The below is from an email-based role-playing game that I'm currently doing with SinisterMarauder and a few other DA regulars. Glamour Girl was actually created specifically for use in this game. SinisterMarauder creates and writes the story/plot/scenario and I basically write responses as events unfold to provide Glamour Girl's actions and choices. Hopefully Glamour Girl will be teaming up with some other heroines soon!
This was all written very quickly and impulsively, so if there are typos and grammar errors or whatever... get over it.
SinisterMarauder
Eryn sat in her posh penthouse apartment, seated in a lavish leather chair staring at her obscenely large computer monitor. The screen was filled with images from recent photo shoots, articles about her rise to fame, YouTube videos of her exploits (the gangbanger one was still her favorite) and recent interviews, covers from various tabloids and magazines she had been featured in, along with real-time feeds from her Twitter, Facebook, and Professional webpage.
Her eyes darted back and forth across the screen, stopping every few seconds on the stunning MAXIMA cover featuring her in her golden swimsuit. And every time her eyes fell upon it she though to herself That's the one. The last couple of months had been a wiz-bang of cyber-world fame and popularity, but that magazine cover was what was going to solidify her stance in the mainstream media and pop culture.
Her gold-pressed cellphone vibrated on the table next to her, and "The Flight of the Valkyries" began to play. That meant her public relations agent Harry was calling. She flipped the phone open and asked what he had for her.
"Big things, baby!" he replied in his usual overly-enthusiastic voice, "Big things! Boy, that Maxima cover really put you over the top, kid! They're eatin' it up! You're puttin' the Kardashians outta business! But listen, we can't stop there! You don't want to loose this kind of momentum! You want to cement this thing for good, you gotta go out there and make a splash!"
"The Maxima cover wasn't splash enough for you?" she asked sarcastically.
"Naw, baby, it was gold! Pure gold! But you told me when you signed me on that this wasn't about the fame, you wanted to be like Sunglow! Well, doll-face, all eyes are on you now, and it's time to start showin' em what you're made of! No more of this kitten-from-trees kinda crap, it's time for the real deal! Listen, I got a buddy who sometimes hangs around with some, you know, less then reputable types. He overheard that there was gonna be a break-in at the Daxton Technological Revolutions lab downtown. Apparently, they're real pros at the sneakin' in and out, so the cops aren't even gonna show. I'll send a tip to the local news people, you go crashin' in through an upper story window while there are cameras rollin' and then you just mop the floor with the bad-guys! No muss, no fuss, good coverage, good publicity, good heroine, and you might even get an endorsement outta DTR for your troubles! Whadaya say, kid, you in?"
(**** And now you get to take over the narrative. Finish the conversation between her and Harry, do a little character building, and you can bring it all the way up until she goes into the DTR building if you want. *****)
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GlamourGirl
Eryn was already Googling "Daxton Technological Revolutions" to see what she could find out about their downtown building. This was the same Daxton facility that had manufactured the power armor suit that Sunglow ended up in a big fight with several weeks prior. This was a very expensive high-tech research lab. They were bound to have plenty of their own security and surveillance systems in place and Eryn couldn't just bust into the joint without some sort of probable cause.
"I don't know... that sounds a lot like breaking and entering. This scheme of yours could backfire twenty different ways... not to mention that I could get myself killed. How about if I just stake the place out and call the police if anyone shows up? I could still be a hero just by using my cellphone. No need to make such a big mess and put myself in danger, right?"
Eryn could hear Harry sighing through the phone. She knew that he had worked extremely hard to line up the MAXIMA cover, and the next step in his publicity master plan was for her to show the world that she had the moves to go along with all the talk and hype. Harry knew what he was doing, and Eryn knew that it was time for her to step up and do her part. She was determined to make it as a heroine, but she was also scared out of her mind. Probably just stage-fright... nothing she didn't know how to push through.
"Look, kid... there ain't much I can do with you standing there holding up your iPhone. I've gotta have something with some sizzle to turn this up a notch. I need some action! If this superhero thing isn't what you want to be doing any more, then we need to be talking about exit strategies and a way to pull the plug on all this..."
Now it was Eryn's turn to sigh, "Ok, hold up... Just... let me think for a minute. Don't be such a drama queen."
Eryn knew that she needed to be hitting the streets if she was going to become a real superheroine. Her self-designed training routine seemed to be yielding results and she had learned to do a few more tricks with the Gravity Gauntlets, but all of that hard work would be for nothing if she didn't start putting her skills to some real use. She didn't want to be perceived as a phony. She accepted the Gauntlets so that she could do something real with her life. This was far more than just another role. If she was really going to do this, it was time to put her money where her mouth was and take some risks. Eryn knew how she wanted to handle this situation, but she also knew that Harry wasn't going to like it.
"Ok, Harry... here's what we're going to do... I'll stake out the DTR building and try to get the drop on the bad guys. Once I catch them red-handed and I have them detained, then we'll call the cops... NOT the press... the cops! I agree I need to be taking on bigger challenges, but I don't need my first outing as a superheroine on the morning news if I end up making an absolute idiot out myself. Let’s just make sure that I can get out of this alive and then we'll involve the media next time."
As she expected, there was a very long pause on the other end of the phone. She could practically hear Harry's teeth grinding together, but she also knew that he understood her concerns or they'd already be in a yelling match.
"Look, kid... I get it... I really do... This is serious stuff and I don't want you distracted and getting hurt out there... Ok, tell you what... we'll play it your way on this gig, but next time... we're on the phone with every news station in Bayport, deal?"
"Deal! Harry, you're the best! Let's talk details...When is this all supposed to go down anyway?"
"My guy says 2:00 am... I'll send you an email with everything I've got. Don't worry about a thing, kid. This is going to be a cakewalk!"
"I hope you're right, Harry" Eryn said as she hung up the phone and set to work preparing her gear... and her makeup…
_____
As soon as he heard the dial tone, Harry punched in the number for his contact at the Bayport News Center. Eryn was welcome to do whatever she wanted to do with the whole superheroine thing; that was her job... but it was his job to manage the press and that's exactly what he was going to do. This was going to be media gold and he wasn't about to sideline the cameras just because Eryn was feeling a little skittish. He'd just tell the news guys to get there an hour early and stay out of sight until the fireworks started. Then they could swoop in and get some money shots and BANG!!! ...Glamour Girl would be an instant megastar! Eryn might be a little mad at first, but she'd thank him once the hype machine ramped up. It was going to be awesome!
_____
Eryn generously tipped the cabbie as she exited the vehicle two blocks from the DTR building. It was 1:30 am and she had time to spare... assuming that criminals knew how to stick to a schedule. The cab sped away and Glamour Girl was on her own... Showtime!
"I really need to get that motorcycle."
Taking a cab in full costume was a little awkward, but she didn't want to fly all the way downtown. That would have wasted too much power and she wanted to make sure that the Gravity Gauntlets had a full charge for... whatever was about to happen.
Eryn activated her Gravity Gauntlets and smiled as she felt the familiar tingle that meant that her body was now encased in a thin but powerful gravity field. Knowing that the field made her stronger and protected her like an armored shell gave her more confidence that she might be able to pull this off. She completed the simple hand gestures that activated the Gauntlet's Antigravity Flight routine. Her stomach lurched a bit as her body went completely weightless, and then she fired a quick gravity pulse towards the pavement that sent her rocketing into the sky. Eryn headed for the roof to see what she could see...
(**** I hope this was ok... Your turn, right? *****)
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SinisterMarauder
(****You did great! And you definitely nailed what I was going for with Harry's character!*****)
After she had gotten about half way up the building, Eryn noticed that all of the lights in the building were out. All of them. No floor lights, no emergency lights, no motion sensor lights, no security camera lights, nothing. According to what she'd skimmed over, the DTR was supposed to have its own complete power station that was separate from the national grid, for use in case of emergencies. If this building was without power, something was up. Could the thieves have shown up early?
She stopped her ascent when she spotted a pair of men in black jumpsuits wearing very futuristic helmets. The were plugging devices into the control panel of a door and tapping away furiously at them. Glancing up, she saw that there were no windows above this floor. Interesting.
She looked back down. Two guys, that wasn't so bad, so long as there weren't any more. Hesitating for a moment, she decided that there was no sense in wasting time and crashed in through the window. She somersaulted across the floor and brought her fist to bear on the back of one of the thieves helmets. There was a tremendous clang as the force of her blow drove his head into the wall, slipping his helmet in two. He slumped to the floor, blood oozing from a nasty gash in his forehead. His partner barely had time to react before she delivered an uppercut that lifted him into the air and launched him across the room.
Glamour Girl whirled around, waiting for someone else to appear. When nobody did, she checked her Gauntlets. 45/50 power. Nice.
Then she heard a transmission coming from one of the helmets.
"What the hell was that? You guys ok up there?"
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GlamourGirl
Eryn panicked for a moment, trying to decide if she should just leave the person on the other end of the line hanging, or if she should try to impersonate the fallen goon and try to get a little more information. She was originally planning to enter through the roof and now she didn't really know where she was in the building, how to get around, or where the other bad guys might be. This was already turning into a mess. Running around a massive multi-story building in the dark without knowing where she was going or who she was after was bound to be a waste of time... and time was power. She needed to wrap this up quickly before she ran out of juice.
She decided that her best bet was to try to flush the bad guys out of the building. If she let them know that they were busted, they'd probably make a run for it and head for the streets. She'd have an easier time spotting them from the air and she could swoop down and round everyone up and call the police. Her powers were much more effective in the open also. And maybe they'd give up on whatever they were trying to steal. This could work!
Glamour Girl picked up the helmet and placed it on her head. She ran her fingertip over the surface of the helmet beside her ear and found a small recessed button. Eryn cleared her throat, pressed the button and in her best receptionist voice said: "Your goons can't come to the phone right now, but if you'd like to leave a message I'll be sure to pass it along to them just as soon as they stop bleeding."
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SinisterMarauder
"Huh? Who the hell is this?" replied the voice on the other end of the line.
"This is a recording," she replied reflexively.
"What? Bitch, I don't know who you are, but you are messing with the wrong guys tonight!"
Eryn felt panic well up inside for a moment again. Guys? How many of them are there?
The com-line went dead in her ear. Ok, ok, she said to herself, they're coming up here, meaning I have a minute to decide how I want to do this.
The door was kicked open and two more guys in cyber helmets holding pistols entered the room, followed by a guy wearing power armor.
Crap.
"Aw, shit dude! You know who that is?" said the cyber helmet on the felt.
"Like, duh! Glamour Girl, you douche!" retorted the cyber helmet on the right.
"The hell? What's she doin' here?" inquired the power armor.
"Oh, no way! She's totally trying to stop our robbery!" said Lefty
"Yeah, and it looks like she fucked up Thumbdrive and Router," replied Righty.
"Damn it! They were the only ones who could hack the vault!" shouted Power Armor.
"Whoa, whoa there dude!" said Righty defensively, "I'll have you know I'm pretty good at-"
He never finished what he was saying, because Power armor grabbed his two comrades and leapt through the nearest window. Glamour Girl thought for a moment that he was out of his mind, but when she reached the window, she saw him slow his decent with rocket boots just before they hit the ground. She also saw a ring of camera crews and news vans around the building.
Damn it Harry!
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GlamourGirl
If ever there was a scenario that she DIDN'T want for her crimefighting debut as Glamour Girl, this was it. She was completely outnumbered, possibly outmatched and now the media was here. Even if she could figure out a way to take these creeps out, there was a very high probability that she was about to cause a lot of property damage, especially now that she had to deal with the guy in the power armor. Plus the news people could easily become hostages or get themselves killed in the crossfire. Eryn glanced at the thugs that she now knew as Router and Thumbdrive. They looked pretty out of it and she didn't think they'd be causing her any more trouble.
"Well, at least I stopped the robbery itself... That makes this a win, right?"
For a moment she considered letting the bad guys just get away. No one had been seriously injured, nothing was stolen. If she let them go, then there didn't have to be a fight and no one would get killed... including Eryn herself. Unfortunately just watching the bad guys run away didn't seem like something a superheroine would do, especially with the whole world watching. It's not like the cops would be able to handle the guy in the power armor, and she didn't have Sunglow on speed dial. If she didn't stop these guys, who would?
Eryn took a step back and prepared to make a running leap out of the window as she yelled to herself: "Are you Glamour Girl? Or just the Teacher's Pet? Get your ass out there!"
Eryn knew that her enhancements would protect her from a fall from this height. She didn't need to use her Antigravity Flight abilities; she could just leap out of the window and hit the ground running. Her target was the guy in the power armor. She had to take him out first while she had the juice... the faster the better.
Eryn gestured to activate her Gravity Shield as she gracefully leaped out of the window and dove fists-first after the fleeing bad guys, angling her body so that she would come down on the guy in the power suit. The Gravity Shield shimmered in front of her as it expanded and solidified. She had never tried to use her Gravity Shield offensively before, but she reasoned that between her strength enhancements and the momentum that she would generate by leaping out of the window, she could come down on the guy in the power suit like a ton of bricks. Hopefully that would take him out of the fight, but if it didn't then she would be able to swiftly protect the news people or protect herself from a counter attack with the already-active Gravity Shield.
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SinisterMarauder
"I came in like a wrecking ball!" crossed through her mind as she made contact with the thug in Power Armor. She struck him in the shoulder blades and drove him straight into the ground. Sparks flew and the concrete churned beneath them as her downward momentum came to an abrupt stop. She heard shouts and screams coming from the nearby news people, and then silence as she rose up from off of her target. One look was enough. The armor had absorbed the brunt of the impact, but he certainly wasn't going to be able to do anything with it now.
Sparks spat out of the crumpled suit as he lay motionless beneath her. Renewed gasps and cries from the crowd drew her attention to the remaining two thieves, who had doubled back behind her some thirty feet and were now pointing their pistols directly at her.
She swung her shield around just as they opened fire, their bullets stopping harmlessly in her shield and then dropping to the ground. She walked forward slowly, swaying her hips a little. With the big dog out of commission, the tide was turning in her favor, and she felt she could afford to play to the cameras a little. Just a little. Lefty and Righty emptied their clips into her shield to no avail, and frantically started reloading as she walked slowly and inexorably towards them.
She was an actress, she was trained to know and study behavior and body language. She couldn't see their faces, but she could tell that they were terrified. She had this. Stopping in front of them, she waited until they had finished reloading their weapons, and mustering all the authority she could emulate, said, "Why don't you boys put those guns down, before someone hurts you."
Everyone was deathly silent, waiting to see what would happen. Left and Righty stood there pointing their guns at her shield, shaking in their boots. Eryn was close enough that if she had to drop her shield, she could take them both out with a few swings. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people behind her that a stray shot could hit, and she didn't want to run that risk unless she had no other choice.
Fortunately, her terrifying display coupled with her incredible acting talent proved sufficient to sway the two goons, who dropped their guns with a clatter and threw their hands high above their heads. After inching forward so that her shield separated the thieves from their weapons, she turned towards one of the news crews just as the sound of sirens blared and a half dozen police cruisers pulled up.
"Perfect timing," she said gallantly, as she retrieved the two hand guns from the ground and handed them to the first policeman who came her way. She then quickly shut off her shield and checked her power level. 27/50. A little more than half. Before she could decide how she felt about that, the news crews surged forward, and microphones were thrust into her face.
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GlamourGirl
Eryn had been pissed when she first saw the news crews, but now that it was all over she had to admit...she was glad that they were there! Harry knew her too well and the guy deserved a raise.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please! One at a time!"
This was her arena. Eryn knew she had a lot to learn about being a heroine, but the press she could definitely handle. The questions came fast and furious. Eryn did her best to answer the personal questions and pretended to ignore the guy that kept asking her "How exactly did you know that there was going to be a break-in tonight?" She could just as easily ask how he knew to be here, but it was better to ignore the question entirely than to pick a fight with a news guy. He was welcome to speculate, but she wasn't going to give him any details.
She had only fielded a few question from the reporters when she realized that she still didn't know what any of this had been about, and she still had more than a few unanswered questions herself. She also needed to make sure that the police knew about Router and Thumbdrive. She waved off the reporters and started walking towards the police officers that had gathered around the guy in the power suit. The officers were trying to pry the guy out of the shattered and sparking wreckage.
Eryn turned to the guy that looked like he might be in charge: "Excuse me, sir... but there are two more goons out of commission upstairs. You might want to send someone after them to make sure they don't slip through the cracks. They were trying to steal something, but I don't think they got whatever it is that they were after. If you guys have this all under control, I'll get out of your hair so that the press aren't in the way, unless you want me to stick around and help you sweep the building. It's your call."
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SinisterMarauder
The detective she spoke to was a mountain of a man, well over six feet tall and build like a quarterback. He graced her with a smile that had an unassuming mischievous quality to it, and replied, "I'll send my men up to collect them. The DTR is sending in a team of their private security to sweep the building, so I doubt they want outsiders assisting."
Eryn nodded and turned to leave, but the detective continued, "You know, I wasn't so sure about you at first. Couldn't tell if all that media hype was a lot of bluster or not. Glad to see you put your money where your mouth is. Just do me one favor? Try not to merge all of the guys you out down into the pavement? The city can't afford to keep up with all this damage to the streets."
Catching the humor in his tone, she smiled and replied, "I'll keep that in mind, Detective . . . ?"
"Brewer," he replied with that roguish smile, "If you wouldn't mind making a written statement of the events tonight for us, that'd certainly make my job a lot easier. We may have more questions for you later as well, but I doubt we'll have any trouble getting in touch with you."
"Just follow the broken pavement," she answered with a touch of sass, turning on her heel and walking over to a nearby officer who eagerly provided her with a laptop to type out her statement on.
(****You can wrap it up at this point.*****)
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GlamourGirl
Eryn used the laptop to send out a supervirus that wiped out the internet. Then she tried to activate her Antigravity Flight power, but she accidentally pushed the wrong button and unleashed a gravity pulse that triggered the creation of a mini-black hole that sucked the Earth into its event horizon and everyone died.
The End
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SinisterMarauder
Damn it! I said wrap it up, not wipe it out!
Now everybody has to create new characters and I have to come up with a new city and story line! You're making me work here!
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GlamourGirl
Not my problem.
Ok...so that last part might need to be rewritten before our next adventure.
Artwork is by
(with a few quick media design embellishments by me)Check out his original version here:
http://fav.me/d99k2jb
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