September 9, 493 U.C.

The sun was shining, and the sky was dotted with clouds on Earth. They floated on by, blissfully unaware of what was about to transpire that Saturday morning.

The morning traffic flowed slowly. Drones zipped through the air, and a man in a mask stood outside of a jewelry store. The person filming was clearly in a park on the other side of the street. The masked man walked up and punched the window. It blew apart, sending out a deluge of shards. Like shards of falling ice, the sun glinted off them before they shattered on the ground.

The man stepped inside and began stealing everything that wasn’t locked down, creating a tremendous mess as he did. He kicked over a stand, smashing it into the wall with a boom. Then he grabbed the remnants and smashed things. It reminded me of video games where the player tries to break everything in the room.

He grabbed fistfuls of gems. Then he looked up at the cameras. “You think some shit registration will stop us? You’re far too late!” He walked over to the safe and began trying to rip it open. It didn’t work out. While he was strong, it was a safe that was sunk into concrete. He cursed it soundly as he failed to pry it open.

The safe refused to respond to the cursing. He seemed to take that as an insult and began ramming things into it. The safe refused to respond to that. Instead, he managed to hurt himself as the bar he was using snapped. I could empathize with that fact. There was one big difference; I cried when it happened to me. He unleashed a string of words that resulted in heavy censoring.

That was when the guardians and several enforcement drones appeared. A boy with a large axe and spikey black hair appeared. I didn’t know his name. Sabrina joined him moments later.

“Hands on the ground!” the boy ordered.

“Pathetic guardians!” The criminal charged forward, vaulting out the broken window. The axe swung, hitting the criminal with its haft and sending him flying. The wall trembled as the criminal staggered.

“On the ground,” Sabrina yelled as a crowd formed.

“@#$% you!” the criminal shouted, getting censored by the news.

It was at this point that I got the call for help. I wasn’t happy about it at all. But I got ready to go.

“Ice chains!” Sabrina yelled. Ice appeared and froze him to the ground. “Stay down!” she yelled.

The boy moved forward with cuffs. That’s when I appeared in my Viper outfit and waved at the cameras.

Spinning, I scowled at the villain. “What the hell are you doing?”

The man wiped his blood from his mouth. “Get me out of here, Viper.”

“Forget that. Sabrina! Arrest this man!” I pointed at him. He deserved it. He was wasting my time and mana. I had been working on way too many enchantments. Now I was stuck dealing with someone else that I shouldn’t have trusted.

“Happily,” Sabrina said as she walked closer. “Stand aside, Viper.”

I did just that, walking away from him.

“The hell? Fine!” The criminal flexed and exploded out of the ice. Then he charged, surging forward like a bloodthirsty bull.

Sabrina bolted backward. The boy braced himself and blocked the massive hit. He flew off into the air while the criminal raced out towards the park.

Sabrina frowned and sent a massive wave of water crashing onto the guy. “Tidal wave!” she shouted dramatically.

I rolled my eyes at the theatrics but didn’t get involved. Instead, I ran near the crowd and took a seat next to a young boy.

“Hello,” the seven-year-old said nervously. “Are you gonna hurt me?”

“No way. You are way too cute to be hurt. Cookie?” I asked and held one out.

“It’s in the wrapper?” the boy asked as he studied it.

“Yep.” I opened my own and started eating. It was a chocolate chip cookie. Part of me was tempted to get popcorn for the show. Instead, I waved a different cookie in front of the boy while eating mine.

“You’re silly.” He giggled, took it, and started unwrapping.

“Is that your mom?” I asked, looking up at the woman next to him.

“Yeah.”

The woman was smiling as she took a picture. I turned back to see the three going at it. This villain was clearly stronger than the last. He was pushing them back and breaking through her spells.

“Help us, Viper!” Sabrina yelled.

I frowned. They weren’t doing amazing. Admittedly, they were new. “I wish that I could, but it’s technically illegal since I’m not licensed.”

“We’re on the same side! Help me!” the criminal bellowed.

“Because you decided to rob a store? Forget that.” I resumed eating the cookie.

Raptor: “Viper! Help him defeat them!”

Me: “I am not hurting guardians!”

Raptor: “Now, Viper! This is an order!”

Honestly, that one upset me. I never signed up to be an assassin. And even if I had, I wasn’t killing two teenagers who just wanted to help. They deserved a good life.

Me: Nope. I’m not doing that.

Raptor: Viper! Now!

Me: No.

Raptor: You will be punished. And you will regret this.

I got distracted by a loud hum and then a burst from a gun. A massive drone was gunning down the enforcement drones. “Sabrina!” I yelled and pointed up at the building-sized drone that whirred overhead, creating a wind through the streets.

Sabrina groaned. “H.Q., we need backup. Inbound drone. Viper isn’t doing anything bad. Ignore her for now. I don’t think she’ll do anything if we don’t bother her.”

Sabrina had me figured. Then I glanced behind me. People were fleeing. It was pandemonium. A little girl in a blue dress was crying. That broke my heart. I raced over and knelt in front of her.

“Hi, sweetie. What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I lost my parents,” the girl said with tears on her cheeks. She sobbed softly.

I patted her arm. “What is your name? I’ll help find them.”

“Lana Jones.”

Raptor: Final warning!

Me: No!

“Parents of Lana Jones! Your daughter needs you!” I barked loudly to try to find them. Then the ground shook as a massive explosion rolled through the air. The smell of smoke came with it. People were screaming as the final enforcement drone exploded and shrapnel rained down. People fled as it crashed onto a street.

“That was way too close! One more shot like that and I’ll get involved.” I yelled at the drone. Then the rotten thing pointed at me. That was when I felt real rage. Time came to a halt as my adrenaline spiked. Then I willed myself over. I pulled the rocket out of spacetime. Then I ensured it would explode and put it inside the drone. Then I liberated some missiles and tech from the thing. With that done, I looked over at the battle with a frown. The guy was losing. That was apparent. He was back in ice chains. I sighed, floated over, and cast a teleport spell on him. It just hung there. It looked like an intricate weave of concentrated mana.

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Then I willed myself back over to my spot and resumed time. “Meteor!” I yelled to throw off the scent.

I hoisted Lana onto my shoulders. “Do you see your parents, Lana?”

An explosion lit the area as the drone exploded. It whirred and crashed into a building. Screeching, it slammed into the ground.

“Belay that,” Sabrina said. “Viper just destroyed the drone because it shot in her direction. The criminal teleported somehow.”

I grinned and walked forward towards the two adults who were searching. “Here they are, Lana. I love your dress. It’s so cute. Have a great day, sweetie.”

“Thank you,” the woman said with a smile.

“You’re welcome. Bye, Lana.” I skipped off to see what was left of the drone. Free salvage was free salvage. It was lying in a smoldering heap on the street. I figured I’d check it out, so I peered inside of it and checked for anything fun.

Sabrina moved up. “That belongs to the government.”

I dug into the thing, searching for a battery or any cool electronics. “I have scavenger’s right.”

“That’s not a thing,” Sabrina said. “Now, you need to put down your weapons and come quietly.”

I ripped out some strange piece of metal and tossed it. “Sabrina, girl, don’t ruin a good friendship. I need some materials. It’s called recycling.”

“Don’t push it, Viper,” the boy said as he walked up.

“I have scavenger’s rights, Ax.”

“That is not my name!”

“Sorry. I don’t know yours yet. Go ahead. Give me the monologue while I work.” I squinted and searched for some weapons. I needed to figure out how to enchant a gun.

“What?” Ax asked. “That’s what you are supposed to do! You are the worst villain.”

I huffed. “Mean. That was really mean, Ax.”

“Last chance, Viper.” The boy hefted the axe. I used haste, grabbed it, and threw it.

“Leave me alone before it lands on you,” I replied while it shot upward.

“Viper, why don’t you join us?” Sabrina asked. “You’d get paid and could just buy whatever it is you are working on.”

I looked up at her. “Where’s the fun in that? Making things with your own hands is satisfying! But since you are being friendly again, I’ll give you whatever parts you are after. Was it the circuits or weapons or what? I mostly just want the metal. And the batteries. Have you seen the price of batteries? They are out of control!”

Sabrina didn’t know how to process that. “Umm. The weapons and any electronics.”

“Have at them. I’ll be done in a minute.” I reached back inside and felt around. “Want to go to the mall? I always wondered what it would be like to go shopping with a magic girl.”

Sabrina giggled. “You are so weird. And he’s Tom.”

“I prefer the term quirky,” I said as I found the battery.

Tom huffed. “I should just knock her out.”

“You don’t have your axe, Ax. Remember?”

Tom scowled and raced to grab it as it slammed into the ground. Then he spun. “Now, you will turn yourself in, Viper!”

I rolled my eyes and began undoing cables.

“Why are you a villain? You could join us. You could make the world better.” Sabrina gave me a sad look.

“That’s a whole story.” I ripped out a large battery with a grin. Wires dangled from it. “Found it!”

“Please consider it,” Sabrina said, inching closer. “We could use your help.”

“Sorry, but I can’t.”

Sabrina stepped closer. “Please?”

I shrugged. “Sorry, Sabrina. I would like to be your friend. But I can’t.”

“Ice chains,” Sabrina whispered as she finished the spell. “I’m sorry, Viper. I didn’t want it to come to this. We’ll get it sorted.”

I looked down and huffed. My feet and arms were encased in ice. “Betrayed! And by a friend! Sabrina, no!” I wailed theatrically.

That was when Tom approached with the handcuffs. I froze time and checked for enchantments. I burned them out.

Finishing, I resumed time back where I started. “Fiends! You will never get away with this! I will have my revenge!” That’s when I gave my best cackle. It wasn’t great. I giggled through most of it.

Sabrina giggled. “You are strange.”

“I’m just having fun. Lighten up. - I can’t believe you’ve captured me. Can you just let me go?” I asked.

“No. You need to come back to H.Q. You should become a guardian. A.I., I need the records for Viper.” Sabrina turned. “Did you even do anything villainous? I have you robbing a bank but they didn’t press charges since they used it for massive press. Then I have you killing the robot.”

“I also robbed a coffee shop, a bakery, and a pizza place. Oh! And I snuck into the aquarium.”

Sabrina laughed, sending the tinkling sound echoing through the square. I huffed at her because I couldn’t cross my arms. She did not seem to care. Instead, she laughed while my face began to burn with embarrassment.

Sabrina let out a long breath to get it under control. “Right. Come on.”

“Can you let my arms free so I can wave to the people?” I asked, yawning widely. Is it time to go? Should I mess with them more? Dad’s going to be pissed. That thought ruined my day. I should make them look silly. It might help.

Tom sighed. “You have issues.”

“Rude! I’m sure that you do too. I’m just trying to have some fun. But fine.” I squared my shoulders and followed with my nose in the air. That just helped me smell the nearby burger place. My eyes locked onto it. I wanted some. “Can we get lunch?”

“What? No,” Tom said.

“Sabrina, talk sense into him. We could get burgers! They smell great!”

Sabrina shook her head. “Just come on, Viper.”

“Do we have to walk? This is boring. Where is a hover-drone or teleporter?”

“We’re going to the closest teleporter.”

“You aren’t going to make me reveal my identity, right?” I asked her while we walked down the packed streets. People were all staring at us.

Sabrina nodded. “We’ll take care of that at headquarters.”

I scowled at her. “That’s not allowed. What about the playful banter? What about my monologue? I have a real doozy lined up for you. It lasts almost an hour. It’s on umbrellas.”

Tom rubbed his forehead. Sabrina just shook her head. I chalked that up as a win and went for more.

“Can I at least wear black and such as a magic girl? Want to make a goth or emo squad? Can I play a guitar while I fight?” I asked as we walked by a music store. I was quite tempted.

Tom ignored my rambling and focused. “What are your powers? Did you mean that in the shop?”

I grinned at him. “Yep. Power absorption. I just take them from others. Once I have them, they are mine forever. And I got both of yours. So, thanks for that.”

“You can cast tidal wave now?” Sabrina asked as she stared at me. Horror flooded her face.

“If you take off the handcuffs…” I trailed off as an ad caught my eye. Magical guardians were battling some demon-looking creature. “What? They have a new version of the magical guardians’ game out! Can we, Sabrina? Please. Please. Please.”

“No! This isn’t a shopping trip.”

“Lame.” I groaned and tuned out the gathered masses while contemplating leaving. I was running out of fun. Then I started laughing as a girl approached. I hadn’t expected it, but I found it hilarious. They were trying to arrest me. She wanted to get autographs. I nearly fell over while my laughter rolled down the streets.

“Can you sign my game, Magic Girl Sabrina?” The girl extended the new game.

I spun back. “Let me buy one! Then you can sign mine too!”

“Sorry. I need to take this one back to headquarters.” Sabrina gave her a sympathetic look as we rounded the corner.

I looked out at the crowded street. It was like some parade. There were news drones everywhere. People were staring, and I was bored. Time to go.

“Is she a villain?” the girl asked with wide eyes.

“Yes!” I proclaimed. “I’m Viper! Am I in the game? Wait. How do I get in the game? And how do I get my cut for it? Sorry you two, I need to go find that out!” I teleported out of the cuffs and stamped the girl’s game. She smiled at me.

“Viper! Don’t do this!” Ax called.

I grinned at him. “I didn’t do anything. Want a copy of the game? I’ll even buy it.”

“Last chance!”

That’s when I teleported back home and hoped that the ending would appease Dad. With anxiety in my throat, I swapped attire and my amulet. Finishing that, I walked into the kitchen to get a snack. Reaching into the fridge, pain lanced through my back. I flinched as I instinctively used Time Stop. Turning, I saw my dad.

He looked furious. His face was red. He was glowering and had the rotten practice sword in his hand. With water in my eyes, I dropped the spell and looked down. “Dad?”

Dad growled. “Do not disobey orders, Casey.”

“Please, Dad. I can’t kill people,” I said softly.

“You know how much was sacrificed to keep you alive. Don’t do it again. You are grounded. No friends or clubs for a month. No video games either! You need…”

I looked at the floor while Dad went off. I don’t want to talk about it. It sucked; the rest of the weekend sucked. Let’s just leave it at that.

Current Level 11 Current XP 17.72% Current Max Mana 9635.93 Regen per minute 14.60 Reputation 12000

Tier Skill Cost Tier 11 User Time Dilation (Haste)

- User experiences 256 seconds for 1 earth second.

- Force transference limited to 25%. 1 mana per earth second. Tier 7 Pocket Dimension

- 128 cubic meters of pocket space.

- Rapid stash and rapid draw.

- You may tether objects to your pocket space.

- Your pocket space cleans, preserves, and organizes items inside based on your will. 32 mana Tier 7 Time Stop

- Caster leaves spacetime. They may remove and place things back in spacetime.

- You may control the flow of time in the demiplane.

- You may summon in willing living creatures.

- This automatically triggers if you take significant damage.

- Recast to gain vision. 200 mana to cast.

Variable cost to move items in and out. Tier 7 Teleport.

- Teleports the caster or a willing creature.

- You may cast this on a willing or unwilling creature if they are within fifty meters.

- You may teleport inside an object, causing the matter to push outward.

200 mana for the caster.

400 mana for a willing creature.

1000 mana for an unwilling creature with no resistance.

- Short range casts cost less mana.

Tier 3 Attire Swap

- Locked to a single outfit. Current outfit set to Magical Girl Uniform.

- Attire cleaned on swap.

- Attire repaired on swap. 20 mana. Tier 3 Enhanced Body

-Caster’s body is enhanced by a factor of eight. 2 mana per caster second. Tier 2 Enchanting.

- Enchantments last twice as long. Variable cost. Tier 2 Potions.

- Potions last twice as long. Variable cost. Tier 2 Familiar Manifestation. 20 mana to cast Tier 2 Free casting

- Cast any spell you can replicate.

- Slotted Spell. Use half the normal cost of the spell to store a single spell for future use. Cast the spell for the remaining cost. Variable cost. Penalty of 8x mana.