Greater Dawn

           Many years ago, a young girl danced in a home of light and love. She twirled but in a strange way. She tried to focus her reflection. She could not look away. So enamored by her costume, and no one could blame her. The child wore a pink chest plate with intricately carved streams of light swimming throughout her midsection. Every stream meets in the center of her chest, where a glowing emblem rests. A tulle skirt that sparkled like all the great stars in the sky rested around her waists.

With the gloves and boots to match, the child wore a truly effervescent uniform of mirth and masterful tailoring. The first time she tore herself away was to look at her mother, “Oh, I look beauuutiful, Mama!” The young girl, Lucy Lumen, squealed.

           “You wear it well, my little star!” Her mother, Liora Lumen, clapped. A bright smile and kind eyes appreciated her daughter’s excitement. The tall, gorgeous woman kneeled, and her daughter’s dancing stopped. She trotted up to her mother, her curious expression partially concealed underneath a domino mask. Liora adjusted the cape that hung so delicately on her daughter’s soldiers, the shimmering, translucent fabric swayed without the assistance of a breeze. She ran her hands down Lucy’s arms, taking in an outfit quite like hers. “Are you ready?”

           “I was born ready,” Lucy shouts, “C’mon, Mama! We’ve got a city to save!” She runs to the window, swinging it open with full force. She’s about to jump before her mother stops her.

           “Before we go, remember Lucy, I’m not Mama wearing this,” Liora gestures to her costume, “I’m Daybreak!” She places her hands on her hips, striking a confident pose.

           “And I’m Greater Dawn!”

           At that very moment, the superhero-side-kick team that Rose City long needed was formed. Every day the city knew that Greater Dawn and Daybreak would only be a call away to save the day if they ever needed them. Or at least that’s what the billboard says.

           Greater Dawn stood next to Daybreak, looking at that billboard weeks later. The two stood together in superhero poses and sparkling smiles, looking over their city from the rooftop of an office building.

           “Get ready, Greater Dawn,” Daybreak commanded, her fists glowing a bright yellow. Greater Dawn followed suit. They waited, but only for a few seconds before robbers burst out the bakery door. In their arms were duffle bags full of sweet goodies. This was the fifth bakery they robbed this week, and now it was time to stop them. The two superheroines took flight.

           “Stop right there, you custardly criminals!” Greater Dawn commanded, flying high above the goons alongside her mother.

           “Not a chance!” One of the bakery thieves shouted back. He wound up a cupcake and threw it at Daybreak.

           The superheroine spun out of the way with grace and ease. She corrected her position and launched a day bolt at the duffel bag, resulting in a sweet explosion that covered the criminals in cream.

           Now blinded, the criminals could not avoid Greater Dawn’s lasso of light. She extended her hand, and a rope appeared from the glow of her hands. She spun it around her head, once, twice, and then thrice, she let go. The lasso fell around the three criminals, and the young girl pulled tight with seemingly little effort. Greater Dawn dangled the thieves above the ground, then pulled them up with a twisting flare. They spun up. Then down. Up once more. And then yo-yoed down one last time. The rope disappeared, and the thieves fell into a heap on the ground.

           “That’ll teach ya to follow the recipe of justice!” Greater Dawn said with a smug grin. Their whines of defeat were suddenly drowned out by uproar. Only now did Greater Dawn realize a crowd of civilians had gathered around the crime scene. She floated gently to the ground with a blank expression.

           Daybreak, on the other hand, took this in stride without hesitation. She smiled brightly, shaking their hands and signing autographs, “Civilians of Rose City, once again, your sweets are safe!” Daybreak threw her hands up in the air, eliciting another cheer.

           “Daybreak! Daybreak! I’m your biggest fan!” Greater Dawn noticed a preteen girl in Daybreak cosplay, holding her Daybreak journal with the matching pen, shove her way to the front of the crowd. She bounced, unable to keep still around her favorite hero. Greater Dawn thought her smile was so broad that it could split her face in half.

           “Well, thank you! I love your outfit.” Daybreak winked. The girl fainted almost immediately, fortunately caught by the fans behind her.

           “Excuse me! Ex-CUSE ME!” A voice from the other side of Greater Dawn shouted. She looked over and saw a reporter standing in a somewhat dispersed crowd with crossed arms. When he noticed the young sidekick staring up at him, he adjusted his coat and tie, “Ah, wonderful. Greater Dawn, is it?” She nodded, “Perfect! What is it like saving the city at such a young age?”

           “It’s…um…fun”

           “Fun! How absolutely remarkable!” The reporter replied, his eyes bulging out of his head in shock. Like he’s never heard the word fun before. He opens his mouth to answer another question before a slight cough interrupts. Greater Dawn felt a tug at her sleeve, and a young boy held her arm.

           “Um.Miss…um, Greater Dawn. I just wanted to say thank you. You really helped my family.” He sniffled. The boy’s eyes glistened with tears. He was smiling, but the tears caught Greater Dawn’s attention the most. A weird new feeling swirled around Greater Dawn’s heart, different from stopping the thieves.

           “Greater Dawn. It’s time for us to go!” Daybreak announced. Greater Dawn nodded, offering the baker’s son a grin as a silent welcome. She flew away alongside her mother. Daybreak grinned at her daughter once they were alone, “It is fun, isn’t it?”

           And that’s how things often were. Every time there was a cat stuck up a tree, Greater Dawn or Daybreak would fly up and bring it down. Any time someone’s car lost control, the superheroines would appear in a flash and carry the vehicle to safety. Whenever a family heirloom went missing, they would scour the city if that’s what it took to find it. Greater Dawn always felt that same warm sensation. Helping others always felt good, even when the situations were small.

            But the situation grew. The presence of superheroes attracted supervillains. Lucy Lumen noticed the shift when The Artist, a villainous artist who wanted nothing more than to paint the town red, began interrupting her school days.

           At their first battle, her gaze fell on yet another one of the city’s Daybreak and Greater Dawn billboards. There was no sparkle or promise of hope. Just splattered red paint.

           “HAHAHA! C’mon, Greater Dawn,” He taunted with maniacal laughter, “Let me paint a smile on that face” The Artist flicked his giant paintbrush in her direction. Big globs of paint hurtled toward her, but Daybreak flew in front to block before she could even dodge.

           “I can handle him. Get something to clean this mess up.” Daybreak quietly ordered. Greater Dawn nodded, and, in a flash, Greater Dawn disappeared from sight.

           The young sidekick flew through the sky, leaving a light trail and the sounds of battle behind her, with one goal in sight. Just outside the city, there was a lake. Greater Dawn raised her hands, and light poured out into the form of a watering can. She guided her construct down to the water and filled it. Greater Dawn then flew back to Rose City and sprinkled water. As she passed, the paint dripped off every building, billboard, and window. The whole city was cleaned just as The Artist went into custody.

           In the streets, as usual, people cheered. Many danced in the falling water. Greater Dawn lowered herself to stand next to her mother. She waved at the crowd, taking in all their praise and thanks, feeling that warmth again.

           Daybreak stood, a strained smile that Greater Dawn could barely see from where she was standing, “There were other ways to handle that.” She reprimanded coldly.

           “Huh?” Greater Dawn asked with raised eyebrows.

           “We’ll handle this in training.” Daybreak flew away after that. The crowd did not seem to notice that Greater Dawn was left behind. They kept cheering that, once again, their town was saved. The child followed her mother, a strange chill entering her heart.

           Then came Snow Storm, a woman who wanted nothing more than let the whole world feel her frozen heart. Lucy Lumen first met her during one of the most unbearable heatwaves in June. The school year had not yet finished, so she was there. She was preparing to graduate from elementary school when an icy beam struck the playground. It was covered in ice before anyone could even blink. The clouds rolled in, blocking the sun, causing a chill in the air to make the civilians forget about the sweat that slicked their skin. Instead of fear, everyone was…happy.

           Except for Lucy. Her mother had already arrived as Daybreak then, and Greater Dawn was not supposed to be far behind. She spun on her heels in the direction of the door. She had just touched the door when her friends called, “Lucy? Where’re you going?” She turned around again to find her three friends watching her.

           “Sorry, Mckinsely. I just realized I have to…do something.” Lucy scrambled for an excuse with a pathetic laugh. Mckinsely blinked, her face a confusing mix of disbelief and hurt. 

           “Really? You couldn’t even come up with a good excuse?” Her other friend, Alexis, rolled her eyes. She seemed the angriest.

           “Yeah, you never want to do anything with us anymore.” The last friend, Johnny, frowned. Lucy knew he was not angry. He was sad. And somehow, that was worse.

           “I’m sorry I’ve just been busy,” Lucy said, defensively raising her hands, “I really have to go.” They all spoke up against her leaving, but nothing they said could stop her. She just ran straight out the door. Once hidden, she became Greater Dawn.

           She met Daybreak outside, “Time to bring in the heat?” Greater Dawn asked with a cheeky smile. Daybreak responded with a similar smile as the two began their rehearsed procedure for dealing with their icy foe. In a matter of minutes, the heat of the sun-powered superheroines melted Snow Storm’s plans.

           Greater Dawn observed the crowd as she always did while Snow Storm was taken away. People were cheering as usual, but many others were still playing in the remaining snow. Alexis, Johnny, and McKinseley played without a care in the world. They weren’t even looking for lost Lucy Lumen.

           “Miss. Lumen, I’m sorry we have to meet like this, but I’m very concerned for your daughter’s grades.” Lucy listened to the teacher’s well-rehearsed ‘apology’ as she sat next to her mother in a parent-teacher conference two years after that battle with Snow Storm. It’s been two weeks since they’ve last seen their frozen foe.

           “Really, I should be apologizing. Lucy has some extracurriculars that have apparently been getting in the way of her studies,” Liora Lumen responded without hesitation, “I will help her manage her time better so we can avoid this issue in the future.” The lie came so effortlessly to Liora. She lied straight through her teeth with the most perfect and dazzling smile.

           “Well…is there any way she could, perhaps, maybe..um, be persuaded to end those extracurriculars.” Despite being taken in, the teacher still trembled under the uncompromising gaze of Liora. He noticed that Lucy’s mother was already unhappy with that suggestion, “Well…it’s just. This slip is extremely concerning, and Lucy doesn’t appear to have any friends or free time to-” Liora held up her hand, and he stopped.

           “I’m afraid that’s not possible. Lucy cannot abandon what she needs to do.” Liora lowered her voice, leaning forward close enough for the teacher to notice the fire in her eyes. He nodded nervously. Liora’s frown flipped into her typical smile. “I’m glad we have met today. I will address this issue immediately. Thank you.”

           “I’m sorry, Mom.” She mumbled.

           “Enough apologizing. You will study the moment we get home, but it better not get in the way of your training.” She spoke in a harsh whisper, walking away from her daughter.

           Lucy Lumen got in the way of Greater Dawn. After being unable to raise her grades in a public setting, Liora took her out of school to be tutored at home, where she would have no distractions, no need for lies, or for friends. The only time she left her home was to save Rose City. Even after that, they never stayed for long. Lucy could remember the cheers from a distance. No one ever had the chance to thank her again.

           This went on for years. Lucy Lumen longed for that joy of helping others, even if it was short-lived. The villains kept coming, and Greater Dawn kept fighting back. She does not even remember when she went from second-string to quarterback. All she remembers is feeling things breaking from the force of her power.

           Daybreak and Liora’s pride grew with every battle. Greater Dawn knew that. She longed for that too. It was the only warmth she ever received from her mother nowadays. Aside from the occasional body block from a glob of paint or ice beam. Daybreak would say, “I always knew you had potential from the moment I first laid eyes on you on that horrible day.”

           Aside from The Artist and Snow Storm, there were many other villains, but they have all washed away from Greater Dawn’s mind. Not that they weren’t memorable in their own ways. It’s just that there was no reason to remember them. Because they never held a candle to Thorn.

           Thorn arrived when Greater Dawn was fifteen. It seemed so simple, thinking back to it all. A villain from god knows where who could create and manipulate thorns. Thorn caused standard property damage, ruining several buildings, streets, cars, et cetera.

           “Lay down the spikes, Thorn. We’ve had enough of this.” Greater Dawn threatened, her hands glowing blindingly bright. Thorn did not even squint. She just smiled.

           “Oh, not yet, we haven’t,” Thorn replied, the corners of her solid black eyes crinkling in malicious pleasure, “I’m just getting started.” She stamped her foot down, causing the earth to tremble beneath her. The rumbling continued, and out from the ground shot out a humongous thorn.

           Greater Dawn and Daybreak were lucky enough to dodge, but Thorn was relentless. She just kept making more. Moving forward faster than any villain either hero had ever seen. They kept up their song and dance for quite some time. Greater Dawn began to laugh, shooting a day bolt in the direction of the villain, “C’mon, can’t you do better than some stupid twigs?” She taunted.

           “I guess I have been going easy on you,” Thorn taunted back while Greater Dawn’s back was turned, “I could always..make things more interesting.” She grunted out that last goading phrase. Effort. A strangled cry forced Greater Dawn to whirl around.

           It was Daybreak. She had Daybreak. Thorn had her across Daybreak’s body, pinning her close. She turned her hand into a claw of spiny thorns, threateningly holding it over the superheroine’s throat.

           Daybreak struggled, but she couldn’t move.

           “Please, Thorn, think about this.” Greater Dawn pleaded, depowering. She met the villainess at her level, hoping that she could see the emotion behind her pleading.

           “You don’t know how long I have,” Thorn growled, ripping Daybreak’s throat, only allowing her a strangled, wet cry instead of any final words. She let go of the body. Daybreak was dead before she even hit the ground.

           Greater Dawn didn’t scream or cry or call out her name. She couldn’t. A white-hot blinding rage burned through her body, lighting every cell on fire. A sound did come out of her mouth, a roar. People don’t roar when they mourn. They do it as a call for bloodshed.

           Greater Dawn launched herself a Thorn, throwing aside her mother’s body as if it was nothing. She landed one hit, then the next, and countless others after that. To fast to give any sort of estimate. She could feel bones shattering beneath her fists, blood pouring over them.

           “Help.” Thorn tried to call out, but her voice was silenced by Greater Dawn’s hand tightening around her throat. She raised herself in the air, dragging along Thorn’s body. They reached the clouds, and the air was too thin for Thorn to say anything. She just stared defenselessly into the seething glow of Greater Dawn.

           Wordlessly, she turned up the heat. No more quips, just the sound of Thorn choking on the smell of her burning flesh. Evidently unsatisfied, Greater Dawn peeled one finger off Thorn’s neck at a time. Feeling herself slipping down, the villainess tried to grab onto her arm. She missed.

           Thorn fell a couple hundred feet from the ground, she waited for impact, but it came from the wrong side. The first impact she felt was the collision of Greater Dawn’s fist against her chest. Shattering every rib in the process. Thorn could only take one more painful breath before slamming against the ground.

           Greater Dawn lowered into the crater that was once the bakery. Thorn lay dead in the center, underneath her killer. The once cheerful street was reduced to rubble. It wasn’t long before Greater Dawn felt the presence of a crowd forming. Everyone she once knew and saved stared in horror at the carnage. There was no cheering. No praise. The only warm feeling was the blood rolling off her body.

           There was no going back from this.