I stared at The Narrator’s door, hoping I’d misread, but the Style System’s words were unmistakable. I regretted casually thinking about Power Wars yesterday; it wasn’t rational, but I couldn’t help but think my decision to vote for Sara-N-Dipity because ‘if Power Wars started tomorrow, she’d be a better leader’ had made it happen.
I shivered, squeezing my eyes shut as Fursona and I waited in the hall. That wasn’t realistic; according to the Ilneats and what I’d seen from old Power War episodes, the System declared a Power War when villainous activity across the world reached certain thresholds. The System created slightly more villains than heroes, in general, so over time, the number of villains got to be too much. When that happened…
They started fighting for space.
Not just against heroes, either. The 3V1L vs. Sister Sly conflict, or battles between two supervillains for the best lairs in the richest, least-patrolled districts—Power Wars had always been about that before. And if the villains wanted to fight each other, it’d be easy to let them, except for one problem. Extras…no, people…lived in the places they wanted to fight over.
So, inevitably, heroes would get involved, and in a Power War, it wouldn’t always be a measured, thought-out response. It’d be whichever superhero or team happened to be closest and able to handle it. Then, the villain would start squawking for backup, and one of their allies or bosses would come help. And from there? Escalation on both sides. No one had figured out a way to avoid that, either. If the villains escalated, the heroes lost unless they called in bigger and bigger heroes.
The door to The Narrator’s office opened, and the six members of the Anti-Nap League filed by. Jungle Jim nodded as the door shut behind him. “Good luck, kid. You’re gonna need it this time around.”
I didn’t ask him what he meant. The Narrator opened the door a moment later, gesturing at us to come in. The three of us sat at the table while The Narrator read something on her computer. She sighed, clicked a few times, and turned to us, coffee in her hand. “Girls, I’ve got a problem. You have a problem. But you need to understand why it’s a problem, so background.”
The Narrator laughed bitterly. “I’ve been around for all the Power Wars. All of them. And every time, my daycare’s the biggest target in Tokyexico. Nothing ever gets within a hundred yards, and the kids are totally safe here—I made arrangements with their parents, and I’ll bring them home safely once we know the lay of the land. So, I can offer you three the same protection. You stay here until things calm down from the initial surge, and in return, you keep the kids entertained.
“But that’s not the option I need you to take. Honeycomb, I know you need to get home. You’ve got homework, and your apartment’s right between the University and the Poudre Districts. Is there anything that’d make your building a target?”
Honeycomb shook her head, but she looked pale. “No? I don’t think so? It’s just an apartment building. We’ve never seen a superhero there unless you count me.”
“Okay, the safest place for you is at home, in your secret identity, until we figure out where Tokyexico stands. Understudy, Fursona, your debt to Tottergarten’s paid in full for the ‘On Fire’ Episode.” The Narrator slid a piece of paper across the table. “Sign here, and we’ll call it even. But if you could return Honeycomb to her apartment, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
“You can’t just Narrate her there?” Fursona asked.
The Narrator shook her head. “No. My power only affects what I can see, hear, or otherwise sense.”
“Right. Okay. Yeah, we’ll get her home,” I said. The city wasn’t safe, and we’d be less likely to get jumped by McHammer or Lord Destructo as a group of three. Not much less likely, but a little. Then I paused, but The Narrator’s experience was too much not to ask. “Do you know anything about Power Wars that might help us?”
“Yes. The conditions for Episodes change. You’ll see more must-participate Episodes, a lot more pick-up heroes and villains piling into every possible fight, and multi-Episode layers where you might be in a little league Episode and a major league one runs over yours. If that happens, your best bet is to abandon the lower-league Episode, avoid the bigger one, and wait for the top-tier heroes to finish the fight. If they win, they’ll clear out the lower-league stuff after.”
She smiled sadly. “That’ll get you to Honeycomb’s apartment, but in the longer term, you’ll want to figure out a role you can fill for the Council of Heroes, the Mutual Assistance League, or your TUSSA friends. You’ll have the most personal success if you can get in with a team and allow them to help you.”
“Hopefully, Sara’s got a plan,” I said. The Council of Heroes probably didn’t need a couple of starting minor leaguers, the battle between 3V1L and the Mutual Assistance League meant they were a spent force, and that left…TUSSA or possibly The Triad. Of the two, TUSSA felt like the best option; they’d be local, fighting for places and things I cared about, and it’d be a chance to sway APPEAL’s mind—and Su-Bin’s as well. But I’d worked well with Tele-Portal before. It’d be a tough choice.
Stolen story; please report.
The Narrator cleared her throat. Tottergarten will owe you one. Now hurry before it gets bad.”
----------------------------------------
As Fursona, Magical Girl Honeycomb, and I stepped out onto the street, though, it didn’t seem that bad. In fact, it didn’t seem any worse than usual. Fursona couldn’t fly as Roo-sona, and Honeycomb couldn’t keep up with me on my board or with [Solar Wing], so we walked the eight blocks to her apartment. That left us with a shockingly quiet street, no supers in sight, and no Casting Calls.
And also with a lot of time to talk. Awkwardly.
“So, you’re a senior now, right? How’s school going?” Fursona asked.
“It’s fine. Still on track to be valedictorian, and I’m working on my applications for TU and a few other schools, so I might be your classmate next year!” Honeycomb looked thrilled, and I shot Fursona a look behind the bee-themed girl’s back—one that said don’t push it. The reality was that, with the associate’s program, we might not be seeing her on campus at all.
Luckily, she got the hint. “That’s exciting! And Jumper?”
“Oh, she’s causing problems, but it’s not my problem anymore. Ed fired me. Luckily, The Narrator’s producer picked me up, so now I’m a part-time employee at Tottergarten instead of a volunteer. It’s great! You two have big goals in the minor leagues and even higher, but I think G-rated Episodes are my thing.”
“Great,” I said, then paused. Was this the right time to ask if she’d gotten any weird texts over the summer? Screw it, it was. “Hey, has a super named Vigilant Vow talked to you about, uh, Magical Girl stuff? I gave him your number because he really needed a role model, and you were perfect for him.”
“Vigilant Vow? Doesn’t ring a bell,” Honeycomb said. She frowned. “What’s with him?”
“He needs help. His power’s got an amazingly high ceiling, but he can’t use it, so he’s got a floor that’s…probably lower than yours, no offense,” I said.
“None taken. I accept my power’s strengths and drawbacks with grace and serenity!”
“Ha! Glad to hear that. I was hoping he’d learn how to be happy with his powers in low-league situations from you, but if he hasn’t texted or called you yet…” I trailed off.
“This was the villain in your Heroics 101 season finale last year, huh? He seemed like a real piece of work.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it was his fault. I gave him an opportunity for redemption, and I was hoping he’d take it, but maybe he’s decided to fall into obscurity instead, or to retire.” I trailed off. Honestly, retiring like my mom wasn’t a bad ending for someone Cartman had gotten a hold of, and maybe it’d be for the best if Vigilant Vow just…disappeared. I’d tried, and maybe I’d failed, but I pushed it out of my head. Or at least, I tried to.
But it just wouldn’t leave me alone. It stuck there, and I stayed quiet as Fursona and Honeycomb chatted about her plans for after she graduated. She wanted to be a surgeon, and the superhero gig was probably getting in the way of that, so her current plan was to stick with Tottergarten until she got into med school, then let Honeycomb retire and focus on her real career. That decision was easier because her powers were so…limiting. It felt like the right call for her, though.
I hoped Vigilant Vow would decide to do the right thing. Honeycomb, for all that she was a mess, had really matured in the last year, and she’d be a great rock for the ex-vigilante as he started turning his life around. Hopefully, she’d text me soon with good news about—
[Casting Call]
[Episode: Power War: Summer’s End - R]
[Role: A Flame in the Cold! Do you accept the role? (Yes/No)]
[Role Focus: Flamboyance+Drama]
“Shit. You two get that?” I asked, heart pounding. Vigilant Vow’s situation fled my thoughts instantly.
“Y-yes,” Honeycomb said. “Do I accept?”
“No!” Fursona and I shouted at the same time.
“You don’t want anything to do with what’s about to happen. How far is your house?” I asked.
“Five more minutes’ walk. Are my parents going to be okay? Should I get ready to protect them? What’s going on!?” Honeycomb’s face was white enough that I could see it between the streetlights. She kept looking from side to side, almost as if Lord Destructo was going to walk out of the shadows any second.
I knew this one wasn’t about him, though. And that wasn’t good—for me, specifically.
“Fursona, I need you to break off and head for TU. Meet me in the Green Room as soon as you can. We’ll figure out what’s happening there.” I grabbed Honeycomb, held her, and summoned my sailboard with [Solar Wing]. “I’m taking Honeycomb home the fastest way I can. I’ll try to catch up with you once she’s safe.”
“I can help you, Understudy,” Fursona said. She stared at me as I hovered in place, Honeycomb’s wings beating in my face.
“Yes, you can. But right now, that help is getting away from here. You can’t fly, and we’ve got to move fast. This is a King Cold Episode, and if I’m right, he’ll have Polar Vortex and Black Ice with him. Black Ice might not be a big deal, but Polar Vortex has it out for me. We’ll see major league heroes, too. I’ll leave as soon as Honeycomb’s safe! Go!”
I took off without waiting to see if my girlfriend would listen to me. She’d forgive me later, or not, but either way, I needed her out of here, and I needed Honeycomb with her parents and in street clothes. Only once she was home could I leave, apologize to Fursona, and start making heads or tails of everything.
We gained altitude, then plunged below the traffic signals. Honeycomb’s wings were more of a hindrance than a help, but the poor girl was so nervous I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that.
“That’s my place,” she said, pointing at a glass set of double doors. I slowed the sailboard and landed, and she hopped off. “Thanks!”
The first electric transformer iced over and blew in a loud explosion a moment later, and I took off into the sudden chill.