::Andy::
I love school.
I think I may be in the small majority but I absolutely adore school. In my life where everything seems so bizarre school is about the most normal thing I can do. There’s lockers and school supplies and lunch with friends. Not a single giant monster or super villain in sight. When you have to deal with that sort of stuff calculus tests and homework seem like a good deal.
“Good morning,” I grin as I pass my classmates, “Hey, how are you doing?”
Most people smile at me in return.
I’ve never had too much of a problem about the whole “super” thing. People love the idea of superheroes. The Anthem Force are practically celebrities in town, especially after the Big Win.
“Nice job last night!” someone shouts, “I saw it on the news.”
“Thanks!”
As much as people like me, though, I’ve always felt different. I mean, I am different...technically. To most people I’m just that superhero girl, not someone you can call up to go to a movie on a friday night. Especially Boys. They never really liked me. I think it has something to do with the fact that I can beat them up without trying that hurts their delicate egos. The only boy who’s never really cared if I’m stronger then him is Keith
“I got it guys,” I say as I run up to a bunch of football players struggling to move the heavy tables in the amphitheater for a pep assembly later today. I pick one up in each hand, easily, and begin to shuffle them to the side. They watch with wide eyes and mouths agape. When I’m finished they mutter a few “thanks” and hurry on to class. Like I said, delicate egos.
I smile as I put on my backpack and walk through the halls, a bounce in my step. And by bounce I mean I’m practically floating in the air. Some habits die hard guess.
“Hey!” I smile as I pass another classmate. They glance me once over, see that I’m flying, and give me an excited grin.
Yes, school is pretty normal. For me at least.
...
After school I fly straight to our newest headquarters. I love saying that “our headquarters.” It makes everything seem so much more official, like the Ultraleague. I’m last to arrive, even Noname is here still wearing that all black suit. You’d think she’d get hot in there or at least a serious case of hat hair.
“Hey Andy, take a seat,” Radley says. You can tell he still looks nervous about being in charge, “We have a lot to discuss. Starting with this.”
He pulls out the black bag of Formula X, the super drug, and places it on the table. The stuff is icky, like bug guts or the type of slime you’d expect to find growing on sewer pipes.
“I’ve already sent in a small sample to the Ultraleague labs but I need you tell me everything you know,” he says to Noname, who like always is looking bored.
“I already told you,” she drones, “Formula X is a performance enhancing drug. It gives you super powers but sometimes you whack out and go crazy and start drooling that black goo stuff.”
“How come I’ve never heard of this Formula X stuff?” Keith says, “It sounds cool.”
Noname rolls her eyes. “It’s only on the black market and even then not a lot of people know about it. There was a big outbreak of it a year ago in Shore City but other then that it’s practically unheard of.”
“And how do you know so much about it?” I say, raising an eyebrow.
Noname doesn’t hesitate. “I know about a lot of things.”
Oh nice ambiguous answer there. Of course she knows about the mystery drug.
“So you think Anthem City has a Formula X problem?” Radley says, while taking notes.
“It’s possible,” Noname muses, “It could be just a few kids who got ahold of some or you may have a huge underground ring of superpowered druggies. Now doesn’t that sound fun.”
Radley groans, “Great. Just what we need. I already talked to the Chairman, the fire dude lost his memory just like the girl. The two incidents are related, we know that much for sure but we’ll have to wait and see if the Formula X is going to be a problem.”
Poor Radley. I’m sure he didn’t think we’d have another city wide disaster so soon into his leadership. Maybe it will be just a few kids who got into something they’re not supposed to.
But then again, Anthem Force is prone to being on the brink of near destruction...
Suddenly, my phone rings, I’m about to silence it when I realize who it is.
Mouthing a sorry to my team, I answer. “Hey mom, what’s up?”
“I told you I wanted you home for dinner tonight, we’re meeting with some very important people.”
“I’ll be there mom, I’m just in an Anthem Force meeting right now and-.”
“I don’t want excuses Andrea. Come home now.”
I pause. “Fine, I’ll be home soon.”
When I hang up all my teammates are staring at me. “I need to go,” I say, “I’m sorry.”
Radley sighs. “It’s cool Andy, we’ll see you later.”
I offer an apologetic smile before zooming out the door.
::Keith::
Saturday afternoon I come home only to find my brother lounging in my room.
“Hey little brother, what’s up?” he says. He’s flipping through an Anthem City magazine in which the Anthem Force was featured on the cover.
“Just came back from a friends house, what are you doing?”
“Seeing what you’ve been up to,” he says, “I was always too busy on the Ultraleague to keep tabs on Anthem Force business.”
Of course he was... “Yah we’re pretty busy around here too. There was a super attack two nights ago. The guy could shoot fire from his hands.”
“Wow, did I ever tell you about the time the Ultraleague stopped a secret cult of fire breathers that took over east asia? Now that was real firepower,” Damian says. Ah there it is, the inevitable “one-up” from my big brother.
“The Ultraleague sounds fun. Why did you leave exactly?”
“I didn’t leave, I’m just taking a hiatus,” Damian says, “Figured I’d come back home to Anthem and see the family, it’s just so relaxed here, ya know?”
Yes, everything is calm and peaceful because I spend my nights fighting super villains who would otherwise reek havoc on Anthem.
I nod. There’s just so much tension between my brother and I, an unspoken competition while we’re forced to play nice on the outside. I want to scream at him “you’re not any better then me so stop acting like you just saved the world... even though you technically have.”
But instead I mutter a “yah I know. I’ll see you around.” I walk back outside. Looks like my house is no longer a safe zone. I need to get out and do something tonight or else I’m going to end up strangling my brother.
I could call a friend. Unlike the rest of my teammates I actually have a fully functioning social life outside of the Anthem Force. No offense to Radley and Andy of course.
Yet, I don’t feel like hanging with my friends tonight.
There’s only one person I feel like seeing. I had barely been able to talk to her yesterday after she rushed out of the meeting.
So I do something I’ve never done before, although I’ve thought about it plenty.
Dialing the number, I wait till she picks up.
“Hello?”
“Hey Andy,” I say, “How do you feel about getting some dinner tonight?”