Afterglow

[Heritage]

Grim looks down at the burning van from the roof of the boarded-up storefront, the light of the blaze reflecting in her deep brown eyes; she can only shake her head at the night's activities.

"I'm not happy with how this turned out." She stops and smiles, still peering down at the street. "I can't hear you, boss, so I know you're there." She sighs and drops down to the tarpaper, chin on her crossed arms as she leans over the low parapet.

"I like working with you; I think we make a good team, or will, once I start pulling my weight a bit, but it's not enough, is it? There's a war going on down there, a war that is about to be turned up a notch, and other than a few parlor tricks my grandpa would have been proud of, I don't think I'm doing a heck of a lot to make it better."

The young heroine raises her head to look out over the glowing electric landscape of the Southside, inky black space marked out by streetlights and the constant flow of cars; the chill wind rushes past her ears, and the smoke from burning oil stings her eyes and nose.

"What else can we do? We can't just react all the time, we need to strike first. The undercover thing might work, but it might blow up in my face; what if I can't pull it off? What's our next move?"

[Shadowboxer]

Shrouded in flickering shadows, Nightrival stands at the opposite side of the roof behind Grim. He watches his partner for a few moments and listens intently. Although he already has a reply, her questions spark a resolve that he has carried with him for so long.

He finally steps out the shadows. "I'm gonna hafta disagree wit' ya there. Ya pulled my fat outta th' fire, so's I jus' returned th' favour. Besides, if ya were holdin' me back, do ya think I'd keep ya around?"

He strolls across the roof and stands beside Grim, watching the fire engines and police cars gather around Monty's garage. The flames dance along his black, featureless mask. Somehow, he is able to ignore the acrid fumes wafting towards them.

"We got Monty outta danger and a mess o' Brotherhood members are gonna see some jail time. I'd call that a success. But this fight ain't goin' ta be over in one night. We're goin' up against an army. Though, now that ya mention th' undercover thing . . . it's got me thinkin'."

Nightrival pauses as he searches for the right words.

"Th' undercover plan ain't gonna work wit'out some backup. Serious backup. I've been tryin' ta figure out some way of puttin' together a . . . a network o' folks that can help each other out in times like this."

He coughs. "So, um, I'm . . . I'm puttin' together one o' these superhero teams an' I want ya innit. What ta ya say?"

[Heritage]

"Th' undercover plan ain't gonna work wit'out some backup. Serious backup. I've been tryin' ta figure out some way of puttin' together a . . . a network o' folks that can help each other out in times like this."

He coughs. "So, um, I'm . . . I'm puttin' together one o' these superhero teams an' I want ya innit. What ta ya say?"

Grim sits up straight and looks over her shoulder at Rival. "Are you serious? Who...who else has signed on?"

She shakes her head. "I mean, of course the answer is 'yes', but I just...a whole team? Wow."

The young vigilante just sits there for a few seconds, shaking her head and smiling, but there is just a hint of concern as well; suddenly she stands and walks rapidly over to her mentor, the bruised side of her face in shadow.

"So yeah, who else? Or did you ask me first, because that would be awesome, but I'm not mad if I'm not; it would just be kinda...cooler if it was."

[Shadowboxer]

"'Ave I asked anyone yet? Well," he mumbles, "maybe. Okay, yeah. I asked this other hero I met up in Hanover named Velocity. She's a speedster. It was kind o' spur o' th' moment thing."

Nightrival blushes under his mask. He didn't take Grim's feelings into account when he decided to ask other heroes he encountered. Recruiting had turned into a random affair, something that came about when the moment seemed right.

"Ya were my first choice; I jus' never 'ad the chance to make it all official."

He sighs and stretches his neck. He can now smell the blaze roaring blocks away.

"But there's somethin' else I wanted ta tell ya. I decided that the folks I work wit' 'ave a right ta know who I . . . really am. Now, not everyone knows who I am. But . . . " Nightrival removes his mask. "I figured I owed ya."

He rubs his eyes, red and puffy from having to peer from behind a mask all night, and then smiles at Grim.

"My name's Liam Callaghan. I work over at th' docks on th' Waterfront when I'm not runnin' around in long underwear."

[Heritage]

"But there's somethin' else I wanted ta tell ya. I decided that the folks I work wit' 'ave a right ta know who I . . . really am. Now, not everyone knows who I am. But . . . " Nightrival removes his mask. "I figured I owed ya."

He rubs his eyes, red and puffy from having to peer from behind a mask all night, and then smiles at Grim.

"My name's Liam Callaghan. I work over at th' docks on th' Waterfront when I'm not runnin' around in long underwear."

Grim's eyes go wide for a second as she laughs in disbelief. "Wow; you're really serious about this, aren't you?" She pursues her lips, then gives him a sly look. "Well, since you showed me your's..."

She smiles, holds her hands out to the side, and the familiar grays mists return to swirl around her; soon the mask and leather are gone, and the young heroine is wearing sneakers, jeans and a New Jersey Devils sweatshirt.

"Hi Liam, I'm Lynn Epstein of Atlantic City. When I'm not kicking butt and taking names, I survive by panhandling on the streets of our fair city, though I've been thinking about getting a real job lately."

Suddenly she stops as a thought strikes her.

"Wait, Velocity? The rich girl with the big..." She holds her hands out. "Outfit? You asked the shiksa first? Oh, that's great, just great!"

Grim storms around the rooftop a bit, waving her hands in the air. "I should have known, y'know? Guys always go for the ritzy girls, it's the story of my life!" She marches back over to Rival, still clearly incensed.

"I can be all posh, too, y'know. Oh yeah!" Her hair lengthens down to her shoulders in shimmering lusterous wave. "See? Piece of cake! I can't believe-"

But then she stops herself, palms up and out as she closes her eyes and shakes her head. "Wait, wait, wait...I'm sorry." She twists a lock of hair around her finger. "It's not about the money, or anything else; I don't even know if she actually is rich, she's just got that, y'know, rich smell." Grim takes a deep breath and her hair shifts back to being short and spikey. "I know she's good. I've read in the papers and seen it on the news, and she's good at her job, at our job, the same thing we do."

She steps over to Rival and gently holds his arms as she looks up at him with those big brown eyes. "It's a reflex thing, y'know? Or maybe you don't know; us poor little Jewish girls are used to guys going crazy for the rich party girls. They stand out, like they sparkle or something, and guys always go for the sparkle. And anyway, I know it's not about anything more than...teaming up to fight bad guys."

Grim shrugs. "I'm not gonna lie, it hurts a little that you asked her first, but I believe you; I know you would never hurt me, boss, not on purpose. I'll get over it" She drops his arms and sleepily rubs her eyes, for a moment forgetting about the bruising, which elicits a wince.

"Ahh! So yeah...I guess I can play nice with the little princess." She sighs and rolls her eyes. "If that's what you want." She smiles and nods. "Yeah, I'm totally in."

[Shadowboxer]

"Nice ta meet ya, Lynn." Nightrival nods his head and pulls his mask back on, satisfied with himself.

"Wait, Velocity? The rich girl with the big..." She holds her hands out. "Outfit? You asked the shiksa first? Oh, that's great, just great!"

Grim's angry words send shivers up Nightrival's spine. He immediately straightens up and raises his palms to his partner.

"Whoa, whoa! I didn't ask Velocity 'cause o' her . . . outfit," he snaps back. "It's not like I planned meetin' 'er or anythin'. When I run inta a speedster who can total a giant nerd-robot with one hit I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity like that! This is a war Grim, an' I need soldiers."

He crosses his arms and steps back a few paces to ease into the shadows again.

"I'm not gonna lie, it hurts a little that you asked her first, but I believe you; I know you would never hurt me, boss, not on purpose. I'll get over it."

Nightrival drops his shoulders when Grim clasps his arms.

"No, I wouldn't hurt ya on purpose. But I did anyway. I'm puttin' th' mission before my friends, and it's causin' more trouble than it's worth. I'm sorry. I want ya on this team and acceptin' th' invite means a lot ta me."

He sits on the edge of the roof and shrugs his shoulders.

"Ya, um, ya sparkle too, ya know."

[Heritage]

"Ya, um, ya sparkle too, ya know."

Grim heads over to join him, dangling her legs over the edge. "Ah, don't worry about it, boss; you got a little sparkle in you, too." She grins and gently elbows him. "But not too much, y'know? You're still all manly and everything."

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "So, have you asked anyone else besides me and Princess Powderpuff? Y'know, like any cute boys?" The young heroine gives him a playful wink.

[Shadowboxer]

"Ah, don't worry about it, boss; you got a little sparkle in you, too." She grins and gently elbows him. "But not too much, y'know? You're still all manly and everything."

Nightrival swings his legs over the ledge. "Heh. Thanks."

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "So, have you asked anyone else besides me and Princess Powderpuff? Y'know, like any cute boys?" The young heroine gives him a playful wink.

"Nah, not yet. I'm sure there's a whole line o' people waitin' ta be on a team. Inna town like this, ya can throw a rock in any direction and 'it a superhero. Not thatta rock would get their attention, ya know?"

He returns his attention to the scene below. The fire engines are pumping water into the blazing building, and a crane truck is crawling down the street to yank the van out of the smoldering remains. Police officers patrol the ends of the block to keep passer-bys from entering the area. Sirens light up the neighbourhood with flashing reds and blues. Although the two heroes would not be able see from where they're seated, Monty remains inside his garage sweeping up the mess.

"Jus' keep yer eyes peeled for talent," he continues. "I'm sure ya meet all kinds of superpeople."

[Heritage]

"Jus' keep yer eyes peeled for talent," he continues. "I'm sure ya meet all kinds of superpeople."

Grims nods as her street clothes swirl back into her work outfit. "Eyes peeled, check; we'll see if I run into anyone worth recruiting." She continues to dangle her legs and sighs deeply as the events of the evening slowly sink in. "Guess it wasn't such a bad night after all."

[Shadowboxer]

Grims nods as her street clothes swirl back into her work outfit. "Eyes peeled, check; we'll see if I run into anyone worth recruiting." She continues to dangle her legs and sighs deeply as the events of the evening slowly sink in. "Guess it wasn't such a bad night after all."

"I'd say. We put a dent in th' Brotherhood and we get a team rollin'. We did good."

Nightrival gets up and brushes himself off. The fire is under control and Monty is safe. He nods his head and takes a few steps to stand near the middle of the roof. The tarpaper clings to the bottoms of his soles. Behind him, the water towers, clothes lines and chimneys high above the Southside frame his figure.

"But I still got work ta do. Go get some sleep, and look after that eye. I'll see ya tomorrow night."

He slides his right foot to the side and suddenly he melts into the shadows, vanishing completely.

"And stay outta trouble," he adds softly. His voice lingers in the air then dissolves, like the smoke drifting from the burning building below the heroes.

[Heritage]

"But I still got work ta do. Go get some sleep, and look after that eye. I'll see ya tomorrow night."

He slides his right foot to the side and suddenly he melts into the shadows, vanishing completely.

"And stay outta trouble," he adds softly. His voice lingers in the air then dissolves, like the smoke drifting from the burning building below the heroes.

Grim nods. "You, too."

After watching the ongoing firefighting efforts with mute fascination for a few minutes, she gets up, brushes herself off, and promptly disappears.