I've been an adviser for a long time, and I've guided a lot of young boys and girls on the path to becoming heroes. Some of them have become true
heroes, symbols of hope and justice. Two fell to darker paths, using their talent and power for evil ends. And some have fallen, killed in battle by their
enemies.
Her name was Isabelle Rankin. When I first met her, she was a week away from her seventeenth birthday. Unlike some of those I've taught over the years, she
already knew how to use a bow. She was giving serious thought towards making a career of it once she graduated, having already made district champion in her
age category. There was no magic in that talent. In fact, while she accepted the call and became a hero, she refused any magical gift from me. Everything she
did, she did through her own efforts.
For nearly a year, the Midnight Archer prowled the rooftops of Skyway, stopping gangs and criminals. She never sought fame or recognition in that identity,
taking a simple pleasure in a duty well done. I was proud of her, confident that her drive and determination would take her far, both as a hero and as a woman.
Then Reichsman came. His army tore through Portal Corp and out onto the streets of Paragon, killing everyone in their path. Isabelle was one of the many heroes
to respond. I still remember that battle... Axis America solders marching forward, a stone Tanker charging past us to smash an enemy platoon, my summoning
fresh arrows for Midnight Archer as fast as I could. She was in magnificent shape, but she'd never been in a war before. I whispered in her ear, reassured
her, promised her it would be alright.
It was her arrow that took down the twisted Positron duplicate, I'm certain of it. He was the last of the Amerika Korps still standing, and as he fell,
hundreds of heroes turned their attention to the Reichsman.
Not even a Marcus Cole could stand against those numbers, but he went down fighting. Like Statesmen, he holds the power of Zeus, and he didn't hesitate to
call down the lightning on those that would dare oppose him. I remember the light, a roar that ruptured my eardrums, then I was flying, bouncing along the hard
asphalt. For a moment, all I could see was the light-burned blur down the center of my vision, I couldn't hear past the roaring blood in my eardrums. I
closed my eyes for a moment, trying to clear the blur. Isa would need me...
... Then I saw her, leaning at an unnatural angle from the front of a car, and I realized she'd never need me again.
I got the chance to speak to her, in what lies beyond. She didn't blame me for bringing her into that life. She didn't have any regrets. But for me,
the guilt is still there. And the hatred for the twisted monster that took her from this world too soon.
He's back now. Freed, and ruling the 5th Column somehow. He's defeated Statesman, and begun another campaign of conquest. But we're moving to stop
him first. We know the secret to his power, and I've seen him fall before. And I'm not just a talking cat now. I'm Purrfect Shield, a hero. I'm
a warrior. My blade, my memories, they demand his blood.
Today, that monster will pay for his crimes. For his world. For Isabelle.
heroes, symbols of hope and justice. Two fell to darker paths, using their talent and power for evil ends. And some have fallen, killed in battle by their
enemies.
Her name was Isabelle Rankin. When I first met her, she was a week away from her seventeenth birthday. Unlike some of those I've taught over the years, she
already knew how to use a bow. She was giving serious thought towards making a career of it once she graduated, having already made district champion in her
age category. There was no magic in that talent. In fact, while she accepted the call and became a hero, she refused any magical gift from me. Everything she
did, she did through her own efforts.
For nearly a year, the Midnight Archer prowled the rooftops of Skyway, stopping gangs and criminals. She never sought fame or recognition in that identity,
taking a simple pleasure in a duty well done. I was proud of her, confident that her drive and determination would take her far, both as a hero and as a woman.
Then Reichsman came. His army tore through Portal Corp and out onto the streets of Paragon, killing everyone in their path. Isabelle was one of the many heroes
to respond. I still remember that battle... Axis America solders marching forward, a stone Tanker charging past us to smash an enemy platoon, my summoning
fresh arrows for Midnight Archer as fast as I could. She was in magnificent shape, but she'd never been in a war before. I whispered in her ear, reassured
her, promised her it would be alright.
It was her arrow that took down the twisted Positron duplicate, I'm certain of it. He was the last of the Amerika Korps still standing, and as he fell,
hundreds of heroes turned their attention to the Reichsman.
Not even a Marcus Cole could stand against those numbers, but he went down fighting. Like Statesmen, he holds the power of Zeus, and he didn't hesitate to
call down the lightning on those that would dare oppose him. I remember the light, a roar that ruptured my eardrums, then I was flying, bouncing along the hard
asphalt. For a moment, all I could see was the light-burned blur down the center of my vision, I couldn't hear past the roaring blood in my eardrums. I
closed my eyes for a moment, trying to clear the blur. Isa would need me...
... Then I saw her, leaning at an unnatural angle from the front of a car, and I realized she'd never need me again.
I got the chance to speak to her, in what lies beyond. She didn't blame me for bringing her into that life. She didn't have any regrets. But for me,
the guilt is still there. And the hatred for the twisted monster that took her from this world too soon.
He's back now. Freed, and ruling the 5th Column somehow. He's defeated Statesman, and begun another campaign of conquest. But we're moving to stop
him first. We know the secret to his power, and I've seen him fall before. And I'm not just a talking cat now. I'm Purrfect Shield, a hero. I'm
a warrior. My blade, my memories, they demand his blood.
Today, that monster will pay for his crimes. For his world. For Isabelle.