I am back with a new chapter. Sorry this is a little later in the day than I normally post, I just got back from a trip where I volunteered with an organization called Operation Christmas Child and was in the car most of day driving back home. Speaking of Christmas, since I probably won't have any content out by the time Christmas roles around, Merry Christmas everyone. That being said, if I get the next one done by Christmas time I'll probably release it early for the holidays. No promises on that as I want the chapters to be as best as I can make them so I won't be rushing to get it done.

On another note, I made some light formating changes to hopefully make things easier to read, let me know if it worked and if their's anything that'll make reading feel more smooth. Anyways, on to the chapter.

Chapter 18: On the Road Once More

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Taylor stood before the wall of a building in an alleyway. She looked up towards the top of it as if it were her goal to reach. It was currently quarter past seven. She had finished dinner about an hour ago. Before that she spent her time getting the last little things ready for her first real night out as a cape. As a result, in addition to her temporary costume, on her back tightly bound in a sling was a baseball bat she had just picked up on her way home, in case she ran into any trouble she couldn't solve with her fists. While she was planning on this just being training, it was better to be safe than sorry. She also took time to do her hair up in twin long braids like Kiana. She took a deep breath to calm her growing nerves.

"First things first." She muttered.

She brought her finger up to her ear piece.

"Testing, testing… Can you hear me Ai-chan?" She asked.

"I hear you loud and clear Captain." Ai-chan replied.

"Good, now… Ai-chan, call home." Taylor ordered.

There was a brief moment of silence before a ring kicked it. Not long after that, it stop.

"Hello?" Her father spoke.

"Hey dad, looks like the call function works." Taylor replied.

"Yes, and it's a good thing I mentioned having it. The last thing we needed was for you to run into some serious trouble and NOT have some way of contacting the authorities." Danny added.

Taylor felt her face grow flush with embarrassment. Of all the things she thought of before going out, a way of contacting people while out was not one of them. Thankfully her dad was able to pick up a cheap burner phone and she was able to use its components to modify her visor. With some help from Ai-chan, she was able to link it to her computer, allowing Ai-chan to assist her while she's out.

"Can you please not mention that." She pleaded. "Like to anyone."

"No promises." Danny spoke with a hint of amusement.

"Anyways, I plan on being back sometime between 9:30 and ten o'clock. If I'm running late I'll call you." She explained.

"Don't feel like you have to stay out that late. And just know the minute the clock ticks past 10:00 and I don't hear anything or I get an indication from Ai-chan I'm calling the police, PRT, whoever I have to if I get some much as a whiff of you being in danger." He declared.

Taylor's eye began to twitch.

"Dad I'm leaping from building to building in a safer part of town, not hunting Lung." She pointed out.

"My point still stands." He declared.

"Whatever, I'm gonna get started, cya bye." She stated.

"What I haven't given my obligatory…" He began.

She ended the call. She shook her head, an amused smile on her face. She refocused on the building before her.

'Remember, like we practiced in your dreams.'

Taylor nodded, took a deep breath, and bolted up the wall. Anything that could be grabbed and held on to she used to practically fly up the wall and on to the roof. She let out a breath once she landed. A bright smile blossomed on her face.

"I did it!" She cheered.

'Not bad, but don't get too cocky. You haven't been consistent even in the practice we did before this. There's gonna be many more unknowns when you do it in a city like this.'

Taylor pouted at Kiana's chastising. Let me have my moment.

'Do it more consistently and I will. Speaking of which, times a ticking so get a moving.'

Taylor sighed but nodded before refocusing on the task at hand. She began running forward. She leapt off the roof, over an alleyway, and onto another roof without losing momentum. She continued forwards and off the roof to the next, then the next, and the next one after that until she came to a larger gap over a road. She felt her nerves well up inside her. She pushed past them and rushed forwards. With a mighty leap, she flew over the roadway and landed on the next roof with a roll. She stopped to catch her breath. She looked back to the other roof as what she just did caught up to her. A bright smile blossomed on her face.

"YyyyyyyyyyeES! That was awesome!" She cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

She rushed forwards again to keep going, letting the exhilaration and adrenaline carry her. She did a flip over one gap and stuck the landing to move forward without losing momentum. She leapt into the air and did a twirling flip just because she could before jumping again to a flip over an alleyway. Unfortunately, she let her excitement get the better of her. She was just a bit short and her feet slipped on the ledge. She began to fall backwards as her eyes went wide in panic.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed.

Meanwhile…

Vicky was bored. There was nothing to watch on T.V, her sister was hanging out with her new friend, and while she was on again with her on again off again boyfriend Dean, he was busy tonight and couldn't hangout. Thus she decided to go out as Glory Girl and do some hero work. However, it was an unusually quiet night in the Bay. Fortunate for the average person, but unfortunate for her quest to alleviate her boredom. She let out a sigh.

"Maybe I should see if Ames and her friend would be alright if I came over." She muttered. "I know I encouraged her to hangout with other people besides me, but I'm sure one time wouldn't be too bad. Just for tonight. I'll at least have something to do."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She heard a girl scream.

Her head snapped to the source. It seemed to be a few blocks away.

"Guess I've got something to do now." She muttered.

She quickly flew towards the source of the scream. After a bit, she came to an alleyway, where she happened upon a scene of a white haired girl in costume dusting herself off and several men groaning in pain around her.

"Okaaaaaaay… what happened here?" She questioned.

The girl looked spun around in an instance and seemed to be ready to fight until she seemed to recognize her, causing the girl to relax slightly.

"Oh uhhh… well…" She began.

A little before…

"Owieeee!" She moaned, as she started to push herself off the ground.

She rubbed her sore butt while muttering quietly, "thank god I'm a Brute."

She looked up and saw six pairs of wide eyes staring at her. She stared back. In doing so she noticed a few of them barred signifiers of being members of Empire Eighty Eight.

'Something tells me they aren't up to any good.'

YOU THINK!

"CAPE!" One of them shouted.

He began to pull out a gun when Taylor launched herself feet first at him. She slammed into his stomach. She carried her momentum forward and slammed him into the ground. She leapt off the man towards the remaining five. She rolled between two of them and delivered a hard punch to each man's stomach. She quickly fully rose to kick the gun out of another guy's hand, jerked out of the way of a knife aimed at her side from the fifth guy. She grabbed his extended wrist and twisted the knife out of his hand before pulling him forward and slammed him into the fourth man. She spun around and roundhouse the previous duo in the head. She continued her spin to face the sixth man and grab the knife that was about to stab her. Before the man could react she got a firmer grasp of him and flung him at the first man who was starting to rise. He crashed into the first man and they both fell down together. The fourth and fifth man started to get themself together. She grabbed one and knocked him to the floor with a clean punch to the face before turning to face the last one who just collapsed before she could do anything. In practically no time at all, six men groaning and on the ground.

"That takes care of that." She muttered.

She began to dust herself.

"Okaaaaaaay… what happened here?" She heard someone speak behind her.

She spun around ready for a fight but stopped when she saw who it was. Glory Girl was floating above her, her platinum blond hair flowing in the wind as was her costume. She was dressed in a white dress whose skirt was knee length, an over-the-shoulder cape, and high boots, all with gold lining decorating it.

"Oh uhhh… well…" Taylor began.

One short explanation later…

"And that's what happened." Taylor finished.

"I see…" A now grounded Glory Girl muttered. "Welp… I'd say they got what was coming to them. Just wish you left some for me."

"Given what I've heard online, probably the best. Don't need anyone too injured on my first night out, even if they're Nazis." Taylor pointed out.

"HEY! I've only messed up like that once, ONCE!" Glory Girl declared, her face red with embarrassment.

Taylor merely gave her a look. She knew she was heavily underplaying it.

"Maybe, twice." The blond relented.

"I can say from my brothers in the cause. It is more than twice." One of the guys spoke as he tried to stand.

Taylor bonked him on the head and he crumpled back down.

Glory Girl huffed.

"Moving on! I'm gonna call this in and get these guys booked if you don't mind. Should have done it sooner but it slipped my mind." Glory Girl stated as she took out her phone.

"I'd say blond moment but it slipped my mind as well." Taylor quipped.

"Anyways! Get these guys tied up while I do that." Glory Girl ordered.

"Sure I'll just… … … …" Taylor began but trailed off.

She held her face as she let out a groan. She felt her face heat up from embarrassment.

"What?" Glory Girl question.

"Of all things I got ready for this, zip ties or any way to tie people up was not one of them." Taylor muttered.

"Pffft…" Glory Girl sounded as she struggled to hold back a laugh.

Taylor glared at her as Glory Girl fished out a pack of zip ties.

"Here," she said, tossing them to Taylor.

"Thanks," Taylor replied as she caught them.

Glory Girl gave her a thumbs up as she got hold of the authorities. Taylor mostly tuned out what was said as she went to each gang member and started tying them up.

"Hey, I don't think I got your name. I need something to call you by!" Glory Girl shouted.

Taylor looked at her confused for a second before what exactly she meant dawned on her.

"Oooh… you mean my cape name. Right, it's Astre." She answered.

"She goes by Astre." Glory Girl told the authorities.

Astre tuned her out again as she finished tying up the rest of the gang members. Not long after, Glory Girl finished her call.

"They'll be here in a bit. You don't mind waiting, do you?" She inquired.

Astre shook her head no.

"I don't mind. If I'm gonna be a hero then best get used to this." She replied.

"Yeah, it tends to be the more boring part, but it needs to be done." Glory Girl added.

Astre just nodded. They stood there in silence for a bit.

"Soooo… Astre… that means star in French, correct?" Glory Girl asked.

"It can also mean luminary, but yeah. Surprised you knew that." Astre replied.

"Hmph… just cause I'm a blond doesn't mean I'm dumb." Glory Girl declared.

"Fair point." Astre replied.

"Sooo… why Astre, if you don't mind me asking?" The blond heroine inquired.

"I don't mind, it's more to do with my ideals as a hero than my powers. As the stars are a guide to wayward travellers, so too do I want to be a guide to others and hopefully help lead us into a brighter future." Astre declared. "A little lofty I know. But I figured if I'm gonna be a hero, why not shoot for the stars. Pun intended."

Glory Girl smiled at that.

"Hey, I think lofty ideals are what we need nowadays. With how everything is, a little positivity can go a long way." She replied.

"Thanks." Astre returned.

"Sooo… after we finish up with this feel up for a patrol. I know this is technically maneuvering practice for you or whatever, but I'm bored and could use someone to at least talk to. Aaaaand since you're new I can show you the ropes while we're at it." Glory Girl suggested.

"Hmmm… well… …" Astre muttered. "I don't see why not, it was already technically kind of a patrol to begin with anyways.. Besides, keeping up with you could be good practice. And like you said, you can so me the ropes. There are bound to be things about being a cape you can only learn from other capes."

"Awesome!" Glory Girl cheered.

"Just to let you know, I told my dad I'd be back no later than ten so we won't have a lot of time." Astre explained.

Glory Girl nodded at that.

"That's fair." She replied. "I can't stay out too late cause of school anyways so that works fine. Depending on how long it takes for the police to get here though we might not have much time."

"That's no big deal. I don't mind waiting." Astre stated.

"That makes one of us. I know it needs to be done, but that's soooooooooo boring." Glory Girl whined.

Astre gave her an unamused.

"Oh come on, you can't say after your first real fight that you don't find it at least a little enjoyable." Glory Girl pointed out.

"One, I've sparred plenty of times before this. Two, even just counting fights while out as a cape, this is technically my second fight. And three I'm not a battle junkie." Taylor replied. "Sure there's a thrill to the fight, but I don't live for it."

"To each their own I guess." Glory Girl muttered. "Though what do you mean by… wait…"

Glory Girl leaned in as though to get a better look at Astre.

"You seem familiar now that I've gotten a good look at you." She added.

Her eyes seemed to widen in recognition causing Astre to grow nervous. Please be only from the video, PLEASE be only from the video!

"You're the girl from the Shadow Stalker video!" Glory Girl exclaimed.

Oh thank god. Astre managed to hide her sigh of relief.

"I can't believe it took me this long to realize." Glory Girl complained.

"Yeah, that's me." Astre replied. "Got lucky the video caught me after my hair had changed."

"I bet. I can tell you from personal experience the troubles of being an open cape." Glory Girl added.

Astre nodded at that.

"Though, why go with the visor if you don't need to worry about your identity being exposed?" Glory Girl asked.

"It's the principle of the thing. Plus I think it looks cool." Astre answered.

"Eh… it kind of goes with your look. Feel like a bandana or something like that would work better." Glory Girl noted. "Nice job on the costume by the way."

"Thanks and you have a point… but…" She began.

She stopped and looked around. While the men were still in a daze there was the possibility of them over hearing things she'd rather they not hear. Glory Girl gave her a confused look as she did this.

"I have my reasons. I'll tell you later." Astre finished.

"Ahh… alright…" Glory Girl replied with a shrug.

An awkward silence took over, though it didn't last long as three police cruisers pulled up. Three policemen exited. After a brief exchange neither Glory Girl or Astre heard, one walked up to them while the other two started rounding up the men.

"Glory Girl, good to see you again." He spoke to the heroine before turning his attention to Astre. "And you must be Astre."

"Yep," Astre replied with a nod.

"Six empire thugs on your first night. Not bad. Least you seem to know how to hold back unlike someone I know." He quipped.

"Watch it bub." Glory Girl returned with a glare.

"Hahahaha… I jest. You're not that bad." He relented. "Anyways, I'm gonna need a statement for what happened."

Astre nodded before going into the events that led up to her confrontation with Empire members and the confrontation itself. The police officer took notes as she did. Once she finished the officer nodded and said, "Seems good to me. We'll take these guys in. Have good night ladies."

He put his notebook away and walked back to his cruiser. His partners had already gotten all of the suspects in their respective cruisers and were waiting for him. They drove off leaving Astre and Glory Girl.

"Huh… I expected there to be more." Astre noted.

"Maybe in other cities, but in the bay they don't get time to dally. Not enough cops or heroes and too many gang members and villains." Glory Girl noted.

"Sad, but true." Astre replied.

"Yep, but that doesn't mean we can just throw in the towel. I believe if we keep working at it, we can bring things around." Glory Girl declared.

Astre smiled at that.

"That is why I'm out here now." She added.

"Speaking of which, we've got a patrol to get to." Glory Girl pointed out. "Let's get going!"

She flew up and Astre followed her, deftly bounding up the side of the building and onto the rooftop. While Glory Girl was the first to arrive, Astre wasn't far behind her, surprising Glory Girl a bit.

"Are you sure you need to practice? For someone who can't fly you don't seem to have much trouble keeping up with me." She noted.

Astre shrugged.

"To be fair the only reason I ran into those guys is because I fell down from messing up a jump so it's not like I've got everything down solid." She answered.

'More like you were being a show off.'

SHUSH!
'Oh it's not like she can hear me.'

"Hmm… that's fair I guess. Anyways, follow me and try to keep up without falling down. We can talk as we go." Glory Girl directed before flying ahead.

Astre rolled her eyes and the light verbal jab before setting off. Glory Girl flew at a steady pace that Astre didn't have too much difficulty keeping up with as she bounded across the rooftops.

"Looks like we can add the Mover category to your powers. You're doing a pretty good job of keeping pace with me." Glory Girl noted.

"Thanks, though that's more from practice than my actual powers. Granted, an overall increase in my physical abilities does apply to how fast I can run." Astre replied.

"That reminds me, what exactly are your powers? If we're working together it's good to know them." Glory Girl brought up.

And there it is. Astre thought to herself. Time to stick to my story. While Glory Girl seems nice, it's best not to let too much info on my powers get out. Even if she is a hero, that doesn't mean she won't go blabling things out or someone somehow overhears us. The last thing I need is for the gangs to be breathing down my neck before I'm ready.

"I'm assuming you know mine?" Glory Girl added.

"Yep, basic Alexandria package. Flight, super-strength, and some form of invincibility. On top of this you've got your aura. Think I remember hearing it induces something like awe in people." Astre answered.

"Pretty much, though what you feel from my aura depends on what I see you as. Friendlies feel great, and baddies not so great." Glory Girl answered.

Astre chuckled at that.

"Good to know. For my powers it's enhanced physical abilities and I learn how to fight faster than a normal person. I also have some weird energy that should let me do stuff but I'm still trying to figure out what exactly."

"You don't have any ideas?" Glory Girl asked.

"Only vague feelings, it's weird." Astre lied.

"Huh… that is weird. Normally powers are more intuitive than that." Glory Girl noted.

Astre shrugged.

"It is what it is." She answered.

She then messed up the landing on a ledge and slipped off of it.

"NOT AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGgggggggggggaaaaaaaaaaaaaain!" She screamed before crashing into the ground.

She groaned in pain.

"Are you okay?!" Glory Girl called out.

"Other than my wounded pride, yeah!" She called back.

Glory Girl choked back a laugh as Astre's face heated up with embarrassment. She got back to her feet and bound back up to the rooftop. Thus her night practice and patrol continued.

And that's a wrap, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Till next time. If you want me to be able to produce more content, please consider supporting me on subscribe star. (search zmanxv and the link is on my deviantart page).