The Adventures Of Mega Girl Ch 01

Author's Note: The events in this chapter take place after 'How to Date a Superhero' and will make much more sense if you have read that 12-part story first. I decided to re-brand this saga because I realized the title no longer fits the direction I want to go. 'How to Date a Superhero' was probably a bad choice to begin with, as it doesn't encompass the heart of this saga – which is really more akin to a comic book.

Now on to the story; I hope you continue to enjoy the adventures of Mega-Girl.

=======

"Hi, I'm Mega-Girl. When I've got a hot date with the mighty Apollo, or I need to fight a dangerous villain like the Leviathan..." the beautiful blonde picked up a canned soft drink, snapped it open, and then held it up while displaying a toothy smile, "I make sure to fill up with 'World's Finest', the only 100% all-natural, organic energy drink on the market -"

"CUT!" the director yelled, interrupting and waving one of his arms wildly.

Stage lights suddenly switched off and a suffocating flood of people abruptly enclosed around Mega-Girl. One person started brushing at her cheek make-up, another fussed with Mega-Girl's wavy blonde hair, while yet another grabbed the opened soft drink can out of her hand and replaced it with a new, unopened can.

Mega-Girl ignored them all, standing in front of a large green-screen in a studio buzzing with people and mounted cameras. She wore her costume, a red one-piece affair trimmed with blue and black that clung tightly to her petite torso and arms, but bared her shapely tanned legs down to ankle-high boots.

"What is it now?" she wondered with an irritated tone.

"You look like you're posing for a family reunion photo and reading lines off a script," the director complained loudly.

Mega-Girl pointed at a bearded man holding immense white cue cards next to a camera, "I

am

reading my lines off a script!"

"I need you to read them more naturally," the director gestured meaninglessly with wild hands, "Don't be so wooden."

"Wooden?" Mega-Girl sighed and looked with pleading eyes towards a man standing off to the side, as though she were desperately in need of a rescue.

Her rescuer was Josh Harington, a 28-year-old manager. He was an attractive man with the youthful good looks of a magazine model. His athletically slender frame was dressed in a dark sports jacket over a white shirt, crisp jeans, and black dress shoes. Josh had short black hair sloped messily towards the back of his head and long sideburns.

Pocketing his cell phone Josh confidently stepped into the chaos to help his client. "Can we get a five minute break?" he held all five fingers of one hand in the air towards the director, "Just give us a few."

"Everybody take five," the director announced with a frustrated growl, yanking some headphones off and tossing them towards an assistant.

Josh waited until the hair and make-up people moved away, leaving him relatively alone with Mega-Girl in the busy filming studio, "What's up, MG? You look pretty stressed."

"I'm a superhero," Mega-Girl stuck her tongue out briefly to show her distaste, "Not an actor. Do I really have to do this? Can't I go fight a legion of assassin robots instead?"

Josh grinned charmingly, "Fighting robots will get you on the six o'clock news but it doesn't pay very well. Don't forget - you've got a new house with a mega-sized mortgage."

"I know," Mega-Girl whined cutely, "But can you at least get them to cut that line about dating Apollo? You know I don't like talking about my private life in public."

"Your private life

is

public, MG. The mask is off, remember?" Josh squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, "Besides, people can't get enough – you and Apollo are front-page tabloid fodder on a weekly basis. You're hotter than any Hollywood couple by a wide margin."

Mega-Girl let out a frustrated sound.

"Hey," Josh squeezed her shoulder again, "Loosen up for me, beautiful. Let's get this next take perfect so we can get out of here and get some lunch. What do you say?"

Mega-Girl nodded and rolled her shoulders, "Okay, yeah. I can do this, right?"

"That's right," Josh smiled, "You're Mega-Girl. You came back from the dead, for crying out loud. This commercial is easy compared to that. Look... forget about that pinhead director, ignore all the lights and people, and just pretend you're talking to me."

Mega-Girl took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders, Josh's words giving her confidence.

"You're ready," Josh leaned in and gave his client a quick, plutonic peck on her cheek, "Knock 'em dead, baby."

=======

Meanwhile...

=======

"Holy shit," Travis murmured as he walked into a massive foyer, the entrance to Penny and Jordan's new house. Three of his dorm rooms would fit into the entry alone. Straight ahead he could see portions of a kitchen and connecting dining room. To the right of the foyer was a massive living space full of couches and a wall-mounted flat screen television, while to the left a hallway led towards even more rooms. The foyer was flanked on each side by two rounding stairways which presumably took one to the bedrooms upstairs. "This place is huge," Travis uttered in amazement.

Jordan grinned, "I know, right? I almost feel guilty about it, but Penny insisted I come live with her. She's not even charging me rent."

The two roommates had moved in only days prior and it was Travis' first visit to their new home. Three months had passed since Mega-Girl and Jordan had returned from the dead and it was the middle of summer. They had previously been staying with Apollo in his downtown condominium, but when Mega-Girl came into some money she decided to buy her own place. It was located in Romita Pines, a glitzy northwestern suburb and home to Gateway City's upper class. Things had changed rapidly for the two girls since their return from Hades and Jordan seemed eager to make Travis a part of it.

"Come on," Jordan grabbed Travis' hand and excitedly tugged him down a hallway, "Wait until you see my computer lab."

Jordan was wearing a tank top with a pair of denim short-shorts over her golden tan legs, her red-dyed hair flopping behind her in a lazy ponytail. Travis was also dressed for the heat in a pair of tan cargo shorts, a tee shirt, and sandals.

"Holy shit," Travis muttered again as they entered the renovated bedroom. A bank of computer network towers consumed the far wall, while a long table housed a half dozen monitors and three different keyboards. A desk opposite the table contained a laptop, webcam, and microphone.

"Penny bought all this for my twentieth birthday," Jordan gestured, "I seriously almost shit my pants."

Travis grinned, "Jeez, all I got you was a crappy necklace."

"Hush," Jordan pulled the emerald pendant from beneath the hem of her top, "I love this necklace; it sets off my hair."

"This is a really great place," Travis took Jordan's hips and pulled her close, "I just hate how far away from campus it is."

"Me too," Jordan agreed, wrapping her arms around his waist. "But since Penny's identity went public she's needed a refuge. There's no way she could live in the dorms or even in our old apartment; her fans and the press get too crazy, you know? This place has a massive yard and a gated fence. It's perfect."

"How can she afford all this?" Travis wondered.

"Endorsement deals," Jordan replied, "Josh is like a total financial wizard."

"That's her new manager?"

Jordan nodded, "Yeah. Did you know that he got her seven figures from Nike? Just so they can make athletic clothes based on her uniform design. They're even supplying her with an unlimited amount of costumes, made out of some kind of futuristic tear-resistant spandex."

Travis asked, "Does she have to wear a Nike logo?"

"Just a tiny swoosh on her hip," Jordan displayed the size by pinching her thumb and finger together, "But listen... we need to talk."

Travis' brows rose nervously at the spontaneity of that statement, "Uh-oh..."

"It's nothing like that," Jordan assured him, "Here, sit down."

There were two swiveling chairs and both of them sat; Jordan wheeled her chair to face Travis, close enough that she could place her hands on his knees. She took a deep breath, "You're going to hate this, but... neither Penny nor I are going back to school in the fall."

"What?" Travis immediately sounded upset, "Why?"

"I'm a better programmer than any of my professors," Jordan justified, "I could already walk through any door in Silicon Valley and get a job. What do I need a degree for? It's a waste of time and money."

"Is that what you're going to do?" Travis grew more alarmed, "Move to California?"

Jordan shook her head, "No, of course not. I'm going to work from right here."

Travis looked around, "Doing what?"

"You know how I support Penny, right? Whenever she's out fighting bad guys we're in constant communication. I monitor police bands, news reports, and get whatever information she needs."

Travis nodded, "Yeah, I know. 'Codename: Harbinger' and all that."

"Right.... well, that's what I want to do. Except not just for Mega-Girl, I'm going to start supporting other heroes too. It's like a service, with a monthly fee."

"A monthly fee?" Travis didn't understand.

"It was Josh's idea," Jordan pushed a stray strand of hair off her forehead, "He said there's no one else out there doing what I do, except for Cypher but he supports the World League exclusively. Josh had the idea that I could start a business and help out all the independent superheroes out there. I've already got some clients lined up."

"Who?" Travis wondered, "I mean, how do you find clients when they all wear masks and you don't even know who they are?"

"Penny runs into other superheroes all the time. She's been giving them my cards." Jordan leaned towards her desk where a little plastic tray held some business cards. She gave one to Travis, "See?"

Travis stared at the card incredulously, "

Harbinger Incorporated

," he read aloud.

"I've already signed up the Phazer, Dynamo Man, and Velocity."

"When did you come up with this?" Travis absently handed the card back, "How come you didn't tell me?"

Jordan winced a little, "I didn't tell you right away because I knew you'd get upset."

"Of course I'm upset. I feel like you're leaving me behind, Jordan."

"I'm not," she shook her head, "You're still my boyfriend; I don't want that to change."

"Am I? I still live in my shitty dorm room that's about the size of your closet, while you're out here in Romita Pines living in a mansion and playing hacker for the stars." Travis stood, "You're not coming back to school and it takes forty-five minutes just to drive here; even longer if it's rush hour. I'll barely ever see you."

"What are you saying?" Jordan frowned.

"I'm saying I want to be closer to my girlfriend!" Travis spread his arms wide.

"I don't want to go back to school, Travis. They can't teach me anything I don't already know or can't figure out for myself. Penny doesn't want to go back either; she'd get mobbed by students looking for autographs and selfies every time she tried going to class."

"I don't care about Penny," Travis gestured at the house around them, "She seems to be doing just fine. I care about us. You'll be on call 24/7 with this stupid business of yours and we'll never -"

"It's not stupid!" Jordan stood to face him, "I'm sorry you don't like that my life is moving forward, but if all you care about is having a girlfriend who's convenient for you, maybe you're right – this isn't going to work!"

Travis made a stunned blink, "I didn't say that..."

"You didn't say what?" Jordan glared at him, "That my business is stupid, or that you want a girlfriend who only lives a block away so you don't have to waste gas just to see her?"

Travis stammered, "I-I-"

"You know, you pulled this same shit with Penny! As soon as she didn't fit your exact ideal of what you wanted in a girlfriend you broke up with her."

"I'm not breaking up with you!" Travis complained.

"You're right," Jordan angrily yanked the necklace off her neck and threw it at him, "I'm breaking up with you before you get the chance!"

=======

Elsewhere...

=======

After shaking a bottle of mayonnaise thoroughly, Josh squeezed a big glop of it out into his basket of French fries beside an equally-sized pile of ketchup. He then took a fry and swirled it between the two, blending the mayo and ketchup into one orange-colored mass for dipping.

"Oh my god," Mega-Girl watched him with a hint of amusement, "That's so disgusting."

"Are you kidding? This is how it's done in Canada," Josh explained, "They sell it in bottles up there."

"What do they call it?"

"May-up."

Mega-Girl laughed. "You're not Canadian," she pointed out, "You're from Indiana."

"It's a delicacy there, too," Josh informed her,

Mega-Girl grinned, "You're such a liar."

The two were seated on a picnic table outside the studio lot where Mega-Girl's commercial was filming. They each had a basket of food from an outdoor umbrella vendor that worked the studio parking lot selling burgers and fries. The afternoon sun was warm and Josh's sport coat was draped over the bench at his side. He had rolled his shirt sleeves halfway up his wrists and tucked a napkin at his collar.

Mega-Girl felt daring and reached across the table, stealing one of Josh's fries even though she had her own. Dipping it in the mixture of ketchup and mayo, she tried it out. "Okay," she admitted, "That is actually kind of good."

"See?" Josh smiled, "You need to listen to your manager more often."

"Whatever," Mega-Girl chewed, "I've done everything you've told me to do for the last two months."

"And...?" he prodded her.

"And..." she was forced to concede, "I've been very pleased with the results."

"Good," he nodded and took a bite from his burger, "Because you're my favorite client."

"I thought I was your only client?"

"You are, but don't let that detract from the honor you feel at being my favorite."

Mega-Girl laughed, "You're so full of shit."

Josh produced his cell phone from a pocket and glanced at an incoming message, "You did great today. I know you hate doing commercials, but we couldn't turn down six figures for a morning's worth of work."

"I didn't mind it as much as I let on," Mega-Girl played with her burger's bun, "Plus, I actually do drink World's Finest so I don't feel like a complete sell-out."

"You can't ever think like that," Josh's tone grew more serious than their previous playful banter, "You save people's lives and put your own at risk. How many times have you saved this city from some giant robot or super-powered criminal? You deserve to profit from your own brand and popularity. People love you, MG, and they want to buy Nike yoga pants designed from your costume. Little girls want to

be

Mega-Girl for Halloween. Why should some corporation receive all the income from those sales? They're making money off you, and you deserve a portion."

"When you put it like that..." she sucked some soda through a straw, "By the way, how come you never call me by my name?"

"What do you mean?"

"You always call me 'MG' or 'Mega-Girl'. Sometimes you call me 'beautiful'..." she smiled, indicating she didn't mind, "But never 'Penelope', or 'Penny'."

Josh wiped his mouth with a paper napkin, "Is that what you want me to call you?"

"Not necessarily," she shook her head, "I'm just curious."

"Well, which one are you?" Josh asked bluntly.

Mega-Girl furrowed her brow and didn't understand.

"Your secret identity is gone," Josh elaborated, "There's no need to be two different people anymore. I met you after that happened, so I only know you as you are now. I never met 'Penny'. Was she different? The same? Are you some mixture of the two?"

"I was forced to be different to protect my identity," Mega-Girl answered easily, "I acted completely different, I looked different – I even had this high-tech ring from Dr. Prizm to change my appearance."

"So answer my question," Josh looked at her with a straightforward expression, "Which one are you now that the cat is out of the bag? Mega-Girl or Penelope?"

Pushing her hair behind an ear she answered softly, "I'm Mega-Girl. I've always felt more like myself when I have the costume on."

"So that's what I'll keep calling you."

Mega-Girl smiled warmly at that.

Josh humorously suggested, "We could change your name legally, if you wanted."

Mega-Girl laughed, "Oh god, my mother would kill me."

=======

At that moment, in a dark office...

=======

Doctor Death stood motionless, hands clasped behind his back, gazing out of a large window that over-looked the entire downtown core of Gateway City. The view was provided by a spacious room within Charlton Tower, the second tallest building in the city and home to many corporate offices. Doctor Death was wearing his armor, a bulky set of metal plate that seamlessly covered his entire frame including the head. A hooded cloak, black as night, depended from his shoulders; the hood mostly obscured the facial openings in his steel helmet.

When he spoke his voice sounded muffled by the mask, "My analysis has revealed no obvious weaknesses."

"I killed her with a fucking bow and arrow," Roman Killian sneered, sitting in a leather chair behind a heavy mahogany desk, "Don't tell me she doesn't have any weaknesses, Death."

Killian was wearing his own mask, a red thing with black eyelets that covered the entirety of his head. His mask seemed to be an arbitrary thing, since Doctor Death had seen him many times both with and without it.

"Except that you quite obviously

didn't

kill her." Doctor Death turned at the waist to stare at Killian through the emotionless eye-slits of his armor, which he always wore.

"She was dead!" Killian slammed his fist on the desk, "Dead and buried! I killed that bitch and nobody can tell me any different. I watched them put that cunt into the ground."

"You killed her with a bow provided to Master Disaster by Pluto, an Olympian god. Who knows what unearthly magic that weapon contained? It is entirely possible she never died at all, or if she did, that she was brought back to life. The Olympians are not mortals, they play by a different set of rules, and Mega-Girl is in league with them, a fact made obvious by her romantic entanglement to Apollo. I would tread warily, were I you. Apollo is not someone you want as an enemy."

"I didn't ask you for career advice," Killian sneered, "I asked you to figure out how to kill Mega-Girl."

"You have my report," Doctor Death inclined his hooded head towards a sealed packet on Killian's desk. "But I will summarize: Her strength is immense; she's capable of displacing 200-plus tons of weight, placing her in an elite category of individuals, like Apollo, who number less than a half dozen. This strength grants her muscular system an extreme level of durability, a cohesion that extends to her skeletal system and epidermis making her virtually invulnerable to any form of conventional damage sources. Even extreme amounts of heat, cold, energy, or radiation do not seem harm her. Mega-Girl is also an alpha-class self-kinetic, meaning she can fly faster than the speed of sound; the true upper limits of her speed are unknown, in fact. It's quite possible in the vacuum of space, free of friction, she could attain near-light speeds."

"Anything else?" Killian growled with a frustrated tone.

"Cyclone managed to stun her briefly with repeated strikes of lightning, though electricity doesn't seem to actually harm her physically; the dead villainess Inferna actually burnt Mega-Girl's hair by generating heat equivalent to the core of an active volcano; so Mega-Girl does exhibit exhaustion limits, but these are unquantifiable and beyond your physical ability to generate."