aka How the heroine, Cosmic Glory, came to be.

I was hesitant to put this story up. Shooting shy behavior in the back later, I figured I'd show it up. Tell me how it is, liked it or not, etc.

Anyway, enjoy!

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For as long as Faye could remember, she wanted to be a super hero when she grew up.

Her whole world centered around super villains, super heroes and their eternal duty to bring justice to people who could not defend themselves. After all, living in Millennium City, there are all sorts of criminal activity that requires the aid of all kinds of super heroes... and when your home is in one of the lower areas of West Side, Faye knew all there was about crime.

Faye could tell all her friends at school about how she seen VIPER on her way to the school bus or how a gang war erupted right in front of the school bus. They would not last, though. As if on cue, there would always be a hero that came in to save the day! There were heroes that dressed like civilians, heroes that tried to disguise themselves as super villains and even heroes who were spandex and a cape.

Faye loved the ones in spandex!

But the greatest hero of all was her father. He had them move to an apartment in West Side but he always promised that he would get a big promotion. "When I do," He would tell Faye with his warm smile, "I'll move us out of West Side and into one of the beautiful condos right near the Renassaince Center! You can watch all the super heroic activity all day, and watch them fly by your bedroom window. Your mother can rest comfortably and both of you will never be threatened by anyone ever again. I promise!"

It was a promise Faye knew he would keep. It was her father! He always came through in the end.

He never did tell Faye or her mother what that job was or even how much he made. It was always 'just enough' and her mother always took his word for it. It was that way for a few months.

That is, until Faye came home from school one day.

Faye noticed something was off when she entered the apartment. A lot of pictures were removed from the walls, and many of her father's belongings were missing. Her mother was in the kitchen, her eyeliner running down her cheeks as if she were crying all day. She stared solemnly at her coffee cup and barely moved an inch from the table.

She approached the kitchen table hesitantly, unsure as to what to do. Faye never saw her mother so sad and it puzzled her.

"Mom? Are you okay...?" Faye asked quietly.

At first, she didn't respond... she would stare at her empty coffee cup until she would turn her head to her daughter. Faye watched her mother's eyes well up in tears and her mother embracing Faye in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Faye," Her mother whispered, "I'm sorry for everything. He's... gone. He isn't coming back..."

Those very words almost shattered Faye's world. It wasn't until later that she learnt of her father's affair with a woman at his job and how he left without another word. He packed everything and left. He never explained why, other then that he had an affair and their marriage was over.

None of it made sense.

He promised to work hard so he could provide a wonderful life for all of them. He never said he didn't loved mommy anymore, there were no signs of it! There had to be another reason why, she just knew! Nothing was as it seemed in Millennium City.

That desire faded away when she'd come home to her distraught mother. Without him, who would protect them? Who would tell her stories? Who would pay off the criminals from trying to rob their apartment?

Still, life went on. Months went by without a word from her father and her mother got a job at Darren's Pizza as a cashier to try to make end's meat. Though her mother was bad at telling stories, she always kept her promises.

It was two weeks before Christmas and word came out that Santa Claus was visiting the Renassaince Center. Faye begged her mother would take her to see him as well as give him her letter as to what she wanted for Christmas.

They waited in line with many parents and their children with the same joy of meeting up with Santa Claus. Faye held onto her mother's hand, while clutching onto her list nervously. Her mother, Martha, smiled down to her daughter. She couldn't resist poking fun at her.

"Are you nervous, Faye?" Martha smiled warmly.

"A... A little bit..." Faye confessed, glancing down at her worn out sneakers.
"What is there to be nervous about? You HAVE been a good girl, right?" Her mother chuckled.

Faye nodded her head meekly, her eyes reading over her letter that she spent all night perfecting just so Santa knew how good she was to get a toy.

"Well... Then you don't need to be worried!" Marthe smiled, "Santa always checks his list twice. He will already know you've been a good little girl and give you what you wish for!"

Faye thought about her mother's words and looked right up into her mother's eyes.
"So... Does that mean someone like Foxbat will get nothing but coal in his stocking?" Faye asked up to her.

"Thats right!" Martha knelt down, gently poking her finger against Faye's nose. Faye couldn't help but smile at her mother's gesture. It only made her mother even more happy.

The warm sentiment did not last very long though.

Before anyone knew it, a shrilling cackle filled the air. Children clung onto their parents to the sudden noise and both security guards and Santa, himself, glanced around to find the source of the noise. Soon, all eyes met with a red and black jester. He had a sinister grin with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Greetings, children!" The Black Harlequin took a mocking, elegant bow to the crowd. The security guards quickly drew out their guns, aiming their weapons for him. It only amused the villain.

"Oh come now, why the hostile greeting?" He snickered, leering at the security before his gaze met over to the petrified families, "Why... I have presents...!" He tried to speak out in between his giggles.

"... FOR EVERYONE!" He shrieked out, as strange teddy bears came charging out of present boxes. None of them looked adorable to Faye at all! Immediately, Martha scooped up her child in her arms and fled with the other families from the podium.
The sound of the cackling and gunfire was heard behind them, but Faye was too frightened to look back. She didn't want to.

Faye knew that clowns were really super villains in disguise! This was proof!
Soon, a loud thud was heard right in front of them that also sent a shockwave through the air. It knocked both Marthe and Faye onto the sidewalk. When they looked up, a huge bear with mechanical parts adorned all over him was staring down right at them!

"Hi! My name is Clarence," It... talked, "Would you like to play with me?"
Her mother staggered to her feet, her arms spread out to try to shield her daughter. Faye looked up at her mother with wide eyes.

"M-Mom...?" Faye called out to her.

"Sweetie, do me a favor... I want you to run home and lock yourself in the house." Martha kept her arms out, looking over her shoulder to her. Faye stared at her as if her mother was crazy but with the look her mother gave her... she knew she had to obey.

Faye got to her feet, dashing down the sidewalk to try to get as far as she could. In her desparation, her letter to Santa slipped out of her hands and fluttered away into the air. She stopped, crying out as she tried to jump for her letter.
Not knowing what to do, Faye made the mistake of looking back. The bear was approaching her mother and her mother would not move an inch.

"MOM! COME BACK!" Faye yelled out to her, readying to cry but her mother would not move. Clarence's red eye shined bright as he rose his big paw high into the air.
"Let's PLAY!" Clarence yelled out as he went to swing it down onto her. The world seemed to slow down in that moment, as Faye shut her eyes tightly in a prayer. Please save my mother, please save my mother... Someone... ANYONE... Save her, please...! Faye whimpered her wish to herself.

... but... the sound of a collision never came. Faye opened her eyes slowly, to see what ad happened.

Her mother was safe and sound, and Clarence was struggling to bring his paw down. Faye couldn't believe her eyes but a spandexed hero was clutching onto his hand and was using all of his strength to keep him back.

"Thank you for all your effort, ma'am," He struggled to speak, "We'll take it from here!"

Dumbfounded, Martha barely had enough time to register in the moments to rush back and to her mother's side. Faye watched not one but soon two heroes coming in to the scene to assist the one that saved her mother's life.

Soon, there was four... eight... twelve... twenty four... Hundreds of heroes flying in to take on the crazed teddy bear with all their might! The fight seemed like forever but soon Clarence had collasped right onto the pavement in utter defeat.

"Mom! They did it! They did it!" Faye jumped up and down in excitement, overjoyed to see everything would be alright... until Faye remembered that she had lost her letter in the heat of the moment. Her eyes watered up a bit, as she wondered... how would Santa know what she wanted?

"Um, excuse me," A voice called out behind them. Faye turned around to stare up at a meek woman clad in her own heroic outfit. In her hands was a wrinkled up letter but Faye recognized it immediately. It was her letter to Santa Claus!
The heroine knelt down to hand Faye her letter. Faye took it, smiling big but she found herself too shy to admit it.

"I couldn't help but read your letter. I'm sorry," the heroine smiled, "but I don't think Santa can grant all of your wishes... but if you wish really hard at night at the stars and work really hard, I think you'll get your wish. Can you do that for me?"

Faye nodded.

"Good! Now please be careful, and Merry Christmas!" The heroine took off into the air and was gone.

Faye glanced down to her letter, reading over what she wrote for Santa.

Dear Santa,

I have been a very good girl this year and would like a blue super hero cape and a teddy bear. I don't know if you can but if you have enough things in your big old sack, could you give me something that can give me super powers? I want to protect mommy from all the bad people so she won't cry anymore. Thank you very much.

Merry Christmas,

Faye Martinez

The event with Santa Claus resumed later that day and Faye was able to give her letter to Santa Claus... with a minor adjustment. She didn't want a teddy bear anymore and decided to ask for a new baseball hat instead.

That night, Faye would lie in her bed near her window. Her mind raced over what that superhero told her about her wish. She sat up from the bed, crawling over to the window and went to look up at the night sky.

Whether it was fate or just plain luck, but Faye could see a bright star shining in the night sky and through the smog in the air. The wish she made in the heat of the moment... if it came true back there then why not here?

She closed her eyes, folding her hands in front of her and would make her wish.

"Star light, star bright," She wished up to that star, "First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might... Have the wish I wish tonight. I wish to become a superhero and protect anyone who cant protect themselves as well as protect my mother."

She was silent for a moment, before opening her eyes to stare up to the star. It fluttered in the night, smoggy sky but it was quiet. With sleep weighing in her eyes, she crawled into the covers of her blanket and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, it was the same as always. She was walking home from school, taking her usual route back home. Her mind was on everything that happened yesterday until she heard a woman scream from across the street.

"Help me!" The voice cried out, as the woman backed away from a group of VIPER soldiers that approached her... yet Faye could not see a hero in sight.

Her fist tightened, as she found herself whispering her wish from the other night.

"Star light, star bright... first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might. Have the wish I wish tonight...!"

Before Faye realized it, her form exploded in a cold, blue flame the moment she uttered those words. In Faye's place, a petite woman adorn in a black and yellow spandex with a yellow star right over her bossom. Before Faye knew what was happening, she charged in with her fist slamming into the first VIPER soldier that she could get her hands on.

She watched the VIPER fly half way over the parking lot as the others turned their guns over to Faye. She wouldn't give them a chance, her fists slamming into each one with a strength Faye didn't know she had. In fear, the last VIPER soldier that stood tried to back away from the girl.

"T-They said I wouldn't run into any heroes!" The rookie stuttered, backing away, "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry...! Just let me go, please!"

Faye considered it a moment, then rested her fists right on her hips.

"Go on," Faye declared to him, "...and don't let me see you back here or else I'll deliver justice to you as I did to your comrades! AWAY with you!"

With a yelp, the rookie dropped his weapons and ran off down the street.

The woman slowly made her way to the hero, staring up to the heroine with awe and wonder.

"I... I can't thank you enough..." The woman whispered, unsure as to what to say.

Faye barely heard her. She was looking at her gloved hands in wonder and excitement. She didn't know how to explain it or why. She had the strength of a titan and powers of a cold, blue flame! Her wish came true...! She was a super hero!

"Ma'am...?" The woman spoke up again, "What do I call you?"

Faye snapped out of her thoughts and would give a two fingered salute with a grin.
"Call me the Cosmic Wonder of the Stars!" She proclaimed proudly, "I am Cosmic Glory and I will protect anyone who cannot protect themselves!"

In an explosion of blue flames, the Cosmic Glory took off into the air like a comet in the sky.

--

Faye didn't get home until about early that evening. She had stopped a few other crimes in the city to test out her powers before coming home for the day. She also figured out that saying that old childhood rhyme transformed her into a superhero and transformed her back into a little girl.

She made up a story to her mother about being over at a friend's house. Course, she believed it and Faye was on her way to her room. Faye had so much work to do -- she had to plan her routes of super hero work in the city and where to patrol. She had to patrol where Mom works, as well as the school bus line.

While grabbing her notebook and a pencil to write up her plans, she noticed a strange present in the window. Carefully, she walked over to pick up the present and stared down at it. Her eyes examined the tag and her heart raced when she saw who it was from.

It was from Santa Claus!

Her little hands ripped open the wrapping and opened up the box to see what was inside. Right in front of her eyes, was the blue super hero cape that Faye had asked for. Her hands gently lifted the cape from the box, her eyes staring at it with wide eyes until a letter slipped off from the cape.

She dropped the cape, only to pick up the letter and read over what was written. It said:

Dear Faye,

Here is an early Christmas present for being such a good girl. You are going to need it if you plan to fight crime on the streets of Millennium City! Have a Merry Christmas and good luck in your heroic career!

Santa Claus

Her hands gripped the letter and she looked out to the window with a warm smile.

... Thus, The Cosmic Glory was born.

Good story and well written