DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely none of the properties you will see here. All rights go to their respective owners.
Infinity Verse Spotlight
Heidi Weinerman: Keeping up with The Weinermans: Part 1
'Dear Miss Weinerman,
While your enthusiasm for the metahuman community is admirable, and you have quite an impressive history within multiple forms of media, we of the Infinity League's PR staff feel that you do not have the proper field experience for the position you are seeking. You may apply for said position again in six months, provided that the role is still open.
With respect,
K. Hamdon, head of Infinity League P.R Department'
It was the fifth time Heidi had read the rejection letter and it still stung just as badly as it did the first time she read it. She had hoped that her resume was strong enough to get her in, but that clearly wasn't the case. Heidi had hoped that her coverage of both Norrisville's hero, the Ninja, and, by an extent, the team he worked with, the Infinity League, was more than enough to get her foot in the door when she applied for the job of field correspondent. But in order to gain that job, one would have to be out in the field, which was something she simply hadn't done. Granted, she had been caught up in dangerous scenarios in the past, but it was mostly out of happenstance. If her parents found this letter, they would be relieved that their daughter wouldn't be out risking her life on a daily basis just to make sure that the heroes were still seen in a good light.
However, if Heidi was being honest with both her parents and herself, she wanted nothing more than to put her life on the line for those who protected the earth. Even before she started her web series to help promote the Ninja, she had always admired the masked hero who safeguarded her home. As the years rolled on, more and more superheroes began to appear across the globe, and Heidi's admiration of them only grew stronger. The redhead may come off as a arrogant young woman, but deep down she cared for the world and was more than happy to see it guarded by those with great power. She may not have had powers herself, but if she could help the people see that these were people to look up to instead of people to fear, then that would be enough for her.
"So, you didn't get in?" came the grating voice of her brother.
Heidi growled as she turned to face her younger sibling as he sat down on the couch next to her. The Weinerman siblings had a very love-hate relationship, in that Howard loved to annoy Heidi, and she hated him for it. The heavyset ginger was currently stuffing his face with a bag of potato chips as he plopped down next to his elder sister, infuriating her as he did.
"I'm not in the mood, Howard!" she gritted through her teeth.
"Hey, I'm not here to bug you," Howard defended. "I'm generally bummed you didn't get in."
"You are?" his sister asked, surprised by that remarked.
"Of course I am," Howard furthered. "Now how am I supposed to get all those sweet League perks?"
Heidi instantly popped her brother over the head for that remark, who in turn accidentally dropped his chips on the ground. As the portly teen began to frantically pick up his snack off of the floor, the TV screen went from the movie Heidi had on as background noise to the local news.
"We interrupt this program to bring you this special news bulletin," the news anchor began. "Moments ago, two giant, stone-like creatures materialized in the middle of downtown Norrisville and have begun an assault on the city. The Infinity League has just arrived on the scene and are currently engaging the creatures as we speak. All citizens are advised to stay indoors or seek shelter until the League has stopped these monsters. We will update you once more information is available to us."
With that, the TV screen switched back to the movie, but that few moments gave Heidi an idea. It was risky, but this may be the perfect chance for the young newswoman to get into the League's good graces if she could get the story of the fight from an up-close and personal perspective. So, throwing cation to the wind, she shot off of the sofa and took off outside, jumped in her mother's car and drove towards the scene of battle.
Already knowing that what his sister was doing was downright idiotic, Howard took off after her on foot, all the while shouting for her to stop.
"Ah, screw it," Howard wheezed out as he tried to catch his breath. "She can take care of herself."
Just as Howard turned around to walk back into his home, he found him face to face with a pair hands that were currently reaching out for him.
Heidi was by no means a stupid girl, but what she was doing was downright moronic. She had never purposefully put herself in harm's way, but she needed this story if she was to join the League's staff. As she drove closer to the battle between the heroes and the monsters, all around her was a portrait of chaos. People were running for there lives, all the while screaming in horror as they did. The battle damage on the buildings that sat on each side of the road was a clear indication that she was getting closer to the war zone. She checked the battery life on her phone and made sure that she had enough power to film the battle. The closer she drove to the fight, the more the street was cluttered with debris and fleeing bystanders, forcing her to pull over and go the rest of the way on foot.
"I hope this works," she said to herself.
The first thing she saw was a flurry of lights that seemed to flash erratically off in the distance that were followed by deep roars of anger, a clear indication that the two opposing sides were still in the midst of their clash. As she got closer to the scene, she took shelter behind a nearby abandoned car, pressed record on her phone, and began to film the action. The two creatures that the League was against were just as the news said they were: a pair of stone giants, both of whom were over twenty feet tall. One had a more stone-like coloration while the other appeared to look like a walking volcano. Both were human in appearance, though they both wore what almost appeared to be gladiator helmets. Currently, the two giants were battling several members of the Infinity League, and judging by the the way the fight was going, it wasn't in the heroes' favor at the moment.
The first three heroes Heidi spotted were the Powerpuff Girls, the pint-sized powerhouses from Townsville, who were currently zipping around the volcanic giant as they punched and kicked the stone titan in a frenzy as they avoided their enemy's massive fists. The next two heroes she saw were Carapace, the turtle-themed hero from Paris, and Wild Katt, who also hailed from France. [1] The two heroes were currently jumping out of the way of a massive foot from the other giant. Swooping in from the clouds to strike the monster attacking Carapace in the back of the head was XJ-9, the robotic heroine from Tremerton. Just then, Heidi felt a great whoosh of air. She looked up to see for a split second to see SheZow, the heroine of Megadale, flying in like a pink comet before impacting the giant that the Powerpuff Girls were fighting in its chest, making it stumble back. However, the blow from the pink-clad hero did little to faze the titan, who swiped SheZow out of the air and sent her hurtling backwards into the building behind where Heidi was hiding, smashing through the wall and sliding across the floor before finally coming to a stop.
Heidi, not thinking about her footage or her own safety, ran from her hiding place and into the building SheZow had just smashed into. She found the heroine laying up against a pile of debris, motionless. Heidi ran over to SheZow's side and immediately checked her pulse to make sure that she was still alive. Thankfully, Heidi could feel that the superhero's pulse was still active, letting the redhead breath out a sigh of relief in the process. Moments later, the pink-clad hero's eyes slowly opened, allowing her to see who had come to her aid.
"Did I die?" SheZow groaned out as she slowly sat up. "Because I'm looking at an angel."
Heidi involuntarily blushed at that remark before quickly brushing it off and refocusing on the situation at hand.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, peachy," SheZow replied sarcastically as she rubbed her head before making a realization. "Hey, who are you anyway?"
"I'm Heidi, Heidi Weinerman," the redhead introduced as she help the female hero to her feet.
"What are you even doing here?" the pink-clad heroine demanded. "Didn't you get the evacuation order?"
"I came down here to record you guys beating those monsters," Heidi explained. "Speaking of which, what are those things anyway?"
"Those two big pains-in-the-ass would be Tragg and Granitor. They're creatures from a place called Dimension X," SheZow explained before stopping herself. "Wait, why am I telling you this? You need to get out of here!"
"But I'm trying to-" Heidi tried to explain herself.
"To what? Get yourself killed?!" SheZow cut off sharply. "You can't stay here just to get your adrenaline fix!"
"But I'm trying to join the League!" Heidi reasoned.
"This isn't exactly what I'd call a good audition," SheZow retorted.
"I'm trying to join your team's staff," the young newswoman explained. "I was rejected today by the head of the PR department. I thought that if I filmed you guys I could get in."
"That is hands down the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" the heroine declared. "Seriously, did you think recording us fighting like an amateur would get you on our staff?"
Before Heidi could further plead her case, a voice came through Shezow's communicator.
"SheZow, are you okay?" Blossom's voice asked.
"Just shaken up, but I'm good," the fellow heroine assured.
"Well hurry up!" Buttercup's voice exclaimed over the COMM. "We're getting our butts kicked out here!"
"I'm on on my way," Shezow said before looking back at Heidi. "You need to leave."
With that, SheZow began to make her way back out toward the battlefield, leaving Heidi with her shame. The pink-clad heroine was right. This entire idea was stupid and downright dangerous. She had let her obsession get the better of her and she could've been killed for it. She wanted to help the hero community, but this was horrible way to do so.
However, just as SheZow approached the hole she had made when she was knocked through the building, a sudden thought raced into the redhead's mind.
"You said those things came from another dimension, right?" she mentioned. "So, how did they get here in the first place?"
SheZow paused for a moment, unable to give Heidi a proper answer. From what the Ninja Turtles had told the League about Dimension X, and from how they explained it, it was difficult to both enter and exit the dimension with out a proper power source. So, exactly how did the two physically strongest creatures from that place somehow appear smack-dab in the middle of Norrisville? Wanting answers, SheZow took out her communicator again in order to contact someone who could give the secretly male hero the answers he needed.
"Wade," SheZow began. "I need you to scan Tragg and Granitor's energy signature and see if you can find that same reading anywhere in the city."
"On it!" the voice on the other end said. "...It looks like there's a similar energy signature emanating from just outside of town."
"Alright, send me the coordinates," the heroine said. "Tell the others that I'm gonna check out a hunch. Maybe it'll be a way to send those two rock-heads back."
"I'm coming with you," Heidi stated.
"How am I not shocked?" SheZow noted with an eye roll. "You're not coming."
"I know this town like the back of my hand," Heidi said. "And something tells me your hurt a lot more than you're letting on. So, like it or not, I'm the only backup you have right now."
The ginger was right in her assessment about SheZow's wounds. What she was trying to hide was a set of deeply bruised ribs. She was pretty sure two or three of them were more than likely cracked. SheZow had no interest in babysitting some woman trying to make a name for herself, but unfortunately, the heroine was pretty sure that this redhead wasn't going anywhere any time soon.
"I'm going to regret this," Shezow groaned.
"I thought we'd be taking your SheCycle?" Heidi asked as the two flew through the air, trying not to look down as she did.
"It was trashed in a fight with Duff Kiligan a week ago, Ratchet's patching it up on Skyward Tower," SheZow explained as she held onto Heidi tightly around the waist before noticing something. "Are you okay, Heidi?"
Heidi was not only trying to keep herself from freaking out over how high she was at the moment, but also trying to hide the blush that was slowly growing on her face. The redhead often didn't think much about gender when it came to who she was attracted to. In her life, she had been attracted to both men and women, but she never really pursued a relationship with either gender, for she was too focused with her work to think about such thing, though there was one person who did strike her fancy. However, she had to admit that being in presence of one of the most powerful women in the world, and being held by her no less, that she was quite turned on by the pink-clad heroine.
"Y-yeah, I'm good," she lied before asking "Hey, I forgot to ask: Where's the Ninja?"
"He's tied up in a fight with The Pack in New York," SheZow answered. "I'm sorry if that upsets you."
"Why would it?" Heidi asked.
"Oh, I thought you and the Ninja use to be a thing," the heroine said, clearly embarrassed by making that assessment. "I'm sorry, I just assumed that you two were to be an item. I always saw you guys together whenever a robot or monster showed up."
"No, I just went whenever the story was," Heidi corrected. "And so did he."
If Heidi was being honest with herself, she did have some attraction to the defender of Norrisville back before he joined the Infinity League. She had attempted to court him a few times in the past, but he would always vanish in a cloud of smoke before she could make her move. Now he was in a relationship with Rena Rouge, so it would be pointless to try anything now with him.
"We're getting close to the source of the energy signature Wade picked up," SheZow mentioned.
Once they arrived at what could very well be the source of what brought the two giants to Norrisville, they saw that it was an old warehouse that was situated just outside the city limits. SheZow then began to descend to the ground before letting go of Heidi once they touched down.
"What are you doing?" Heidi demanded. "I'm coming with you!"
"This is way too dangerous. We don't what's in there," SheZow informed. "You're staying here."
"What? No way!" the young reporter shot back.
"It was a bad idea to bring you this far. I can't take you with me in there," SheZow stated firmly before handing the redhead her communicator. "If you want to help, here, take my communicator. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, call the League. They'll send backup."
At this point, Heidi knew that she wasn't going to win this argument. So, she begrudgingly took the communicator and stood by as she watched SheZow lift off of the ground and took off toward the warehouse, leaving Heidi alone to carry out the heroine's order should that come to it. However, the young reporter knew that even if she could get in touch with the Infinity League, it may be to late to get help to SheZow if anything was afoot in that warehouse. She knew that what she was about to was downright suicidal, but, the way she saw it, she was the only person at the moment who could give any real help to the protector of Megadale. So, once again throwing cation to the wind, she headed in the direction of the warehouse.
When Heidi finally reached the warehouse, she saw a massive hole in the side, obviously where the pink-clad heroine had made her entrance since she wasn't a hero known for subtly. Upon closer look, she could see a green glow emanating from within the building. Steeling her resolve, Heidi cautiously entered the warehouse and immediately hid behind some old crates. Upon doing so, she got a good look of what exactly was going on within the building. It was there she saw SheZow trading blows with a what looked like a giant man with a brain in his stomach. It took the young girl a moment, but she finally realized who exactly this giant was. From the reports she read of the creature from his attacks on New York, this monster was known as Krang. An alien from a race of the same name that hailed from another universe. He normally plagued the Ninja Turtles in New York City, but it was clear that he was behind Tragg and Granitor's attack on Norrisville.
She glanced over to the side to see a massive machine that had what looked like a dark purple portal, no doubt the place of origin for Krang and the giants. It was then that she noticed that she wasn't the only one who was watching the fight from a hiding spot, for she noticed Hannibal McFist and his right hand man, Viceroy, currently hiding behind some debris as they too watched the fight continue. Now why would one of the richest men in the world be here? Heidi then thought back to a time when the Ninja once accused McFist of being corrupt, saying that he wanted to destroy him and let evil rule Norrisville, but he later retracted that statement. Could what the Ninja have said hold some weight to it?
Heidi's attention then went back to the fight as she felt the entire warehouse shake violently. Currently, SheZow was flying off of the ground as she threw punch after punch at Krang's android body with everything she had. The heroine was then swatted out of the air and slammed hard into the ground. She quickly dodged an oncoming foot before letting out a sonic scream that made Krang stumble backwards. SheZow then kept up her attack by taking out one of her tools from her utility belt and activating it. It was her laser lipstick, which acted as a a type of energy sword. She then leaped into the air, ready to bring her blade down on Krang's robot body, but the brain-like alien reached out and took hold of the heroine's wrist and delivered a devastating punch to her stomach before throwing her back to the ground.
"You were a fool to come here alone!" Krang mocked with a wicked laugh. "Soon my army of Rock Men will come through the portal and no one will be able to stop me! *gurgle*"
"You...won't...win," the heroine wheezed as she tried to get back on her feet, only for Krang to stomp on SheZow to keep her down.
Heidi covered her mouth as she gasped in shock at the sight before her. It was then that she noticed a large wrench laying next to her. For a brief moment, she considered picking up the wrench and running to SheZow's aid until her common sense kicked in and reminded her that she would be killed the second she stepped out of her hiding place and into Krang's line of sight. So, rather than getting herself killed, she did the sensible thing and took out SheZow's communicator before immediately calling Skyward Tower.
"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" she asked.
"This is Sheila, now who are you?" the Tower's A.I replied. "Where is SheZow?"
"She's being attacked by Krang!" Heidi quickly explained. "He's the one who brought those monsters to Norrisville! Please, you have to send someone now! He's killing her!"
Suddenly, the crates that Heidi was hiding behind were suddenly knocked away. She looked up in shock to see Krang towering over her. The brain-like alien brought his android body's fist down on the young reporter, who quickly grabbed the wrench before jumping out of the way.
"Well, well...what do have we here?" Krang gargled out. "Someone looking to play hero?"
Before Krang could throw another punch, SheZow suddenly flew up, grabbed Krang's arm and held him long enough for Heidi to make a run for it. The alien warlord yanked the heroine off his person before slamming her to the ground again. Heidi ran over to what looked like the control panel of the portal and raised the wrench over it, but before she could bring it down, she was suddenly snatched up by Krang.
"You little fool, did you really think you could stop me? *gurgle*" Krang said with a mocking laugh. "You don't have any powers!"
"Yeah, but I have a wrench," Heidi quipped before throwing her weapon and the brain alien's face.
The wrench struck Krang in the eye, making him cry out pain as he dropped her. As Krang stumbled around the warehouse in agony, he was suddenly struck by a blast of magical energy. Heidi turned around to see three Infinity League members, Star Butterfly, the Black Power Ranger and the G.I. Joe known as Roadblock, all standing at the entrance SheZow made earlier. Blinded by his own rage, Krang let out a furious cry as he lunged at the the band of heroes, who were now joined by SheZow. Together, the four heroes unleashed a torrent of firepower and began to push Krang back toward the portal before knocking him back to Dimension X. Seizing the opportunity, Heidi grabbed the wrench once again and began to smash the control panel, shutting off the gateway.
"You guys took your time," SheZow joked to her teammates.
"Teleportation traffic was backed up," Roadblock said with a laugh. "You look like shit, by the way."
"Well, going a few rounds with a brain alien will do that to you," the pink-clad heroine replied.
"Just got a word from Jenny, she says Tragg and Graintor vanished," the Black Ranger spoke up. "Must have been pulled back into Dimension X when the portal was destroyed."
It was then that Star noticed Heidi, who was still standing by the control panel she destroyed.
"Ooh, Shezow, whose your friend?" the Mewman princess asked.
"Someone who doesn't listen to orders," the heroine said. "But I'm going to let it slide for once."
"I'm Heidi," the redhead introduced. "I'm trying to be a reporter for the League."
"Well, I'd say that this was an impressive resume," Roadblock said.
"Now then..." SheZow noted as she focused her attention on McFist and Viceroy, who were still hiding. "Let's have a little chat, Mr. McFist."
The billionaire and his top scientist slowly stepped out of their hiding spot and approached the group of heroes.
"Thank God you came when you did!" Hannibal thanked them. "Krang was going to kill us if you hadn't have gotten here when you did!"
"Which begs the question: What was Krang doing here in the first place?" SheZow questioned suspiciously. "And more importantly: What were you two doing here with him?"
"We were testing out a new machine that would've given Norrisville a new form of renewable energy by tapping into the energy of another dimension," Viceroy explained.
"And that dimension you just happened to tap into was Dimension X?" Shezow said in an unconvinced tone. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were purposefully working with him."
"You could say that," McFist agreed with a dark grin. "But, then again, there's a difference between knowing something and having the evidence to prove it."
SheZow narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists in anger, but as much as the secretly male hero wanted nothing more than to drag the two villains straight to jail for allowing this disaster to happen, McFist was right. Before his anger got the better of him, SheZow walked away from the billionaire and allowed McFist and his right hand man to walk away from the scene. The pink-clad heroine then walked back to Heidi, who was still in awe of the heroes before her.
"You did great, Heidi," he began. "But from now on, keep the stupid stunts to a minimal, okay?"
"Noted," Heidi agreed. "I've got no intention of doing that again."
"Come on, I'll take you back home" SheZow offered.
And with that, Heidi was one again the arms of the heroine as the flew out into the skies again. Meanwhile, the Black Ranger heard the chime of his personal communicator, one that was to be used only by the Power Rangers.
"Excuse me," he said to Star and Roadblock.
He then quickly went off to another room in the warehouse to activate his communicator.
"Adam here," he said.
"Adam, we need you back in Angel Grove, ASAP," the voice of Tommy responded from the other side.
Adam could practically feel the dread eminating from his friend's voice just by listening too it, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer of the question he was about to ask.
"Tommy, what's wrong?"
"...Lokar's back." [2]
The flight back to Heidi was a quiet one for the two. After showing Shezow the way to her house, Heidi inwardly cursed herself for doing something so stupid. True, she wanted to help the League, and she got lucky this time, but would she be so lucky next time? And that was under the assumption that there was to be a next time. There was also the matter that she may not see SheZow again afterward, someone she had grown quite an attachment to in the short time they had since they had met. Granted, she knew they hadn't done much together, but after seeing how SheZow threw herself again and again into harm's way for her made her feel like she wanted to get closer to the heroine.
Finally, the two reached the Weinerman home. Shezow floated downward and released her hold on the redhead. It was in that moment that Heidi decided that it was now or never.
"Uh, hey, so..." she began sheepishly. "I was wondering if we could get together sometime. That is, I mean, if you aren't too busy that is."
"You mean...like a date?" SheZow surmised slowly.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to assume anything!" the young reporter. "I didn't know if you were...into girls."
"No, it's okay," the heroine assured. "I'd love to. I'm free next Tuesday if you wanna go do something."
"I'd like that," Heidi agreed.
"And listen, I'm gonna talk to Kelly when I get back to the Tower," SheZow added. "Maybe I can convince her to reconsider hiring you."
"Really? You mean that?" Heidi asked before hugging the woman. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"No problem," SheZow assured as she parted from the hug in order to keep Heidi from discovering the secret that was under her skirt. "It's the least I can do for you."
"Well, in that case, I'll see you next Tuesday then?" the ginger affirmed.
"It's a date" SheZow confirmed with a wink.
With a bright smile and blush, SheZow rocketed back into the sky, all the while cheering as she did. Heidi was on Cloud 9 at this point. She felt like she was walking on air as she entered her house where she found her brother right where she left him: Sitting on the couch eating chips.
"Hey, Heidi," he greeted as he kept his focus on the horror movie he was watching. "How was your day?"
"I helped save Norrisville and got a date with SheZow," his elder sister replied.
"Neat," Howard answered simply. "I got kidnapped by a monster and got my soul bonded to a transsexual grim reaper."
"That's nice," Heidi disregarded before registering what he just said. "...Wait, what?!"
"It's better that I show you" Howard said "Just don't freak out, okay?"
Heidi's younger brother's eyes suddenly changed from brown to bright green as his teeth became long and dagger-like, like a shark's mouth. He then ran his fingers though his hair, which became longer as he did. His body grew taller and slimmed down as his clothing morphed into a red and black Victorian-era attire with a long red trench coat and black high heels. A red chainsaw materialized next to the being that now stood where Howard once did, who cackled madly as he did.
"Hello, deary," the newcomer greeted with a wicked smile. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Grell Sutcliff. Grim Reaper extraordinaire and Jack the Ripper himself!"
Heidi did the most logical thing anyone would do in this situation: faint.
[1] - Wild Katt is Odd's superhero persona. Not sure if we established that yet, so I thought this was warranted.
[2] - This will come into play in a Spotlight that will be after the next one.
[3] - To be continued in the next Spotlight.
Bold Italics = Krang gurgling the word or words.
