"Mr. Black" was growing increasingly frustrated. From his hidden command center in the heart of Century City's Bayside district, he watched as his drones continued to deplete at an alarming rate. Worse yet, Vance had escaped the execution he so rightly deserved... All because of that damned Good Samaritan in the red cape. His loathing for her was beginning to rival that which he reserved for Vance alone. No matter how many drones he seemed to throw at her, she just kept coming. Eventually, something had to give -- and if the dwindling number of active drones was to be believed, it would be [I]him[/I].

An alarm screamed from the screen to his left. Mr. Black snapped his head around, eyes widening as he consulted the flashing red text. [I]Proximity alert. [/I] "No, no, no, no," he repeated to himself, panicked. Turning his attention back to the main screen, he rapidly cycled through the few remaining drones' camera feeds. Their numbers had thinned enough that it didn't take long to consult them all. Hoping he had merely missed what he was looking for, he went back for a second pass. Still no luck. "Where [I]are[/I] you?" he muttered under his breath, his tone a potent mixture of annoyance and concern.

[color=adff2f][b]"Here,"[/b][/color] came a voice behind him.

Mr. Black whirled to face the intruder. She stood -- no, [I]floated[/I] -- just a few meters away, arms folded across the radioactive system emblazoned on her chest. He reached for the revolver which sat next to his keyboard, the one he had never dreamed he would have to use. With a shaky grip, he brought the gun to bear on the hero. At the same instant, her eyes glowed a bright green, and a beam of concentrated energy shot out, scalding his hand and sending the weapon to the floor with a clatter. Mr. Black clutched his fist, wincing.

Before he had time to react, she surged forward to close the gap between them. Grabbing him roughly by the collar of his shirt, she lifted him out of his chair and held him aloft. [color=adff2f][b]"Now,"[/b][/color] she began, voice steady yet firm, [color=adff2f][b]"you're going to shut it down."[/b][/color]

[center]-----[/center]

Space was always at a premium in Mickey Holtz's cramped office, but even more so on days like today when it was "all hands on deck" at the Chronicle. The beleaguered editor, though never renowned for being abundantly patient, did his best to remain calm though the revolving door of writers, editors, and photographers vying for his attention. Everyone implicitly understood that news days like this came around once in a decade -- maybe once in a [I]lifetime[/I] -- and so they were all working hard to ensure that tomorrow's edition would be the best it could possibly be.

Amidst the chaos, a somewhat flush April stepped into Mickey's office, clutching an article. Looking up from a layout of photos of the destruction downtown, the editor-in-chief eyed her for a moment before turning his attention back to the copy editor standing by his side. [color=a0522d]"The first and the third one,"[/color] he instructed, handing the photos back. [color=a0522d]"Thanks."[/color] There was a weariness to his voice which suggested he had been at this for hours already. Once the other editor left and they were alone, Mickey finally acknowledged her. [color=a0522d]"You've brought me something?"[/color]

[color=adff2f]"A profile of the saboteur,"[/color] April explained, holding out the article to him.

Mickey raised an eyebrow. Taking the papers gingerly, almost as though he expected them to burst into flame at any moment, he donned a pair of reading glasses from his desk and began to skim the article. For a few excruciating moments, neither his expression nor the subtle "hmm"s he kept making gave any indication as to his overall impression of the piece. Upon reaching the second page, he removed his glasses and leaned against the back of his chair. Finally looking up at her, he asked, [color=a0522d]"How did you get this?"[/color]

April straightened, swallowing. [color=adff2f]"I followed your advice: I pursued the truth,"[/color] she answered simply. [color=adff2f]"After the derailment, I started to believe that someone was targeting Zenith Dynamics. I couldn't rule out corporate sabotage, but the manner of the attacks made it believe it [I]had[/I] to have come from the inside, from someone with intimate knowledge of Zenith's security protocols. So, I started looking into recent firings, looking for someone who might hold a grudge."[/color]

Mickey said nothing. He merely watched her give her pitch, his face a mask of emotion.

[color=adff2f]"That's how I found this man, Carl Stromby,"[/color] April continued. [color=adff2f]"Former programmer. He was dismissed from the company in October for undisclosed reasons. I started asking around..."[/color] She paused, interrupting herself, [color=adff2f]"I know, I know. You told me to stay away from Zenith. But you also told me to be tireless in my pursuit, so that's what I did."[/color] Clearing her throat, she went on, [color=adff2f]"Anyway, it turns out that Carl was caught spying on a coworker. He had written a script which gave him access to her emails, even the texts on her work phone... She declined to press charges, but Carl was thrown out all the same. And since Zenith held all the patents to his projects, he was left with nothing."[/color]

It was true, all of it. The only embellishment April had made was to suggest that she had been investigating Stromby [I]before[/I] his arrest. But, she supposed she could be forgiven for fudging the timeline a bit if it kept her and Jefferson's involvement in Stromby's capture out of the headlines. She had offered to acknowledge Jeff in her article, but they both agreed against it; after all, the odds were good that they'd need a man on the inside of Zenith again, if this "superhero" arrangement was to become a recurring thing.

What Mickey said next almost flattened April. [color=a0522d]"I'm impressed."[/color] She felt a surge of pride which was only slightly dampened when he added, [color=a0522d]"The writing itself could use work, of course, but that's still damn good reporting, Newton."[/color] He bellowed, [color=a0522d]"Gerri!"[/color] and another assistant came rushing into the office. He passed the article to her, saying, [color=a0522d]"Get one of the editors to look this over, punch it up a bit. I want to run it below the main story."[/color]

April could scarcely believe what she had heard. [color=adff2f]"Wait, you're actually going to print my article?"[/color]

He looked around. [color=a0522d]"You see anyone else handing me a profile on the suspect? We're here to report news, kid, and [I]this[/I] is news."[/color] Gerri dutifully took the article and scurried off, while Mickey warned, [color=a0522d]"Before you get too excited, you're splitting the byline. Your writing's not front page ready on its own."[/color]

The revelation did little to sour her mood. Beaming with excitement, April replied, [color=adff2f]"Thank you, Mickey! This means the world to me."[/color] Without being able to stop herself, she threw her arms around the editor, squeezing perhaps a [I]bit[/I] too tight for her newfound strength.

[color=a0522d]"Alright, okay,"[/color] Mickey said somewhat uncomfortably. Though he didn't fully return the hug, he did give her a supportive pat on the back. After a moment, they separated, and Mickey seemed a lot more relaxed. [color=a0522d]"For the record, I never doubted that you had what it takes,"[/color] he offered.

April furrowed her brow. [color=adff2f]"Then, why didn't you let me cover the Zenith story in the first place?"[/color]

He sighed. [color=a0522d]"Because when I hire someone, I do my research,"[/color] he explained. Softening, he said, [color=a0522d]"April, I know about your father. I lost my dad when I was young, too; I [I]know[/I] the effect that has on a person. So, yeah, I worried that you might be too close to Zenith to see things clearly. I didn't want to risk that you'd let a personal bias color your journalistic instincts."[/color]

April nodded. [color=adff2f]"I understand."[/color] Hearing that his decision hadn't been an indictment of her abilities was a bit of a relief. And truthfully, she couldn't deny that she [I]had[/I] gone into Zenith hoping to dig up some dirt.

[color=a0522d]"Good. Now,"[/color] he continued, stopping to check his watch, [color=a0522d]"it seems to me that it's almost time for the content meeting. If you're serious about this, then I guess you'd better sit in on this one."[/color]

She beamed.

[center]-----[/center]

Mickey stood at the head of the conference table, arms folded and fiddling with a remote. Once the assembled editorial & writing staff had finished filing into the room, he cleared his throat loudly and said, [color=a0522d]"Alright, I think we all know what we're dealing with here."[/color] Clicking the remote, he turned to face the projector on the wall behind him. A picture of Century City's new superhero appeared, hovering in mid-air as she artfully fended off one of Stromby's killer drones. The composition of the piece was impeccable.

April blushed at the sight of the photograph, praying that no one would recognize her in Jeff's getup. Suddenly, being surrounded by some of Century City's brightest, most observant minds didn't feel like such a smart place to be. Fortunately, it seemed she was just as invisible now as she had been when she slinked into the conference room. To be safe, she shrank back further against the far wall.

Peyton, who had taken the picture, smiled proudly.

[color=a0522d]"Century City has never had a dedicated superhero before, so I shouldn't need to tell you that this is a [I]big[/I] deal,"[/color] Mickey announced. [color=a0522d]"I can tell you from experience that a story like this comes around once in a decade, maybe even once in a career. And what we have here--"[/color] He shook the remote at them for emphasis. [color=a0522d]"--is a chance to control the story. We were the first to report on the derailment, and we'll be the first on this. We get to stake our claim, so... what do we call her?"[/color]

April stiffened. Somehow, she liked the idea of her superhero name being decided in committee even [I]less[/I] than just letting Jeff pick it.

"Radioactive Girl?" a junior reporter offered.

April cringed. Fortunately, Mickey was equally repulsed by the suggestion. He waved it off. [color=a0522d]"No."[/color]

"Atomica!" came an enthusiastic cry from the other side of the room.

Mickey frowned. [color=a0522d]"Better. Still don't like it,"[/color] he admitted.

April could bite her tongue no longer. Stepping forward, she asked in a somewhat shaky voice, [color=adff2f]"Shouldn't we consider that maybe this person would like to have some input on her own name?"[/color]

The editor's expression told her everything she needed to know. [color=a0522d]"Well, gee, April, I hadn't thought about that,"[/color] he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm, [color=a0522d]"And I trust you know how to get a hold of her before the publishing deadline, right? If she has an opinion on our decision, she's free to come down here and voice it in person... [I]if[/I] she agrees to an exclusive, of course."[/color] He turned his attention back to the room at large. [color=a0522d]"What else ya got?"[/color]

The suggestions flowed freely now.

"Fission!"
"Radiatrix?"
"Nuclear Lass!"
"The Atomic Woman!"
"Ion?"

April could take no more. Eventually, one of these awful suggestions was going to stick. She might as well try hers. Sighing, she thought, [color=adff2f][I]Jeff's never gonna let me live this down.[/I][/color] Clearing her throat, she waited until she had every eye in the room. [color=adff2f]"What about... ?"[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7bkbXx5.png[/img][/center]