Synopsis

A brief telling of the story as it currently stands which may or may not resemble the final product, but will be interesting to look back on.

Written by Tony Huddy

## PROLOGUE

You know you can read the script, right? If you haven’t read the script, this is going to spoil it.

OK, if you insist…

It’s 1999.

Felicity Sturdy has no interest at all in being a Superhero, but she has no say in that.

Today of all days she has been called up for an emergency Field Op. A Field Op is a staged superhero event designed to help maintain the appearance that superheroes are real. Usually these events are planned well in advance, and there are all sorts of character arcs in play, but this one was pulled together in a rush, and it shows.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that New York is in the grips of a vampire panic, caused by media people doing what media people do: adding an extra layer of bullshit to the bullshit that was already there.

Felicity has a roaring hangover, because she drinks to forget. She’s 17, so that isn’t ideal, but she lives in a bubble where the laws don’t apply. But that doesn’t mean there’s anarchy. Quite the opposite.

Derek is pissed off. He’s the other fake superhero on the field op. He has a ridiculous costume which means once he is suited up, he can’t sit down. He was on time, which was unnecessarily early, and by the time Felicity arrived, he’s had more than enough time to stew on the situation. And set a booby trap, which is childish and a bit petty, but it made him feel better.

Felicity arrives late and bangs her shin on the coffee table and that just sets the tone for what is to follow. The director of the Field Op is Sepp Weedling, who is an asshole. He and Felicity have history. He does not trust her, and the feeling is mutual. Sepp is ambitious, and is not happy about having his career put in jeopardy by an unprofessional fuck-up like Felicity. Or anyone else for that matter.

The Op itself is simple enough: two superheroes leap out of a burning building in heroic fashion and a TV crew who happen to be on the scene, happen to capture the whole thing. A quick scripted interview and everyone goes home. Thanks very much, no more vampire panic.

But then they find Peter, a young boy who definitely should not have been in the house. And then they find his dead parents, and holy shit, that was an unexpected and not at all welcome surprise.

Felicity wants to call the whole thing off, Derek wants to stick to the script, Sepp has the door locked so they have no choice, and Peter is scared. Long story short, Felicity is forced to jump out the window as planned, and she takes Peter with her, which has consequences.

Don’t panic, the boy survives, and even enjoys the ride. Then Felicity unleashes a justifiable level of fury given the circumstances, and three men (Sepp and 2 cops) are left nursing bruised egos and testicles. She takes Peter with her and goes home to the Hero Complex, fully aware that her life, which was already shitty, was about to get shittier.

Felicity wakes the next morning fully aware that it is going to be a very bad day. Her phone is running hot, and her inbox is full. The media is all over the official narrative, which was hastily re-written to paint Felicity as the villain. But that’s not actually such a big deal, because she can’t leave the building anyway.

Peter is collected by the Human Resources department and Felicity is distraught. She loves that boy, and is worried about what will happen to him. She’s worried about what will happen to her too, but not as much, because she already knows that will be shit. Peter’s fate is unknown.

Felicity’s fate is more certain. She knows she is going to the infamous Level 13: a prison within a prison. She doesn’t really care, because at least on Level 13, there is no way she will be required to do any more superhero shit.

Before the full weight of the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs can come down on her, Felicity’s only friend in the Hero Complex, Valerie Strum convinces her to go out with a bang. Against her better judgment, she agrees. Unbeknown to Felicity, she’s actually on her way to a surprise party in a secret bar in the basement of the Hero Complex, which turns out to be full of women who are all inspired by Felicity’s heroic actions, and tell her she is amazing.

The three most important women in the bar are Susan Strum, Jean Black and Janet Van Dyke (aka The Coven). They were fake superheroes in the 1960’s, and have dedicated their post-superhero lives to improving the treatment of women within the Hero Complex.

We learn a little bit about their history, but that’s just a teaser for what’s coming up in future books.

We also learn that there is a revolutionary vibe in the bar, with Janet in particular agitating for some sort of direct action. And encouraging Felicity to seize the moment and lead the revolution.

After a lot of coaxing, Felicity agrees, and this turns out to be a very bad idea.