Heidi Williams
Heidi took another sip of her coffee, and checked her phone. The original plan was for several teacher to meet at this cafe for a chat. However, several of them had had to cancel due to their children, and the whole thing had been called off. Heidi sighed. She had not had great luck with men. She had a few steady boyriends in college, but ever since she became a teacher, she just didn't have the patience to try to get to know men beyond the superficial icks that annoyed her on the first few dates. She used to have so much fun spnding hours chatting to her boyfriends about nerdy things. Now, the last thing she wants after getting home from school is anything interrupting her hard-earned peace and quiet.
A beeping sound came from her handbag. Her instictual thought was that it must be her phone. But she was holding her phone. She opened her handbag to find that the headset was flashing. So, it wasn't a dream. One week ago, a robot really had appeared in her apartment and given her this headset. On some level she knew it was real, every time she fished in her handbag and caught a glimpse of the headset, but she didn't want to think about it. The robot had told her some very outlandish things about her being chosen as a 'champion of Light', and she refused all of its suggestions and instructions at the time. She placed the headset over her ear, and adjusted the mic to the levelof her mouth.
"Apollo, Champion of Light. It is time for you to be called upon as I had forewarned," spoke a monotone robotic voice on the other end. "A Monster of Darkness has appeared nearby and your assistance will be required."
She was about to refuse when an alert displayed on her phone. It was an exactuation order. The monster had appeared in Central Park. It could hurt people, and riculous as all of this business was, if she had the power to help, she was obligated to. Plus, there was a small, deeply buried part of herself that still wanted to be a Magical Girl. She spoke back into the headset.
"I'm on my way. Cyclops, meet me there."
She finished her coffee, and put down the money and her tip onto the empty plate, before getting up from the seat, pocketing her phone and immediately flagging down a passing taxi.