I Need a Hero
Radio DJ Andrea Tower gets saved by a mysterious stranger one morning. In an effort to find her hero, she talks about it on the air… and gets a surprising number of responses. Gary has to find a way to stop the hype before his secret is revealed.
Chapter One – You meet the most interesting people in Chicago!
"You have got to be kidding me!" Gary Hobson groused as he read tomorrow's paper today. He had a plate of eggs and toast in front of him, along with coffee, but the paper had all his attention.
"What's got you riled," Marissa, his partner in McGinty's prompted. It was seven in the morning, so they were the only two people in the bar.
"Listen to this," Gary said, rattling the paper, "Woman killed by falling piano: Andrea Tower, known to Chicagoans as 'DJ Tower,' was killed today while walking from her apartment to her car when a piano fell from above and crushed her. Joseph Brothers Moving Company was delivering the baby grand piano to a fifth floor apartment when the rope snapped, allowing the instrument to plummet to the ground. It is supposed to happen at eight forty-five," Gary rubbed his face. "A piano falling? Isn't that a little cliché?"
Marissa's dog, Spike, rested his head on her lap and she petted the beautiful creature, "Well, Gary, this is Chicago and they still deliver items through windows. After all, a thing only becomes cliché because it happens too often."
"I suppose. Well, after that I have a relatively slow day, so I'll be here to help until around two in the afternoon." Gary polished off his cold eggs and lukewarm coffee and then he stood up and grabbed his coat. "Take care, Marissa."
"Be careful, Gary."
-oOo-
Andrea Tower shivered as she stepped out of her elevator and into the lobby of her apartment building. She was a Texas girl, so these Chicago winters were definitely not her thing. Still, KCHR had recruited her to the prime slot, with a very commensurate salary, so she couldn't complain too much. Besides, Chicagoan's seemed to like DJ Tower's style and she was making quite a name for herself. Perhaps the cold was bearable after all.
She had second thoughts as she stepped out of her building and wrapped her coat more tightly. Walking quickly, she headed for her car. I wouldn't be going out this early normally, but I forgot to pick up coffee grounds. Food I can do without, but not co…
Andrea never finished that thought as she became aware of men yelling, the sound of something snapping, and the sudden sensation of being tackled. She felt a large body slam into her and suddenly she was lifted bodily and slammed against the building just as something black and much larger came crashing down from overhead with a discordantly musical impact. Time seemed to move slower as she saw what used to be a piano shatter and hurl piano keys, wires, and splintered wood in every direction. Next she became aware of the fact that even though she had been slammed against a brick wall, she wasn't injured. The person who grabbed her had somehow protected her head and body from the impact. Finally, she became aware that the person was male, larger than average, fit, and smelled good.
"Are you okay?" A pleasant male voice inquired as the man stepped back and looked her over for injuries. He was tall, athletic, and handsome in an All-American boy next door sort of way. She looked at him in stunned bewilderment for a long minute before finding her voice, "uh..uhm… yes… I think?"
The handsome man smiled, "Good. I should go now. Take care." And just like that, the mysterious stranger who had just saved her life walked away.
Andrea Tower became aware of her surroundings as the movers began yelling at each other and others from the neighborhood rushed up to Andrea to ask after her. Only then did she realize that she didn't even know the man's name. When she inquired, nobody in the area seemed to know who the guy was.
Gary arrived back at the bar frustrated. Marissa was blind, but somehow she always knew when Gary entered, "How did it go? Is the lady okay?"
"Fine!" Gary snapped, then apologized, "I chose the wrong cab and almost didn't make it there in time. I got her out of the way, but smashed my knuckles against a brick wall when I protected her head. I'll need to wrap up my hand before helping set up this morning." Excusing himself, he headed up the back stairs to his room.
-oOo-
Radio DJ Andrea Tower arrived for her afternoon shift only slightly shaken. After recovering from her morning shock, she had treated herself to a pastry and mocha at her favorite local shop while pondering her rescuer. She could still see his face in her mind and smell his cologne as she selected her playlist for the show. As she searched through titles, she spotted one song title that made her smile. Perfect!
-oOo-
Gary's afternoon adventures went along with none of the glitches of the morning. The last incident was on the other side of town and involved rescuing a boy who attempted to climb a ladder to get a ball out of a roof gutter. It had been an easy rescue, only requiring Gary to retrieve the ball instead, thus preventing a paralyzing fall.
Afterwards he returned to the cab that he had left waiting. While Gary sat back and reviewed his paper for any other issues, the cab driver turned on his favorite radio program. The first song that played was "I need a hero," by Bonnie Tyler. After it played, DJ Tower spoke, "What's up Chicago!? You would not believe the way that I started my morning! Believe it or not, if not for my own personal hero, I would not be speaking to you today, tomorrow, or ever again…"
DJ Tower then told her story. Gary was alarmed at first, but couldn't help but smile when the DJ described him as handsome. He was thankful that he hadn't given this woman his name. Gary returned his attention to his paper, thinking that he was safe, until the calls started coming in. Within moments he knew that he was in trouble.
AN: Hi guys. Back in the day Early Edition was one of my favorite TV shows. I always liked the premise, so when I saw that there was a fan fiction category for EE, I had to jump in. I hope that you enjoy. LFU