AN: This story tends to update twice a day. If you're clicking on the newest chapter link, make sure you're not skipping the first update.

With a spring in her step and a song in her heart, Freakazoid! strolled through the sunlit park. Pausing to sniff a flower, she suddenly raised her head and sprang forward to catch a screaming boy falling from a nearby tree, gracefully twirling him around in an impromptu waltz as she hummed. After a couple of seconds, she lightly placed him on his feet and continued dancing her way through the park without breaking stride.

"Hey, Freakazoid!," called a woman at a balloon stand with a friendly wave, "You're in a good mood today!"

"I am," the hero sighed dreamily, as she danced over to the cart. "I had the most wonderful date last night."

"Ooh, with that Amy girl you can't stop talking about?"

"Uh huh. We had a picnic on the beach and talked for hours. About things we like, our dreams, people she dislikes…" Freakazoid! sighed again. "We ate, drank, watched the sunset. Seagulls attacked, Amy healed a sick cat. It was the best date ever."

"It sounds great," the woman laughed, "I hope it works out for you two."

"Thanks, so do I," the hero said before buying a balloon and skipping off.

The balloon vendor watched her go with a smile. "Wait, healed a cat?" But a moment later that thought was driven from her mind by the police cruiser racing across the grass and her subsequent cursing out of the driver.

"Hey, Freakazoid!," Cosgrove said out his window as he pulled up next to her, "I've got two VIP tickets to the Boston Broccoli Bash. Wanna—"

"Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!"

Amy took a sip of her dark, bitter coffee drink and sighed softly as its warmth spread through her body. Leaning back in her seat at the small cafe, she sighed again and stared off into space. Her relationship with Freakazoid wasn't going the way she'd expected. She'd started dating the hero because she was loud, brash, chaotic, and kind of crazy—all things that Carol would hate. Honestly, Amy wasn't all that fond of those qualities either, but she'd figured that putting up with them would be worth infuriating her adoptive mother. But… her sorta-pretend girlfriend had turned out to be thoughtful, sweet, and caring too. And that somehow made the loudness and craziness tolerable. Maybe even … endearing? Amy really didn't understand it.

"Excuse me," a girl said from next to her table. When Amy looked up, the redhead gave a little nervous wave. "You're Panacea, aren't you?"

For a moment, Amy was tempted to sigh and complain about how many people mistook her for the hero, but she restrained herself. Instead, she pasted a mostly convincing polite smile on her face and said, "Yes."

The girl smiled. "And you're dating Freakazoid!, right?"

Amy's smile vanished. "I don't think that's any of your—"

"Because I was hoping you could thank her for me the next time you see her."

Amy blinked. "Thank her?"

The girl nodded. "My name's Emma, and I was … in kind of a bad place the other day, but Freakazoid! talked to me and what she said has really been helping me get past things. And I just wanted to let her know how much I appreciate it."

Amy gave the girl a genuine smile. "Of course. I'll let her know and I'm glad you're doing better."

"Thank you." Emma gave a little laugh. "Oh, and of course you've helped a lot of people too! I'm sure you get thanked all the time, and you've never healed me personally, but thanks for everything you've done."

Amy's smile grew a bit warmer. "You're welcome."

"Oh, and if you and Freakazoid! don't work out because you have nothing in common, could you let her know my friend Taylor would be perfect for her? Thanks!" Emma cried, dropping a slip of paper on the table and dashing off.

"What?" Amy stared down at the phone number on the table for a long moment. Then she picked it up, and with a scowl, slowly tore it into small pieces.

"Ahhh… I don't think I've had so much fun in my entire life," sighed Freakazoid! as she leaned on the table and sipped her broccolatte.

"Yeah, it's been quite the day," reminisced Cosgrove, raising his mug of cream of broccoli soup to his mouth.

Ooooo

"I've got you now, Cosgrove!" shouted Freakazoid! as she slammed her foot down on the accelerator, sending her broccoli shaped bumper car shooting across the floor—only to immediately get t-boned by a giant cauliflower.

O

"This broccoli tempura is amazing, Cosgrove! You've got to try it!"

"Maybe after I finish my broccoli sushi. You sure it's safe to eat this stuff raw?" Cosgrove asked, cautiously poking the sushi.

"Broccoli?"

O

Freakazoid! bowed to her opponent, then cautiously circled to the left, her giant broccoli floret held in both hands. Suddenly, she darted forward, deflecting the incoming thrust of the asparagus spear and swinging the bottom of her weapon into her opponent's stomach. Taking a half-step back, she adjusted her grip and smashed the head of her floret into her dazed opponent, knocking him off the platform to the pads below. Raising the giant floret above her head she roared in triumph.

O

"I still don't see why you didn't get the broccoli dogs, Cosgrove," Freakazoid! said as she took a bite of her green slice of pizza, "they have them with both regular and broccoli chili!"

"I love broccoli as much as the next person, kid, but when you achieve perfection, you just don't mess with it," he replied, taking a big bite of his footlong chili dog topped with raw onion and mustard. "These broccoli bacon cheese fries are good, though."

O

"You ok, Cosgrove?" Freakazoid! asked, holding the officer's police hat as he threw up in the trash can near the exit of the Broccoli Soup Mug ride.

"Fine," Cosgrove said as he straightened up. "Ah, this brings back memories…"

O

"Hey, Freakazoid!, pass me a Boston broccoli cream doughnut, will ya."

"Here you go. Can you send the brocclairs this way?"

O

"Freakazoid!? You around here?" Cosgrove called as he wandered through the broccoli forest. "Where did that kid get to?" he asked himself, not noticing the giggle coming from behind the trunk of the broccoli tree he was walking past.

ooooO

"I could stay here forever," Freakazoid! said with a contented smile on her face.

"I know what you mean. Oh, by the way, an Endbringer's attacking Brockton Bay. You might want to do something about that."

"Do you think I should go back and help?"

"I would. But that's me."

"I'll do it!" cried Freakazoid!, posing heroically for a moment before streaking out of Boston as a bolt of living lightning.

Cosgrove took another sip of his soup before grimacing and thumping his middle. "I probably should have skipped seconds of the deep fried broccoli bonbons..."

A few seconds later, the wail of Endbringer sirens split the air.

Armsmaster gripped his special halberd and glared up at the tall, pale multi-winged woman hovering above the city. Next to him on the rooftop, Velocity shifted uneasily and asked, "Why hasn't she started singing yet?"

"Unknown, but I doubt it's anything good."

Velocity nodded unhappily. "I just hope we get more capes—wait, what's that?!"

Armsmaster quickly looked in the direction the other hero was pointing and commanded his visor to track the fast moving … lighting bolt. His mouth shifted to a frown as he discerned his least favorite hero's head on the front of it. Then, to his shock, Freakazoid! ran up the side of the Medhall Building and launched herself into the air, directly at the Simurgh!

"I've got some questions for you, lady!" shouted the blue hero as, unbelievably, she landed on the Simurgh's back. The Endbringer immediately shot up into the sky with incredible speed, she and her passenger vanishing from sight in an instant.

"So … we win?" Velocity asked uncertainly.

"Two words," Armsmaster gritted out, eyes fixed on the spot where the two had vanished, "Simurghed Freakazoid!."

Velocity shuddered.

—To be continued in "Is in This Chapter"