TWO - Sorry it's late.

CHAPTER TWO

“You’re such a disaster.” Paula grabbed the handle of one of the cases, tugged without budging it, and released. “Arrested the moment you arrive in Smokesville.”
Silver felt the colour rise in her cheeks. How shameful for a super hero to be robbed and arrested on her first day on the job.

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“Thanks for bailing me out, Paula.”
“Luckily I took the day off to meet you. Let’s leave the station. It’s only a short walk to my place.”
Silver nodded, and picked up her luggage, marvelling at the first sight of her friend in two years. Paula hadn’t visited Micropolis since she moved to the city, although her parents frequently heard from her and occasionally visited. Paula’s green skirt was of a length that barely sufficed to be called more than a belt, her top was a vivid yellow, and her make up was caked on – a white mask with startling red eye shadow. Her hair remained the same, tight corkscrew red curls, threaded with numerous colourful ribbons, but she seemed much thinner and somehow taller.
It was exciting to exit the station - busy with people and shining interior, though it was – and finally see the city. Paula led the way into an elevator. At first Silver thought it was a platform exposed to the elements, but then she realised that a transparent material, far thinner than glass, protected them. Through this she could see the rooftops of the city, bronze and golds and glass, round and turreted, and already reflecting the blaze of the midday sun.
As the lift descended, Silver could more of the city. The streets were laid out symmetrically, wide avenues and plenty of trees and pavements, cafes and parks, but the buildings were not the low storey brick, wood or stone homes that filled Micropolis. No, these edifices were spherical or conical, metallic and shining. Silver was not sure of she liked it or not, but it certainly was different.
Alighting from the elevator, she stepped on to a shimmering blue pavement which formed a square filled with trees. A delicious scent of oranges wafted towards her.
“I do like this place,” she said.
“Why, of course you do,” Paul said. “It’s the city.”
The city. Silver had grown up unaware that such a thing existed, but all her hopes once she had heard of it had been to get to this mysterious place. After all, there were not too many villains in Micropolis.
The pavement beneath her feet started to move, and Silver had to stagger to keep her balance.
“It’s only taking us to the street door,” Paula said.
Silver looked up. The blue sky above her head – false. The golden sun – fake.
“What about the view from the elevator?”
“Smokesville,” Paula said with a nod. “In the future. Some time.”
The pavement swept them up to a large glass door which slid back and allowed Silver to see the real Smokesville.
A dirty smog lay across the city, clinging to the sides of buildings which loomed above her head. The real sky was overcast, and rain threatened.
“Sometimes the fog lifts and the city looks really well,” Paul said. “And the plan is to change the face of the city in the future.”
“It looks more like a city of villains to me,” Silver said, brightening up. Surely this miserable heap of bricks hid some dark minds plotting against the hapless citizens, who would need her brilliance to defend them.
“It’s not that bad, looks better in the sun.” Paula started down a flight of steps.
As Silver followed her friends, she looked around at the buildings. Solid enough, only a few hairline fractures. She wasn’t going to be propping up any of theses.
A little further down a small crowd had gathered, craning their necks upwards. Silver’s heart beat a little harder, a tiny hope of excitement.
Picking up her cases, she ran up to join the group. Looking up, a twelve storey building stretched towards the sky, and on a window ledge on the third floor a woman stood, arms out-stretched and her back against the glass. At the next window several anxious faces peered out. Silver could hear them call out anxiously, beseeching her to come in, as well as the woman’s vehement refusals.
It was the moment she had been waiting for. Leaving her cases for Paula to look after (when she finally caught up), she gripped the corner of the building and started to climb. Nobody appeared to notice as she quickly scaled the bricks, although as she moved across the ledges towards the woman she heard the crowd exclaim at her appearance.
“Don’t be afraid,” Silver rushed to reassure the woman. “I’m here to help you. I can get you safely off the ledge.”
The woman’s eyes rolled frantically towards her. “Get away from me, get away – or I swear I’ll jump.”
“Lorena, Lorena, come inside.” Beyond the woman, at the next open window, a voice implored.
“I can’t, I’m stuck.” Lorena threw back at her. Then her eyes shot back to Silver. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Aren’t you stuck?”
Lorena’s fingers clung a little harder to the edge of the window behind her. “Of course I’m stuck. If I look down, I’ll fall.”
“Don’t worry – I can help you.”
“Leave me alone,” Lorena snarled. “I want to be rescued by Aluminium Man.”
Silver wasn’t sure she had heard correctly. “Sorry? What did you say?”
“Aluminium Man,” Lorena said fiercely. “He’s surely on his way now to rescue me.”
“So you won’t let me rescue you.” Silver struggled to grapple with this. “You want a specific hero.”
“I don’t know who you are. Why should I trust you? Besides Aluminium Man is so handsome. Oh, I think I see him now.” Her sentence ended in a squeak of high-pitched excitement.
Silver looked over across the rooftops, and through the shards of fog to see something sparkling on the horizon. Like a shooting star, the gleaming object hurtled towards them, slowing only as it came close to reveal itself as a metal man.
The metal man spoke. “In trouble, ladies?”
“Oh, Aluminium Man,” Lorena gushed. “My hero.”
As Silver watched, Aluminium Man wrapped an arm around Lorena and swept her off the window ledge. Before Silver could speak, he had flung his other arm around her and had lifted her into the air.
“Let me go,” Silver spluttered.
Aluminium Man ignored her and sped down to earth. Landing lightly amid uproarious applause, he placed both girls on their feet.
Lorena tried to fawn all over him but Aluminium Man stepped aside with a light laugh and a small bow and took off once again. Within a few seconds, he had vanished from sight. The crowd surged around Lorena to hear her speak of her great experiences with Aluminium Man.
Silver stood a little apart, still spluttering with indignation. Her first day in the city and she – a super hero - had been rescued by Aluminium Man.