Paladin & Bombshell: To Be a Hero

OOC: This Thread is CLOSED for myself and Rubicante! Please read and enjoy!

Halo City was a beautiful place, world renowned as a clean city that housed majestic monuments, thorough and mysterious museums, great food, a bustling nightlife, and stunning architecture. But all of those accomplishments and points of pride were often ignored by the one reality of Halo City that came to the minds of most people when it was mentioned:

The Powers. There were heroes and villains all over the world, of course, but Halo City seemed to draw them like nowhere else on Earth. Both the good and the bad.

So it was that as the battle raged on the large main street of Halo City's Artistic District it was only the tourists who screamed and shrieked. The regular inhabitants of the city just took cover; those who weren't trying to get a look at who was fighting.

"So, who've we got?" A small group of people were crowded into the high-arching, sheltered stone entrance of a church. The man who spoke was wearing a suit, one hand shading his eyes as he tried to catch a glimpse. "Is it Paladin?"

"Nah, someone else!" A woman in a Starbucks uniform shook her head, "A woman."

"Yeah, I see her...wow!" A young man wearing a sweater with the letters "HCU" on it let out a whistle. "Shit, what a woman too! She's hotter than hell, man!"

The women in the sheltered area rolled their eyes. One of them, a middle-aged woman spoke up, "Anyone recognize her? Or who she's fighting?"

"I think...yeah, I do!" A teen girl gasped, "It's Bombshell! You know, she was part of that kid group, the New Champions."

"She's a bombshell, all right," the fratboy agreed. "And I think that's...there's two of them, she's fighting!"

The business man frowned. "I remember reading in The Crier that Smash and Grab were being taken to trial today..."

Suddenly, a figure came hurtling down from above and landed hard in the middle of the street. The pavement rippled before cracking and buckling from the impact. Slowly, the figure in the middle of it got to her feet.

She was average height for a woman, standing at about 5' 7", with an athletic tight body that was lean, hard muscle in a very feminine form. Her legs were long and shapely, her stomach flat and taut, her ass firm and pert. Her breasts were large, huge even, high and round and perfectly sculpted mountains of sweet flesh. Her body showed definition but didn't bulge or ripple with muscle. Her face was beautiful but strong and sure, not the wispy delicate beauty of many women. Her eyes were a deep, chocolaty brown, fierce and determined. Her lips were full and lush, a naturally rich pink. Her hair was straight, falling to just below her shoulders, a sunny golden blond with streaks of a vibrant lavender purple. She wore knee high boots with a slight heel, a dark blue at first that rose to a sharp and narrow point at her knee, the curving back of the boot red. A bodysuit covered her torso, save for a triangular cut-away that showed off a generous amount of cleavage. The middle of the suit was also dark blue, widening from a thin strip at her crotch to just inside shoulder width, the rest or it red. A sash of the same purple as her hair was around her waist, the tails of it loose. It was sleeveless, with long gloves that came to her elbows, red except for the hands themselves, which were again dark blue. A dark blue domino mask covered part of her face.

Bombshell shook her head, trying to clear the ringing from her ears. Damn it! Why was this going so wrong? She launched herself into the air, but not upward, parallel to the ground. The blond battler flew like an arrow. "You're not getting away!" She impacted into the chest of a man who was at least 7 feet tall, and maybe 5 feet across the shoulders. His skin was a cement gray, the hair on his head gleaming dully like steel wire. The giant grunted, thrown back by the force of the shot. Bombshell layed into him, throwing punch after punch into his chest. "Go! Down! Already!"

"Bet that's what all the superboys say to you, bitch," came a sneering retort.

"What th-" Two plastic like arms stretched out around Bombshell's jerking her fists just wide enough to miss hitting the big guy. The bruiser capitalized on the opening, slamming his forehead into Bombshell's pretty face and knocking her back. She tried to bring up an arm to block his moves, but the tangling arms of his accomplice slowed her down enough that it was too late.

The double fisted overhand blow pounded her down into the street, the heroine stunned by the blow. She struggled to her hands and knees, the world blurry and moving around her. "Nuh-not done...yet."

"I'd say you are." The arms pulled back to a busty Latina woman, the super villain Grab, her plasticine body and it's stretching powers well complimented by the brute force of her partner in crime and lover, Smash. "Baby, put super-ho down and let's get out of here before a real hero shows up."

Her boyfriend laughed, "You got it, babe." He strode over to the armored car that had transported them to the courthouse, bending down and grabbing the under carriage with both hands. "Hnn!" He grunted, heaving the massive truck up over his head. He loomed over the dazed Bombshell, lifting it high before crushing it down upon her...

Just as the stone giant prepared to bring the armored truck down on the struggling heroine, a figure streaked down from the sky, so fast it was little more than a silvery-white blur. It hit the truck with incredible force, the impact crumpling its metal-plated sides like aluminum foil and crushing the villain beneath its weight, leaving him at the bottom of a crater in the pavement in a karmic parody of his attack on the young Power. As the dust and pieces of asphalt settled, the source of the heroic counterstrike could be seen towering over his opponent in an infamous majestic (though unintentionally so) stance.

“It’s Paladin!” one the onlookers cried out with excitement.

The man towering over the fallen villain, surveying the landscape with piercing green eyes, was an icon in Halo City, and was even counted as one of the great champions in the annals of Power history. Six-foot-three-inches of rippling muscle and handsomely chiseled features that could only be referred to as “heroic,” Paladin looked every bit the noble knight that his namesake implied. His powerful body was covered in a skin tight silvery-grey bodysuit textured to resemble chain mail, with white leather gauntlets and boots, and a white tabard with crimson trim. On the front of the tabard, as well as on the silver buckle of his leather belt, was his famous insignia known the world over - the red silhouette of a sword point-down over a red shield.

The sound of creaking metal split the silence, followed by a collective gasp from the crowd as the enormous stone-skinned villain lifted the armored truck off his body and regained his feet. He held the massive vehicle over his head, a wicked grin splitting his sinister features.

“Good try, Paladin. I’ve always wanted to see how tough you really are.”

The super powered thug hefted the truck behind him, stepping into a powerful throw and launching it at the hero. Instead of attempting to avoid it, Paladin rushed towards his opponent, directly into the truck’s trajectory. With lightning reflexes, he struck the vehicle to the side in midair, following it up with a right hook to the giant’s jaw. The villain’s head jerked to the side with the inhumanly powerful impact, and he shook the pavement as he toppled backwards, down for the count. Paladin had tangled with thick-skinned opponents before - metal, stone, even diamond - and in many cases even his tremendous strength couldn’t faze them. But one thing he had learned was no matter what the composition or toughness of the hide, the basic rules of human physiology still applied. A strike that twisted the head around sharply enough worked in a clash with a superhuman just as well as it did in a boxing match. Smash would be out long enough for the police to take him back in, with plenty of time to spare.

Barely taking a moment to acknowledge his victory, Paladin turned his attention back to the other half of the duo, Grab. Powers with elastic abilities didn’t typically present much physical danger to more resilient superhumans, but they were extremely difficult to fight. Lacking any sort of energy projection abilities severely limited his options when even his most powerful blows could be absorbed with ease. He glanced away from the (admittedly alluring) Latina criminal to check on the young would-be heroine recovering on the ground. While he was certain he could handle this lower-tier villain on his own, any assistance was always appreciated. Besides, this was her fight, and he wanted her to get at least some of the credit before the brutal paparazzi unfairly but inevitably ripped her to shreds in the next day‘s paper.

Bombshell could only watch as HE showed up, coming down out of the sky like a guardian angel. An angel who could seriously kick some ass. The busty blond watched in awed frustration as the legendary hero took Smash out of the fight. Without even breaking a sweat. Like it was nothing.

Damn it! He made it look so easy! The heroine slammed one fist against the ground, looking down as a swell of frustration and shame rushed over her. Why could she do this? She wasn't that bad as this, was she? She wasn't new to the scene. She'd fought bad guys before, plenty of them. She'd even helped save the world! What the hell was wrong with her?

She looked up on instinct to see him looking down at her. She flushed, furious at him seeing her like this, yet flattered at his attention. "Paladin...I..." There was a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. "Look out!" She grabbed him and jerked him down in time to avoid a spinning manhole cover that flew where he had been to embed itself in a wall across the street.

"Mierda!" The sultry woman unslung her elastic body from between the two lamp posts she'd used to make herself into a superhuman slingshot. "You got lucky, bitch! So long!" The woman turned, her legs elongating to make her strides huge, covering dozens of feet in a single step.

Bombshell leaped into the air, flying after the flexible thief. She couldn't let Paladin totally show her up. She had to help. At least to try and make up for making this mess in his city. "Just ditching your guy? That's cold, even for a guttersnipe like you."

The woman actually stopped a second, infuriated by the jibe. "Don' talk to me like that, you super slut!" She swung a fist at the flying heroine, the plastic-like flesh hardening and growing larger.

"Thanks!" Bombshell rolled back and let the punch blow past, grabbing onto the elongated arm. She flew back with it, as fast as she could, jerking the villainess along with her. Despite her resistance to impacts, Grab wasn't any stronger than your average female banger.

But she still needed a way to put her down...there! She changed direction, diving for a traffic light that had just turned red. Bombshell pulled one of the fingers out of the fist, "Red light means...stop!" She smashed Grab's hand into the red light and the Latin crook shrieked as electricity coursed through her. She spasmed and shook a few moments before passing out, her body unstretching back to normal, ending up held in Bombshell's arms.


Bombshell stood on the roof of a nearby building, watching as the Powers Crime Unit took the sedated villains, now cuffed in power-dampening shackles back to jail. She sighed, crossing her arms under her breasts. "Well...that went great. Just great." Her voice was thick with sarcasm and frustration.

She could feel him behind her, and hung her head. "Paladin...thank you. I'm sorry you had to get involved, I really thought..." She shook her head. Now that it was all over, and the adrenaline was fading, she felt awful. Like she wanted to go home and cry while wolfing down as much ice cream as she had in the freezer. "I...I made a real mess of it, didn't I?"

She half turned to look at him, trying to make herself smile. "I know you probably hear it all the time, but...I really want to make a difference here in Halo City." She sniffed, swearing to herself that she would not cry. If she cried, she'd just fly into the sun. She would not be totally humiliated today. "I'm not off to a good start, but...I'll do better."

Paladin watched with the girl as the criminal duo was taken into custody. Smash and Grab weren’t exactly notorious villains and had never been labeled as high-level threats, but they did work together well and were fairly adept at finding ways to use their powers to compensate for each other’s weaknesses. There was no shame in having a little trouble with them, but he could still understand her frustration. It was tough enough on the ego when a criminal was getting the best of you, but it was infinitely worse when an entire crowd was watching.

Paladin looked down at the girl to offer some words of encouragement, but paused when she crossed her arms under her breasts in frustration. His words caught in his throat as the mountains of flesh heaved inside that painted-on bodysuit, the deep shadow of her cleavage clearly displayed in the triangular cutaway. He squeezed his eyes closed to collect himself, thankful that her attention was on the armored prisoner transport so she didn’t notice him staring. He was a world-renowned hero, and a certain sense of decorum was expected at all times.

Even if it did cripple his ability to have any semblance of a personal life.

"I know you probably hear it all the time, but...I really want to make a difference here in Halo City."

Actually, he hadn’t. Most of the new Powers, the young would-be heroes, didn’t really seem to care about making a difference. They only cared about being in the spotlight. They all had their sights set on being icons like Lionheart, or Lady Tesla, or Paladin himself, and if they had to stop a few bank robberies along the way, well, that was just the way it had to be. Meeting someone who genuinely cared about the city, about his city, was something new.

“I’m not going to lie to you. I‘ll admit, I have seen encounters that went better. If I hadn’t made it in time, I can’t honestly say how things would have gone. But I did, and Smash and Grab are back in custody and now under higher security than ever before, and that didn‘t happen without your help. The bottom line is, regardless of how it got done, it got done.

"Listen - Bombshell," that's right, he remembered seeing her name on the New Champions roster - and with the way she looked, he doubted he could imagine anything more appropriate, "Every hero makes mistakes from time to time. But a truly great hero makes sure she doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”

When she turned back to look at him, his piercing emerald eyes met with hers. His chiseled jaw shifted to form a small, sympathetic grin as he tried to lighten the mood a bit.

“Plus, without you, I would’ve taken a manhole cover to the face back there. And for that, I am eternally grateful.”

She managed a smile back, who wouldn't with those eyes looking at you? "That would be bad, it's too nice a face to mess up like that." Her smile became a bit more genuine. "Eternally grateful, huh? Doesn't hurt to have the world's mightiest hero owe you a favor. Even if the truth is I owe you way more." God, he was gorgeous! She'd seen him before, of course, in the news and even during a few big team-ups but not this close. Not when he was paying attention to her. He was just so...that powerful body, that noble face, and those eyes....

Easy, girl. We're not on the prowl and he wouldn't be interested.

Then she sighed, reaching up to smooth out her hair, which had the unintentional effect of pushing her breasts out slightly. "Thanks for the pep talk, but I don't know if I'm learning anything out here. Ever since the Champions broke up, I've been trying to make it on my own and...it hasn't worked out so well." She shrugged, another motion that did wonders with her generous endowment, "I want to think I'm learning from my mistakes, I do. But I just keep making them."

She shook her head. "Sorry, you're not hear to listen to me complain." A crazy idea occurred to her. Really crazy. "Uh, hey, Paladin, you...what are you doing now? I mean, that this little crisis is over?" She took a few steps toward him, her smile both confident and shy, "If you don't have plans, maybe we could go on patrol or something. Together."

Paladin chuckled softly at her compliments, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“You’re too kind.”

Of course, when he opened them again he was treated to yet another glorious eyeful of her tremendous assets. Good Lord! Would he be out of line to suggest improving her costume’s support as a first step towards being a better crime fighter? All the skimpy costumes showing up more and more lately just seemed so impractical.

Of course, it dawned on him that any other man would have been more than happy to just appreciate the view. It spoke volumes about how long he’d been in the business and how much it had consumed his life. He was only 33, but he felt so much older…

Pausing for barely a heartbeat to regain his composure, he brought his eyes back to meet hers, though her big brown eyes proved no less of a distraction. They shined with the fierce strength of an independent young woman., while somehow at the same time holding a hint youthful innocence and admiration. He watched appreciatively as she swept back her long, blonde hair, broken by that rebellious streak of purple, and revealed her beautiful face. When did they start making women like this? Still, he managed to force his attention away from her impossible beauty as he spoke.

“You really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Going solo isn’t an easy thing to do. You have to pace yourself. When you’re breaking away from a team, it’s best to start fighting criminals you’d normally think of as beneath your attention. Even non-Power criminals are a good place to start. Most first-time solos lean too much on their powers and play solely to their strengths, but a smart hero keeps her eye on her weaknesses first.”

He hoped she hadn’t been too conscious of his choice to use ‘her’ instead of ‘his.’ He knew it wasn’t his place to lecture her, and he really didn’t want her to think that’s what he was trying to do. But he wanted to at least try to give her a bit of his experience, unsolicited though it may have been.

He straightened himself to his full height and turned to look out over the city from the rooftop. With his towering, powerful form, handsome and sculpted physique, and veritable aura of nobility, he couldn’t help but look heroic no matter what he did - a natural photogenic quality was jokingly said to be the real reason for his widespread fame. As he gaze swept across the horizon, he turned back to the beautiful Bombshell, resting his fists on his hips and letting out a mock-sigh.

“Well, I’ve been patrolling all morning, and I was kind of looking forward to a bit of relaxation,” He looked back up to her with a grin and a soft chuckle, shaking his head in defeat, “but I do owe you one. So yes, I’d be happy to tag along.”

Keep on eye on her weaknesses, huh? She grimaced while he looked away, half tempted to stick her tongue out at him. Real mature. But, still, that was a low shot! If he had something to say, he should just say it. "I try to. And I take on any crime I see, whether or not Powers are involved. That's just...common sense and ethics, isn't it?"

He looked back at her with a wry grin and she had a few very unethical thoughts about what she could do with him. Right there on the rooftop, maybe. Damn! She was kind of surprised at herself. Had it been that long...since that last time in space...yeah, it had.

Anyway.

His words made her smile happily. "You mean I can come with y-, wait. Tag along...with...with me?" The way he said it, she'd be the one patrolling. The one leading. Bombshell actually blushed; something she hadn't done in years. "O-okay. Great!" She beamed and she decided to push her luck. "But you deserve your relaxation too. So how about we patrol for a while and then we can get something to eat? In civvies, if you want."

Has she just asked him out? Kind of...

By the look on her face - or, rather, the somewhat obvious way she was trying to hide the look on her face - he could tell that his attempt at a ‘subtle’ bit of wisdom hadn’t worked quite the way he’d planned. After the fact, it actually seemed somewhat obvious how it could be taken as a criticism of her in particular. Difficulty understanding how to communicate with others - another one of the perils of flying solo for so long. He shook his head apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you in particular, I just meant for it to be something to think about. I’ve seen it hold back a lot of would-be heroes, and I’d hate to see one with as much potential as you stumble any more than she needs to.”

He paused for a moment to think about what he’d just said. It was true. As far as he’d seen, she had the same powers he did, though undoubtedly of a different origin. And while the strength of her abilities certainly weren’t on par with his - not yet, anyway, but with training? - he definitely saw the potential for her to be a truly great hero. But he knew his interest in tagging along with her wasn’t purely that of a veteran grooming a promising newcomer to fight by his side against the forces of evil. As immature and selfish as it may have been, it was also partially an excuse to be near that firm, fit, work-of-art of a body for even just a little while longer.

Then it was his turn to be taken aback. Had she just asked him to dinner? The surprised expression on his handsome features was impossible to miss.

“Let‘s make it a short patrol, then,” He looked back into her eyes with a grin and gave a playful wink. “I’m starving.”

Ooooh. That smile and that wink were just...he was so hot! Did he have any idea? And he'd just flirted with her. Paladin! Flirting with her. So awesome! "Short patrol it is. Like it wouldn't be anyway, with the two of us out there." She smiled, tossing her hair over one shoulder and turning away to put one foot up on the ledge of the roof, "Bad guys, watch out!"

She turned her head to look back at him with a grateful smile. "Let's go then."


By the time they had completed a circuit of the city, Bombshell was feeling like she was on cloud nine. There'd been a purse snatcher, a few fights to break up, a mugging to stop, a woman threatening to jump off a building with her baby, and a high speed pursuit to end, and they'd handled it all.

She had to admit that a few times, she hadn't been sure what to do. But he had, and she'd followed his lead and it all...worked. She even heard the cops after the chase ended asking Paladin if he had a new sidekick. Which was so cool! Well, not totally. She didn't want to be anybody's sidekick, but...it was still awesome that they thought she was working with him.

She touched down on a ledge of a tall gothic skyscraper, alighting on a fierce looking gargoyle. The blond beauty looked up at the hero, at that handsome god in a man's smoking hot body, and smiled. "You really helped me tonight. There were a couple of times where I wasn't sure how to handle it. I guess...we work pretty well together, huh?"

Bombshell brushed her hair back, stretching her arms over her head. "Mm. But I think dinner sounds divine, don't you?" She turned and looked up at him again. "So, why don't you choose the place? And if you want to go as we are or, you know, change into civvies." She held up her hands, "I understand if not, I mean, we both have our secrets and I'm totally not asking you to blow your cover or anything."

Paladin smiled as soared behind her to the ledge, slowing to bring his feet gently onto the solid surface. It had been a fairly eventful patrol for one that they’d planned to be so short, but it was very productive. She seemed unsure of herself at first, looking to him for guidance, but she had good instincts and probably could have handled things on her own if she hadn’t been second-guessing herself so much. She might not have been ready for any sort of epic showdowns just yet, but she definitely had the makings of a hero.

But he was even more impressed with the girl herself. When he wasn’t being distracted by that tight, perfectly-round ass, those sleek and well toned legs, and that gravity-defying set of breasts, he found her surprisingly easy to talk to. She was smart - a lot smarter than the newspapers had assumed based on her looks - and she had a real passion for what she was doing, and for life in general. It was refreshing to spend time with someone who viewed the world with such boundless energy when he’d become so weary in his long years in the superhero business.

“Worked well together? Hey, it was mostly you. I was just trying to hang back as much as I could and just watch how you work. I jumped in to help things along a bit, but like I said, it was mostly you.”

He looked down at her with a smile, swallowing thickly as he watched her smooth back her silky hair and stretch her lean, toned body.

“Yeah, I am absolutely ready to eat…” he hesitated a bit, remembering something that hadn’t ever really come up before. Being Paladin was such a full-time job, he’d never really thought of the logistics of having a personal life.

“There’s just one problem. I’m pretty easy to spot in the city, even in civilian clothes - which is an extremely appealing idea, by the way. I can’t even remember the last time I got to dress down - so I’m not sure how comfortable I am with going out. It’s never really come up, so I don’t really know whether it’d cause any problems. We could always have dinner at my place if you wouldn‘t mind that. I can’t cook, though, so it’d have to be take-out.”

He rubbed the back of his head, looking at the ground with a small chuckle, before returning his eyes to meet hers and giving her a broad smile.

"It's up to you, though. If you had somewhere in mind, I'm sure I'd survive a trip out into the world."

He was a lot more open than she expected. She was young, but she still liked to think she could tell things about people. This invitation of his, he really meant it, and it didn't seem like he just wanted to get in her pants. Though he totally could, of course. The awkwardness of making the dinner arrangements made her wonder if he had any kind of life outside of saving anonymous people, slugging villains, and going on missions with his team.

He seemed lonely.

Bombshell quirked an eyebrow, "Inviting me back to your place, huh? You are faster than a speeding bullet." She winked, "I'm just teasing. I think that would be very nice, thank you. Next time, we'll go out." Which was a bold statement, already assuming there'd even BE a next time.

She leaned forward, "Looks like you've got something on your costume." She brushed a hand along his chest, feeling the hard muscle underneath. Oh, God. There wasn't anything there. She just wanted to touch him. "That got it." She had hoped that a touch would sort of reduce the level of arousal she was feeling for him. That it would satisfy her. But now...now she wanted her hands all over him. Did that ever backfire. "Sorry, didn't mean to grope you out of nowhere." She hoped she was a decent liar.

Bombshell smiled up at him. "So. How about I give you my number, and I'll go home and change. Then when you're ready, you can call me and tell me where to come. Sound like a plan?"

Paladin choked out an embarrassed laugh at her ‘faster than a speeding bullet’ comment. He hadn’t come on too strong, had he? He sincerely hoped she really was teasing and hadn’t get the wrong idea. Thinking about it for another moment, though, he wasn’t entirely sure if it was the wrong idea. He almost blushed. Almost.

He looked down as she leaned in, and as she reached up and brushed off his costume, he felt a warmth suddenly rising in his core. The touch was thankfully (or at least hopefully) too brief for her to notice as his heart began to beat faster. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had any sort of physical contact other than carrying citizens out of harm’s way, or the occasional handshake from the authorities for a job well done.

And, of course, when his fist made contact with a criminal’s face.

Now that she was closer, their height difference was more apparent and he found himself looking directly down at her. Though this put her eyes staring directly into his, it also gave him a distracting view of the seemingly bottomless shadow of her cleavage through the cutaway window in her bodysuit. Once again, he had to fight to keep his attention respectful.

“Well, it shouldn’t take me too long to get ready. My apartment’s on the top floor of the Halo Plaza, which isn’t too far, and all I have to do is throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt,” the Halo Plaza building was actually on the opposite side of town, but with his flight speed he could probably make it there in under a minute. “How about we say you come by in an hour. Unless that’s too early. I’ll leave the balcony door open, so just fly on in when you’re ready. Sound like a plan?”

Bombshell beamed at him. "That's just fine. Enough time to shower first, I still have some asphalt in my hair, I think." She was going to Paladin's apartment! His penthouse from the sound of it, to have dinner, maybe a few drinks...maybe more. Would he be offended if she hinted? Or if she flirted? He hadn't yet, but...well, she'd see. "An hour on the top floor of Halo Plaza." She rose up into the air to even their height. "I can't wait! See you soon, Paladin." She blew him a kiss, shocking herself with her nerve, and then flew off toward home.

"Oh, God, why did I DO that?" She smacked herself in the forehead. "That was so...argh! Now he'll think I'm a total tramp or something." Though if he thought that, maybe he'd...don't think like that! Maybe it had been a while, and maybe he was so hot he could melt promethium, but she didn't know him well enough or long enough to...to want to jump his bones the second she got to his suite. But she did want that. "Damn it. Better make that shower a cold one."

Her little apartment, complete with the fire escape in the alley for easy flying access, was a welcome sight. It was a bit dingy and run down, but it was still her own, and her home. There was a momentary temptation, as she closed and locked the window behind her, to just sit down in a comfy chair and rest. But she had a date to prepare for. Well, not a date, really.

Forty minutes later, the buxom young woman alighted on the high balcony of the top floor suite of the Halo Plaza luxury apartments. It made sense as a living space for a hero. Large and spacious, private, but also close to a lot of the danger zones in town while being removed. Still...she'd kind of expected a house or something.

She looked down at herself, smoothing the pale blue angora sweater she wore. It was a snug fit, accentuating her breasts as much as it hid them, with a low cut neckline that teasingly showed a hint of cleavage. Her hair had been combed and pulled back away from her face, gathered into a loose ponytail at the base of her skull. She wore a pair of tight blue jeans and the most casual set of heels she had. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her mouth was dry. Oh, God, oh, God, oh God! "Paladin? Um, It's me."

What a dumb thing to say! What if she had the wrong place? AHHH! "I hope I'm not too early or anything." She stepped up to the open balcony door, standing in it and letting the light of the city wash in behind her.

Paladin raised an eyebrow in surprise and gave a small, somewhat confused smile as she blew him a kiss and then took off through the air to prepare for their evening together. Their ‘Evening together?’ How big a deal did he really think this was going to be? It was just dinner with some pleasant company. Wasn’t it? He knew he shouldn’t even imagine that it would be anything more - no matter how much he might secretly want it to be. With all of these conflicting thoughts, he didn’t even notice that he hadn’t stopped smiling during the entire flight home…


Almost as soon as Paladin touched down on his balcony and strode through the tall glass doors, he began to examine almost every inch of his spacious apartment to make sure it was presentable for his guest. He was a normally a fairly meticulous, detail-oriented person, but he was there so rarely that he was sure there would be few things to fix to at least make it appear like he actually lived like a normal person. Like his dishes. He hadn’t used them in so long that they actually needed dusting.

After just shy of a half an hour he was satisfied that he could entertain a guest without too much embarrassment. He put an array of takeout menus on the kitchen’s marble countertop - the wide selection serving as a testament to his lonely, bachelor lifestyle - and went into his bedroom to pick out some clothes for the evening. Jeans and a t-shirt, as promised, clean but maybe a bit musty from sitting in a drawer without being worn for so long. As he reached up to stretch the t-shirt over his head, looking at his arms he noticed he was still wearing his costume. What does it say about a man when he’s in costume so often he doesn’t even notice it anymore? Maybe he should start taking a little more time off for himself…

He gave a brief sigh of self-pity, then looked up at the clock to check how he was doing on time. Still at least another twenty-five minutes before she was due to show up. Plenty of time to wash off the sweat that inevitably built up between an overworked hero and his skin-tight costume. He unbelted and folded up his tabard, then started to peel off his costume as he made his way to his marble-tiled bathroom. He turned on the faucet to let the water heat up, then walked over to the door to leave it open just a bit so the steam could get out. When the water had gotten hot enough that a bit of fog was starting to build up on the mirrors he stepped into the shower, letting out an ecstatic groan as he felt the warmth washing away the stress and grime of yet another day of being Halo City’s champion. And, though he didn’t actually admit it to himself, the anxiety he felt at the prospect of seeing the gorgeous Bombshell again.

Of course, Paladin was under the impression that he still had plenty of time before she would arrive. So, when the beautiful Power did arrive, he was still basking in the therapeutic bliss of the warm water washing over his naked body.

As promised, the balcony door was open. She stepped inside, looking around for any sign of the hero who'd invited her here. "Paladin?" No response. The suite was large, probably took up most of this floor. It was well appointed and decorated, but there was an odd air of emptiness about it. Well, not quite emptiness, but loneliness.

She stepped over to the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter. There were twelve different take out menus spread over it's surface, which confirmed this was the right place. There was a thin but noticable layer of dust on the stove top, and it looked like someone had just washed several dishes.

She bit her lip, knowing she shouldn't do it, but...well, it wouldn't hurt anyone to peek, would it? A hurried examination of the cabinets showed enough dust to tell her that the pots, pans, and most of the dinnerware were hardly ever used. It kind of fit with the way the suite felt in general; more like it was storage than a place someone actually lived.

"How sad," she mused. He was a legend. One of the Earth's mightiest heroes, but...from this, it looked like all he did was be a super-hero. Did he ever take any time for himself? Did he have any friends who didn't wear spandex? "Maybe..." An idea began to form in her head. A crazy idea, but it just might work.

Her ears caught the sound of running water, and the curious girl followed it. In one of the hallways, she saw an open door with light and a thick cloud of steam coming out of it. "Oh. Oh, he's...in the shower." Absently she swallowed, feeling suddenly nervous. She should go back and wait on the balcony. She took a few quiet steps forward. Really, there was no reason to disturb him in the shower. Another few stealthy steps and she was b the door frame. She should just turn around right now. Right now. Right this very instant.

Bombshell peeked around the door to the bathroom; which was fortunately designed to give her a clear view all the way to the far end where the shower door stood open. "Oh, baby doll," she gasped in a low, warm voice. It was Paladin, all right. All of him. "Work it, hunk," she murmured. Water streamed and cascaded down coiled muscle, his hard body gleaming from the attention and cleansing of water and soap. His hair was wet and dark, clinging to his face as he leaned back with an expression of ecstasy on that chiseled face. Almost as if she was giving him head instead of him showering. ...Had she just thought that? He turned around, and she used her hand to muffle an appreciative moan at the sight of his ass. Damn! Her fingers just itched to feel it. Then he turned yet again and she saw his manhood and scrotum, "Oh, fuck me," she breathed. His cock wasn't hard but it was still beautiful, long, thick, delicious looking. His sack was heavy and full. He didn't have any hair down there...or anywhere other than his head, now that she thought of it. Which just made him all the sexier.

She pulled herself back against the wall, placing one hand over her heart. It was beating faster, and her breathing had picked up too. She was so turned on right now it was...damn! She could feel a low heat between her legs, and her nipples were stiff enough to rub against the cups of her bra, which felt far better than it had any right to. If only those were his hands...

Bombshell pulled herself together and retreated back into the suite, and then out onto the balcony. She'd make herself wait here. And try not to think about how every gorgeous inch of his god-like body looked gleaming and wet...or how it would look on top of her...or under her...

Paladin suddenly snapped to his senses, realizing he had lost track of time in the shower. He usually took his time with them, since the soothing heat was really one of the only pleasures he had after a long day of patrolling and saving the world.

“Shit,” he mumbled to himself.

There was no clock in the bathroom. He hoped he still had time before she showed up. He quickly stepped out and toweled himself off, then hurriedly bolted back to his bedroom and threw his clothes on. He then ran back into the bathroom, checking himself in the mirror to make sure he looked at least acceptable. It had been so long he wasn’t even sure the clothes would fit, but the shirt wasn’t too tight and the jeans were loose and comfortable - though he hoped she didn‘t notice that they looked almost like they‘d never been worn before. He spent a few hurried moments fixing his hair, then prepared to dart out to the living room to wait for her. But halfway through his first step through the door, he paused for a momentt, then turned back and slapped on just the slightest hint of cologne. Sure, it was just a dinner between friends - or so he kept telling himself over and over. But it didn’t hurt to smell nice.

He strode out into the living room, taking a long, slow breath to calm himself and felt his confidence returning. He was about as ready as he could get without doing a full-scale cleaning of the entire place, and he still had a couple of minutes to spare. Or so he thought, until he saw a purse on the counter. She was already here? Of his impressive array of powers, superhuman hearing wasn’t one of them, so he hadn’t heard her come in. How long had he kept her waiting?

He turned toward the balcony doors, and his breath caught for just a moment as he saw her waiting outside, a vision with the light of the setting sun framing her sublime figure, the breeze tossing her ponytail as she turned to the side and showed the profile of that gorgeous face. She somehow made even casual clothes look fantastic, with the amazing way she filled out that sweater - though he doubted that they made anything those big, perfectly-shaped breasts couldn’t fill out - not to mention those jeans that almost made her costume look baggy. Oh God, how he wished he could be those jeans.

What?? What the hell had this girl gotten him thinking?

He prepared to put on a welcoming smile, but realized he was already smiling. He had been for a while, in fact. Approaching the door, he reached out his hand in welcome.

“Bombshell, you’re here! I hope I didn’t keep you waiting out here too long. Hopefully you enjoyed the view at least,” he looked out over the city from the balcony’s vantage point high above the city, then back to her. “Wow, you look… great.”

He pause for a moment, blinking as he unconsciously looked her over again, catching himself halfway and trying to keep the appearance of his attention respectful. He realized with a bit of dread that the majority of the night would probably be spent forcing himself not to eye-fuck her.

Shit! Since when did he ever think things like that?

“Come on in,” he said, taking her hand gently, and was momentarily stunned as he could practically feel electricity tingling in her soft grasp. It barely took an eye blink for him to regain his composure, but the warm, almost exciting feeling of her touch made it feel like much longer. He wanted it to be much longer, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He hoped he didn’t start feeling uncomfortable.

He lead her into the apartment, reluctantly releasing her hand and giving a big sweeping gesture.

“This is my home, such as it is. And this,” he said, leading her to the kitchen and picking up the pile of take-out menus, “is my menu of the finest cuisine money can buy and a high school student with his parents’ car can deliver. What are you in the mood for? Chinese? Italian? Halo City’s got pretty much anyything you could want.”

Including distractingly beautiful women, he thought to himself. He wasn’t sure if this night was going to be either as pleasant as he’d hoped, or just endlessly frustrating as he tried to prevent his temptation from driving him insane.

She turned as she heard him call her name. Well, her code name. It felt strange to be called that when she wasn't in her costume. Should she tell him? She'd just met him, so maybe she shouldn't. But...well, if you couldn't trust Paladin, who could you trust?

His compliment however, brought an easy and honest smile to her face, and a light flush. "Thank you. You dress down very nicely yourself." Though she wished he dressed down even further. Maybe a towel that could slip down...or a robe she could untie and pull apart, getting down on her knees, and-

Whoa, girl. Easy.

"I did admire the view. It's beautiful." Her eyes were not, however on the vista of the city at night, but on him. Traveling up and down his taut, hard body. "Majestic. The kind of thing that can sweep a girl off her feet."

She loved the feeling as he took her hand. His was so strong and warm, so manly. God, he was so amazing! Everything he did just made her want him more! He lead her inside, and she nodded, "I did get a look at the place earlier. It's nice, way bigger than mine, and you've got some really cool stuff in here. You shouldn't knock it."

At the comments about the menus, her lips quirked, "There are some things I want that I'd be pretty shocked to find in one of these menus," she quipped. Then she blushed to the roots of her hair. Oh. My. God! Why did she say that? "Uh, I mean, how about Indian? I love Indian food. What do you say?"

He laughed a little at her comments about his apartment as he shuffled through the menus.

“I guess the place isn’t too bad. But all this stuff?” He swung a finger in the air, indicating everything around him. “It wasn’t my choice. The apartment’s part of my wage for working in Halo City - it’s completely covered by city tax dollars like any normal law enforcement expenses would be. They paid for an interior designer to pick everything out and figure out where it would go, how to arrange it, and whatever the hell else it is designers do,” he said with a small chuckle. “I don’t even use half of the stuff in here, and I have no idea what any of this artwork is. It just looks like a lot of squiggles and blocks to me.”

He looked up from the menus with a smile, and became momentarily trapped as he met her deep chocolate eyes. A second later, after he came to his senses, he let out a weary sigh as his mind returned to the topic of conversation.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for what the city‘s done for me. It’s a very comfortable place to live,” He looked up at the ceiling, then gazed around at the rest of the room. “Comfortable, but I guess not exactly cozy.”

As he shuffled through the menus to she her the options, he paused for just a moment when she mentioned she wanted something she‘d be surprised to find. And this brought his mind back to her earlier comment about a view that could ‘sweep a girl off her feet.’ Was she flirting with him? He’d been out of the game for too long… Jesus, had it really been years? But she had to be. Why else would someone say things like that? Unless he was so enamored with this brilliant, beautiful - and good lord, so incredibly fucking sexy - young woman that he was only hearing what he wanted to hear. Regardless, the mere thought gave him a thrill. He could feel his heartbeat quickening.

“Sure, Indian’s fine with me,” he said, trying to play it cool, and handed her the menu. He still had to fight to keep his eyes from wandering, though, marveling at how the more the sweater covered, the more it accentuated her incredible bust. “Pick whatever you want, and I’ll phone it in. My treat.”

"Whatever I want? Careful, hero, I might just eat out you of the penthouse." She envied him his success. She actually had a job, and it wasn't a good one since she had to leave at all hours of the day, and after rent and bills, there wasn't a lot of money left for frills or even food. She'd tell people she was just getting on her feet, but the truth was, she was poor. Paladin didn't know how good he had it up here, in this huge apartment paid for by someone else, with plenty of cash for all the food he could eat...but maybe it wasn't all good. He seemed dissatisfied. Though was it with the place like he said, or was it because he didn't have anyone to share it with?

"Umm. Let's see." She pulled a pad or sticky notes by the land line phone, writing a few things down. Two appetizers and her choice of meal. Mmm...curry. "That does me. I put down a few appetizers too, sorry. I just get Indian so rarely, it's kind of like a treat. I'll have to be careful or I'll pig out," she laughed.

As she pushed the note and the menu back to him, she finally picked up on something her nerves had prevented her from seeing so far. He was checking her out. Not a little either. He was trying not to, which was cute, but it was almost like he couldn't help himself from admiring her body. She DID have a great body, she'd be the first to admit it. And she knew guys liked it. But even with that...HE was checking her out. Paladin!

A smile crossed her face and as she handed him back the menu, she let her fingers brush across his hand in a fleeting, teasing touch. "It's too bad the stuff here isn't what you like. Sabre, one of my friends from the Champions, I think you may have met him once. He always said that...you had to have a life outside of being a hero, so you remembered why you were fighting and what you were protecting. Having a home is part of that, I think."

She hesitated a moment. "But I'm sure you must have friends that you have over or something, right?" She didn't see a ring, but you never knew. "A girlfriend, a fiancee, maybe?" Okay, she was fishing now. It was insane what she was thinking. Crazy. But maybe, just maybe...if he was available...maybe...

Paladin smiled at her, picking up the phone and beginning to dial the restaurant.

“No, please, by all means, pig out. It’s just nice to have some company. Especially the present company. So if more food’s what it takes to keep you around, by all means, start taking a look at another menu while I’m calling this one in.”

And he meant the ‘especially present company’ with all his heart - and even more strongly in other parts of his body. He just hoped saying it wasn’t being too forward.

But as he waiting on hold to place the order, his mind continued on the topic of being forward - what about her? That caress of her hand on his to return the menu had to have been intentional. Didn’t it? Even with such a brief touch he felt a warmth growing in his chest as his heart started pumping faster. The tingling heat from the increased blood flow radiated through his body, and suddenly made him very self-conscious of the weight hanging heavily between his thighs, tucked down one leg of his jeans. He’d have to pray he didn’t start getting hard, because that was something that would be impossible for her not to notice.

And she asked if he had a girlfriend. That wasn’t something she’d just ask as small talk, would she? He honestly couldn’t remember, since he couldn’t even think of the last time he’d just had a casual conversation with someone. While he was thinking about this., the rest of him was practically on autopilot, placing the order almost mechanically and then hanging up the phone.

“Okay, they said it’d be about 20-30 minutes,” he said quickly, just to get the information out before continuing their conversation, “Yes, I do remember Sabre. I just met him briefly, but didn’t really spend any time chatting with him, but he seemed like a pretty decent guy. He sounds wise, too. I wish I’d heard that advice a long time ago.”

He chuckled a little, turning away from her for a moment and taking a few steps to the refrigerator.

“No, I haven’t had any friends or family here in a long, long time. So no, no girlfriend. What about you? I’m sure you’ve got guys lined up around the block for a chance to be with you. Or, is Sabre your…?”

While he was inquiring he opened the fridge and pulled out a couple of beers bottles, then reached for a bottle of wine on the counter beside it. He held up the beers in one hand and the wine in the other, looking first at one, then the other, then back into her eyes while raising a questioning eyebrow.

Bombshell smiled at him as he replied to her. He really was flirting with her. Awesome! "Well, hero, I can think of some things that'll keep me around." She looked over him, not making any effort to conceal it and grinned. "More food's on the list, but it's kind of low on it." Another innuendo, should she be being so bold? Hell, of course she should! That's just how she was!

She had to resist cheering when he said he didn't have a girlfriend. Instead the smile on her face grew a bit wider and became sly and eager. "I'm sorry to hear that. This is a lonely life to live without friends at least, and I bet having a girlfriend to...blow off steam with would be a big help." She wanted him to blow something else onto her, but they'd get to that later. "I'm sure you'll find someone soon. A guy like you, a girl would be crazy to turn you down."

Wow. She really was being bold. Even for her!

She laughed at his description of her and shrugged. "The guys like to take a look, all of them. I always think I should get rid of that triangle, you know? Every guy I meet in costume, their eyes go right there." She shook her head, "But I'm not changing for them. Yeah, a lot of guys make a pass at me...but most see my body and think I'm a ditz or an easy lay or something. Then I fire back when they drop some stupid line on me and they're gone." Again she shrugged, "A lot of guys don't like a strong girl, you know? Or a smart one. One who's both? Forget it. They all want me to be some sorority girl cheerleader type."

Then he asked her about Sabre and she laughed again, "Me and Sabre? No, no, no. I love him like a brother, and I'd take a bullet for him, but no way." She shook her head. "Even if we felt like that about each other, it'd never work." She smiled a bit sadly, "Besides, he's got this really great girl who's crazy about him. She designs all of his gear; pretty little super genius and he just adores her."

Then he brought out the booze. Bombshell winked at him, "Trying to liquor me up, huh? Think you need to?" She laughed again, leaning her chin on one hand. "Wine would be lovely, thank you. I'm guessing you're a beer man?"

Paladin raised an eyebrow at her response to his desire to ‘keep her around.’ She was really starting to come on strong! Instead of driving forward with her opening, he just raised an eyebrow at her comment and gave a knowing smirk. He wanted to try to slow the pace back a bit; to draw out the flirting game, and hopefully - if he still knew what he was doing; it had been a long time - make her crazy with anticipation in the process.

He turned and walked back to the fridge without any more of a response and put the beer away, then reached up to the cabinets to get two wine glasses. He turned back and placed them on the counter, then looked up to meet her eyes again with his piercing green stare, still wearing that confident smirk.

“What, just because I’m a ‘big, strong guy,’” he said with a joking tone, “I have to be beer-chugging jock? And here you were just talking about people making snap judgements based on how you look.”

To help emphasize his point - but mostly to put on a show for her - he took the corkscrew and opened the wine bottle, the strong motions causing the powerful muscles in his arms and chest to bulge slightly, tightening the shirt and showing off his tone and definition for just a brief moment before the cork came free and he set it down. He poured two glasses, sliding one to her, then picked up his own, holding it up towards her in a sort of toast.

“But, personally, I vote you keep the triangle,” he said with a playful wink. He’d be perfectly happy if she decided to get rid of the rest of the costume around it, though.

Good lord, what did this little vixen have him thinking? He hadn’t felt like this since his earliest years as a superhero, back when he was just a mere teenager still trying to get used to his powers. After Firecracker, already a well-established heroine at the time, had busted his cherry, word of Paladin spread among the female Powers almost as fast as it had throughout the frightened criminal underworld when he’d first appeared. But as he gradually began to take his chosen profession more seriously and his personal life began to gradually disappear, any talk of him being anything other than a champion of justice had been all but forgotten.

“And no, Bombshell, I’m not trying to loosen you up,” he say, rolling his eyes in (obviously feigned) annoyance, then cracking a grin, “I just figured a tough girl like you, who can take a punch that could flatten a tank from a guy like Smash, wouldn’t have a problem holding her liquor.”

He chuckled a bit, taking a few steps toward his living room and gesturing to the huge, L-shaped couch arranged facing a massive, and obviously expensive entertainment system. Not that he'd used it in God knows how long. Or even asked for it to begin with.

“Here, take a seat. The food shouldn’t take too much longer.”

He paused a bit and shook his head, remembering how uncomfortable she’d looked when he’d called her by her code name at the beginning of the evening. What an idiot!

“I’m sorry. It’s been so long since I’ve been in a casual situation like this I’ve practically forgotten that people have real names, too.” He paused for just a moment. “My name’s Aaron Seabold.” He paused for just another beat, giving her a broad smile. “But just Aaron’s fine.”

Deciding to take the mature route, when Paladin chided her about judging people based on their looks, she looked at him steadily for a few moments. She put on her best frosty, insulted gaze...and then stuck her tongue out at him. "Nyah, is all I have to say to that, mister." Though she did enjoy the show he was putting on. Like he had to strain to open a wine bottle though. She chuckled. It was cute.

His comment about the triangle got a laugh, open, rich and merry. It also got a faint blush. Which shocked her. She hadn't blushed this much since high school! "I bet you do." She laughed again, "Well, if the super heroest of super heroes thinks I should keep it, I will."

She followed him around to the couch and the entertainment center, pausing a few moments to ogle it. Wow! He had such great stuff. She took the opportunity to glance at his ass again. Yeah...GREAT stuff. The buxom blond took a seat, crossing her legs as she took a drink of the wine. Mmm! "Very comfy." She patted the seat beside her. "You should have a seat too, don't you think?"

Then he gave her his name. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. She shut it immediately, but her surprise was obvious. "You...your name? Oh, Paladin, I mean...Aaron. Thank you." That was SO sweet! Even if it wasn't his real name. "For trusting me, and...wow, I'm just...thank you."

She smiled up at him. "Well, Aaron. I'm Elaine. Though, I prefer Elly." She winked, "Miss Templeton if you're nasty." She giggled and added, "But you can call me just about anything you want."

He laughed as she stuck out her tongue, then mirrored her action with a raspberry of his own. Something about seeing such a beautiful, self-assured you woman exhibiting such childish behavior was somehow incredibly endearing. Looking over her incredible figure once again, unconsciously with less and less subtlety each time, he could tell no one had thought of her as a child in a [I[long[/I] time.

“The ‘super-heroest,’ huh? Well, if my advice carries so much influence, I’ll have to be careful not to use my power for evil.”

He chuckled again, letting the laughter die down softly as the realization struck him that he was actually having having a good time just talking to this girl. He hadn’t had this much fun in… he didn’t even know how long.

He took a sip of wine as he waited politely for her to take her seat, savoring the taste, which was something else he hadn’t enjoyed for a long while. It wasn’t expensive, hundred-dollars-a-bottle stuff - its only age came from the fact that several bottles were included with the apartment and he’d never had a chance to drink them - but it had a very nice flavor, and he relished the warm feeling as his first taste of alcohol in years sent a warm tingle through his body. Maybe he could get the mayor’s office to trade in some of his entertainment equipment for some pricier bottles.

He sat down beside her, eyes drawn to her long, gorgeous legs as she crossed them, silently thanking whoever had invented jeans. How was it that they made the best-looking women look even better? He realized he could barely even disguise his attention anymore, and he let out a resigned sigh as he settled into the soft cushion. She was perceptive enough that he was almost positive she’d caught his glances before, and since she was still talking to him, he at least hoped she didn’t mind..


He’d positioned himself a respectful distance from her, not nearly as close as he would’ve liked, he wanted to avoid the urge to come on too strong. Hell, if he had sat as close as he’d liked, she’d be sitting in his lap. He took another brief sip of his wine, then turned a bit on the couch to face her, looking inter her eyes as she confided her name to him. Those deep, beautiful brown eyes.

“Is that so? Well, Miss Templeton,” he said with a smirk, “you know all about my life - or what little there is to know - outside of ‘work.‘ Why not tell me a bit more about yourself?”

Elly smiled whimsically as he called her "Miss Templeton" and she giggled a little. "I always thought "Miss Templeton" sounded like a 2nd Grade teacher or something." She took another drink of wine; it was good, and it made her feel very warm and tingly. "I didn't call you "Mr. Seabold" did I?" She reached out to touch his arm as he raised his glass, halting the motion, her hand running up his forearm lightly. "Elly. I want you to call me Elly, okay?"

She leaned back, wishing she was brave enough or knew him long enough to have left her hand there. Or moved it somewhere else. Meow. "So, about me, huh? I don't usually talk about myself." She shrugged, "Not out of, like, avoidance. Just doesn't come up a lot."

She took another long drink. She had only had her 21st birthday a month ago, and even then she hadn't really tied one on. There was something about this though, about him treating her like an adult, that was both very charming and alluring. She liked not being treated like a girl or a bimbo. "I grew up in a pretty decent family; no tragic origin story or anything. Both of my parents are still alive, still together even. I grew up with two older brothers, so...I wasn't your average girly girl," she chuckled. Then she sighed, "There were times growing up when I wished I was...but I guess the way things have turned out, it's good that I wasn't."

Elly leaned her head back on the couch and looked at him. "I did a lot of the normal girl stuff. Dance classes and competitions, horseback riding lessons. And some not-so normal stuff, like going with my brothers' Boy Scout troop on camp outs and took boxing lessons." She giggled, "This one time in junior high, this girl, Jenny Bird, called me a slut, said I was after her guy, and she slapped me. I hit her back with a right hook and knocked her out." She grinned at the memory, "I got in sooo much trouble, but my family was actually pretty proud. I got taken a little more seriously at school after that too."

Her glass was almost empty. Elly drained the rest of it. "So, you know. I went to college. I wanted to be an archeologist and anthropologist. I went on a dig with my professor and we...found something."

She touched her chest, at the place where her collarbones joined. "Some relic, the professor thought it might be Atlantean or from Mu or something. But someone else wanted it, someone rich and powerful, and they'd hired The Magpie to take it from the dig." She shivered a little at the memory. "He used some kind of gas...it paralyzed us, but still left us awake and feeling. He tucked the relic in his belt, and then he...saw me. I guess he liked what he saw. He said...he'd get two payments for this job." She swallowed nervously. This part, she'd hardly told anyone about.

"He dragged me away from the others and started to cut my clothes off, started touching me, and then I felt the relic brush my skin and I felt...like I'd been electrified but there was no pain or anything, and I realized I could move." A ghost of a smile flickered across her face. "I hit him, it was a hysterical slap more than anything else, and he flew back 20 feet. As I was getting up, I could see the relic had just fallen apart, and I knew, somehow, that it had given me powers." She shrugged, trying to push a number of emotions away. "Anyway, I beat him up pretty bad. And, well, Sabre was his usual sparring partner so he heard about it and contacted me, asked if I wanted to be part of the new Champions, and...well, it goes from there."

She tipped her head to one side, "I didn't want to be called "Bombshell" though, you know. I was going to be "Apex", that's what the triangle was supposed to be. An "A" but some reporter started calling me that and it stuck." She laughed again, "I've gotten used to it now. Too late to change too, I've started to get name recognition." She sighed then. "Sorry. Way too much info, right?"