Ch 5: Week 3

“We’ve talked about how the secret identity protects your loved ones,” Valkyrie lectured at their Wednesday meeting. “As a super hero you will no doubt develop an arch nemesis. This person will go out of their way to hurt you, to make your life hell. Which is another reason you need a secret identity. To escape.”

Lawrence looked around at his classmates. This was a serious subject. America had her hand clasped in his, but he couldn’t tell if it was due to what Valkyrie was talking about, or because she liked holding his hand. It was certainly a pleasant experience for him. Only Black didn’t seem involved in what Valkyrie was saying, and everyone paid rapt attention as she continued.

“We see a lot of destruction, a lot of death, as heroes. You can’t save everyone, and you wont. People will die, possibly in your arms. It’s important to have the real world to come back to. A steady job, a husband or wife. You will need that normalcy to avoid going insane.”

Blue raised her hand. “What about me?” Her voice was very quiet. Valkyrie glanced over at Stone, who had been standing by the door like a large grey guard dog. He stepped into her place at the head of the table. Stone might have been addressing the whole class, but he was looking only at Blue. “Sometimes you have to choose. You can be a freak in the real world, or a hero with no world of his own at all.” Blue’s eyes teared up, and Lawrence hoped she wasn’t going to cry. He hated watching girls cry. “We can talk more later,” he told her, and she managed to blink back the tears and nod. Chameleon nodded along with her--at the moment she was the same color as the wall behind her.

Valkyrie stepped forward again. “This is serious business. You’re all special. No one can deny that. But that doesn’t make your life easier, as most of you have already figured out. You’re life is complicated--you might think you have secrets now, hiding this from your parents, your classmates, but it will get worse. You have to be sure you can do it.”

“But its worth it, isn’t it?” America asked. Lawrence glanced down at their clasped hands. Could the two of them ever be normal together? How could he go home to a normal wife and kids if his girl was out fighting crime too? Of course it was ridiculous to even have such thoughts--one date did not make a marriage--but still.

“Of course it is,” Captain Righteous said. “We should be honored to give everything we have for our country. It’s what being an American, what being a hero, is all about.”

“Well put,” Valkyrie said. “Its as good a place to end tonight’s lecture as any. So. Questions, comments? How is everyone adjusting?” There was some shrugging and muttering, but only America’s hand shot up.

“I was just wondering what the League was doing about Dark Lothario.”

Valkyrie’s eyes went wide and she actually stumbled over her words. “The League--the League--”

Stone stepped forward again, and Valkyrie sank down into a chair. “The League is doing everything that can be done in locating both him and the kidnapped woman.”

“But he’s been caught before,” America continued. “Why was he even released?”

“It’s a complicated matter,” Stone assured. “Dark Lothario is clever and devious. But I promise we have everything under control. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.”

“But I am worried about it,” America insisted.

“The League is doing it’s best,” Stone said. Next to him Valkyrie was taking long, deep breaths. Lawrence glanced at America to see if she had noticed Valkyrie’s distress, but her face was set in a firm frown, her eyes not leaving Stone’s.

“America,” Lawrence whispered, giving her a hard nudge and nodding at Valkyrie, who was standing up again.

“I want to make it very clear,” Valkyrie said, her voice stronger than Lawrence expected it to be, “Dark Lothario is extremely dangerous.”

“I could take him,” Captain Righteous said.

“No,” Valkyrie said in a terrible voice. Cloud had a bottle of water sitting in front of her on the table--if froze solid. “You are a student. Regardless of how powerful you are or think you are, no matter who your father is. Not one of you will attempt to go after Dark Lothario, or any other super-villain for that matter. You don’t have the skills or the training to do more than help old ladies cross the street. And if we find out you’ve been doing otherwise, you risk being kicked out of the program. Am I clear?”

Around the table everyone nodded, but Lawrence noted that America’s was nothing more than an insincere jerk of her chin.

*****


After the meeting Glory wanted nothing more than to run. She felt like she was being closed into a little box right out in the open, but before she could take even one step KP had grabbed her by the hand. “Don’t even think about it America,” he said, and she couldn’t help but feel a little warm that he knew what she was about to do.

“Stone made me angry,” she said, walking instead of running, and KP followed her. “How can he just blow off something so important?”

“Just because he isn’t sharing with us what the League is doing doesn’t mean they aren’t looking for Dark Lothario.”

“He should never have been let out in the first place,” Glory said. “The loony bin, of all places. Why isn’t he in jail?”

“Well, he can’t be sane, can he? I hope Valkyrie is okay. She didn’t look so good.”

“If she can’t handle him, that means the whole Acropolis League consists of Stone, Romeo, and Ms.X--and we never see her. Stone and Romeo could take him if they really wanted to.”

“You need to relax.”

“No,” she shook her head. “I need to run.”

He laughed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. It threw her for a minute and she almost stumbled. “Okay. Go run.”

Glory gave him a small smile and sprinted across the quad. It was getting dark and the crowds on campus had pretty much dispersed, so it was easy to maneuver around the occasional straggler, who might feel a rush of wind as she flew by, but she was moving too fast to be more than a pink and blond streak. If she ever ran into anybody it would be bad--so she made her way to the track encircling the soccer feild on the far side of campus. She ran laps, going faster and faster until the wind was roaring in her ears, drowning out all her bad thoughts and feelings. The world disappeared, and she felt free.

She ran until she was exhausted, her legs wobbling as she walked home. At that point it was dark, and she kept her eyes wide, looking for Dark Lothario or any other bad guy, wondering if she could take them, despite what Valkyrie said.

******

Lola decided to coincide her meeting with her minions the same night Glory was at her League meetings so her friend wouldn’t ask where she disappeared to. This secret identity thing was hard work.

She was eager to see what they had come up with, and they did not disappoint. “I knew I made the right decision hiring you two,” she said as she flipped open the folder Hannah handed her. There were short dossiers on five men, complete with photographs of their cars.

She stopped at the third candidate, Richard Wyler. “Ohh…Lotus.” The car was beautiful--sleek, smooth lines and already painted black.

“2009 Lotus Elise.” Kioshi said. “It’s a sweet ride.”

“And Richard Wyler is an ass,” Hannah continued. “He ships his product out of Acropolis, but his factories are in Indonesia. He uses child labor, there are reports of sexual abuse from the managers, low wages is a given, and there is one person of color and one woman on his board of directors--and it’s the same person. Wyler’s take-home is seven million. The woman, Maxine Gross, makes twenty percent less than everyone else on the board.”

“Well,” Lola said. “As soon as I get a new costume the three of us will making a visit to Mr. Wyler.” She shut the folder and gave her minions a smile. “I think we need rewards all around here.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Hannah said as Lola stood up. “We’re just happy to serve you, boss.”

“Don’t be silly.” She went over to the closet, opening the door to reveal two black leather dusters. “If we’re going to go intimidate some businessmen, we have to look the part.” Hannah and Kioshi’s faces glowed with pleasure as they pulled on the coats. Hannah looked properly menacing, her broad shoulders filling out the coat nicely, while Kioshi looked elegant and deadly.

“What about you?” Kioshi asked.

Lola shrugged. “I’m still working on that.”

******

Lola found Glory on the couch when she returned, curled up into a ball and staring at the television. “Are you crying?” Lola asked immediately, noting the streaks down her friend’s face before registering what was playing on the screen.

“No,” Glory said. “Look—they’re going to play it again.”

Lola’s attention turned to the TV. The man on the screen was not good looking, and from the looks of his clothes, he was not well off. He was crying too. “She’s my wife,” he was pleading to the camera. “I love her and she loves me—but I’m not sure we could survive this. I don’t have the money—you know I don't have the money, you bastard.” The man gritted his teeth and put his head in his hands. “I just want my wife back.”

“Is it funny and creative now?”

“No,” Lola admitted, her stomach churning. The camera stayed on the man crying for a few moments longer before flipping to a screen with an eight-hundred number and a picture of a not-so-pretty woman in her mid-thirties. “They’re asking for donations?”

“No one can catch Dark Lothario if he doesn’t want caught,” Glory said, her voice stiff. “Stone made that perfectly clear. That’s Gary Wesson. His wife’s name is Sarah. These are real people being hurt. Taking away someone’s free will like that, making them want something they really don't, it’s the worst thing anyone could ever do.”

Lola sighed and picked up the phone. “I’d like to make a donation,” she said when the line picked up. She gave them her credit card information, and she watched Glory when she told them the amount. “Five thousand.” Glory’s face lit up, but Lola felt a pang in her chest. The money was stolen—it wasn’t hers to give. She was probably going to have to rob a jewelry store to cover the credit card bill. She wasn’t concerned about the money--jewelry stores had insurance--but she know Glory would hate knowing where the money came from.

“Thank you Lola. You do care.” Glory jumped off the couch and wrapped her arms around her friend, making Lola feel worse.

“You know,” Lola said carefully, “Sometimes the world would be a better place if some people were brainwashed.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say. Those women—“

“I’m not talking about those women. There are so many bad people in the world. Wouldn’t it be good if you could just go and turn them into Ghandi or Mother Teresa?”

“No, it wouldn’t,” Glory said. “God gave us free will. It’s the greatest gift we have. Taking that away is a crime against Him, against everyone.”

“But doesn’t the end justify the means?”

“No, Lola. People have to want to be good on their own.” Glory hugged her friend again. “It’s a good thing you don’t have any super powers,” she said with a laugh. “We’d all be doomed.”

“Right.”

“I bet you’d make me stop wearing pink.”

“I hate pink,” Lola agreed. “But I would never do that to you.”

Glory smiled. “You wouldn’t?”

“Why would I take away something you love so much?” Lola pulled away from Glory. “I’m tired. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

She collapsed into the bed as soon as she closed the door. She couldn’t expect Glory to agree with her, or even understand her. But she wished that she did.

******

A/N:
Very sorry about the lateness. I confess--I completely forgot about the update yesterday (I had a paper due). I like the last scene in this chapter the best, with Glory and Lola completely at odds, and Glory completely oblivious to it.