Power. Fierce, unadulterated power. At last, I had achieved my goal. My latent abilities were unleashed. A thimble full of ambient energy was enough to carry me through the air or cross vast distances in a single bound. What were once daunting challenges were now trivial tasks. I was more than ready for the level five trials. Much to my surprise, I was looking forward to them.
It became evident why Agent Farmer and the government were intrigued by my ultrapowers. My DNA was like the core of a star; a foundry of potential energy. Mere thoughts directed their course, and righteous indignation fueled them. The more I thought about the injustice being committed by the renegades, the more my abilities were amplified.
Armstrong and my instructors watched me from the observation deck in the Arena. Once again, I dove head-first into the deep ocean. The airliner was sinking out of sight. But, my powers manifested and I could propel myself through the water like a torpedo. A burning aura surrounded me, illuminating the depths. I approached the outer hull of the plane’s fuselage. With burning white hands, I easily tore the metal plating apart. Inside, I spotted two unconscious passengers, still fastened to their seats. They were easily freed from their bindings. I carried them out of the plane and towards the surface. The dancing ribbons of light seemed to congratulate me on my successful rescue. It was almost frightening how much easier this challenge was now that I was in the zone.
“I’m ready for the next simulation!” I said proudly to the heavens. The second trial began immediately. It was the dreaded earthquake scenario. The two children were pleading to be rescued. Before rushing to their aid, I took a moment to concentrate my thoughts. In my mind, I pictured the helpless civilians tormented by the renegades. A fire was kindled in my heart, inflaming my powers.
My strides were larger than ever. I almost glided over the concrete ground. The rumbling building around me didn’t knock me off balance. My dexterity was heightened. Even my vision was enhanced. The target before me remained fixed in place. Yet, I could perceive falling debris before it came into view. Their kinetic energy gave off a strange glow. It was now easier to discern different forms of energy whether they be thermal, electrical, or radiant. This made dodging the obstacles a simple feat.
The floor of the building caved in. A chasm opened up a hundred feet wide. Now, I would put my burgeoning powers to the test. Without pausing or hesitating, I sprinted to the edge, mustering as much energy as I could. A surging sensation swept over me. Every cell in my body sprang to life. The fiery aura emanating from me turned white like a star. It lifted me off the ground. Soon, I was wafted up into the air. I was flying!
Within seconds, I sailed over to the children and extended my hand to them. Their fingers reached out to touch mine. Finally, after so many attempts and countless failures, I grabbed hold of them and hoisted them up into my arms. Together, we flew away from the building as it collapsed in on itself, leaving behind a pillar of gray dust.
I did it. I couldn’t believe it, but I had passed the test. After alighting on the ground, the children disappeared as the simulation came to an end. My chin was lifted proudly towards the observation deck. Even though I couldn’t hear them or see them, I could tell that they were impressed. Their silence spoke volumes.
Then, after a moment or two, I heard someone. It was Will Washington.
“We will begin your final test,” he said in his usual nonchalant tone of voice. The Arena changed to an empty warehouse. Seated in a chair at the heart of the massive facility was a feeble old woman. She was bound and breathless. I knew what I had to do. Even though I had overcome all other obstacles thus far, this particular challenge made me sweat.
I crossed the dampened floor to reach the captive. Suddenly, an intense but invisible weight pressed down upon me. Every molecule around me was drawn to the ground. Blood had difficulty coursing through my veins. It took all of my strength to squeeze air into my lungs. Immediately I knew what it was. It was Lonestar.
He slowly walked into view, holding his hand out to keep me in place. The gravity around me continued to increase. I was forced down onto one knee. Straining, I lifted my eyes to Will. It had become a struggle to perform even the simplest of actions. My fist was clenched, but my muscles were not strong enough to lift it. All the while, Will stood over me and observed.
Then, I felt it. Light rays were absorbed by my skin. Heat in the air was taken in as well. Their power was pooled and transformed. With enough focus, I changed it into electrical currents. Every muscle fiber became a live wire. Every strand of DNA was a battery. All I needed was a chance to release the charge.
I fought to raise my hand. Thus far, this simple thing was the most challenging of all my trials. But, eventually, I was able to break away the heavy chains of gravity and extend my hand towards Lieutenant Lonestar. A blinding white bolt of electricity flashed before me. It struck Will in the shoulder, knocking him off balance and breaking his hold over me.
Free at last, I bolted for the civilian. I only managed to make it a few steps before gravity took hold of me again and I was sent flying through the air. Bursts of energy from my palms cushioned me against the brick wall of the warehouse.
“Remember,” said Will, “In this trial you are fighting to kill. You will not pass until I am defeated.” Normal gravity resumed and I was pulled to the floor. My instructor had made it perfectly clear that this was to be a duel. Very well then. If he wanted a duel, then a duel he shall have.
I threw several orbs of energy at him. He quickly dodged them and countered with a negative gravity burst. His attack was evaded. The concrete next to me was shattered in the wake of his strike. I remembered Will’s teachings and kept moving. His next three attacks nearly hit me, but I was able to spin through the air and avoid them. At the same time, I launched a bolt of lightning. Will tried to shield himself with a dome of negative gravity, but to his surprise, my attack penetrated his defenses and it struck him in the chest. This gave me enough time to close the gap and fight him one-on-one.
Will was always a master of hand-to-hand combat. But now that I was in the zone, my punches and kicks had more impact, keeping him on the defensive. It was as if I had been holding back this entire time, like when I would wrestle with my younger sisters. Now, I could unleash my power and feel no remorse.
My opponent was not holding back either. He was fighting for survival just as much as I was fighting to kill. For the first time, I saw a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. This gave me enough confidence to continue my onslaught of attacks. The more we dueled, the more my righteous indignation was kindled. It shrouded me like a fiery cloak. When he tried to lay hands on me, his fingers were burned and he recoiled.
Lost in a maelstrom of strikes, dodges, grapples, and blocks, my mind began to see things. There were flashes of color coming from Will. His punches radiated with kinetic energy. His body was aglow with thermal energy. There were even strange flickerings of electrical energy in his brain. They would light up before every strike. I realized what I was seeing. These were his thoughts.
His neurons and synapses were speaking a hidden language; one made of electricity. In time, I would unlock the secrets of this hidden language. For now, I could only anticipate his next attack, which would be enough to overcome him in this duel. He swung and missed. Then he tried again. Miss. Once more. Miss. He grew tired, but rather than looking upset, he seemed to have a grin forming on his lips.
“You are quick-witted,” he said breathlessly, “but are you ruthless?” Gravity closed in around me from all sides. I was unable to counter this attack in time. Invisible walls were choking me. Will’s hands were trembling as he poured out all of his power to keep me bound. Was he holding back this entire time? Could he have subdued me in an instant if he wanted to? This thought stirred my blood and I cried aloud, trying to break free once again. It was no use, I thought to myself. He’s too powerful. Even in the zone, I couldn’t defeat him.
This feeling of helplessness reminded me of that day in Miami, nearly nine months ago. Back then I was helpless; trapped in the grasp of two Imps, watching as Malacoda tormented my neighborhood. His cackling voice echoed in my memory.
"Time to make my final point to you...hero!"
The scared faces of my family darted before my eyes. Never in my life had I been so filled with rage. That burning anger returned to me once again, and my body began to glow like a supernova. This was it. Surely, I was recreating that moment.
But then, something unexpected happened. Will’s hold over me weakened. The constricting walls of gravity dissipated. After gathering my bearings, I saw that Will was hunched over. The glow of energy in him was nearly extinguished. Did I do that? Was the energy inside of him absorbed in the same way that I could absorb energy from the sun or the electrical grid?
No matter. This was my time to strike. Roaring like a wild animal, I tackled Will. He did nothing to resist my attack. His limp body slammed against the ground as I pinned him and raised my hand. It was glowing white with thermal energy. If he dared fight back, I would blast him with another energy orb.
Fortunately for me, he didn’t choose to fight back. Instead, he laid there, motionless. His glossy eyes regained their usual luster after a moment or two and he realized what had happened. All the while, I was seething and quivering with rage. Then, the simulation ended.
Will pushed me aside and rose to his feet. Without saying a word, he dusted himself off and offered me his hand. A subtle smile was on his face. Was this it? Was this the end of my training? I reached out and shook his hand. Then it dawned on me. It was over. I passed the final trial. I completed my training.
There was enthusiastic clapping coming from over my shoulder. It was Armstrong. He and his assistants had gathered in the Arena to congratulate me on my success.
“Now that is what I’m talking about!” He said, “Strong, radiant, iconic: everything an Allegiant should be.” I blushed as he took my hand into his and shook it repeatedly. He then turned to Will and Fox, who had just arrived via a flash of blue and gold. “I don’t know how you all did it, but you did it! Congratulations! Soon, the girl from Miami will no longer be a mystery anymore,” He then turned to one of his assistants, “By the way, have we settled on a name yet?”
“The AI algorithm has created a list of the best names given current public opinion data,” said the assistant.
“Outstanding!” said Clint, “Send the list over to Glenda,” He turned to me, “You get some well-earned rest, young lady. You’ll need all your energy for the Ultradome,” Clint placed his arms around the shoulders of Will and Johnny and carried them away with him as he exited the Arena. “As for the debut,” he began, “I’d like to discuss the arrangements for that.”
Back in the privacy of my quarters, I threw myself onto the bed and sighed. A grin was on my face. I still couldn’t believe it. It was over. Nine months of arduous training was finally over. Whatever awaited me at the Ultradome in a few days didn’t matter anymore. I would meet the challenge with assurance.
My calendar was next to my bed against the wall. It caught my eye and I noticed something scribbled on today’s date. It caused me to sit up abruptly and rush to my computer monitor. I had nearly forgotten! Today was the day I could finally speak to my family. It had been three months since our last conversation over video chat. So much had happened since then. As my monitor turned on, I waited in anticipation, eager to share with them some good news.
The screen flickered for a moment. Then some text appeared that read, “Incoming encrypted call. All calls are monitored and recorded for national security purposes”. The screen went black again. Then they appeared—my family. My father was up against the lens, trying to adjust the camera.
“Is it on?” he said aloud. He noticed that I was on the screen and he smiled. “Cass! Can you hear me?”
“Yes!” I said, trying not to cry, “I can hear you! Can you hear me?”
“We hear you, sweetie!” said my mother, also trying not to cry, “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, “I’m great, actually!”
“That’s wonderful, darling!” said mom. Then Dad interjected.
“Hang on one second! Cassie, I need you to close your eyes.”
“What?” I said.
“Just close your eyes for one second.”
I closed my eyes. I could hear my family shuffling around and trying their best to whisper. Caroline and Catherine’s little voices could be heard as my mother shushed them to be quiet. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. After a minute or two my father told me to open my eyes. Before them on the table was a birthday cake with nineteen candles. Everyone was gathered around, their faces bathed in the warm and welcoming light of the cake. Behind them were streamers stretching from wall to wall and a banner that read “Happy Nineteenth Birthday Cassandra”.
They then started to sing the Happy Birthday song to me. Their rendition was less than elegant. The twins were way off-tune and sneaking bits of frosting for themselves when my mother wasn’t looking. It didn’t matter. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. It was the sweetest thing I had experienced in the last nine months. I waited for the song to end before speaking.
“Oh my goodness! You did all of this for me? You shouldn’t have! My birthday was five weeks ago.”
“Do you think we’d ever miss celebrating one of your birthdays, honey?” said Dad, “Don’t be silly! Now, blow out your candles!”
“Blow out my candles?”
“Trust me. Just give it a go.”
I leaned forward and blew against the computer screen. My parents simultaneously blew out my candles for me and gasped.
“Wow! Did you girls see that?” said my dad, “Cassie blew out her candles through the computer screen! It’s like she has ultrapowers or something!”
“No, Daddy!” said Caroline, “That’s not Cassie’s ultrapower!”
“Yeah,” said Catherine, “Cassie’s power is to glow and punch bad guys across the street!”
“Yes. Thank you, girls,” said my dad, “That was a joke. But, thank you for correcting me.”
“I’m sorry we can’t share any of this cake with you, Cass,” said Mom.
“That’s alright, Mom,” I said, “I want you all to enjoy it. Is it guava and cream cheese?”
“Yes! Your favorite.” said mom. Clarissa cut the cake and served it to my family. Watching them celebrate my belated birthday was a present unlike any I had ever or could ever receive.
“We understand that you can’t tell us much,” said Dad with a mouthful of cake, “But, are things going well?”
“Absolutely,” I said, “In fact, I’ve completed my training.” My family all began speaking up at once.
“Wow! Congratulations! That’s terrific! Well done! We’re so proud of you!”
“We should celebrate with cake!” said Dad, gorging on another piece.
“We already have cake, Daddy!” said Catherine.
“Yes, I know. It was… never mind.” said Dad.
“How are you all holding up?” I asked.
“We’re doing quite well,” said Mom, “Agent Farmer and her security personnel have been taking very good care of us. The twins have finally learned that it’s not acceptable to ask the bodyguards for piggyback rides.” I laughed. They were probably giving those poor guards a run for their money. All immediate family members of Allegiant are provided security by the government. No doubt friends and family would be easy targets for the enemies of the Allegiant. Even though I was so far away from them, it was reassuring to know that my family was safe.
“And what of the Imps?” I asked, “Are they still causing trouble?”
“Not as much these days,” said Dad, “You gave them a good scare a while ago. But, there have been new renegade groups popping up. There have been less black devil logos around and more Xs.” Hearing that made me clench my fist.
“X?” I said.
“Yeah,” said Dad, “Apparently this X fellow is really popular with the young Ultras. Even Mrs. Henderson’s grandson is enamored with him.” My fist tightened even more.
“People talk about him all the time on social media,” said Clarissa.
“And what do they say?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she began, “That he’s fighting for the rights of NCUs.”
“NCUs?”
“Oh, it’s this new thing people are saying now,” said Clarissa, “It stands for ‘Non-Compliant Ultras’. It basically means renegade.” My dad rolled his eyes.
“According to them, renegade is an offensive term,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure attacking innocent bystanders is more offensive,” I said.
“Things have been really strange since Commander’s death,” said Dad, “It’s like the world was wanting a revolution and was just waiting for the right moment to begin. Now that it’s happened, it’s hard to stop the spread of it. And this X guy is making it worse. People cite his manifesto all the time or use his teachings on how to organize and cause chaos.”
“It’s scary out there,” said Mom, “The police station was attacked the other night. A lot of people got hurt.” A fire was brewing in my belly.
“Don’t worry,” I said, my eyes blazing bright with a noble flame, “I’m going to make them pay for what they’ve done. I’m going to stop X. I promise.” My family stared at me in silence. Never have I spoken so aggressively before. They must’ve realized that my training had changed me a bit. After a while, my dad placed his hand on the screen as if to comfort me.
“Just be careful, Cassie,” said Dad. I softened my face and smiled warmly, placing my hand on the screen in return.
“I will.”
Just then, I heard a message over the intercom system. It said, “Cassandra Cruz, please report to level seven immediately.”
After saying goodbye to my family, I quickly made my way to level seven of Allegiant HQ. As the elevator doors opened, I was greeted by a company of consultants. Standing in the midst of them was a tall red-headed woman in a dazzling pink business suit. She strutted confidently through the crowd in her rhinestone-encrusted high heels. It was Glenda Glitz, as she called herself, my public image director.
“Good afternoon there, darlin’,” she said in her thick southern accent.
“Hello again, Glenda,” I said in return, “Is there something I can he-” She immediately grabbed my wrist and led me through the crowd, her jewelry jingling the entire way.
“Sorry Ms. Cruz’,” she said, “Now’s not the time to shoot the breeze. We have work to do before your big debut.” She pulled me onto a small dais in front of a large curved white wall. Glenda sat down across from me behind some translucent monitors and began twisting dials and adjusting switches. “Since we now know what your true powers are, we have to rethink your entire uniform,” she said.
“Really?” I said, “I thought the last design was pretty good.”
“What you think is good and what the public will think is good are two separate things,” she said, “You are not just yourself anymore, Ms. Cruz. You are now America. You will represent America to the entire world, more so than our ambassadors, or Clint Armstrong, or even the President! When the public sees you, they need to see America itself!”
I didn’t relish that thought. I had always hated being in front of crowds or having my picture taken. But now I was going to be a living embodiment of America? I gulped loudly.
“Now, hold still!” she said, tapping away on her keyboard with her claw-like nails. This wasn’t my first uniform design session. I understood that she was projecting simulated designs onto me that could only be perceived through her monitors. Every twist of a dial or flicking of a switch altered the colors, shapes, and patterns of the design. Glitz muttered aloud as she worked. “Hmmm, too much blue. Need to complement her tan complexion. That’s better. Now add a splash of red. Perhaps some more. Maybe more. Too much.” All the while, her assistants scribbled on their tablets in silence. Then, Glenda balled up her fists and groaned.
“Oh! I’m not feeling it!” she said, “I need the right spark of inspiration. Maybe we need to balance out the design with her name,” She spoke over her shoulder to one of her many assistants. “What were some of the name suggestions that Clint sent over?”
“Here’s what the computer came up with,” said the assistant as she swiped through her tablet, “Liberty Lass is number one, followed by Star Sentinel, Valor Vixen, Red White and Blue Belle, Patriot Princess, Freedom Falcon, Honor Hawk, and Jenny July.” Both Glenda and I winced at the sound of those names.
“No no no,” said Glitz, “Of course Clint would suggest those! He really thinks that a cold, dead computer can create an iconic name for a living, breathing hero? No. We need a name that feels alive, that matches the person who bears it…that means something!” She then pushed her chair out from behind her monitors and drew closer to me. “Who are you?” she said resting her lower lip on her two index fingers. I was taken aback by this strange question.
“What?” I asked. Glenda had known me for the last nine months.
“Who are you?” she said again.
“I’m Cassandra Cruz,” I said nervously. Glenda continued to stare at me.
“And?” she said.
“And I’m from a big family in Miami. We’ve lived there our entire lives. Before that, my great-grandfather lived in Cuba but had to leave.”
“Go on,” said Glenda.
“He moved to Florida so that my family could be free.”
“Free?” interjected Glitz, “What does freedom mean to you?”
“Freedom is…” I stopped to ponder on this one for a minute. It was a difficult question to answer, not because I didn’t truly know what freedom meant to me, but because it was hard to put it into words. “Freedom is being able to live a virtuous life; not to do literally anything we desire, but to be able to do what’s right even if others don’t like it.” Glenda continued to stare. “For me at least, that means being able to go to church on Sunday, or help my family run a business that serves our community, and enjoy simple things like birthday parties, baseball games or firework shows.”
“How sweet,” said Glenda, “Truly. It’s sweet. Your story, it’s very Americana.” Her eyes suddenly widened. She quickly rushed back to her monitors and fervently adjusted her switches. No one dared interrupt her while she was in her artistic flow. I stood silently and waited. After a few minutes, Glenda drew back from the keyboard to behold her creation. The assistants congregated around the monitors. Their expressions showed amazement while Glitz basked in her creativity. Then, she returned to her station.
“Cassandra Cruz,” she said dramatically, “Allow me to introduce you to our newest Allegiant…Americana,” She pressed a button which caused a reflective panel of glass to rise from the floor in front of me. This panel was able to display what Glitz had on her monitor. Standing before me was a young woman adorned in a red, white, and blue uniform. It was me, yet my reflection was strangely unfamiliar.
The outfit was form-fitting yet I wasn’t gangly or awkward, but rather toned and athletic. The fabric was mostly a brilliant white except for red stripes across my chest and my right sleeve which was entirely blue. My hair was blowing in gusts of wind that didn’t exist. Behind me was a rippling American flag against a clear summer sky. A shining aura surrounded me as if I were an angel descending from the heavens. I was speechless.
“I’m…I’m Americana?” I said softly. Glenda’s bright red lips smiled at me in confirmation.
“You are indeed, honeybee,” she said. She turned and snapped her fingers at one of her assistants. “Have that design sent to level nine for manufacturing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the assistant.
“Once it’s made, we’ll do a final fitting and run through some basic stress tests,” said Glenda, “All our uniforms are designed for durability, elasticity, and adaptability. Of course, we want to make sure your powers are compatible with it. We don’t want you accidentally burning a hole through it during your big debut! Speaking of which, do you know exactly what you’re doing at the Ultradome?”
“Not yet,” I said, “Armstrong has something in mind, but he hasn’t shared it with me.” Glenda sighed in disgust.
“Figures,” she said as the reflective panel lowered back down into the floor, “Well you better hurry along and pester him about it! We need to know what he’s got planned for you. If he’s wanting you to run and jump and fly we’re gonna have to make the proper adjustments. Go on now!” She shooed me off the dais and out of the room.
As I strolled through the marble halls of Allegiant HQ, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had just seen. That image of me in my uniform was surreal. Until that moment, I was dreading my debut to the public. The eyes of the entire world would be upon me: my family, my friends, my neighbors, boys I had crushes on in high school, everyone. But after seeing Glenda’s craftsmanship on display, my anxiety subsided and was replaced with a feeling of pride.
These last nine months had been grueling, but ultimately the fruits of my labor had paid off. The teachings of Johnny Fox and Will Washington had chiseled me like a block of stone; their challenges refined me into a stronger, healthier, more assertive version of myself. Glenda’s uniform was able to put that training on a pedestal. Because of all of our combined efforts, I could finally stand before the world as Americana!
My daydreaming caused me to waltz right by the meeting room. I circled back to it. Will and Johnny were already waiting for me, seated at a long glass table. When they saw me, they rose. As I approached, I noticed that Will had a scowl of disapproval on his face.
“There you are,” he said, “We need to discuss your debut at the Ultradome.”
“Excellent,” I said, drawing closer to them, “That’s why I’m here. Glenda wants to know the details. So, what’s the plan?” Fox’s mannerisms caught my attention. He was jittery and his face was grimacing. Something was eating him up from the inside. After fidgeting about for a while, he finally spoke.
“We just talked to Armstrong,” he said, “The plan is for you to defeat a handful of renegades, rescue some hostages, and stop a bomb threat at the stadium. It’s gonna happen during the halftime show.” My eyes widened.
“Wait,” I said, “The renegades are planning a bomb threat at the stadium?” Fox’s face twisted up like a pretzel.
“Well…” he said, “Not exactly.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. Then Will chimed in.
“We will be staging the entire event,” he said, “Armstrong thinks that a grand spectacle is the best way of showing off your new abilities and deterring any further renegade violence. We must begin preparations and rehearsals for this event as soon as you’re ready.”
I refused to believe it. There was no way that was true. But the truth was revealed in the eyes of Will and Johnny. They weren’t lying. It was all true. The DAA and Allegiant TV were going to stage a hostage situation at the Ultradome…and it was all for my grand debut. My first act of heroism as Americana would be a lie.
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