2002...

Heat waves dance from dirt coated asphalt, distorting the view of a small Arizona town in the distance. The 5 O'clock sun beats down on the dry and cracked ground, where a rattlesnake coils in the shade of a rock. Rising over a fat hill above the town, a yellow bus struggles to make the climb. "Come on ole' Betty! Come on!" The driver's forceful demands do nothing to make his sputtering vehicle push harder, but Betty does manage to reach the top of the hill.

In the four occupied rows, every student braced their hands against the gum decorated seatbacks. For now was the descent. With a sputter the old bus engine's speed exponentially increased down the dusty hill. The front right tire struck a bump in the cracked road, launching two teens in the air by a few inches. Two girls in the back now brace for the rear wheel impact. The pale girl closest to the center with long, dark hair is sent airborne. Her bright, pink crop top and black skirt line ripple as she flaps her arms and eventually lands back on her rear. "Ow, my butt," she said in a soft whine, "How do you not go flying, Vee?"

The tan teen sitting against the bus window chuckled and brushed her black and white hair with her hand. The long sleeve and tee over top matched her hair, with jorts that appeared worn and fitting. "You're tiny, Amy," Vee said, "You need to hold onto the bar below the seat." Amy pouted and hunched down to grab the seat bar. "I do, but I still bounce. Come on, tell me your secret." Underneath the seat, not seen by any students, Vee's metal hand grasped the bar so tightly it bent. "Guess I got a better grip than you. And I'm kinda fat."

Amy laughs a bit but tries to get serious. "Funny, but you need to stop telling yourself that. Say positive things like, I'm smart, pretty and-" Rolling her eyes, Vee plants her large headphones over her ears and interrupts her friend. "Ugh, your constant joy makes me sick. Am I gonna have to hear this the whole summer?" "At least until our tour in Phoenix ends. Oh, that reminds me-" 

A forceful stop sends Amy's face slamming into the back of the seat in front of her. Vee simply braces her hands against it, both appearing normal. "Now that looked like it hurt." "It diiid," Amy said on the verge of tears, then immediately perked back up, "What was I saying? Oh yeah. Chester wants to have a band meeting at six." The tan girl raises a brow in confusion. "How? We can't get our instruments out of the school. It's locked." Grabbing her bookbag, Amy stands and says, "I don't know. He said he's going to pick us up in the van later. Bye." "Wait!"

Vee also gets out of her seat and puts a hand on her friend's cheek. The sudden touch and close faces puts a slightly uncomfortable feeling in Amy, until the tan girl pulls off an old piece of gum from her face. "Want gum?" "Eww! No thanks." As the short teen in pink skips off the bus, she waves at her friend one last time. Vee waves back, leans against the window, and stares at the moving scenery. The sights weren't exactly breathtaking, especially not to someone who lived here her entire life. Cerro Gordo, Arizona. Population: who cares. Attractions: non existent. Can't wait to hit the bigtime and get out of here.

At last the bus stopped at Vee's destination. I'll become a world famous drummer in an even more famous nu metal band, she thought while walking down the aisle. And never come back to this crappy house, ever again. The single wide trailer was in fact worthy of the title 'crappy.' Outer vinyl walling was dented, stained, and in some parts even chipped off. Rust appeared on nearly the entire roof; the windows were opaque. Making her way through the unkept patchy yard, Vee steps towards the front door. The sight of it boarded up puts an annoyed look on her face. "Right, still not fixed."

Rerouting to the backyard, Vee quickly opens and shuts the wire fence. *squish* The tan teen looks down at the dirt where her right foot stepped, finding a flattened pile of feces. "Ugh!" Now even more annoyed, she turns her eyes to the small boston terrier laying in the shade of a dead tree by her little home. "Seriously, Cutie? Right where I walk? Again!?" Cutie lets out a little whimper, weakening Vee's anger slowly but surely.

Despite the smelly mess on her shoe, the girl bends down and rubs her dog's chunky belly. "Aww, you're too sweet to be mad at. Just don't poop there again, ok?" Cutie eagerly licks her owner's fingers before the girl stands and walks to the back door. After scraping her shoe in the grass, Vee enters her family's single wide trailer.

A loud creaking sound turns the attention of the woman washing dishes to the back door. "Veronica? Why no use the front door?" "It's 'why not,' mom. And because it hasn't worked in two years." A disheartened look came over the mother's face, which was not exactly human. Instead of flesh, reflective metal serves as her skin. Her curly, white hair lays past her shoulders all the way to the middle of her blue pattern, one piece. The mother continued washing the dishes and said, "Oh, sorry. You know Eduardo, very busy." The next words were delivered less confidently. "It is on his...How to say it? 'To-do list'?"

Passing her mother, Vee reaches in the upper cabinet for an after school snack. "Yep. That list keeps getting longer," she says with subdued annoyance, "So is yours, y'know." With a sad sigh, the mother stops scrubbing the plates and says, "I know...sorry. Work is busy and busier." "At least you try. Dad can't be bothered to come home more than five times a year." A tone of worry enters the mother's voice. "Veronica, do not-" "Don't what?" Vee interrupts, "Call dad out for the deadbeat he is? He barely knows who I am! The Mighty Five doesn't need him every day of the year! So why not talk about him!?" 

A firm voice with a spanish accent spoke from the living room. "Because he's sitting in the living room." Stunned at the sight of her superhero father, Vee can't bring herself to speak. She couldn't remember the last time she actually saw him, much less saw him out of his Knight Vision armor and hooded cape. Christmas maybe? His unmasked face stood out from the dark uniform; tan, scarred, angry and a thick mustache. The atmosphere of the trailer always grew tense when he was there, but today was especially so. His neon green eyes burned holes in hers. "Sit down." Vee takes the right side of the family sofa, and her mother joins her on the opposite end.

With a press of the remote, the battle scarred man in armor silenced the TV and turned to his daughter. "If protecting you and everyone else on this side of the country qualifies us as bad parents to you, then so be it. But you listen to me. You will not disrespect me, and especially not your mother, in this house. Understand?" Vee silently nodded, but this wasn't enough. "Say it...Say it!" Defiance prevented the teen from speaking, so her mother spoke on her behalf. "Eduardo, she means no disrespect. She has the point. We are never home." "But we are," Eduardo says, "The Mighty Five base has been our home for decades. She chooses to stay here because you allow her to be lazy and put off training."

Vee looked to be on the verge of snapping, so her mother intervened once more. "Choice should be hers. Please, only one year left of school." "Tatiana..." Eduardo's intense expression mirrored his daughter's. He took a few seconds to gather his words. "...Veronica, even with half of your mother's power, you are more capable than most to help people. Whether you like it or not, you have a responsibility to use that power to protect those without it...It's time to pack your bags. I'll make our last dinner in this house while you do."

Standing from his creaking chair, Eduardo made his way into the kitchen. Vee, having barely said a word, finally asked, "Do I get to say something now?" Her father chuckled as he placed a pan on the stove. "You can say, 'thank you for not making me start training sooner, dad.' Now get started packing." Through the girl's anger a forced smile came over her face, something Tatiana took notice of. Perhaps it was her motherly instinct, but she knew her daughter was about to do something drastic.

Launching from the sofa, Vee takes three heavy steps to the front door. Beneath her sock, the skin of her leg turns to solid steel. The front door bursts open from her kick, sending the outside boards flying in the dirt yard. Neon green eyes glare from the kitchen. In one smooth but quick motion, Eduardo pulls a grappling hook from his belt and pulls the trigger. The hook end fires at great speed with a cable trailing behind. It aims to grab Vee by the leg, but at the last second she lifts it to take her first step outside.

"HEY!! DON'T YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME!!" Eduardo rushes from the kitchen and nearly out the front door. However, his wife holds him back by the arm without struggle. "Suit." Fighting her grip, the grumbling man eventually gives up and steps back into the kitchen. At once, his and Tatiana's watches blink. "Something to take my anger out on?" asks Eduardo. "No. Man trapped under car. Close." With a grunt, the armored man dawns his knight helmet and turns off the stove. "You handle it." His voice sounded far more frightening through the helmet's low filter.

A beeping sound is heard when Eduardo reaches his hand behind the fridge. The floor where the fridge sits slides farther from the wall. Underneath the tile lies a 4x4 foot wide tunnel with a ladder, where Eduardo begins his climb down. "This is the last time we come to this dump. We'll see how long she lasts without us paying the bills." As Tatiana looks around the living room in disrepair, the sound of her husband's clanking steps on the ladder grow quieter. Drawings from when Vee was in kindergarten hang crooked on thin, wood walls.

A trail of dirt clouds follows Vee's bike, as she pedals up the hill. Tears build up in the frustrated girl's eyes, forcing her to wipe them with her arm to see. I never asked for these stupid powers! They don't even work right half the time! She looks ahead to not swerve or crash, but once again has to wipe her eyes. Why can't I decide anything!? When she opens them next, something drives in her way. Unable to steer out of its way, she collides head first with the vehicle's driver door, denting it in. Dirt clouds toss into the air as her body and bike drop to the dirty asphalt. Quickly she rubs her head and looks up at what she ran into. A black van with blood stains on the front and sides.