Word Count:
Goal: 10 000
Actual: 11 021

Previous days' work:
01 | 02/03 | 04

They trudged up the halls of the League’s headquarters, each of them silently fuming and blaming themselves for the loss.

They reached the doors of the main meeting room.

They paused collectively, none of them wanting to be the first one in to feel the wrath of the most senior members of the League. They were battered and bruised and damn tired, and none of them were prepared for the inevitable verbal lashing that was bound to come their way the moment they stepped through that door.

“Umm…shouldn’t Long Shot be here with us?” Starla inquired nervously.

“Don’t be stupid, Starla. He’s probably in there with the rest of them getting ready to ream our fucking asses about this.”

The group’s heads turned towards Arch Cherie, all of them shocked at the language she rarely used when in uniform.

“What?” she snapped crabbily. “I’m allowed to curse just as much as the rest of you.”

“I guess…” Lightning Lad started and then trailed off.

Maverick looked at him pleading. “Go on Lightning Lad. What were you saying?”

“I…I guess I’ll go in first. It’s my fault we screwed up. I’ve been doing this longer than any of you and it was my responsibility to make sure that we succeeded.” He started for the door, but then paused and turned around towards his friends.

“Listen, whatever happens, it’s been a real honor serving with all of you.” He turned his meaningful gaze upon Maverick. “I haven’t regretted anything that has transpired when we’ve been together.” He turned back towards the threshold.

His hand reached forward and he opened the door and stepped inside the hallowed room. His team mates followed.

#

The room was empty. There was a long meeting table with severe chairs lined up around it, but there were no people.

“I guess…they’re making us wait.”

Maverick strode forward and pulled out a chair near one end of it. Her team mates gawked at her.

“What? If I’m going to wait, I’m going to sit.”

“All of that press coverage has to be getting to her head,” muttered Arch Cherie as she lightly lowered herself down, as if afraid Captain Amazing or, worse yet, Power House, would jump out immediately and be upon her.

“Well this isn’t so bad,” cheered Starla. “At least we have a moment to prepare ourselves.”

Lightning Lad sank down with an almost visible cloud of darkness hanging over his head. Out of all of them, he had been the only one to ever have a meeting with the entire coalition of the heads of the League. It was rare for them to come together in one place—too dangerous, and too unnecessary. Why have twenty warheads when you only one required one to do the job?

They sat and silence fell upon them. Starla fidgeted with her costume. Lightning Lad slumped over his crossed arms and moped. Maverick and Arch Cherie took nervous glances around.

There was a sole clock in the room. It was remarkably ordinary. Each of them would have thought that such a prestigious room would have the most high tech clock known to man, and yet this was a simple one that probably could have been found at any supermarket. It ticked ominously, reminding them of the time that had passed since their recent defeat.

“I—“ Arch Cherie started, but then gave in to her own melancholy. “My mom’s going to kill me,” she moaned.

“Who’s your mom?” Starla quietly asked.

“Who do you think?” The outburst was unexpectedly loud in the almost dead silent room. “Power House! The greatest super heroine known to the galaxy! One of the founding members of the League of Super Powered Allies! Do you know what she said to me? She said, ‘You’ll never cut it. You’re just not made out to be League material. It’s a different kind of world out there, and without powers, you don’t stand a chance against the others out there’!” Her voice rose to the last staccato at the end of her sentence. She held her head in her hands.

“Maybe…maybe if I were just stronger and faster. Maybe then I would have been able to keep up with you guys.”

“Don’t be stupid. This was all our faults. If anything, you’ve been the driving force in this team, Arch Cherie. You’ve kept us going. Who knows what would have happened to us on those countless times when we’ve need your instinct and smarts. You’re the strongest member of this team after Lightning Lad, and that’s only because he has more experience than you! You’re going to surpass us all one day.”

"Thanks Starla." Arch Cherie smiled at the younger girl. "If this doesn't work out for you, you'll make a great psychiatrist some day."

Starla's smile vanished. "What makes you think this won't work out?"

"It's statistics," Lightning Lad spoke up. "Statistically speaking, at least one of us has to fail during our trials. It's impossible for all of us to make it into the League."

"It's not that we think you're going to be the one out of all of us to fail, Starla," Maverick continued. "If anything, you have a greater chance of making it than any of us since you're so much younger than we are. You have a longer time to hone your skills."

"But it's important tha tyou hae a fall back plan. You odn't want to dedicate ten years of your life to the League, just to be stuck high and dry because of one wrong move when they put you through your paces during your trials."

"Well it's good to hear that you all are getting along so well. It's a pity that only one of you can make it in."

The shocked group turned towards the door where all of the big players of the major league were standing.

There, standing in the door way in all of their spandex covered glory, were the heads of the League and its many incarnations. Captain Amazing, protector of the truth, justice, and the American Way and any beautiful woman who would willingly go to bed with him. Spangled Starr, Starla's own sponsor and mentor who fought the forces of cruelty in the world using her mystical rod crafted in the center of a super nova. Dark Knight, one of the greatest mortal detectives and fighters alive. Omphalos, an ancient Greek lady who had been revived by the Legion of Malevolence, thinking they could control her willful spirit. Priestess, a delicate and deadly Japanese woman and mystic. Adam Carr, the adventurer extraordinaire. Cypher, the League's very own hacker and techno-geek. And, finally...

"Power House."

Arch Cherie breathed out the name of the last great heroine who was standing in all of her glory besides some of the most notable people alive. She was the last remaining founder of the League. All others had since died, or were as good as dead. These men and women surrounding her had been personally recruited to the League of Super Powered Allies by herself after she was left as the sole matriarch. She had hand picked these greatest of greats and together, and they were as good as modern day gods.

Suddenly, Captain Amazing spoke up. "Hey, where's Long Shot?"


Chapter Four: How to Royally Botch up an Incredibly Important Mission and yet still Survive

The League of Super Powered Allies is the most well known coalition of caped crusaders in the known world today. It's ranks include most of Earth's best fighters, thinkers, and inventors. How do you go about joining the League?
a) You can get an established Leaguer who has had membership for at least five years and no disciplinary acts against him or her to sponsor you
b) You can prove yourself in the tri-annual competition that the League hosts to scout for new talents.
c) You can set out on your own and hope for the best (that you don't get killed by a rampaging android) and cross your fingers that the League takes notice of you
d) You can be drafted by invitation from one of the members based on previous acts of heroism and courage
e) All of the above

#

They had already established that Long Shot had communicated with Captain Amazing shortly after the team had separated from him. What had happened to him afterwards however, was the mystery they were desparately trying to unravel.

"Are you sure that none of you saw him after you departed from your briefing with him?"

"How many more times do we have to tell you: we have no idea what happened to him! None of us have seen him!"

"Arch Cherie." Power House's surprisingly quiet voice floated from the corner she was occupying. She had been watching the entire interrogations silently and with eyes that seemed to bore straight into each of the room's occupants. The air within the room seemed charged with a secret sort of power that emanated immediately from the moment she had entered the room. There was no question about it--it was serious business that she was here. Somehow they had gotten themselves into a situation that was much larger than something a team of their stature should have ever encountered. The weight of the predicament hung heavily on each of their shoulders.

"Look, I'm sorry we can't help you. I really am. But the truth of the matter is," Maverick looked at her fellow interim comrades, "we don't know any more than you do. I'm sorry. Can't we go? We're all tired, and some of us still have a real life waiting for us outside of these walls."

Power House turned her unsettling gaze upon the smaller woman before her. "You're a real Maverick, aren't you?"

She walked forward, slow and meaningful, leaving no question in her steps. It was the sort of walk that came from years of finely honing her skills and gaining personal strength in battle. She paused as she neared Maverick.

"I remember you. You were that young upstart who set out on her own, determined to make a name for herself without any sort of ties to my League. Tell me," she said, cocking her head to one side, "what changed your mind?"

Maverick's strong gaze wavered with the proximity of this near goddess before her. She could easily have ripped her limb from limb and then ground her already shattered bones into a fine grain without breaking a sweat. It was, admittedly, a little intimidating.

"I suppose...I suppose you could say I was given an offer I couldn't refuse, as cliche as it is." Maverick spoke slowly and was clearly carefully thinking over the repercussions of her every word. "Now then, if you'll excuse me. I'll be leaving now."

She turned and slowly strode away from the older legend and towards the door.

She had been walking away from the room for several minutes when she heard a tired voice calling ahead to her.

"Maverick! Wait up. Stop will you?"

She turned and saw Arch Cherie following her.

"Mind if I tag along? I kind of need a break from all of this hero stuff." She smiled tentatively. "Anyway, don't mind my mom; she's just trying to pysche you out, to see if you're tough enough to be League material."

Maverick rolled her eyes and continued on.

"Why does it matter to her whether or not she an psyche me out or not? She won; I'm in the League--isn't that what she wanted? I would have thought that after making it this far without getting myself killed or posessed or seriously maimed that it would have been enough for her to just accept me--accept all of us--as full fledged League members. I'm so sick of constantly having to prove myself!"

At her side, Arch Cherie remained silent.

"I'm sorry."

"No--don't be. It's not your fault. She's your mother, not you. What she does has no impact whatsoever upon my views of you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." Maverick smiled. "I hated you even before I knew the two of you were related."

"Ha. Ha ha ha. Remind me to get you tested for extrasensory perception. I really think you might just be a seer of some kind."

They reached the outside door.

"Well."

"Well."

Maverick turned towards Arch Cherie. "Look, Arch Cherie. You belong here. You were born into this, and I'd have to be stupid not to argue that this is where you belong. But this isn't my place. I'm just not a right fit for the League. Tell Long Shot when he gets back from wherever he's disappeared off to that I'm sorry and that I appreciate everything he's done for me. I just can't play second string anymore."

"Maverick--"

"Arch Cherie. This is my decision. Look, I'm really sorry but I don't think I'll be any help in finding Long Shot. I'll just end up picking a fight with Power House and it'll hurt our search. Find him for me, okay?"

Arch Cherie smiled at her. "Okay."

"Hey, isn't this just like what your mom said on the day she announced her resignation from the League? 'This is something that's been growing within me for a long time now, and I can feel the strings being tugged and I know that I am meant for a higher battle.'"

#

Ahhhh....do you know how good it feels to over and past the 10k marker already? It's been less than half the time it took me last year and I'm actually AHEAD of schedule according to my handy dandy notebook (a.k.a. No PLOT? No Problem!) by about two days. I'm sooo thrilled! I feel really positive about this year.

REMINDER TO SELF: I need need need NEED to record my submission for "Voices for Lolita" TOMORROW!!!!! I CAN'T FORGET!!!!!!!!!!!!

TiLT will be coming after I get out of school. I have so much I'm thrilled about this week. Squee~

Oh, Cindy and I ordered our lucky packs from Meta! I'm soooo excited about this year. Last year I actually got a skirt I had been wanting quite badly, so I'm really hoping I'm not disappointed this year. 8D

Also, I think that I am musically regressing. I've begun listening to Disney channel stars' music. I downloaded the HSM3 soundtrack! I'm listening to Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers!! I'm rocking out to Hilary Duff!!! (does she still count?) Aly and AJ! Milo and Otis! Ashley Tisdale! Miley Cyrus only that one song that vaguely reminds me of Shakespeare!

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?!?!?!?