Tragedy and Bureaucracy

I was twenty-four and had recently graduated college with a Masters in Finance at SCU(Skyline City University) and had yet to decide my career path. There were job offers still coming in, but I just wasn't feeling it.

A few days after my final exams my parents died, killed in a hail of bullets along with dozens of other wealthy individuals at a fundraiser, including the mayor who was the target. The assassins were apprehended by a super, but not in time to save my parents.

After much internal debate, I decided to become a superheroine. I didn't need the money since I inherited my parents vast fortune, along with a majority share of Ventress Industries. I left the running of the business to the board of directors.

Now, becoming a superheroine may seem straight forward, put on a costume and stop crimes in progress. Not so at all! Active supers must register with the government, which is still complicated as there is no actual public office. You see, not all supers actually stop crime, some police supers. Not the knock down drag out fight you see in the streets or skies, but actual agents belonging to the DSA(Department of Super Affairs), a branch of the FBI. The super would make a call to schedule an appointment, like I did from a public phone(What am I stupid?), and meet in a public place. I met in a Wally's Waffle's, which is traditional for new supers in this part of the country. There's even a half off special on all meals for newly registering heroes.

I of course had to meet in my super costume which wasn't bulletproof since you needed to go through the proper legal channels. I purchased it online with an anonymous account so...spandex! Capri blue knee high boots, short capri blue gloves, and a lavender spandex body suit under a capri blue spandex sports bra and shorts. Not to mention my durable domino style mask designed to distort my facial features. Sent to a PO Box of course.

There was also the mandatory hero training, learning how to fight, prioritizing civilians first, various natural disaster situations, etc... It’s important to note that heroes don’t actually go out on patrol, we leave that to the police and vigilantes.

And the hero name, or lack there of. We didn’t get to decide that, the press did. I was glad since I suck at naming, at first, but that’s a tale for later.

Let’s not forget rental and lease space options for superhero vehicles or apartment spaces. If I decided to join a team I could live in a Hero House for free, which the entire city new the locations of, they were well protected. I leased a space for my used Honda sport bike at a supers garage.

I couldn’t be too ostentatious with my purchases, only fools advertised their wealth. Many heroes were sponsored by big companies and super scientists, whose patronage I hoped to obtain.

So for now, I had to buy cheap, which lasted for more than expected.