Tales of the First

“Sure you do,” Wendy said cheerfully. “You’ve always said that you want to help people. Now you can.”

“Huh?” Sienna said. “What… how…” She hesitated as she realized what Wendy was thinking. “Wait you want me to become a superhero? Superheroes aren’t real, Wendy.”

“Only because superpowers aren’t real,” Wendy said. “Or they weren’t until now. Anyway someone needs to stand up to these guys and once you’ve got a handle on your powers you can.”

Sienna just stared at her open mouthed.

“Wendy has a real thing about superheroes,” Martin said. “She thinks she can be one herself.” He grinned as Sienna tilted her head at him.

“Wendy hasn’t got superpowers,” Sienna said. “Well not unless we’re counting be extremely intelligent as a superpower. Are we?”

“Not exactly.” Martin pulled aside one of the hangings to reveal an alcove that must once have been a cupboard. There was something standing in it. Something that looked like a suit of armour made from scrap.

Sienna raised an eyebrow and looked over at Wendy. “This is what you meant when you said ‘other scrapyard projects’?” she asked. “You’re building a suit like Ironman?”

“Sort of, I guess,” Wendy looked embarrassed. “Though not really. It makes me run a little faster, reduces fatigue and lets me dead-lift about two hundred pounds more than I can without it.”

“By a little faster she means she could give Usain Bolt a run for his money,” Martin said. “And run a marathon at that pace. She built it from scrap and the batteries last for hours. It shouldn’t be possible, so maybe she does have a superpower.”