Freedom: Back in Action (Open to 1or 2)

Sandy Fletcher didn't ask for this life. In her thirties and damn near penniless in a Chicago suburb, barely scraping by as a server at the last Bennigan's in the US. Her feet felt heavier with each step across the parking lot toward the door. By the time she reached her destination they were almost too heavy to lift. She didn't ask for this life. She didn't even ask to be born. Nobody does, but the buses run, the lights are on, and Bennigan's still serves American fare with Irish hospitality and a goddamn smile. This was something she reminded herself as she sighed and opened the door.

She didn't want to be there before she walked in. She wanted to be there even less after. She walked into the last place on Earth she wanted to be, and was greeted by the sight of the last person on Earth she wanted to see. Sat at the bar in all his patriotic, mulleted, glory was her highschool boyfriend, Jeffrey Gibbons, or as he was now somehow better known, Captain Freedom.

She glared daggers through the back of his head as she watched him toss frenchfries into the air and repeatedly fail to catch them in his mouth. Sandy found herself loathing him more in that moment than she did when she dumped him 15 years ago. How was it that someone like her who did everything she was supposed to do, studied hard, and worked harder could end up stuck working at a Bennigan's while a career petty criminal with an IQ in the single digits could luck his way into becoming a beloved superhero?

The resentment that swelled in her tongue left a bitter taste until it finally transformed itself into words that forced their way out of her mouth, "What are you doing here?" She barked, probably louder than she intended to.

Her enemy spun around on his barstool to face her, and she could practically hear the rusted gears turning in his head as he began to realize just who he was looking at. "Ho-leeee. Sandy Freakin' Fletcher! You still work here? I thought you moved to Boston."

"Austin. It didn't work out. So I'm back here," She pursed her lips, "But what exactly are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out with fighting the Legion of Doom, or shopping for spandex?"

"Nah. None of that bullshit for me. I'm just kicking back here at Benny's. Celebrating Cinco de Drinko with a few of these Long Ireland Iced Teas."

"Cinco de--? Jeff, it's August 13th."

Beneath the sunglasses he insisted made him look just as cool indoors as they did outside, Jeff's face twisted into a look of genuine confusion. Those gears were trying to turn again.


"So?"He asked.


Before she could answer him, the stocky, balding man behind the bar chimed in.
"Sandy, you mean to tell me you actually know Captain Freedom?"

"Yeah, Tony. Believe it or not, I used to date this loser."

"We did more than date. If you know what I mean."

Sandy rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Yeah. I do know. I was there."

"We boned. A ton."

"Nice." Tony chimed in again, and Sandy gave him a look that could've punched a hole through the sun.

"Don't encourage him." She snapped

"Why are you in today, anyway?" Tony asked in an attempt to change the subject, "Don't tell me you're filling in for Big Britney again."

"You guessed it. She hasn't shown up at all this week and I can't say I blame her. This job blows."
------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, not far away, storm clouds gathered, lightning flashed, and the Earth trembled with each step the heavily armored feet of Britney Wilcox took out of the burning rubble that was her highschool.

No, not Britney Wilcox, not anymore. The armor she now wore did more than just protect her. It gave her control over both the weather and her life. Control was something Britney never had, and never would, because Brittney no longer existed. She'd been replaced by the Vortex. Where Britney was meek and mild, a fat little nerd, Vortex stood tall and strong, a powerful being capable of bending the natural world itself to her will.

The school was a good test of her suit's abilities, but it was empty this time of year. Vortex needed to confront the people that tormented Britney face to face. Where better to start than that stupid ass job her step dad forced her to get over the summer? Sure, it helped her pay for bits of her armor after she stretched her inheritance thin on the rest, but she knew the names they called her behind her back. She knew how they really felt about her. She also knew just how to make them pay for it.

Vortex smiled beneath the helmet that hid her face from the world. It was amazing what a change in wardrobe could do for a girl.

huh that's odd Jeannie looked at the sky confused it wasn't raining but there was lighting over there in one spot. she curiously she goes to look.

and finds a building on fire! yikes scary! huh she wasn't sure where the odd lightning came from but looks like it started a fire. she calls the fire department then goes to see if there was anyone needing help, cause that's what heroes do, huh to bad she didn't have water squirty powers, but the fire guys would be here to help put it out. she'd make sure no one got bbq'd before they got here.

Summer vacation. Micah had worked all year for one long weekend off and it finally arrived.  He would get to spend the next four days away from his boring day job in boring Saint Paul Minnesota. He would get to relax on the beach in sunny, exotic, Chicago.
He was spending a weekend in Chicago.

It was all he could afford and that was only because he didn't have to pay for travel costs. One of the more practical perks of being able to manipulate gravity. "Buzz Lightyear eat your heart out," Micah said to himself as he pseudo-flew feet first in the sky toward Chicago.  Wearing full super-hero armor he clutched his duffel bag containing his change of clothes and toothbrush, he spun so that he could witness the city Skyline come into view.

"Sweet home Chicg-" Micah's cliche reference was cut short as a bolt of lightening struck his body. He plummeted downward. His duffel bag ignited and fell off as the strap's plastic clip had melted away. He dived down across several suburban blocks, across a burning school,  a typical residential area, until he landed in the middle of the street hard. His armor protected him as his body bounced and skidded  across the hot asphalt. He In creased his gravity field in attempt to slow down, but thats wasn't what stopped him.

He crashed into the brick wall of an Irish pub. The neon sign crashed down to what used to be the side walk. "Bennigan's"  flickered for one last time.

"I'm not going to get a vacation am I?" A loose brick fell and bounced off of his helmet. "Well, thanks for the answer."