Joining the Wards had been a mistake.
I knew it was going to be like this. Every fibre of my being had told me it was going to be like this. Why didn't I listen to my instincts?
"I'm not doing it," I reiterated for what felt like the thousandth time.
"Oh, Idol, come on, it'll be a massive boost for the PRT and your own PR, why not?" Glenn Chambers, the head of image for both the Protectorate and the Wards, said for what also felt like the thousandth time.
Chambers was an oxymoron. He was obese, his clothes made no sense at all, and his almost-mohawk was ridiculous. For the thousandth time I found myself questioning how a man like this had cultivated the public personas of almost every hero at the top of the Protectorate, including the Triumvirate themselves. In fact, he'd probably come up with the term.
"You want me to get up on a stage, right in the centre of where the Boardwalk used to be and put on a song and dance for everyone there. I've told you once, I've told you twice, I've told you a thousand times.. I won't do it!"
xXx
Brockton Bay would be dealing with the aftermath of Leviathan for years. The city was already on its last legs, after this level of destruction I couldn't see how it would continue to function at all. The Boardwalk itself had been the center of the tourism industry in the city, what little of that there had been, and now all that was left were splinters and construction crews trying to pick up the pieces.
I let out a long, suffering, sigh and pulled out my deck box. I couldn't believe I'd let that insufferable Chambers talk me into it, but he was right. The people of Brockton Bay needed something to lift their spirits, and the wider world needed to know that we weren't going to take the lashing from Leviathan standing down. We'd rebuild, bigger and better, like always.
Stupid power.
"Ride, The Vanguard!" I called out, and flipped my Grade 0 starter over, "Bermuda Triangle Cadet, Riviere!"
One shine of light later and I had transformed from dry and drab Taylor Hebert into a gorgeous mermaid.
I dove out from behind the curtain, straight into the pool that had been set out for me. It was ridiculous, it made absolutely no sense, but if the cheers of the people in the crowd meant anything when I started singing it was helping people- and that was exactly what a hero did.
AN:
Next chapter will be on Friday, and will be the interlude before the next Arc begins. After reading the comments from Garreon and Ignika2812 I couldn't get this little scene out of my head, so since the interlude is going to be thoroughly depressing I thought I'd give you something short, cute and fun to bridge the gap!