The Starlight Sentinels: The Amusing Story of a Struggling Superhero Team

Chapter 3: Mary Misfortune

"No offense, but I think you might've been right when you said you're not cut out for this superhero stuff."

"I know." Olivia sank into her seat, a glum expression forming on her face.

"Why did you become a superhero anyway?"

"I don't know. I always wanted to help people, I just didn't think I'd do it like this. I didn't even know I had superpowers until some drunk ran me and my sister off the road."

"Why then?"

"Because he ran us off an overpass. We wound up teetering on the edge of the freeway. I climbed out through the back seat when the whole thing began to nosedive off the bridge. I got out of the car and saw it was about to fall with my sister still inside and... I don't know why but I grabbed the bumper. The car started dragging me with it but all I could think of was my sister, so I just kept pulling and before I realized it, I had hauled the car back onto the road."

"For real? That's crazy."

"I know. I didn't even think about it until the paramedics pointed out I had left fingerprints on the fender."

"And then you decided to become a superhero?"

"No, I was just glad it was all over. But a week later this guy calling himself the Investor came to my house. He said he was from the Order of Olympus and that they wanted to teach me how to be a superhero. He also said they could tell me more about my curse." Olivia sighed. "I guess I just kinda fell into this."

"Wait, you got invited to the Order?"

"Yeah, apparently that was this guy's job, interviewing people with superpowers. Why, did you have to audition or something?"

"Or something. I only heard about this superhero stuff because my roommate from college wanted to be one. He'd been working with these people in Southern California who would dress up in costumes and help homeless people or stop drunks. But then he found out about the Order and really wanted to try out.

"He found, like, hidden clues on how to join in some weird recruitment poster or some shit and ended up running into me after he flew in through McCarran. After we got caught up he invited me to go with him on his little adventure and I decided, why the hell not? Plus, I was driving the cab he was in, so I was going where he was going anyway.

"Our trip ended with us stuck in some old ghost town getting shot at by something we had never seen before. Then some guy in armor tells us I qualified to try out to be a superhero but my friend didn't."

"That sucks."

"He didn't really mind. He was scared shitless the whole time we were ducking for cover. Still, he was thrilled about me. Even helped me get ready for my big test and came up with the name G.I. Genocide."

"Still, I can't believe you had to go through all that when I got asked personally to join the Order. I'm like half the hero you are."

"I guess I can add powerless superhero to the list of things that make my life harder, right after being black and being a woman. And being Mexican too I guess, but most people say I don't look Mexican, so I don't really know how much that affects me."

"You're Mexican?"

"My dad is but I look more like my mom, so I guess that's a whole world of discrimination I got to miss out on." Sam stood up. "Enough feeling sorry for ourselves. If I can't work, then I'll help you with yours."

"What?"

"You're super strong but afraid to take a swing at someone because you might take their whole head off. Right?"