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  As Elena walked in the door, she got a text from Sophie, apologizing that she was skipping out on her night to cook dinner again. Elena shrugged it off. At this point, she was more surprised if Sophie was around for dinner than if she wasn't. Sophie's social life seemed to be as busy as Elena's was empty. Then again, Sophie had moved to the Los Angeles area as soon as she graduated, whereas Elena had only been here for six months. These things took time.

  Dinner ended up being penne pasta and vodka sauce from a jar, washed down by a glass of merlot. Friday nights were the one time Elena refused to catch up on things around the house, so without further plans, she tucked herself on the couch with another glass of wine and pulled up her favorite TV drama on her laptop. Worries and responsibilities could wait until Saturday morning.

  The next day wasn't much more eventful, though it was more productive. The forecast for the weekend was horrendously hot, even for Southern California, so Elena rose not long after dawn to get her morning run in before the heat fully hit. The shimmer of dew evaporating off freshly-cut lawns and the occasional whiff of summer flowers were pleasant and kept Elena going for a good several miles. As she ran, she went through the interview in her head, reflecting on how it had gone.

  *~*~*

  On Sunday morning, Elena woke up to the email she had been waiting for. All grogginess left her head immediately, her heart jump-starting as she opened it.

  Elena/Fuego,

  Thank you for taking the time to meet with us on Thursday. Please let me know if you are available to meet with me briefly today at 4 p.m. at the Observatory in Griffith Park.

  Archive

  Elena could feel her heartbeat in her chest as she quickly typed a response, confirming the time and place worked for her. After she hit send, she flicked her phone off and looked across the room without focus. She wished Archive had proposed an earlier time, simply so she didn't have to spend hours sitting around waiting and wondering.

  On the bright side, Elena had noticed it was address to "Elena/Fuego." This was the first time that Archive had referred to her in writing by her superhero name, and Elena resolved that this was probably a good sign. Excitement started to prickle in her nerves, and she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She had been planning on taking it easy today, but she knew she'd dwell on this if she did that. Time to take a look at her long-term to-do list.

  Elena killed time with knitting and chores, focusing on projects to quiet the question of Is Archive going to welcome me to the group, or tell me I didn't make the cut? Mid-afternoon rolled around, and Elena took her time to eat leftovers from Friday night before grabbing her purse to leave.

  She spent about fifteen minutes searching for a parking spot in Griffith Park. The parking lot by the observatory was packed with tourists and locals alike, so she ended up parking half a mile away down the hill. By the time she had jogged up to the top, dodging sunglasses- and shorts-clad people in chattering groups, it was ten past four. She slowed down slightly to catch her breath, switching instead to quick-walking across the immaculate lawn towards the domed, bright white observatory. She took the winding staircase up the outer right side of the building and kept an eye out for Archive. Elena wandered around for a few minutes, until she found Archive on the other side.

  Archive was looking over the edge, holding a map and gesturing out at the horizon to demonstrate something to Lacy. Archive was wearing a wide-brimmed hat and business casual clothes, while Lacy looked much more comfortable in her coral-pink sundress and strappy sandals that showed off her long legs.

  "Hi there," Elena said as she walked towards them.

  "Hey, good to see you again," Lacy replied, turning around. She grinned, lips shimmering with lipstick that matched her dress, and Elena immediately felt more at ease.

  "Thank you for joining us," Archive said. Elena felt a pang of embarrassment for arriving late, unsure if she were reading into Archive's tone, but she didn't dwell on it.

  "You're welcome," said Elena. "Thanks for getting in touch." Are you accepting me? Was the burning question on Elena's tongue, but she held it back.

  "On behalf of the whole group, Lightspeed and I are here to officially accept your application and invite you to join Hollywood Heroes."

  Elena's heart fluttered and her anxiety instantly dissolved, replaced with joy and satisfaction.

  "Thank you, I would love to be a part of the team," Elena said quickly.

  "Excellent." Archive handed Elena a business card. It had a phone number hand-written in neat, flowing script and three four-digit codes written below it, each with one word next to it. "Please add my number to your phone. I should be listed under the name you know me as—Archive. Do not put these codes on your phone, or anywhere on an electronic device. Anywhere where they might get on the cloud.

  "The first code is for any time you run into a situation and you need backup. Once sent to my number, it will send an alert including your phone's GPS location to all your fellow heroes. You can also call, but texting is often easier. The second code is if you are not in immediate physical trouble, but you need to call an urgent meeting. The third code is if you are captured or if you're being monitored in some way. If anyone is threatening you and telling you to summon me, or any of the other heroes, use code three."

  Elena nodded and slipped the card into her purse. Backup/Meeting/Monitored. Okay, she could remember what those meant.

  "In more cheerful news, now I can officially introduce myself as Lacy Villaneuva without breaking our protocol at all." Lacy held a hand out, but her smile suggested the handshake was anything but formal.

  "It's wonderful to 'meet' you, Lacy—or should I say Ms. Villaneuva?" Elena said.

  Lacy laughed. "Okay, that's way too much formality for me. Stick with Lacy, please."

  "It's time I introduced myself less formally as well," Archive said, offering a hand to shake. "I'm Karen, Karen O'Reilly."

  "Nice to meet you as Karen." Elena accepted the handshake; Archive's hand looked small and delicate, but her grip was firm.

  "I actually prefer Archive most of the time," she replied. "Not to mention it makes it easier to keep work separate from other aspects of my life. Even Oculus calls me Archive at home. There's a certain power to being able to pick our names, you know? I don't plan to change my legal name, but I only go by Karen with work and my parents now."

  "I, on the other hand, did change my legal name, and since I love that chosen name, I prefer it over Lightspeed," Lacy said. "Just to keep things complicated for you."

  "It's not that complicated," Elena replied with a shrug. "Why did you change your legal name?"

  Archive shot Elena a cool look, and Lacy's expression froze in place.

  "I just ask because I've known a couple of people who did," Elena added hastily, cheeks touched with warmth at this apparent faux pas. She realized it might have been a rude question, but she wasn't quite sure why. "In college, my freshman year roommate was named Mabel Charity Hicks, after her grandmothers. She legally changed it before she graduated, to Chelsea Marie Hicks, which sounded more modern. Just curious, was all."

  "I changed it to Lacy because I was named Landon," Lacy said matter-of-factly, eyes steady on Elena.

  "Oh, okay." Elena wasn't sure what the polite thing to say at this point was. "Sorry to pry. I didn't mean to be rude." She almost started to say, I didn't realize you were trans, but she realized that sounded too much like a compliment on Lacy's ability to pass, which was definitely inappropriate.

  "I really like the name Lacy," Elena continued instead. She tried to think of how to steer the conversation into more comfortable territory; changing the subject abruptly seemed like it would just make things more awkward. "Do you mind me asking how you picked it?"

  Archive visibly relaxed, and Lacy broke into a sincere smile again. "I always want to make up an epic, tear-wrenching tale of my journey to picking this name, talking about all the layers of meaning it has to me. But honestly, it was just me going throug
h some baby name sites and trying to find a La- name I liked. I tried Laney for a couple of months, right after I came out, but it just didn't fit."

  "Neat. Laney's a nice name, but I really do like Lacy."

  "Elena, we have our monthly meeting at our headquarters coming up," Archive said. "You'll have a chance to introduce yourself to Janus then. He's the only one in the group you haven't met yet. It'll also give us an opportunity to fully brief you."

  "That sounds good." Elena felt antsy just thinking about the meeting, imagining what sort of secret base they might have. Would it be an office tucked in a skyscraper downtown, or an unassuming house in the suburbs? She couldn't keep a smile off her face as she realized that she would know for certain very soon. She wasn't just a curious outsider; she was now officially the newest Hollywood Hero.

  "If you need help with anything, please don't hesitate to reach out to any of us," said Archive.

  "I actually could use help on my costume," Elena said. "Is there anyone in the group who might be able to help me with that?" She had done some preliminary planning, but had scrapped it after realizing how little she knew about sewing.

  "Sewing's a hobby of mine," Lacy said. "If you'd like, I'd be happy to come over some time and work with you to design and make a costume."

  "Yes, please." Elena accepted the offer happily; she was looking forward to getting to know Lacy better, and she could really use the help with her costume.

  "Here, let me give you my number, too. This is just for texting—it's through an app—but I prefer texting anyway."

  "Is there a particular time or day of the week that you're usually free?"

  "I work nine a.m. to six p.m. most days, so either a late weeknight or any time on weekends works."

  Elena remembered Archive was standing right there and tried to hurry herself along. "I'll text you about a time next weekend, if that works for you."

  "Perfect."

  "Thanks again for meeting with me and giving me this great news," Elena said, addressing both Archive and Lacy. "I really appreciate it, and I'm looking forward to being an active part of the team."

  "Thank you for meeting with us," Archive replied, shaking Elena's hand again. "I'll see you at our next meeting, but again, don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything sooner."

  "Welcome to the team," Lacy said. "Are you open to hugs? Handshakes are definitely too formal, now that you're one of us."

  "Sure." Elena and Lacy hugged briefly but tightly. As they did, Elena was acutely aware that Lacy had a couple of inches on her, and that Lacy's conditioner, or maybe perfume, was some sort of wonderful ginger-citrus scent.

  Elena lingered at the railing as Archive and Lacy walked off, staring out across Los Angeles from her observatory vantage point. Fanciful images of Lightspeed dashing around a skyscraper's roof punching minions, while Elena shot gouts of flame at some silver-clad supervillain, played in her mind. They were silly, but the excitement she felt was not. Working with the Hollywood Heroes wouldn't be that glorious or straightforward, but there would still be a lot of adrenaline and, more importantly, she'd be helping people.

  Elena descended from the Observatory a few minutes later. She had a fleeting notion to go on a hike through the maze of paths leading down along the hillside, but she did the responsible thing and headed back to her car. After all, she had a full week of work ahead of her.

  *~*~*

  Lacy came by the next Saturday afternoon, toting a large laptop bag in lieu of a purse. She wore a bright purple, asymmetrical top and her short-heeled sandals clicked softly against the hardwood floor as she entered the apartment.

  "Hey there," said Lacy, pushing her bag back and offering a hug, which Elena accepted gladly.

  "Thanks for coming," Elena replied. "I figured we could work in here." She gestured to the living room. "Could I get you a glass of water? There's also Diet Pepsi and iced tea."

  "Water's great, thanks."

  Elena went to the fridge and filled a glass for Lacy. When she returned, Lacy was settling herself on the sofa and placing her laptop on the coffee table.

  "Have you done anything on your costume yet, anything I should see before we get started?" Lacy asked. "Thank you," she added as Elena handed her the glass of water.

  "No, not really," Elena admitted apologetically. "I tried to do some design work, but I just don't have any experience with it."

  "That's fine," Lacy assured her. "Not everyone is a seamstress or a costume designer. Costumes are hard. Probably one of the hardest parts of being a superhero, in my experience."

  Elena smiled. "If that's the hardest part, being a superhero must be pretty easy."

  "All right, I'm hyperbolizing," Lacy said. "But it's one of the hardest parts of getting started as a superhero."

  "That sounds about right." Elena's self-consciousness faded away as Lacy started rummaging through her bag.

  "Here, take a look through these," Lacy said. She pulled out a pile of photographs and handed them to Elena. Glancing at them, Elena saw they were all fellow Hollywood Heroes. "Let me know what you like, and what you don't, and that'll help us with your design."

  Elena recognized Oculus in vir gray jumpsuit with an eye symbol and Kinesis's violet-and-magenta garb with a mask that covered most of her head, including her hair. She didn't recognize the figure in the indigo-trimmed black leggings and tight tank top but assumed he must be Flashback, a hero who had been part of the Hollywood Heroes only briefly. Guardian's outfit could've passed as street clothes, except for the head covering similar to Kinesis's. It was pink with billowy sleeves and a long skirt, with a thick golden vest layered on top.

  "You designed all these?" Elena asked as she flipped through them.

  "Everyone helped with the designs, but I turned it into a pattern, sewed it, and put it all together," answered Lacy. "Well, and a few pieces came from elsewhere. The Heroic Fraternity's designer sent over the vest for Guardian. The material is bulletproof and can absorb a good amount of shock. Guardian's resistant to a lot, but we're not sure about bullets."

  "That makes sense. The vest looks good with that outfit, too."

  Lacy nodded, visibly pleased. "I design all our costumes to be practical yet stylish. But this last one's my favorite."

  Lacy pulled aside the picture of Guardian to reveal the last photo in the batch. The figure in it was a tall, attractive woman, and it only took Elena a moment to realize it must be Lacy in her Lightspeed attire, even with her half-mask. The main part of the costume was a short, hot pink dress with thick straps but no sleeves, with lemon leggings underneath. Underneath the modest V-cut of the neckline was a round insignia, a gold-and-yellow sphere flying on a pink background with a yellow trail of light following it—a stylized take on a speeding photon. Her boots were calf-height with very short heels, the same pink as the dress with matching yellow trim. Elena was surprised to see a floral tattoo on her shoulder. She looked closer and saw it was a wide-blooming pale pink flower.

  Elena furrowed her brow and looked over to Lacy's visible shoulder. There was no tattoo. Looking up to Lacy's face, she saw her companion grinning.

  "It can't possibly be me, can it?" Lacy asked. "I don't have that tattoo!"

  "Did you get it removed since then, or Photoshop it in…" Elena's voice trailed off, since neither explanation made much sense.

  "Way simpler. It's temporary."

  "Why do you bother? And how do you have time for it?" Elena asked, genuinely taken aback by this. She'd never heard of heroes doing anything like this before.

  "It was a silly idea I had early on, when I was still working on my costume, so I decided to go with it," Lacy said, looking down at the photo again. "One of my friends worked doing webcamming, and she would always wear a pair of glasses and the same temporary tattoo on her inner arm. She never wore glasses out in public, and she scrubbed off the tattoo before going out anywhere. That way if anyone she worked with at her day job thought they'd discovered her—or worse, if her family did�
��she had a way to deny it. Same idea here."

  "Oh. But isn't it harder for superhero work?"

  "Well, if I don't have time to get my costume, I don't have time for that, but I keep the roll of temporary tattoos with my costume. Adds another sixty seconds, tops, to the process."

  "The Hollywood Heroes take their identity protection pretty seriously, don't they?"

  "We try, though we each kind of have our own priorities with it." Lacy reached down, grabbed her laptop, and started booting it up. "I mostly just want to keep my personal life personal, for my own protection. Villains here usually have less blasting power than those in N.Y.C., but we also don't have the Heroic Fraternity's resounding popularity."

  "The Hollywood Heroes haven't been around nearly as long as the Heroic Fraternity," Elena pointed out as she set the pictures down on the coffee table. "But I thought the group—our group—was still fairly well-liked?"

  Lacy gave a wry smile. "Well, you know the Heroic Fraternity is in good with the police, and a lot of their operating expenses are covered by donations from the Manhattan jet set and the like. They need those contributions to keep operating like they do. I mean hell, if you look at their website, you know what you see?"

  "What?"

  "Everything mentions citizens of N.Y.C., and the United States." Lacy grimaced. "I know, it seems like semantics at first, but a lot of people who live here, and who need our help, aren't citizens."

  Lacy rolled her shoulders and leaned back on the sofa. "Anyway," she continued, "we've done well by most people who live in the region, citizens and non-citizens alike, but we put the people first. We aren't in bed with wealthy donors, and our priorities reflect that."

  "So Diamond's not at the top of your list of villains to catch?" Elena asked. The jewel thief had struck jewelry stores across the West Coast several times over the past two years. While she'd seen an article about the Hollywood Heroes investigating the situation once the police had deemed the suspect a likely supervillain, Diamond had not yet been caught.