"Good morning Nova City! It's another spectacular day here at the capital of the awakened! My name is Stephanie and I'm your host for today's Daily Nova Talk."
In a sparsely furnished bedroom trimmed with fine 24-karat gold, from the bedframe to the window edges, a woman let out a soft yawn, arching her back as she slowly rose from sleep.
She was Nova City's number two hero, Lady Impulse.
But her real name, Chloe Lynch.
"What time is it..." Her high-pitched voice was soft and sweet, almost angelic. Her brown hair spilled over her shoulders, partly veiling the right side of her face, while the gentle morning sun caught the sparkle in her blue eyes, making them shine like polished glass.
She had a transparent nightgown on that showed her black bra and panties, both fitting snugly around her large breasts and hips.
"Shit!" As her eyes landed on the time glowing from the custom-made alarm clock beside her bed, she leapt out of bed almost immediately.
"I'm late for my appointment!" She rushed into the bathroom as her favorite talk show played on the TV. For at least ten minutes, she focused on her daily skincare routine, wearing a face mask. Afterward, she put on a stylish shower cap and stepped into the shower.
"I can't believe I overslept, it's all because of that stupid photoshoot the previous night, now I'm going to an earful from Erma." She stepped out of the bathroom in a white robe, gently drying her hair with a towel before reaching for a comb.
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"Alright Stephanie, let's talk about the hottest gossip in the city today, the crime intervention that took place last night."
One of the guests of the talk show on her wall-mounted television, easily over 100 inches and positioned just above the fireplace, yes, she had a fireplace in her bedroom; wouldn't you try crazy shits too if you were that rich?
"Oh! I almost forgot about that, what about it Damian?"
"It seems Nova City has a masked hero in town, what are your thoughts about it?"
"My thoughts Damian? I wouldn't call him a hero, first of all, he doesn't even look like one. I mean look at his mask."
The photo taken by the police drone appeared on the screen, revealing a sleek, futuristic black mask. Its design was sharp and minimalist, with glowing white eyes and a single line running down the center, cleanly dividing both sides.
"He looks more of a villain than a hero, besides, according to news reports from the incident, he's not registered with any of the hero factions. That means he's a vigilante, and you know the law Damian, Vigilantism is punishable by law."
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Chloe sat on the edge of her bed, crossing her legs with ease as she combed through her hair with her eyes fixed on the news playing on the TV. "A vigilante? In Nova City?"
It sounded absurd.
Nova City was a technological empire in its own right, not the kind of place where someone could just wake up one day and decide to play hero. The criminals here operated on a whole different level.
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"That may be true Stephanie, but he did step in when no one could. East Avenue harbor is filled with lots of shipments from major tech companies in the city, imagine the losses these companies would have suffered if not for his intervention. I don't know about you, but that's what I call a hero."
"A hero Damian? A building was caught in that explosion, imagine what would happen if there were civilians around? We have registered heroes for a reason, they handle these things professionally with care for others property, nor recklessly."
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Chloe sprang up from her bed in an instant, as if she'd just seen a ghost. "East Avenue?"
"That's the sector I'm in charge of!" She couldn't believe her ears. For every heroic faction in the city, each hero were assigned to different sectors to protect.
The fact that she had no idea about the attempted robbery felt like a betrayal by the very faction she worked for. Even more appalling was that a vigilante, with no powers, had gained popularity for stopping a crime in the very sector her, the number two hero, was supposed to be watching.
"I'll get to the bottom of this."
[Titan Tech Corporation]
[Titan Heroic Faction]
Titan Tech Corporation, It stood as one of the wealthiest and most influential companies in Nova City.
Its headquarters loomed high above Nova City's skyline, a symbol of its meteoric rise from a modest tech firm to the global leader in cutting-edge innovation, constantly redefining the limits of possibility.
BANG!
The The doors to the well-furnished office swung open as a woman walked in quickly. She wore a black jacket over a tight brown leather dress that hugged her tightly at her large breasts and butt, highlighted her curves, and black heels that echoed with each tap on the tiled floor.
"Shawn, what is this!?" It was Chloe, and she was annoyed.
She stopped in front of the desk, where a man with a well-groomed beard sat in a large office chair, dressed in a sleek black suit.
"Chloe, not that I'm not delighted to see you, but don't you have an appointment?"
"Answer my question, what kind of manager doesn't inform his associate that a crime, especially in my own sector is in progress?"
A soft smile stretched across Shawn's face, calm and controlled, almost as if he was expecting it. "You saw the news on the Daily Nova talk show didn't you? I must say for independent reporters they are always up to date."
"Shawn." She called out to him, her voice steady, but her expression said it all.
"Rest assured Chloe, you are well informed of crimes that are matters to you."
"And a robbery isn't??"
"That was a matter the police could handle, there was no need for the heroic faction, or you for that matter." He replied in a calm, measured tone as he picked up the cup of tea from his desk, taking a slow, deliberate sip.
"It's still my sector Shawn, whether it matters or not, it's my duty to protect everything within my sector, you should have informed me!"
"Chloe." He set the cup down on the table, the smile fading from his face. He didn't want it to come to this, but if she was going to understand, he had no choice.
"This is why you're still the number 2 hero, I thought you wanted to matter? I thought you wanted to make a name for yourself and become Nova city's top hero? Or have you forgotten why you started this in the first place?"
Her annoyance began to fade into anger as he laid out the facts, undeniable truths known throughout the city. For the past three years, she had risen to become Nova City's number two hero, yet no matter how hard she pushed, she couldn't break past that ceiling.
"What did you say?" She squeezed her fingers.
"You heard me, why do you think Blaze remains at the top? You don't see him handling petty crimes as petty as robbery, he stops international wars, world wars, super powered villains. All you've done is stop one villian and just recently, you took down the Borian Crime Syndicate. And you expect to become the top hero? Open your eyes Chloe, think big. Now if you have nothing left to say, I have other matters to attend to."
He ignored every comment she threw at him after that. After all, he was her manager, responsible for overseeing crime in East Avenue and coordinating hero deployments for the Titans Faction.
With a slight grunt, she turned from his desk and walked out of the office with her teeth clenched tightly gainst each other.
"That reminds me, there's a very important client coming next week Tuesday, it's very crucial for the Titans faction, ensure you be there."
"Whatever." She slammed the doors shut behind her.