A Bright and Shining Star

The quiet streets of Townsville suddenly erupted into cacophony when the window of the Townsville Jeweler exploded into the streets. A pair of dark figures leaped through the gaping hole, hurrying into the street. Their getaway car was parked just around the corner. Rounding the corner, the taller of the two pointed toward it, a grin spread across his face. Panting, clutching their prizes close to their chests, the pair dove into the backseat of the car.

"We're back, go, go, go!" The second thief called, slapping the driver's seat. He coughed, clearing his throat and wiping his mouth, pulling open his satchel to get a good look at the cache of earrings, necklaces, watches and other shiny baubles he'd managed to snatch up. With a grunt, he kicked the seat without looking up. "Go, Mac! The cops'll be here any second!"

There was no response. The taller of the two thieves, who had been looking out the back window, turned, finally, and tried to get a good look at the driver. He was slumped over, head resting on the steering wheel. Had he fallen asleep waiting for them?

"Don't worry, he says. I'm real pro, he says. Jesus, c'mon wake up-" The thief started to lean forward, freezing when he saw the bruise on the side of Mac's face. He swallowed nervously, noticing the thin stream of blood leaking down the steering wheel. "M-Mac, are you?"

The two screamed when another voice spoke up from the passenger seat.

"He's not dead, just unconscious. You two took quite a while to get back here. I figured I'd let him rest," The cocky voice called back. The two hurried out of the car, backing away from it as fast as they could stumble. The taller thief pulled out a handgun, aiming it toward the passenger side door. The door popped open and the mysterious figure stepped out, the streetlights gleaming against the golden eagle bow she wore on her head. She shut the door and sauntered toward them, tightening the blue gloves on her hands. Behind her mask, her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowed.

"C'mon, boys. Put the toys away, let's put the goods back, and we'll call it a night," she scolded, still marching toward them with the same cocky swagger.

The tall thief narrowed his eyes, his lips pulling back in a growl. This kid had to be the one the others had been talking about. The newbie in Townsville.

"Smug little shit...don't know what you're getting yourself into," he muttered, firing at her. To their surprise, her head jerked to the side, avoiding the bullet entirely. She sighed resting her hands on her hips.

"I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. I'm here to clean up the city's mess." He fired again and, just like before, she quickly jerked to the side, avoiding the bullet from an even closer range this time. The girl, the heroine, narrowed her eyes, "You're the ignorant ones. You don't know who I am,"

"I heard about you," the second thief muttered, dropping his satchel of jewelry and flicking open a switchblade. "Flag Girl or some shit. You got guts, kid. Keep messin with the adults and you're gonna lose them."

The girl smirked, replying with a 'Bring-it-On' gesture. The thief roared, lunging at her. By the time he swung his blade, she'd already moved to the side. She caught his wrist and slammed her fist against his side. His grip wavered. She slammed her knee into his chest, then brought a powerful hook down on his face, sending him smashing into the ground, his switchblade tumbling uselessly away from him.

"Freaking Meta-human!" The first thief screamed, emptying the rest of his clip on her. The heroine rushed at him, ducking and dipping away from each shot just moments before they left the barrel of the gun. His gun clicked, just as her fist met his stomach with enough force to knock him off his feet. The thief collapsed on the ground, reaching for another clip of ammo. Just as he found it, a glimmering golden rope fell over him.

"What the fu-" He grunted when the rope tightened around him. Try as he might, he couldn't break free. The heroine shoved her foot against his chest, laying him out flat on the ground. That's when it began to sink in. His eyes widened and filled with tears. His pulse quickened and his heart raced. He remembered his father's disappointment when he lost his first baseball game. He remembered being dumped the night before prom. He remembered hitting his girlfriend before heading out for the night's heist. Every unpleasant thought, every bad memory came flooding back.

In seconds, he found himself sobbing in remorse for every bad decision he'd ever made.

"You understand what you're doing is wrong, don't you?" she asked. He whimpered and nodded, "Put the gun down." Without hesitation, the gun fell from his hands. The heroine nodded, giving him one last squeeze, "Do you surrender?"

"Y-Yes, I'm so sorry!" he sobbed. Smiling slightly, the heroine untied him, leaving him where he lay while she returned to check on his partner. Her eyes widened and the muscles in her leg stiffened. The second thief came up at her, swinging his blade with all his strength. If she hadn't stopped at that moment, it would have gone straight for her throat. Instead, it passed helplessly through the air.

With a sigh, she grabbed his wrist, squeezing until he dropped the knife. Unceremoniously, she draped her lasso around him and threw him back against the car.

"Who the fuck are you? What are...what a…" the man's questions trailed off, replaced by the look of regret and sorrow his partner had worn before. Quicker than his partner, he was sobbing and begging for forgiveness as intense remorse flooded his thoughts. The heroine knelt down in front of him, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm The Amazing Liberty Belle, and I'm here to clean up the streets of Townsville,"