Damsel in Distress

Chapter 1 - Getting saved by Superman

Some people are born with the power to change the world. Some people are forced to change the world.

That's what separates me, Arabella Jones, and the rest of the world from the infamous supers.

Empire City, California was one of the first cities to have 'supers' all those years ago. The superheroes were all seemingly normal people from the outside, but with extraordinary powers and abilities hidden underneath. These people had been around for at least forty years, and their inhuman abilities helped stop crime. These supers had become a part of the daily life for most people everywhere.

No one knew how they got their powers, they just did, but there was one thing that we knew for certain, that some supers developed their powers during puberty. There were always the conspiracy theories of course, genetic mutations, overexposure to radiation, having the ability to use their whole brain power, but it was impossible to know the real reason. How could Bolt run at the speed of sound? How could The Ghost disappear into thin air? How could Marvelous Man lift over four tons while the rest of the human population was stuck not being able to lift a finger to help someone else in such a way?

The answer? They were born with the power to change the world. They were born to be superheroes and save the day. Call it fate.

Overall, the superheroes were treated like celebrities. This is why there were multiple fan clubs all over the world for different supers. It was also why one of my best friends, Lacey Waters, ran the biggest fan club for Empire City's own super celebrity, The Marvel.

I was one of the only girls in the school who didn't own a single super themed item. That is if you don't count Batman or Superman themed items. Lacey was always confused as to why I preferred comic superheroes over the real deal. I was just like that, I took weird to a whole new level as far as the rest of the teenage girl population was concerned at Oceanview High. It was called Oceanview because of it's amazing view of the ocean front, a good distraction if you looked out the windows that faced the West.

Lacey's obsession with The Marvel is what brought me to be standing in line at the mall with almost a hundred other teenager girls with way too much perfume, all holding glitter pens, on a Sunday night. I had told her that I'd rather sit at home watching The Avengers than take a picture with someone who, 1. Won't even remember my name, 2. Doesn't need even more of an ego boost and, 3. Someone who could be a fifty year old pedophile for all we know, but of course she never listens to me.

That's how I found myself trying not to lose my hearing as some of Empire City's most famous supers walked up to a table and waved at hundreds of screaming girls and boys. We had a close spot in the line, which meant that we would be at the front in thirty minutes or more.

Yeah, the line was that long.

It was obvious that the majority of the teens here were only here to meet the infamous and arrogant Marvel. If we were being honest, Merman and Stretchy Girl weren't the best super attractions. The Marvel was the only super in our town worth fangirling over, not that I would ever do such a preposterous thing.

The Marvel had the powers of flight and telekinesis, the power to control items with his mind, which made him even more sexy underneath that mask according to Lacey. The Marvel was one of the only supers with two powers, which made him obviously more famous than some of the others. But I thought that anyone who had to dress up in brightly colored spandex to get attention wasn't worth my time.

"Come on, Arabella, brighten up a little. We're about to meet my idol in life! I mean - isn't this so amazing? Maybe he'll let me touch his muscles," Lacey turned to me in all complete seriousness, "Do you think he'll let me touch his muscles?"