Volume 4 - Blossom Bellum
"In conclusion, that's why I feel that, rather than simply standing by and waiting four years for the presidential election, young people should instead take an interest in what is happening in their state and local governments. These are issues that have a more direct impact on each and every one of us. Remember, real change starts at home, and it's our responsibility, and duty, as citizens to do our part to make that change a reality. Thank you!" The young lady, a sixteen year old with long auburn hair, smiled and nodded to her classmates. Most of the class seemed horrifically bored by her speech, though the perky, chubby, blonde girl in the back was clapping enthusiastically, grinning cheerfully. The young lady sighed and turned to her teacher.
"Fantastic work, Blossom. You finished at exactly three minutes, and I know I personally will be sure to show up to the next city council meeting!" She chuckled and motioned for the young lady, Blossom, to sit down.
Blossom smiled and nodded, collecting her notecards and returning to her seat. While the teacher called on the next presentation, one of her classmate's a brunette with dark eyes, leaned closer to her.
"So, did your mom write that so we'll vote for her next election?" she teased.
Blossom shuffled her cue cards and pursed her lips. Clearing her throat, she replied in a hushed tone, "My mom isn't the mayor, Jen."
Another classmate giggled and rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah, like that silly old man is the one running the show."
"The mayor is...a bit old, but he's a good person," Blossom tried to explain, though her words fell on deaf ears as the conversation drifted to mocking the next student speaking. Blossom brushed her hair away from her face and glanced over her shoulder. The perky girl noticed her look and grinned, waving. Blossom returned the smile, quickly turning away with a little sigh. She shuffled her papers and tapped her fingers on her desk.
She really wanted to dig her book out, but managed to resist the temptation. It would have been rude, and it would have set a bad example. Blossom sat up straight, squaring her shoulders and pursed her lips. She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. Not that anyone would have noticed.
That was one of the reasons she loved giving speeches and presentations so much. At least, when she was up at the front of the room, her classmates had to pretend to pay attention to her. They had to at least act like their noticed her. Blossom glanced up at the clock.
Billy droned on, somehow talking too fast to understand and too slow to get it over with. How someone could take a subject as interesting as the impact of literacy tests and identification requirements on the democratic process and make it so dull was beyond her. Thankfully, the bell saved her from another second listening to his bored, monotonous rambling.
"Alright, alright, we'll pick up with the rest of the class tomorrow. No homework tonight, but make sure you take a look at chapter twenty-seven, we'll be moving on to that section next," the teacher explained as everyone began to hurry out of the room. Blossom made sure to make a note to re-read chapter twenty-seven in her day planned and carefully gathered her belongings. It was a long day, but school was finally out.
A quick stop off at her locker, carefully adjusting her already full backpack to accommodate yet another textbook, and Blossom hurried out the door and began making her way toward the town hall. It was a quick walk, and she was excited to tell her mom about her day. She sighed, something she realized she did way too often, and smiled, looking up at the big white building. With a little grin, she hurried up the steps.
"Thank you, Norman!" she chirped when the doorman quickly held the door open for her.
Norman chuckled, "Anytime, Blossom. Have a good day?"
Blossom turned and grinned, shuffling backward, and replied, "The best!"
The doorman just nodded and winked, "That's our girl, tell your mama I said hey."
Blossom nodded, checking in at the front desk and hurrying upstairs to her mother's office. She paused in front of the door, perking her ears up. Other than the clacking of keys and the occasional phone call, things seemed to be normal. With a smile, she slid the door open and slipped inside, closing it softly behind her. Her mom was in the middle of a call, but she beamed when she caught sight of Blossom and motioned for her to take a seat.
Blossom's mom, Sara Bellum, was the Mayor of Townsville's personal assistant. Given the mayor's old age and his...eccentricities, she went well above and beyond her job description. Writing his speeches, handling his appointments, meeting with important local figures in his place, there was little her mom hadn't done at this point to help keep Townsville running smoothly. And, despite her busy workload, she still managed to be an amazing mother!
The sixteen year old slid down onto the loveseat normally saved for visitors meeting with the mayor and dug into her backpack. She pulled out her math textbook, and her English workbook and pursed her lips. She had plenty of work to do in both classes...but which one to do first?
"Finally...I swear," Ms. Bellum spoke up, finally, "Some of our citizens just do not understand that the mayor isn't responsible for their computer getting viruses," she smiled when Blossom laughed and returned to typing at her computer, "So tell me, how was school, today?"
"It went well. Really well, actually. I'm pretty sure I got a perfect score on my science test. And we're starting a pretty interesting section in chemistry. I think we have a lab next week," Blossom explained, scribbling away in her English workbook. She paused, tapping her lips with her pencil, then quickly changed one of her answers. She looked up when her mom continued typing in silence.
"That's great, Honey! Sorry, let me just finish this real quick, then you can tell me the rest," she suddenly responded, the fatigue clear in her voice.
"It's okay, Mom," Blossom replied with a knowing smile. Her mom was a tenacious woman, but the job could be draining. Blossom could relate in more ways than one.
The door flew open and a little old man shuffled out, rambling the moment he stepped into the room, "Ms. Bellum! I'm heading out for my 5:15 appointment with...why, hello there, Blossom! What brings you here today?" The mayor exclaimed, hurrying over to her. Blossom grinned and brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Just visiting, Mr. Mayor. And, um, sir? It's only 3:20," she pointed out.
The mayor blinked, then turned to Ms. Bellum for clarification.
"She's right, sir. Your appointment isn't for another two hours, I'll be sure to get you when it's time for us to head out," she assured him, eyes glued to the document she was still working on. Most likely one of the mayor's many, many speeches. For an old man who could just barely read, and seldom knew where he was, he loved talking to the city.
"Oh! Well, wonderful news! I'll return to the, eh...the um...Ms. Bellum, what was I working on?" he asked sheepishly.
"You were signing those very important documents I left with you this morning, and looking over the notes for your meeting today, Mr. Mayor."
"Ah, that's right! Blossom! It's good to see you! How was school today?" the mayor asked, suddenly noticing Blossom again.
The teen grinned, "It went very well, thank you, sir!"
Her mom spoke up, the exasperated look on her face becoming a sly smile, "Blossom gave a speech about the importance of youth participation in local government today," she piped up.
Blossom sighed and felt her cheeks heating up when the mayor jumped with excitement.
"Is that so! Do tell, young lady! Oh, you know I love a good speech!" he exclaimed, plopping down on the couch beside her.
"It...went really well, I think. My teacher was impressed, but...I'm pretty sure most of my classmates weren't listening," she admitted.
The mayor just scoffed, patting her on the shoulder, "Oh, don't let it get you down, Blossom! The important thing is that you were speaking! And if you speak often enough, and loud enough, eventually someone will listen!"
Blossom chuckled, "Thank you, sir. That's very inspiring," The mayor beamed and hopped up, shuffling toward his office again. Before he could shut the door, a phone began to ring in his office. The mayor glanced back at Blossom.
The smile was gone and the blush had faded from her cheeks. Her rosy-pink eyes narrowed in determination as she rose to her feet.
The mayor cleared his throat and excused himself. The ringing stopped and the mother and daughter waited, listening to his babbling in the other room. There was a click.
"Mr. Mayor, is there a problem?" Ms. Bellum called.
"Oh, yes! Ms. Bellum, ahem...it would appear the police are having um...some difficulty pursuing a, um...threat! Yes, there's a high speed chase going through Townsville!" he exclaimed, scurrying back into the room.
"Where is the chase?" Blossom asked abruptly, cutting off the mayor's rambling.
"Oh! Right! Of course, now what did he say...6th and 3rd?" The mayor yelped when Blossom swept by him and out of the building. At her computer, Ms. Bellum smirked, and opened a new window on her monitor. A live-feed of a local news chopper following the chase.
"Get him, Honey," she quietly cheered.
XxXxX
The city of Townsville was in a panic. A sleek red car took a sharp turn, diving through two lanes of traffic, just barely getting control before shooting down the street at full speed. Weaving in and out of the cars, the driver glanced in his rearview mirror. He growled and shifted into a higher gear, slamming the accelerator to the floor. The cars behind him were quickly pulling over, letting the cops keep up pursuit.
He'd been in enough car chases to know he was running out of time. Eventually they'd have the roadblocks set, then the tire shreds would come out. He groaned, adjusting his mirror to look up at the sky. Even now, he had a news helicopter still hot on his trail. Shaking his head, the man narrowed his eyes and took another sharp turn, down an alleyway.
The road opened up in front of him, spilling him into a fresh street. Cars swerved to avoid him, but with a few quick turns of his wheel and a jerk of his handbrake, he was gunning down the street leaving several accidents in his wake. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he glanced at his prize. The boss wanted the package delivered as soon as possible. With the flag bitch and the freak that had been killing their boys breathing down their necks, now more than ever they needed a new shipment.
The man swallowed and nodded. He had to get this delivered in time.
They couldn't afford any more second chances.
"Wait, what?" The man adjusted his rear view mirror and his eyes widened. Some crazy sonuvabitch was catching on him. His grip on the wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white. It was her. The blue leotard, with a big white star on the chest, the white leggings, blue boots and gloves. That stupid golden eagle hairbow and that showy red cape, like fire trailing behind her. And that mask. A red mask with white covering what were surely a dangerous pair of eyes.
The flag bitch was on his tail.
XxXxX
Liberty Belle narrowed her eyes and leaned to and fro as she ducked and dove in and out of traffic. She'd have to thank the officer who loaned her his patrol cycle later, but for now, she had a job to do. She glanced down at her speedometer and muttered, "Drat!" They were nearing a hundred miles an hour, and the jerk was still trying to lose her by ducking through crowded intersections.
The car flew through the air, crashing down and skidding before recovering and ducking onto the highway. Liberty Belle cocked her head, and narrowed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out.
Her pulse quickened, her heart began to race, and her eyes...her eyes saw everything. Quickly shifting her weight, she avoided a car that was pulling onto the street from around the corner. Pushing the bike harder than she was sure it had ever been pushed, she ducked to avoid a tire flying from a wreck as a car, trying to avoid a jaywalker, tumbled over. Liberty grit her teeth and ducked down, zipping in and out of frightening motorists and launching onto the highway. The bike nearly toppled, from the force of her turn, but she managed to keep it up and shot off after her prey.
He was heading for the old industrial region. Aside from the docks, most of those buildings were rundown and condemned. Her nose scrunched and she growled; it was the perfect place for a criminal to hide. If she couldn't catch up, she'd find herself in his territory. Then she'd have his friends to deal with, and no help of backup.
"Alright, you wanna race? Let's race, Scumbag," she muttered, her pulse quickening again, her heart racing and her eyes narrowing. He was fast, but he couldn't move like she could. He couldn't see like she could.
XxXxX
The driver's fingers were starting to ache, his forearms were beginning to cramp. He had to make it to the drop off point, his own life be damned! But, that girl, that stupid flag girl! He glanced in the mirror and shuddered. She was closing in on him. He glanced up, spotting the nearest exit. He shook his head, trembling. That would only dump him back into the city, keeping him away from the boss's turf.
He screamed when he heard banging on his window. Turning, he went pale. She was riding along beside him, glaring daggers at him. With a shout, he swung his car at her, slamming into the bike. He laughed, a panicked sound, and looked down at his package. That was that, wasn't it? No way a little girl could...his eyes went wide again, hearing a thud on the roof of his car. With another scream, he reached for the handgun he'd hidden in the glove box and took several shots at the roof. He blinked and looked back at the road.
She was on the hood of his car, glaring at him. He growled and took a shot at her. Somehow, he missed. He took another shot. He fired until his clip was empty, littering his windshield with bullet holes. Not a single shot landed. He dropped his gun.
"No, I have to...I!" Her fist came flying at the damaged windshield, shattering it. Before he could react to the shards of glass spraying in his face, he felt her boot against his face. Liberty Belle gave him another swift kick and dropped onto his lap, taking the wheel from him.
"This is reckless and stupid! I hope you understand how stupid this is! How many people were hurt, and how many more you could have hurt!" She hissed, swinging the car around, toward the nearest exit. The driver roared and grabbed her, wrapping his arm around her throat, and taking a shot at her face.
Liberty Belle's eyes narrowed and she took a long, deep breath, letting it out. She spun the wheel, slamming her head back against his nose and avoiding his punch. As the car began to topple, she reached for his seatbelt. Realizing he wasn't wearing it, she inwardly groaned and turned, kicking out the driver's side door. She quickly wrapped her arm around his neck and threw them both into the street, just as the car began to tumble.
The car flipped and flew through the air, torn apart as soon as it crashed full speed into a street lamp. Liberty Belle rolled in the air, taking the brunt of the hit as the two collided with the pavement. With a grunt, she threw the driver as far from the street as she could manage and charged after him. She threw a devastating hook at his cheek and then another, dropping him to the ground.
Groaning, she stood up straight, and adjusted her bow. He tried to crawl away, but was quickly caught in her golden lasso. He tumbled face-first into the pavement and began to sob.
Liberty Belle coughed, stumbling toward him. With a grunt, she rolled him over and pressed her knee against his chest. Her breathing was ragged, but, behind her mask, her eyes were fierce.
"Why would you do this?"
"I had to get the package! You don't get it! I'm...I'm so sorry!" he cried, flooded with regret thanks to her lasso. Liberty Belle shook her head, grabbing his collar and lifting him up.
"What were you delivering?" she breathed, too exhausted for games.
"I can't! I can't! I can't!" the man struggled away from her and tried to crawl away. Liberty Belle stopped him with a swift kick to the side and grimaced, clutching her arm. With a groan, she pulled her hand away and stared at the blood coating it. Shaking her head, The heroine snatched the end of her lasso and secured it to a nearby traffic light. Stopping to clutch her arm again, she hurried to the crash she'd caused to make sure no one was hurt.
XxXxX
The patio door slid open and a very, very tired Liberty Belle stumbled in, clutching her arm. Her cape was torn, wrapped around her sleeve, which was now dripping red. With a hiss, she slid the patio door shut and tried to lift her leg to get her boots off. With a whimper, she tore her mask off and threw it on the ground, then promptly fell back on her bed. After a moment of fighting with her bow, she threw it down on the floor and began to fight with her hair tie.
She gave up the fight and sprawled out on her bed. A knock came to the door and Blossom weakly called out, "Mom? Come in."
Ms Bellum stepped into the room, setting a mug of hot tea down on her daughter's desk. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked down at her super heroine with a little smile.
"I take it work was rough?" she teased, joining her on the bed and helping her sit up. Blossom hissed, sighing with relief as her mom pulled her long hair free and let it fall around her.
"I jumped out of a car going around ninety…" Blossom muttered. Slowly a smile found its way to her lips, and a hopeful look flitted across her eyes, "Did you see me?"
Ms Bellum chuckled and gave her a tiny hug. She glanced down at Blossom's arm when she hissed and shook her head.
"Of course I did, I never miss one of your performances. Come on, Super Girl, let's get that arm looked at. Up, up!" Helping her to her feet, the two shuffled out the door. Ms. Bellum looked down at her daughter. Even now, after all the training, the planning, the paperwork, it was still amazing to think that her daughter was really a super heroine. Smiling, she gave her another hug before flipping off the light and shutting the door behind them.