[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/rFsVPbQ.png[/img][/center]
[center][b][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5218942]Previously On Create-A-Hero[/url][/b][/center]
[center][b]Aubrey Adkins | Will Grant | Emily Prichert[/b][/center]
[center][b]Day of the Arlaaekan Invasion[/b][/center]
[center][b]Columbus, OH > Pacific Point, CA[/b][/center]

	Because I have been playing sports for as long as I could remember, I’m no stranger to high-pressure situations. Whether it was a playoff game in a softball tournament or a cheerleading competition, I’ve learned to thrive on the stakes of the game. However, an alien invasion is an entirely different ballgame. Losing in softball or cheerleading, while still disappointing because of the days of training and practice spent in preparation for the final performance, wasn’t a life-or-death situation. A worldwide alien invasion, on the other hand, had way higher stakes. I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if we didn’t prevail.

	I splashed some cold water on my face. While I really did need some extra time to blow dry my hair after the postcoital shower Will and I shared, I also wanted to take a moment to gather up my composure. I wanted to wear a brave face for him. While Will did have the powers of a parallel universe version of himself who was actually a superhero, he was still a regular person thrust into an extraordinary situation, much like the rest of the world. I wanted the last moments we had together before Athena stows him away to be happy and relaxing.

	Once I had finished mustering my confidence, I tightened the fabric belt on my pink bathrobe around my human form and headed back to my bedroom. Will, already changed into his pajamas, was sitting up on my bed, leaning up against the headboard. A Nintendo Switch rested in his hands, which was taking up his attention. Right when I entered the room, I immediately noticed he had tidied up my room: he had gathered up all the clothes we had discarded before everything got, well, steamy and tossed them into my laundry hamper. He even made up my bed, which now looked like nothing had happened in the past hour.

	I bounced over and plopped down onto my bed right next to him. I turned to him and said:

	[color=b22222]“We should [i]really[/i] do this way more often.”[/color]

	Will peered up from his Nintendo Switch and replied to me: “What, taking a shower together or having—"

	[color=b22222]“Why not both?”[/color] I answered with a coy smile. Scooting closer to Will, I wrapped arms around him and leaded my head against his shoulder. In turn, Will slipped one arm out of my embrace and reciprocated my affection. 

	[color=b22222]“So, anything you want to do before Athena gets back?”[/color]

	“Oh, yes. I almost forgot!” Will responded as he clicked a few buttons on his Switch to save his game progress. Setting the portable device down, he wiggled just enough out of my embrace to reach over to the nightstand on his side of the bed. He retrieved a necklace with a simple, wooden fish symbol, which circumscribed an equally simple cross, hanging from the necklace’s cord.

	“Do you remember these?”

	[color=b22222]“Of course,”[/color] I answered. Back in middle school, when we had finished our confirmation prep class and received the sacrament itself, our instructors gave us these necklaces. High school and college had past since we got them, so it must have been mixed in with miscellaneous jewelry I had stashed in a shallow bowl on that nightstand.

	“Since we didn’t have time to get rings, I thought this could be a temporary substitute until we can get some real bling.”

	I noticed Will said “when” and not “if” we buy our wedding bands. A glimmer of hope arose in my heart as I could see him looking towards a time after the alien invasion. I then sat up and shifted myself to the edge of my bed. Will, in turn, took a seat directly behind me and, after I pulled my hair to a side to give Will access to the back of my neck, draped the necklace on me. Once he had finished tying the back of the necklace’s cord, he leaned forward and plucked a kiss on my cheek.

	[color=b22222]“You wouldn’t mind rubbing my shoulders before I get dress, now would you?”[/color]

	Without saying a word, Will began to massage my shoulders. I not quite sure how to explain what happened next, as everything in between seemed like a blur. One moment, I was enjoying the shoulder rub Will was giving to me. But after a few kisses on my cheek and neck, one thing led to another. I allowed my bathrobe to slip off my shoulders, with only the fabric belt keeping the garment situated around my waist and draped over my lap. Will continued to kiss me as his hands wandered about, with one ending up on my inner thigh, while the other cuirassed my left bre—

	Not that we had much time to do anything, as a loud clang of metal armor suddenly echoed throughout my room. Almost as soon as Will and I had become carried away in this moment of passion, Athena had materialized at the doorway of my room.  When the goddess saw us, she merely shook her head and rolled her eyes. Much like when a parent would happen to stumble upon their daughter getting busy with their boyfriend, anger wasn’t present in her eyes: just disappointment, and maybe a tinge of awkwardness. We, on the other hand, were like two deer caught in some headlights, frozen in place when we immediately recognized we were no longer alone.

	“Well, I guess I have returned just in time before you two could do anything [i]stupid[/i],” Athena announced as she stepped into the room. In total embarrassment, Will and I remained entirely still, not quite sure what to do.

	“Come on now! We don’t have all day, even with my powers,” Athena snapped at us. At her urging, we started to part ways. While Will crawled off my bed, I covered myself back up with my robe. I could see in Will’s eyes that he didn’t want to go. And I couldn’t blame him, as his choices would be either to cower in some corner and hope the aliens don’t blow him up or be left in some empty void while unconscious. Unfortunately, we both knew that the latter option was safer for him. After one last kiss, I went over to Athena.

	And in a blink of an eye, I was alone in my parents’ house. I sat there for a few seconds before hoping onto my feet and getting dressed. Since I was going to be dressed in my superhero costume for what would come next, I just pulled on a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt so that, if for whatever reason I would need to get out of my costume, I wouldn’t be stuck only in a robe. 

	As I finished pulling my shirt over my head, I paused for a moment when I saw Will’s suitcase sitting next to my dresser. He must have brought it in after our shower. An idea popped up in my head. After I shifted through his clothes, I finally found a graphic tee, one with a Spider-Man print on it and immediately exchanged it for my own shirt. Weirdly enough, even though I knew that Will was in some pocket dimension right now, the fabric clinging to my torso eerily made me feel like he was still embracing me, thereby calming my nerves to a degree.

	“It is time,” Athena alerted me as she reappeared once more. She placed a hand on my shoulder in preparation for teleporting to Pacific Point. The moment before we warped out, I reached down and deactivated my power nullifier. Why not have the process of getting ready happen while we’re in route?

	The bright California sun blinded my eyes as Athena and I arrived at Pacific Point. Once my eyes had readjusted to the light, I caught sight of the current state of my home. Alien ships zoomed about the skyline, although it seemed like something had put a dint into their forces. The streets were drenched with water, as if it had down poured all day, an rare occurrence in sunny Southern California.

	“Arachne?” I heard Emily’s voice call out. My fellow Viera model was dressed up in her Pinup superhero persona, her normally brunette hair was currently a vibrant red. I’ve always meant to ask her how she does that, but it either always slipped my mind or I couldn’t talk about it without revealing our alter egos. As she hurried towards me, she never glanced towards Athena, who had remained next to me. The Goddess of Wisdom must still be invisible to everyone except for myself.

	“I thought you were back in Ohio?” Pinup asked.

	[color=b22222]“Well, I [i]was[/i] there, but it seems like you all could use a hand, or at least a few legs,”[/color] I replied with a smile as I tapped the display on my power nullifier. Since I had not had time to procure a new copy of my normal Arachne costume, I was still stuck with the one belonging to my 90’s version. The California weather was way too warm for a bomber jacket, so I found a setting that would stash the coat away wherever my costume was stowed while keeping the rest of the outfit intact.

	“Oh, that’s a cute necklace. Did your boyfriend give it to you?”

	[color=b22222]“Necklace? What necklace?”[/color] Flustered, I immediately rubbed my fingers over the exposed skin just below my collar bone until my hand brushed up against the cord of the wooden fish necklace. Sighing in relief, I spoke up again: [color=b22222]“Oh, [i]that[/i] necklace. I guess you can say he gave it to me."[/color]

	Even though Emily was wearing sunglasses, I could see the emotions in her face change from confusion to a moment of eureka to an expression that could only mean TMI.

	“Did our good Catholic girl finally turn to the dark side?”

	[color=b22222]“What?”[/color] I exclaimed, clearly regretting opening up this Pandora’s box, [color=b22222]“No, no. Will and I are married now.”[/color] 
 
	“Wait, when you said you were heading home to attend a wedding, I didn’t know it was [b]your[/b] wedding!”

	[color=b22222]“Oh, no, that wasn’t our wedding. It kind of was a spur of a moment thing right after invasion began.”[/color] 

	“When did you have time to get married?”

	[color=b22222]“Um...that’s complicated. Honestly, I’m not sure how the timeline works,”[/color] I answered Emily.

	[color=b22222]“Anyways—”[/color] I said in an attempt to change the subject, [color=b22222]“we should get back to this alien invasion.”[/color] 

	“Agreed,” Pinup answered. Before we headed out, I ran my hands through my long, blonde hair and pulled it back into a ponytail so it wouldn’t get in the way during the battle. However, I realized I didn’t have a tie or scrunchie to keep my locks in place.

	[color=b22222]“You wouldn’t happen to have a hair tie, would you?”[/color]