to prevent a similar situation from ever occurring, as the organization works to find her replacement.
While citizens are still mourning the sudden retirement of Vaporizer, many fans were delighted to learn his replacement would be not one new hero but many, in an effort to expand chapters nationwide and provide greater safety across the country. This effort has been championed by Girl Power, who stepped into a leadership role after her return, encouraging those with powers to suit up and join the chapter.
An open audition is being held this Saturday at Grant Park. Applicants should be ready to display their unique superpower and be willing to take a series of health and aptitude tests. For more information, visit Warrior Nation’s official website.
“OMG, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!”
“Wrong? How does one walk dogs wrong?”
Demi walks over to me, deftly untangling the ten-pronged dog leash around my waist. “I don’t know, but somehow you’re achieving it.” I didn’t realize how much skill it takes to walk nearly a dozen dogs at once, but after a lot of groveling, Demi agreed to show me the ropes.
“There,” she says, helping the trio of beagles at my feet get back on course. “Just remember: You’re the alpha.”
“Right.” I nod. “It’s all about confidence.”
“And treats. These suckers will do anything for a bacon bite.”
“Okay,” I laugh as a Pomeranian licks my leg.
“You can handle this, right?” Demi eyes me with concern, having already run through her dog-walking checklist multiple times. As the first official employee of Demi’s Dogs, I know it’s a lot for her to relinquish control. But at some point, she needs to let go. “I don’t want any bad reviews from my customers.”
“Don’t worry! I’m going to be the best dog walker Chicago has ever seen,” I reassure her.
“Well, after me, of course,” she snarks.
I roll my eyes. Our race for number one has reignited.
“Call me THE SECOND your route is done, okay?” she asks, checking her phone. “I need to go pick up a husky three blocks away.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” I say with a mini salute, and she heads off, leaving me alone with ten tiny pups ready to strut their stuff. “Okay, everybody…let’s go!”
The air outside has finally cooled, summer humidity replaced by brisk autumn breezes. School started a couple weeks ago, and I’ve dived into my senior-year routine, front-loading my schedule with debate team, model UN, and some intro coding classes, just to mix it up. But I kept a few weekly slots open to work for Demi. It’s a nice, aboveground job with plenty of sunshine and minimal risk, unless you consider stepping in poop particularly hazardous. Plus, I need the money. College isn’t going to pay for itself, especially since I’m pretty late to the game on planning.
A few blocks into our walk, a girl is heading toward us, and I do my best to corral the canines over to the side. The leashes wrap around my legs, and I’m instantly stuck, trapped in a tangle of fur and fabric.
“Gah! C’mon, dogs, don’t do this to me!” I beg as they stare up at me innocently.
“Need some help?”
I turn away from the dogs to see Joy, hidden behind huge aviator sunglasses and a woven infinity scarf, her hair tucked into a baseball cap. She smiles, that big goofy grin that first captured my heart.
My face immediately flushes. I can’t believe she’s here. “Hey. What are you…?”
“I wanted to say hi, catch up.” Even in disguise, she looks incredible, tight jeans challenging my ability to remain cool. It’s been at least a month since I’ve seen her; after everything with Siege, I told her I needed to break up with the superhero world and figure out my next steps. But that’s really hard to do when your crush is still flinging herself into danger on the daily. We haven’t been talking, but I’ve still been following her every move, thinking of her constantly. Some passions never let you go.
“Hi,” I choke out, bewildered at seeing her beautiful face outside of my daydreams. Joy’s star is really taking off in Warrior Nation, as she’s decided to be very public about who she is and what she’s about. The fandom is obsessed with her authenticity, and now that Matt stepped down, she’s become the star of the Chicago chapter. It’s a big change for someone who only planned to save the world for a year, but if she survived Siege and wants to keep going, I doubt anything will stop her.