Trial by Fire Read online

  "Oh god, Diamond," Lacy laughed. "I don't remember which trashy paper came up with that name. Apparently, you don't need an ounce of creativity to be a reporter. But no, not even close. We wouldn't even bother if we didn't think she was superpowered. None of us want to be supplemental cops."

  "What is on the priority list?"

  Lacy let out a long contemplative sigh, looking up at the ceiling as she drummed her fingers on the side of her laptop. "The self-titled 'Gentleman of Truth' has been a pain in my ass. He's been putting hateful flyers up for a while, though thankfully they get pulled down pretty fast. He claims, among other lies, to have superpowers, but, well, we've seen no evidence of it so far. There have been a couple of incidents of vandalism in Compton that we suspect might be him, but no hard evidence to confirm that yet.

  "There was also a string of arsons last week, but the police got to the prime suspect before we could, so that's in their hands. And then there's Consequence, but so far it's similar to most wanna-be villains—all talk, no action. It's been surprisingly slow lately."

  "Consequence?"

  "Yeah, last week he placed a full-page ad in the LA Times. It wasn't quite the usual rambling manifesto we see from supervillains, nor the wacky 'Rapture happens next Tuesday' thing the cult leaders sometimes post. Instead, it was a lovely little piece about how the apocalypse is inevitable as a consequence of humanity's poor decisions, and he's going to make sure it happens sooner rather than later."

  "That sounds strange." Elena felt like she should've heard about it before, but she had never bothered to get a newspaper subscription after she moved and she didn't check the news much online.

  "Yeah, I don't know. I skimmed it. I don't have patience for that shit. Anyway, Archive wants us to stay alert, in case there's something more to it."

  "Could I see the ad?" Elena remembered overhearing her coworker mention something earlier in the week about a bizarre ad in the paper, but at the time, she'd been too busy to dwell on it.

  "Sure, I think I have it in my email." Lacy pulled her laptop over and went into her email. A few moments later, she opened a PDF and showed it to Elena. "Here—Archive scanned it and sent it out to us, to get our feedback. I told her I thought it was just a load of crap, though it's remarkably calm for something like that."

  The ad was black and white, in large text without any pictures.

  Dear citizens of greater Los Angeles,

  Nothing captures the human imagination more than apocalypse, the end of times. The belief in a cataclysmic event that would end civilization as we know it has existed since the New Testament, and in recent years has shown its face in everything from disaster movies to grim environmental predictions.

  This is a friendly reminder that yes, the end of civilization is nearly here. Its prevalence in media is not idle curiosity, but foreshadowing. It's every bit as unavoidable as popular culture makes it out to be, though this cataclysm won't come from zombies or tsunamis.

  Humanity has made countless poor decisions, and is now suffering the consequences. The government is bloated and ineffective, the physical fitness of citizens is deplorable, and the current sensibilities are too sensitive. The current situation is a beautiful, complex structure of dominoes, merely waiting for someone to find the very first one that will topple all the rest.

  To build something new, and more sustainable, on a solid foundation, the old house must be burnt to the ground. Reconsider yourself and your actions as you prepare to face your consequences.

  With sincerity,

  Consequence

  "Ridiculous, right?" Lacy said when Elena handed the laptop back. Looking at the screen again, Lacy giggled. "He couldn't even get his timeline right. Plenty of civilizations believed in an apocalypse, or similar event, way before Revelations was written."

  "How did this get into the LA Times? I guess it's not explicitly threatening, but still…" The ad made Elena uncomfortable, but she supposed it wasn't quite explicit enough to be rejected. At least, not if the advertiser paid enough...

  "Well, that's the thing. It wasn't just the LA Times. We found out later that day that a similar ad was placed in newspapers across the country. All of the other ads just say "citizens of the United States". Only Los Angeles got a customized ad. It makes Archive think if this guy does do anything, we'll be ground zero."

  "If nothing else, Consequence must have a decent chunk of money, to buy ads in newspapers throughout the country, for something like that," Elena commented. She wondered if Consequence had as much follow-through as he had money. If so, they might be in trouble.

  "Yup. And people with power-hungry intentions have much higher success rates if they have money to back themselves up." Lacy shrugged. "I'm sure you'll get to deal with the gritty part of this gig soon enough though." She shut the computer and grabbed her sketchpad and a pencil. "Let's talk costumes."

  "Sure." Elena nodded, happy to get back to the topic of costuming.

  "Now that you've taken a look at the other costumes, you can see that function plays a role just like aesthetic does." Lacy gestured to the pictures. "Kinesis has a mask that covers her head much more than most of ours, for example, because she has a lot more visibility in her day job. Higher chance of being recognized, more precautions taken. Meanwhile, Guardian is the most likely of us to throw herself in front of something, whether it's a car or a barrage of bullets, so she gets a fancy bulletproof vest even though most of us don't bother with them. With you, the first thing I'm concerned about is flammability."

  "I actually haven't had too much of a problem with it. I usually wear short sleeves, and I propel the fire away from my body. So far, I've never lit anything I'm wearing on fire."

  "Let's keep it that way. So, short sleeves or no sleeves would make the most sense." Lacy tapped her pencil against her lip for a moment, then began to draw a rough sketch. "Skin visible is skin vulnerable, which is why we avoid skimpy outfits, but with you, we at least don't have to worry about your skin being vulnerable to heat or burns."

  Elena nodded in agreement.

  "Still," Lacy continued, "there's the usual superhero concerns: scrapes and falls, knives and bullets. Armor and Kevlar don't really fit with your abilities, and wouldn't be worth slowing you down. If you don't overheat, we can give you something with pants, though: give your legs a bit of protection against abrasions and such."

  If Elena had thought the costume design process would be quick, she would have been wrong. Lacy spent over an hour sketching out different potential designs, talking through each aspect both stylistically and practically. They settled on matching two-piece outfit with tight leggings, a high neckline, and no sleeves. Most of it was gray, but Lacy added a few twisting lines on the right leg and left shoulder strap, sunshine yellow and orange in the outline of flames. Lacy also suggested a utility belt.

  "There'll be pockets here and here, for your keys and stuff, and this snug spot for business cards. Also, in this larger pocket, I was thinking we could put some first-aid supplies." Lacy let her voice trail off a bit and she looked at Elena uncertainly.

  "Yeah, that's a good idea." Elena hadn't yet been in a situation where she'd accidentally burned someone, but she knew it was possible. Her stomach twisted when she realized that soon, she'd be fighting villains and criminals with her superpower; at some point, she'd end up burning someone on purpose. The thought was unpleasant, even though she felt reasonably confident she could do it if she had to.

  "What are the business cards for?" Elena asked, instead of dwelling on that realization. "Do we get Hollywood Heroes cards or something?"

  "Yeah, give me one second… Here!" Lacy pulled up the template for a card on the screen. On the front, it listed the Hollywood Heroes name and their mission. On the back was a list of URLs for community resources—food banks, mental health resources, homeless shelters, programs for at-risk youth, and pro bono legal help. "They're not the most glamorous, but here we are. Not sure if they've ever helped, but they can't hurt."
>
  Once the design was finalized, Lacy offered to measure Elena so that she could get to work on the pattern. Elena agreed and Lacy pulled a tape measure out of her bag and briskly got to work measuring her. As she worked, Lacy talked about the merits of various fabric options. Elena trusted Lacy's judgment, but didn't have much to add.

  During the process, Elena had a bit of trouble keeping her mind focused on the costume-related talk, and not just due to her ignorance of fabrics. Lacy worked efficiently, but not coldly, her fingers brushing against Elena as she pulled the tape measure along her arms. When Lacy came in closer, wrapping the measure around Elena's waist, Elena could smell the spicy-fruity scent of her conditioner. The idea of putting her arms around Lacy and pulling her in for a kiss played in Elena's mind, but she restrained herself.

  "All set with that!" Lacy said as she typed the last measurement into her laptop. "I can put together a pattern and probably have time to go get the fabric this evening."

  "Is there anything I can do to help at this point?"

  "Nope. I'll just need to do fitting for you once I have your costume partially made: maybe next weekend. I have a lot of free time tomorrow, so I'll be able to get a solid start on it then."

  "Sure, next weekend would be great."

  Lacy shut down her laptop, and Elena glanced out the front windows. Though Lacy's visit had felt short, it was growing dark outside. Checking her phone confirmed that more time had passed than Elena had thought; it was nearly 8:30 p.m.

  "Thanks for coming over here," said Elena as Lacy packed up.

  "No problem. I only live about fifteen minutes away, so I don't mind." Lacy slung the strap to her laptop bag over her shoulder. "Thanks for having me. I only get to design new costumes once or twice a year, at most, so it's always a pleasure."

  "I really appreciate the help." Elena resolved to do something nice for Lacy next time, maybe cook her dinner, to show her appreciation. Elena was very thankful she had someone to help with this, especially someone whose company she so enjoyed.

  "I'll see you at the meeting on Tuesday!" Lacy said as she waved goodbye.

  "See you then!"

  *~*~*

  Elena sat at a clean, but clearly secondhand, conference table in an office in an industrial park in the outskirts of L.A. It wasn't the glamorous secret headquarters she had imagined, but it was cozy. Better yet, Elena realized, it didn't look like a place that anyone would think to find a superheroes' base.

  For the first time, all eight of the Hollywood Heroes, herself now included, were present. Elena had seen Static before, but this was her first time meeting Janus, a young man with short-clipped blond hair, uneven stubble, and a large chest.

  "First of all, I'd like to welcome Fuego—Elena Meyer—to the Hollywood Heroes," Archive said.

  "Welcome!" several folks said, throwing her smiles.

  "Thank you," Elena replied. She didn't want to call much attention to herself; she'd rather be quiet and see how these meetings went. Fortunately for her, Archive continued on smoothly.

  "In logistical news, I was able to renew the lease on this office for another year. Our online donations have held steady, but a couple of donors have sent checks to our P.O. box as well. Sometime next year, if we continue to get more donations, I'd suggest we hire a part-time bookkeeper."

  "I support that," Kinesis replied. "And if we do, I think we should seriously consider putting together an official nonprofit, like the Heroic Fraternity is."

  "I don't want to take any financial cues from the Heroic Fraternity," said Lacy. "You've seen pictures of their offices; it's ridiculous. Looks like a corporate boardroom, not a nonprofit."

  "I'm not suggesting we mimic their style," said Kinesis, "but there are several advantages to being a nonprofit as recognized by the IRS."

  "Latoya has a point," Guardian said. She continued to describe some of the relevant advantages, but Elena was distracted as she finally figured out where she had seen Kinesis before: Kinesis was the actress Latoya Harris, who starred in the moderately-successful thriller Maelstrom last year. She looked different with her hair braided instead of down, and without a lot of make-up, but it was definitely her. That explained why she was so careful about having a costume that covered her face.

  The discussion continued for a few minutes before Archive suggested that Kinesis put together a proposal so they could discuss the merits and drawbacks of organizing as a nonprofit in further depth. Everyone seemed agreeable to that, but the mood of the room changed sharply when Archive spoke next.

  "I've received messages in our P.O. box and on our organization's blog allegedly from Consequence. Both messages included a copy of the ad placed in the LA Times, along with an additional note stating that we shouldn't try to interfere."

  "That's juvenile," Lacy commented.

  "It's a typical immature, egotistical move," Archive agreed, "but doesn't contain any useful information as to this individual's whereabouts or plans. I forwarded the email to the Heroic Fraternity in hopes they could trace it, but they haven't had any luck yet. The letter in our P.O. box had no return address on it; it was mailed from within Los Angeles, but we know nothing else about this individual's whereabouts."

  "So all we know about Consequence is that they're rich, and possibly local." Kinesis said.

  "This sort of doomsday stuff is most popular amongst guys, and his actions so far fit the profile of an egotistical, entitled person, so I'd be willing to bet it's a rich man, probably white," said Lacy. Archive raised an eyebrow at her, and Lacy shrugged unapologetically. "Even if it's a bit of a stretch, but it's the best guess we have."

  "I definitely think he's local," Guardian replied. "He sent us a letter from L.A., and the ad in the LA Times was the only one that specified the city."

  "But what do we do about him, besides sit around and wait?" Lacy asked impatiently.

  "We keep our eyes and ears out, especially in likely target areas, and wait for his next message," Archive said. "Someone like this probably has a lot more money and pride than he actually has power."

  "Money buys power," said Static, earning them an emphatic nod from Lacy.

  "Should we start planning patrols?" Kinesis asked.

  "I don't think it's necessary yet, but if the situation escalates, we might."

  The meeting wrapped up not long afterwards. Elena wanted to stop and chat with Lacy on the way out, but saw she was already talking with Static and Guardian. Elena started to head towards her car but paused when she heard someone calling her name.

  "The three of us are going out for falafel," Guardian said. "Would you like to join us?"

  "Sure!"

  *~*~*

  Elena skipped her morning run on Saturday to instead get to the grocery store early. She wasn't sure how long Lacy would stay, so she wanted to get her shopping done so she could offer to make dinner for them both. Besides, now she was technically on-call at all times, so planning ahead seemed more important than ever. What if she left a chore until the last minute, and then wasn't able to do it because of superhero obligations? Better to just stay on top of everything.

  Lacy came by in the early afternoon, toting her laptop bag and a duffel bag, not long after Elena finished cleaning up from lunch.

  "I didn't quite finish it, but I got a lot done this week," Lacy said as she pulled Elena's outfit out of the duffel bag. While it didn't yet have a symbol, stripes, or other embellishment on it, the leotard seemed to be mostly done. "Why don't you try it on? That way I can make sure it fits right and hem the bottom before I finish up the core piece."

  "Oh, thank you!" Elena said as she took it. "You work fast; I'm impressed you've already gotten this much done."

  "It'd be silly for me to come over here again empty-handed, wouldn't it?" Lacy smiled and started setting up her laptop.

  "I'd still like your company even if you weren't helping me with my costume," Elena said lightly as she headed towards the bathroom.

  "Well, that's good to hear, sin
ce I like your company, too."

  In the bathroom, Elena stripped down to her underwear and donned the costume. It fit fairly well, though it was a little tight around the bust. Then again, she'd be wearing a sports bra with the outfit, so with that in mind, it'd fit well. Elena stretched experimentally. The fabric was relatively comfortable and felt natural; Lacy had warned her that a synthetic fabric would melt instead of getting burned away, which wasn't optimal. The design left Elena's arms completely free, so her costume wouldn't get scorched if she was reaching into somewhere hot or manipulating fire.

  "You look great," Lacy said as Elena strode out of the bathroom, walking on her tiptoes to avoid stepping on the hem of her pants. "I do good work, but also you can really pull it off."

  "Thanks." Elena's cheeks glowed with little patches of warmth at the compliment.

  "Let's get the bottom of these pants fixed up." Lacy grabbed her pincushion and approached. Elena dropped to stand fully on the bottoms of her feet.

  "I assume you're going to wear boots over these pants," Lacy said as she sat down and started to roll up the bottoms of Elena's pants. "We'll get you practical boots you can run in, of course."

  "I was thinking of wearing sneakers, but boots are fine."

  "Sneakers aren't waterproof and, frankly, they don't look as cool. The only reason I'd suggest sneakers instead would be if overheating is an issue." Lacy glanced up. "I know it's not, but now that I think of it—do you even feel the sensation of heat? Like, do you get miserable in the summer, or when sticking your hand into the oven?"

  "I feel it, but it seems to bother me way less than most people. I don't get too hot in the summer, which is nice, but the heat is uncomfortable once it reaches the point most other people can't stand it. If I touch a cookie sheet with my bare hands to take it out of the oven, I don't get burned, but I still feel that it's really, uncomfortably hot."