Anthem City: Fall of the Possum

[Blaze]

Anthem City is a pretty okay place to live. Sure the crime rate was a bit above the national average and there were a few costumed villains about, some with genuine superpowers. Thankfully, the city had a few vigilantes to keep the criminals in their shoes. One such vigilante was known as The Possum, famed for her acrobatic abilities. Sure, her name was a bit silly, but she was still one of the city's most famed masked crime-fighters!

But right now, The Possum was just mild-mannered Georgia Jones, returning home from her day job as a secretary. As she enters the door of her modest apartment, the phone starts to ring!

[Harri-chan]

Georgia's feet were aching as she came inside her apartment, but before she even had a chance to take off her high heels, the phone rang. She was into her early thirties, and her dual life was taking it's toll, but she was too stubborn to admit she was getting too old for it. Her long, thick brown curls of hair were clipped behind her head with a barrette, and she wore a cream silk blouse, with a dark grey jacket over the top, and a matching dark grey skirt that went two thirds down her thighs, and was quite a snug fit. Her legs were covered with dark, but sheer tights, and on her feet were black leather high heels.

A thin-framed, stylish pair of glasses rested across her nose, while she wore just a little make-up, some pink lipstick and eyeshadow. Dropping her car keys onto the table beside the door, she tossed the bundle of weekly comics she'd picked up down onto the couch, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?".

The apartment was small, but kept clean. It had a tiny kitchen area, and a living space not much bigger, but there was a large window that looked out onto the street some twelve floors down. Shelves lined the room, filled with boxes that contained comics, with any free space taken up by DVDs of detective shows. In the corner was a desk housing a very out of date computer, while a couple of doors led away to the single bedroom and bathroom.

[Blaze]

On the other end of the line is Georgia's best friend Amanda Hepkins! Formerly a masked hero herself, she eventually hung up the suit and committed herself to being a good mother for her 15 year old daughter Suzie. Despite that, the two remained close friends.

"Hey Georgia! How's tricks?" Amanda asks.

[Harri-chan]

Georgia's weary expression melted into a smile as she heard Amanda's voice on the other end of the phone. "Oh, hey, Amanda", she said, pulling each foot up behind herself to tug the tight-fitting heels off them. "I literally just came in through the door". Even though she was smiling, the tiredness came through in her voice. Not the sort of tiredness that was cured with a good night's sleep either, but the sort of tiredness that built up over many, many years of hard work. "I picked up this week's comics on my way home, so probably gonna skim through them when dinner is cooking. You know, to get some inspiration before heading out".

She pushed a few fingers under her glasses, rubbing at her eyes before wriggling the smart jacket down from her shoulders, passing the phone from one hand to the other so she could slide it off and hang it across the back of a chair. "Everything okay with you and Suzie?", she asked.

[Blaze]

"Ah... I see..."

Amanda had made it clear several times in the past that she didn't approve of Georgia's stubborn refusal to give up her second life. She was concerned that one day she would hurt herself or some criminal would get the drop on her. But in this case, she didn't say anything.

"Listen, that's partially why I'm calling. I have to work late tonight and while I know that Suzie can take care of herself... Listen, when you're on your... nightly run, could you just swing by our place and peek through a window, make sure she's all right?"

[Harri-chan]

Georgia twisted her wrist slightly, peering at her watch. "Would she be home from school yet?", she asked, a thoughtful expression washing over her face. "Because... I could head over there now and fix her some dinner. I'm not even half as good in the kitchen as you, but my cooking has to be better for her than those fast food joints, right? And I can just keep my patrol in the few blocks around your place once I head out".

[Blaze]

Amanda gives a dry chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Suzie has proven herself to be quite the capable chef and there are plenty of ingredients for her to work with. You don't have to do that. Just focus on your night shift. You're not likely to find much crime in our neck of the woods anyway."

[Harri-chan]

"Oh I get", she said in a warm, playful tone, "Your sixteen year old daughter is a better chef than I am. Don't worry about it, Amanda, I'll make sure to keep an eye on her. I'm doing this to keep people safe, right? What's the point of doing it at all if not to make sure our loved ones are safe too. Is there anything else you need from me?", she asked.

[Blaze]

Amanda laughs on the other end.

"You said it, not me. Thanks a lot Georgia. Keep safe, you hear?" she says.

With a beep, she hangs up.

[Harri-chan]

After setting the phone down, Georgia took one of the many detective show DVDs from the shelf, and popped it into the player, letting it run as she headed into the kitchen area. Humming the show's theme tune to herself, she took sone chicken from the fridge, put it under the grill, and headed for her computer.

"There has to be replies today", she muttered as she sat down in the chair and opened her emails, only to find that yet again, there was only spam. Frowning, she clicked onto her very 90s-look website to check the email link was working. She'd built it to try and recruit like-minded individuals and form a sort of vigilante team, but nobody had ever got in touch.

Life in the apartment never really got anymore exciting than this. Packets of pre-prepared carrots and peas were taken from the fridge, and microwaved before it all got seved up onto a plate and eaten whole sat on the couch, infront of the television. The sun was starting to set now, leaving the sky a beautiful red colour to admire while she washed up, but soon the curtains were drawn, and it was time to get ready.

Inspired by classic comics, the Possum's costume wasnt exactly cool, a point that was now regularly discussed by the city's youth when arguing over their favourite heroes. Slipping out of the smart suit, she pulled on the red spandex bodysuit, her body thankfully still in good shape from all the exercise she got. White leather boots went over her feet, and she worked her hair into a tight, unobtrusive braid before sliding on matching white gloves. A white utility belt went on next, with several pouches, along with a police radio and a tranquilliser gun. Finally, she wrapped the white bandit mask across her eyes, and tied it behind her head.

The main reason for buying the apartment was it's location on the top floor of the building, with her own personal fire escape to the roof. It was there she emerged, plugging her earphones into the police radio, before turning it on to listen to the chatter. Climbing over the wall, she easily made her way down the side of the building, making use of drainage pipes and window ledges to land on her feet in the alleyway. She had no issue stepping out onto the streets and walking amongst the crowds when needed, but she tried to keep to the quieter paths as she headed across town toward Amanda's large home in one of the wealthier and safer districts of the city.

[Blaze]

As Georgia listens in on the police chatter, she hears there's not much going on yet. A couple of cops discussing where to eat on their break and one pursuing a speeding car, nothing she can help with. She does run into a couple of people despite taking the back streets, but aside from a snide remark about it being too early for Halloween from a sullen teen, no one bothers her.

As she arrives at Amanda's appartment, she's just in time to see Suzie enter the building. The girl is like a miniature of her mother, with no trace of her father, who ran out on Amanda when he learned she was pregnant in her features. Long auburn hair hung down to her waist and framed her pretty face. She was slightly more well-endowed than other girls her age, something she didn't really like drawing attention to. She was wearing her school uniform which consisted of a red blazer with gold buttons worn over a white long-sleeved button shirt with red and gold striped tie. She wears a plaid skirt, also in red and gold that stops just above her knees. Her legs are clad in knee-length white socks and black mary janes.

[Harri-chan]

It had started to bother Georgia more and more how little respect she got from the average Anthem City resident these days. She just couldn't understand why they didn't hold her in high regard when she was out night after night, risking her life to keep them safe, and the cops made fun of her even more than the regular people did!

Reaching Amanda's neighbourhood, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Her friend's life had certainly improved in so many ways since she'd given up crime-fighting. Everything here was so much... nicer. The streets were so clean, and everyone seemed to have an expensive car. Catching sight of Suzie walking into the apartment building, she smiled at how much the girl looked like Amanda. Once the teenager was inside, she started working her way up the side of the building with just as much ease as she'd climbed down from her own apartment, until she reached the balcony outside Amanda's home, where a table and a few chairs were set up, with a perfect view over a leafy park below. Pressing up against the wall, she leaned over slightly, to peer through the glass doors, and into the apartment.

[Blaze]

Peeking into the apartment, Georiga probably can't help but notice how much nicer it is than her own. Cream carpets cover the floor with matching furniture. Obviously since there were two people living there, they needed the extra space, but still...

No time to fret, Suzie just entered the apartment. She's chatting away on her cell phone, but since the windows are closed, Georgia can't make out what she's saying.

[Harri-chan]

Georgia watched Suzie through the glass for a moment or two, before shaking her head slightly, "Typical teenager... ", she murmured with a smile, and then climbed onto the balcony wall, and dragged herself up to sit on the roof of the apartment where the schoolgirl wouldn't notice her as she turned the volume up on her police scanner. A combination of recent criticism from the media, along with being a tad jealous of Amanda's nice neighbourhood and apartment, had her in a funny mood. She felt that she needed to do something extra wrong, to prove those people wrong, and also justify her crime-fighting lifestyle to herself.

"C'mon... busting shoplifters isn't gonna get me on the front pages... ", she muttered to herself while listening to police chatter.

[Blaze]

As Georgia listens to the police radio, it seems like it's gonna be a quiet night in Anthem City. Just a few misdemeanors and the like being called in. Jaywalking, domestic abuse calls, minor robberies. Then suddenly, a massive call for help.

"ALL AVAILABLE UNITS HEAD TO THE BANK OF 54TH AND MAYFIELD! BANK ROBBERY IN PROGRESS! THE CULPRIT IS AN UNOBSERVED METAHUMAN!"

Unobserved metahuman? That means some new villain is in town!