❝She doesn't look like much, but she is powerful; dangerous, even.❞
A story about a reluctant hero and the damsel in distress that would inspire a legend.
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Veronica Vale had never been the damsel type, distressed or otherwise.
Living in Boone wasn't for the weak, and that had little to do with the crime rate. It was a city so precariously placed on earth that it was hard to tell which was worse, the sweltering summers or the blistering winters. Tonight, the air was so humid that it dampened Veronica's skin, making the hair that had slipped free from her ponytail cling annoyingly to the back of her neck.
The smell of soy sauce and egg rolls teased her nose, rekindling the hunger that had tempted her leave the air-conditioned apartment in the first place. Instinctively, Veronica tightened her grip on the plastic bag, hanging from her hand. The Jade Dragon made the best Chinese food in Boone, but only the brave souls, willing and stupid enough to cross the rusted railroad tracks on fourth street knew that.
Veronica didn't think herself brave at all. She was simply a special kind of stupid. A girl who pretended not to know any better.
As a girl who pretended not to know any better, she pretended that she didn't notice the sweatshirt wearing trio that were stalking an unaware boy on the other side of the road. He was foolish for dressing so ostentatious on this side of town. It was like waving a red flag in front of bull.
Veronica grimaced as she turned her gaze in the other direction as he was swarmed. She wouldn't let herself feel bad for the guy. He should have known better. Most of the bluebloods in this city knew to never wander far from their nest. Clearly, this guy was out looking for adventure and he had found it. Probably more than he had wanted, but she wasn't going to go inviting another person's problem into her life.
Veronica tried not to watch from the other side of the street, waiting for light to turn red, while they backed the boy into the alleyway and out of view. This wasn't a new sight; Boone was home to the worst of the worst, the dregs of society. Though from the outside looking in, Boone was a thriving metropolis, a city of young gods. It was a well-crafted lie, and lives of the rich and powerful depended on maintaining that illusion.
The truth was that Boone was indeed a city where young gods lived, but these gods were not always kind. Many were adorned with golden capes and hid their faces behind masks, appearing to the masses as the heroes--Boone, the city of supers. Yet, behind closed doors many of them sat upon bloodied thrones, and ruled with iron fists. Power and fear, it was the only way to keep the masses captive, the only way to bring a city to its knees.
As Veronica crossed the intersection she found herself in a moral dilemma, let the city weed out the weak or help someone who might not be able to help themselves. She wasn't a hero, but she wasn't a villain, either. Some might say that was because she had yet to pick a side but Veronica liked to believe she was something else entirely.
It was the pained gasp that found her stepping toward the shadows of the alleyway, or at least that's what she would tell herself later. It had nothing to do with the nagging voice in the back of mind that called her a coward for thinking of turning a blind eye. The sound of scuffling and grunting bounced of the rundown buildings that towered like giants.
