The Dark Angel¹

2.1 𝐼 𝑁𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝐴 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑜

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN
1985

Laverna arrives with C-20 and three other minutemen.

A woman notices them and tries to make conversation. "Hi! What's going on? You guys aren't dressed right." She chuckles. "I... So..."

"Sleep a spell" Laverna mutters and the woman faints.

"Variant detected, Commander." One of the minutemen informs.

"Let's move." C-20 orders.

While the attention of the surrounding people is on the sleeping woman, they walk over into a tent.

"No nexus energy yet, ma'am."

Music starts to play over the speakers.

"It's a trap. Watch your backs!" C-20 warns them.

"Again" Laverna sighs annoyed.

"My lords, my ladies, welcome and thank you for joining us, here at the castle. Please, settle into your seats, for a great battle is about to commence. The prize? Our princess. Will evil prevail, or are we holding out for a hero?" The announcer sounds.

Laverna can feel the Variant's presence, but not really locate her. She looks over to C-20, who stands with her back to a post. A hand reaches out and touches her temple with green magic. The same green flashes in her eyes, and she begins to attack the minutemen.

While they try to stop her, Laverna searches for the Variant. She steps into the dark part of the tent. She can feel a presence behind her. The same hand as before reaches out, and she grabs it. She slams the person to the floor beneath her.

"How can you be so strong?" The Variant asks.

Laverna doesn't answer, instead, she grabs the prune stick that was given to her. After powering it up, she holds it against the Variant's neck.

"Why are you doing this?" She questions her.

"To get my revenge on the timekeepers." The person answers. "I can show you if you want."

Laverna puts her hand on the head of the woman and enters her memories. She begins to feel fatigue, but tries to push away. Deep down, she knows that the real reason the TVA or the Judge want her so bad can be found in her memory.

The only image she can see before losing the grasp on the Variant's mind is that of a young girl playing with a dragon toy.

She falls off the woman on her back. She feels around for her prune stick, but it must have fallen out of her hand and rolled away.

"Not so strong are we now? You really are powerful. But you are new, so I guess you don't know where the timekeepers are, and therefore you are of no use to me."

The Variant is standing over her with the lost prune stick. The woman hits her on her head. In the same second, Laverna remembers an important rule.

Never let someone other than you grab your weapons.

She manages to vanish it before she completely blacks out.

Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life, lager than life

Somewhere after midnight in my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach there's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a Superman to sweep me of my feet

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear that there's someone somewhere watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach like a fire in my  blood

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the light
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure and he's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night

Words: 865