From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

Abating a Dragon

As the sun began to set on Paragon City, Wivern sat in solace, recalling the days events. Kneeling on the over-hanging ledge of a skyscraper, she watched over the crowds. Wivern knew she didn't have to work a specific schedule as a hero, she could have called an end to the monotony hours ago. Maybe she took this job too seriously sometimes, and needed to just relax like Zema and Jinks could, but she just felt a sense of duty to keep her here. It was that damn sense of foreboding. The 'impending doom' feeling Jinks was talking about the night before.

Vague predictions aside, today had been incredibly uneventful. Besides thwarting an evil purse snatcher and busting up a gang fight between some Skulls and Hellions, she had done nothing in six hours of patrol. It was weird. Normally the police band was off the hook, or some giant monster was rampaging around. There hadn't even been a warehouse break in on her patrol. Maybe that whole deal over the weekend where heroes and law enforcement took down more crooks really worked.

Wivern didn't think too much on it, the streets were clearing out and she was finally going to call it a night. Looking around herself, she noticed a clothing store. She needed to change, might as well. Focusing on the glass doors to the store she thought about being there, and nearly instantaneously, she was. The store workers were a little surprised to see a hero walk in and head immediately for the changing rooms. Walking into the farthest empty changing room, Wivern walked in and locked the door. She phased her book bag out of the pocket dimension where she normally kept her weapons and gadgets, and began the process of going from hero to Alison. When she was finished she pressed a safety button on the armour and it faded out, going to home before she would.

Hefting up her bag, Alison walked out of the changing room and through the store. The clerks stared at her again as she walked out, her clothing style a complete clash with the brands they offered. Making her way outside, she headed directly for the Yellow Line. She had ended her patrol in Galaxy, which was close but still a pretty long walk to her home in Kings Row. She'd have to take the train to get home.

The sun had finally set, allowing the only light to be cast from dim streetlights. The street was empty except for her, that sense of foreboding seemed to return. At least she was close to the train, she'd be home soon. And Galaxy was at least safer than Kings. She had almost had herself reassured when a shadowed man stepped out of an alleyway. From what she could tell it was a robed man with his face covered. She stopped and looked over her shoulder as two thugs stepped out behind her. Looking back at the shadowy figure she glared at him.

"Alison McLourgh," the shadowy figure stated with noticeably sneer, "It looks like I've finally found you. I'm very angry about something you wrote about my master... You should learn to separate your normal life from the hero one."

Alison was shocked, she made no attempt anymore to hide her identity, but it was rare when someone could pick her out as Wivern when she was on the street like this. She looked over her shoulder again noticing the two thugs moving closer as she spoke calmly, "So how did you know?"

The man laughed, "That scar on your face, my dear. My master was very angry when you exposed his plans. Now he has sent me to exact his revenge."

Alison stood up straight and turned on her heel delivering a punch to the face of one of the thugs. She wasn't much for talking, anyway. The man stood briefly, dazed, with his nose knotted up and streaming blood in an obvious sign she had broken it. He wobbled slightly before crumpling to the concrete.

The other thug paused for a moment and whipped out a switch blade with a mechanical snapping noise. He lunged at Alison, not to stab her, but to make a grab for her. That was his first and last mistake. Alison side stepped him, grabbing hold of the man's arm. As he moved forward she assisted his momentum by pushing him into the brick wall of a building face first. The smack of skin on brick was accompanied by a resounding crack of a broken orbital.

Alison looked over her shoulder, the shadow man was directly behind her. Her eyes widened in shock. How had he moved so fast? Moving her hands to the balled fist at her exposed mid-riff, she pulled herself away. As she moved, the knife that had been buried in her ripped out splattering her blood across the sidewalk in a wide arc.

Stumbling away from the shadowy attacker, she felt sick. That sense of foreboding had piled up in her stomach, she wanted to throw up. Doubling over, Alison curled into a fetal position as she held her hands to her wound.

It was like a bad dream. Actually, it was more like a cheap horror movie. Everything was going wrong. And that presence hovering over her, she just wanted it to go away.

The robed man pulled Alison up forcefully to her feet. He slammed her up against the brick wall, pinning the ritual blade into her shoulder. She gritted her teeth as the pain coursed through her. She had so taken worse than this. Kicking out, she had intended to catch him in the stomach, but he was just too fast. He had caught the kick then tossed her back to the ground.

"You should learn when to give up, Wivern.", as he said this he kicked her stomach, ripping the open wound further.

Alison was blinded by the blow. All she saw was white, then black. She hadn't even heard the sound of a metal club striking a skull. Or the sound of the comforting voice.

When she awoke it was morning. The light was intense on her eyes. She must have been asleep for awhile. Alison tried to sit up, but pain shot through her mid-section and shoulder causing her to shout out and fall back to the bed. Had she been hit by a truck? She sure felt like it.

Looking around her she began to notice she was in a hospital. She started to remember what had happened, but she wondered how she had ended up here.

A police officer stepped into the door quickly looking at Alison, "Everything alright, Miss? I could hear you yell from out here."

"I'm fine", Alison whispered out in a pained, raspy voice, "Just confused."

"Alright... Just take it easy, alright? You're pretty beat up.", the officer nodded at her before exiting the doorway to resume his watch position.

Alison looked up, at the television. It was on. Maybe someone had been here to check on here, a friend maybe. Probably her father. The morning news was on, and they were talking about her. The news talking about her attack, and they weren't even saying anything bad about her.

She chuckled to herself, despite the pain in her chest as she started to drift into sleep again. Finally, some good press.