[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/iyJuAe0.png [/img][/center] [center][b]Aubrey Adkins[/b][/center] [center][b]Pacific Point, CA[/b][/center] It had been a month since the reign of terror that Hounds of Humanity had caused had been curbed and stopped. Things were starting to go back to normal, or at least as normal as things can be after such a crisis. Although the Hounds would resurface every once in a while, like the cockroaches they were, they no longer were so great of a threat that they threatened entire cities anymore. Nothing that the local heroes couldn’t handle. I was just climbing up the wooden flight of stairs that lead to my apartment when I heard my phone ring from within my purse. After shuffling through the contents of my purse, I finally found my phone and retrieved it. The caller ID on my phone identified Will as the caller. He promised he would fly in and see me after he had visited his family for the 4th of July. I bet he was calling to let me know when his flight would come in. [color=b22222]“Hey, Will. What’s up?”[/color] “Just making sure you don’t forget me,” Will told me over the line. “I don’t want to be stuck at the airport at 1 o’clock in the morning.” [color=b22222]“Why in the world would you book a flight at such an ungodly hour like that?”[/color] “It was one of the cheaper options,” Will explained his choice of flight. [color=b22222]“I’m just messing with you. I’ll be there,”[/color] I told Will. [color=b22222]“But I’m going to need a quick power nap in the meantime. Today was a long day.”[/color] “You want to talk about it?” Will asked me about my day. I sighed before continuing. [color=b22222]“Management is already planning for the August pinups and they wanted a sports theme. After the couple hours the other models wasted arguing over who should get what, I wanted to bash my head against the wall. Half of them were all cheerleaders and dancers in high school, while the rest of them were too busy prepping for modelling or acting careers.”[/color] “So what did you do?” [color=b22222]“All I can say is thank God Emily thought outside of the box. She volunteered to dress as a team physician. I then withdrew my name from the race for cheerleader and settled with softball, as I actually played the sport while I was still in school.”[/color] “Please don’t tell me Whitney won the cheerleader sweepstakes.” [color=b22222]“You know she obviously did,”[/color] I told Will with a sigh, shaking my head, even though I knew that he could not see me. [color=b22222]“I still have a headache from hearing her voice.”[/color] “Well, at least you’re home now and you’ll be spending the week with me and not her, so that’s a plus.” [color=b22222]“Thank God!”[/color] After we had finished small more small talk, we said our goodbyes, at least until we would see each other in a few hours. Once we had hung up, I headed straight towards my bedroom, where I changed into something I could nap in for a while. I pulled out a pair of athletic shorts and an oversized, grey t-shirt that Will’s parents bought for him, thinking he would grow into it, but he never did. On the front of the shirt, the text, “2008 NFC Conference Champions” printed, along with the red head of a Cardinal. I really wished the Cardinals would have won that Super Bowl. Nothing would have pleased me more than see the Steelers lose in the biggest game of the year. Beside I slipped under the covers, I switched out the bra I had been wearing all day for my sleeping bra. Before I became a superhero, I could head to bed without one, but now that I was in the big leagues, I can’t feel comfortable at night without one. I know, it really sucks, but that’s life for you. I then set an alarm on my phone to go off in a few hours, so I could get up and pick Will up from the airport. Now that the alarm had been set, I slipped my phone into one of the cups of my bra. Shutting off the lights and reclining on my bed, I tried to catch a few winks before I had to wake up again. [hr] [center][b]“90’s” Aubrey Adkins[/b][/center] [center][b] Earth-99, Nautican Island (Not Destroyed)[/b][/center] [center][b]Same Date and Time as the above[/b][/center] The steel elevator doors slide open before Aubrey stepped inside. Her five-inch stiletto heels clicked against the floor with each step. Once the doors retracted again, Aubrey pressed the “5” button on the elevator’s control panel. She had just finished a long day’s shift at the [i]Lotus[/i] and was just returning home. Since Aubrey had been working at the [i]Lotus[/i] for a couple years now, she wasn’t self-conscious about wearing her “work” clothes home. Working at the [i]Lotus[/i] paid well that she was able to comfortably afford a nice car, so she did not have to walk to the bus stop at the twilight hours anymore. Plus, because she was a superhero, Aubrey could handle herself. After the elevator’s quick ascent, Aubrey stepped out and headed to her apartment’s door. When she was a few feet away from her front door, she pulled out her phone from her purse that was slung over her shoulder. At first glance, the cell phone had the appearance of any other smart phone. However, when she pressed the side power button, a few holographic displays appeared from the phone’s touchscreen. [color=b22222]“Could you unlock the door, Athena?”[/color] Aubrey said to her phone in a way someone today would talk to Cortana or Siri. In a matter of seconds, the sound of the door’s lock clicked, signaling that it was now unlocked. The first thing Aubrey did once she entered her apartment was to kick of her high-heels. The next thing on her to-do list was to change into something more comfortable. Before slipping out of her dress, she picked out an oversized, gray-colored t-shirt that belonged to Will. On the front of the shirt was printed “Super Bowl XLIII Champions: Arizona Cardinals,” along with that team’s Cardinal logo. Once Aubrey had changed, she deactivated her power nullifier, changing her lower body back to its normal drider appearance. She sprawled herself on her coach and started to channel surf until her phone spoke up. [i][/i] Because her superheroics would often cause Aubrey to miss many hours at work, all at unpredictable times, she had to supplement her income with corporate sponsorships. Sure, when she would make it to work, Aubrey would make a pretty penny. But that would also mean that she was leaving a lot of money on the table whenever her superhero career took precedence. [color=b22222]“Ugh, why? Do I really need to look over a few patches that were added and removed from my jacket?”[/color] [i][/i] [color=b22222]“We already had this discussion. Adding a bit of spandex isn’t going to do me any more good than leaving some skin bare, especially when my healing factor will just spit out any bullets that hit me, no matter if it hits my skin or costume. Plus, I’ve gotten fond of the spider shape over the years.”[/color] [i][/i] [color=b22222]“I don’t know, I think I’m ready to hit the sack,”[/color] Aubrey told her AI assistant with a very fake yawn. She just rolled of her couch and headed towards her bedroom, just ignoring Athena’s requests. [color=b22222]“Just make sure my costume is linked up with my power nullifier’s costume quick switch function.”[/color] [i][/i] [color=b22222]“Remind me when I wake up. But not right when you’re finished. I’ll be sleeping. Otherwise I’ll chuck you out of the window.”[/color] [i][/i]