost effortlessly. She quivered as the movement shot spasms through her arm and back.

    "I can't believe it didn't work." Audey whispered under her breath as she steeled herself against the pain in her arm. The physical pain was nothing to her. What hurt was the failure. This time, she had been so sure of herself. Somewhere out there, in the cold, heartless darkness, another old lady was having her purse stolen. Another $20 was going to fund the operation of another underground criminal syndicate or to purchase another stockpile of nuclear weapons. And Audey was once again powerless to stop it...