Derin

In fact the first thing Whiplash had thought was how do I protect everyone from this monster, but there was no need to mention that. Her mind fixated on something else instead. "She was born this spring? How... how big are they when they're born?" How did the bees not starve at that size? How did they not eat the pollen from every flower in Freedom City? Did they even eat pollen? Wouldn't they have a hard time getting it? She thought a moment more. "Her English is very good in that case," she said. "I can't imagine a human talking at that age. Are the bess generally very intelligent?"

"She was lost," Whiplash said with a shrug. "I wasn't just going to leave her in the street. What if somebody panicked and hurt her?" Whiplash didn't think there weare that many things that could hurt a giant bee, but she was making an effort not to assume anything. After all, Baybee was clearly just a kid. Whiplash did wonder why she had a superhero name when there was no possible way she could have a secret identity and Whiplash doubted publicity meant much to her, but it was probably tradition or something. "Does she get lost often? I always assumed bees would have a good sense of direction."

I should tell her. It wasn't the first time Helen had debated the issue, and it wouldn't be the last. She leaned into a corner on her motorbike, hoping she wasn't late. Her daughter was ten. That was too young. Too young to keep a secret, and too young to be burdened. The secret was important. Better she remained ignorant until she was sixteen, like Helen had planned. Sixteen was old enough. But the girl was sharp. She thought, as did Helen's sister, that Helen was a thief. That she'd come right out of her jail sentence for cat burglary and went back to crime. Could she live with her daughter thinking she was betraying her every night for six years? And what if the girl tried to investigate deeper, tried to follow her or something? She might put herself in danger. Helen couldn't live with that. No, the danger was far greater if her secret got out. What Anna or even Jenny thought right now wasn't important. Anna had to be protected until she was old enough to understand. Until she was sixteen. Helen could hold on until she was sixteen. Helen went to work. She vaccumed. She made small talk with the other cleaners. She swapped stories with the other mothers and tried to ignore the supervisor who, fully aware of her past, always watched her very closely to make sure she didn't take anything. Helen was vaguely offended by that; she had been a master thief, not some opportunistic snatcher of paperweights. And the whole time, she felt the weight of the small pack that she refused to put down; the pack containing the cape and mask of Whiplash.

November 9, 2011 Southside Helen knocked gently on Annabelle's door. "Sweetie?" "Wait a minute!" There was a sound of activity, then Anna said, "Come in!" Helen opened the door to see her daughter sitting cross-legged on her bed, sparkly pink diary clutched to her chest with both hands. A plastic pen with a fluffy pink end dangled from her fingers, as she glared suspiciously at her mother. Not for the first time, Helen wondered what had gotten into her recently. Probably a crush. Still, would it be wrong to sneak a look at that diary? "I'm just here to check the window." "I know how to lock a window, Mum." "I know, sweetie." Nevertheless, Helen crossed the room and brushed her fingers over the latch, checking that all three locks and the alarm wire were in place. "Can Cindy come over tomorrow night?" "Can't she come over Friday night instead?" "No, Cathy's party is Friday." "Right." Helen made a mental note to buy Cathy a present. Was she the one that liked ponies or the one that liked jewellery? "You know the rule about having friends over when I'm not here." "I can trust my friends, Mum!" "Do their parents want them here without adult supervision?" When Anna was silent, she continued, "Alright then. I need you in bed by nine, and I'll see you in the morning." "After you're finished stealing, you mean?" "We've talked about this, Anna. I'm a cleaner now. Crime is behind me." "If you were really cleaning all night we'd make a lot more money. I worked it out." Helen stared at her daughter. Were ten-year-olds supposed to be that wily? "Good night, sweetie," she said bluntly, closing the door behind her. There was no time to have an argument. she needed to get to work.

Whiplash tried to comprehend that sheer mass of bee, and gave up. "And she's taking classes in Freedom City? Why does she want to be a hero?" Or maybe she wanted to get skills to defend her hive, or something. Whiplash mentally added bees to her list of Things To Google. "Does she deal with having classes with humans all the time alright? I don't know much about bees, but knowing children, I'd imagine she'd get teased a lot."

"I was in the area," Whiplash replied. "Civillian, but I was about to go on patrol so I had my costume on me. She came out of the sky, asking for directions, and caused a lot of people to panic. I thought a civillian having a conversation with a giant bee might be a bit weird, so..." No need to mention that she was also trying to be prepared for the possibility that the bee was attacking. "Do truck-sized bees hang about Southside very often? I've never seen one, and I got the impression from the other people that that wasn't the case."

Whiplash thought about that. "For a hive of supernatural activity, it seems pretty safe," she said slowly. "Not once has a building fallen on me or some superstrong idiot thrown a car at me. And my daughter seems to like it and have plenty of friends. The crime rate seems oddly high for a place crawling with heroes, but at least the crazy villains who seem to have some odd attraction to this place are kept in check. I didn't come here to learn to be a hero, I came here to raise my daughter. But the hero thing certainly worked out nicely." She sipped the coffee. It tasted like coffee, which surprised her for some reason. "Do you grow this coffee youself?"

"Black with one sugar, please," Whiplash said. Yeah... she really needed to study up. She had not expected heroing to be social. But she hadn't expected giant bees, either. Fleur was, as Whiplash had suspected, so far out of her own league that it was almost silly to attach the label 'hero' to both of them. Freedom league? Interstellar war? Magical family? Whiplash had a whip and a desire to get thieves and druggies out of her neighbourhood. "I know what you mean, it can be hard to be separated from family." Why did I say that? I do not want to bring attention to my family here. "How long have you lived... here?"

Whiplash nibbled a biscuit, pondering how anybody could say the phrase "us and the giant bees" in an offhand manner. She probably shouldn't ask about the human colony or Gaian Knight for fear of looking extremely naive, but she was googling the local superhero presence as soon as she got home. If she wanted to do this, she needed to know who the other heroes were. She hadn't expected to actually interact with other heroes in the execution of her duty, she'd only wanted to protect her neighbourhood, but it looked like she'd have to be prepared for that sort of thing. She suspected she was already supposed to know who Fleur was, and probably her baby too. Asking questions about Ammy probably made her look like an idiot. Well, if she already looked like an idiot... "What does your husband do?" Fight crime, probably, moron. He's married to a superhero and has a plant baby, doesn't he? Use your brain before speaking.

"Older than yours," Whiplash replied. "She's in school. But she was a handful as a little one, too." Whiplash was an expert in techniques to stop people having access to important things, but nothing could defeat the curiosity of a toddler. If she just had a group of toddlers convinced that bank vaults were full of sugary treats, she used to joke, they'd get any vault open within ten minutes. "I'm sure your little girl at least won't have any trouble getting the right amount of vegetables," she added, raising her brow at the grass-chasing baby. "Mine mostly focused on inedible things. Is she teething yet?" Whiplash had to admit that she knew nothing about the development of... magical half-plant babies. Or whatever Ammy was.

"I've lived here as a civilian for a few years," she said with a shrug. It wasn't as if random, vague details would blow her cover even if Fleur was trying to figure out who she was, which Whiplash seriously doubted she cared about. Besides, she was a hero. Small talk was safe. "But I haven't been doing the hero thing that long. It's a nice city, on the whole." She watched the kid try to stuff random carpeting into her mouth in the nature of babies everywhere. "Is she your only child? I have a daughter who used to try to eat mud when she was that age. She ate a whole snail at one point."

Whiplash was not at home among greenery. She wasn't opposed to it, it was just unnervingly different from the sharp lines and reliable girders she was used to navigating. How does that television even work? she wondered. Does this place have electricity? How do the plants not... I don't know, catch fire or something? (Of course, her own houwe was made largely of dead plants, but at least they didn't grow into anything they weren't supposed to.) It was beautiful, she had to admit, but it wasn't all that often that she had to worry about damaging carpet when she walked on it. Except for that one place with the really old shag carpeting, that had taken her five minutes to navigate without leaving evidence she'd been there. Still, her footsteps were self-assured, and only somebody who'd paid attention to her normal silent, balanced gait would notice it as hesitant. She cautiously took a seat on a chair, glancing up at the ceiling as if expecting it to fall on her. But plants were strong, right? Monkeys swung through them. And... big cats climbed them, and... Whiplash had to admit that biology wasn't her strong point. But trees stayed up. That she knew. She smiled at Fleur. "You have a lovely home."

Whiplash stood very still on the floral platform as it moved. She had no doubt about her ability to keep her balance on most surfaces, but rapidly-growing-flower was something new and it wasn't until they stopped moving that she relaxed. "Goodbye, super-bee," she said with a smile and a wave. It was amazing how quickly somebody could get used to something completely strange and nonsensical, she thought. Giant bee? Magical forest sanctuary? Why not? She prodded at the grass with one foot. It felt real. She stopped herself from asking anything too naive stupid-sounding, like 'where are we?', 'do you live here?' or 'what just happened?', which left very little to say. Nagging at the back of her brain was the feeling that she didn't exactly know how to get home from this place by herself. She was, in effect, in a new place with her escape routes cut off. Relax. You're not breaking and entering.

"Thank you," Whiplash said, ready to follow Fleur. The cold didn't bother her unduly. It wasn't fun, but she'd worked in worse. Still, that was no reason to turn down a perfectly good coffee. She smiled again at the baby, already dressed up for winter. "Your child is adorable," she told Fleur. Whiplash remembered when her Anna looked like that... well, like a chubby toddler, not a green-haired one. That was... wow, a decade ago now. "What's your name, little one?" she added, automatically switching to a high-pitched talking-to-babies voice. She'd spent a lot of time around her mother's charges when she was a child, but it'd been years since she'd interacted closely with a small child.

Whiplash swallowed and nodded, trying not to stare at the... well, the real superhero. She spared a smile for the adorable little baby, of course; that was almost mandatory in Whiplash's social manual. "Yes, I'm new." There wasn't much else to say for someone with a secret identity, but she didn't want to just stand there awkwardly. "I normally patrol for street crime in Southside, but super-bee got lost. She said she attends the school," she added, curiosity overcoming her. "Are there a lot of bees there?"

Riding a giant bee. Cross that off the 'things to do before I die' list. Whiplash dismounted carefully and stood about awkwardly, uncertain of the protocol. Should she hang about in case they needed more help? Should she just leave? The bee and de Joie seemed to be friends, judging by how super-bee spoke of her, but Whiplash at least wanted some sort of confirmation that this hadn't just been a hallucination, preferably from somebody who wasn't a giant bee. "No problem," she said in response to the bee's comment about her help. She glanced from the bee to the costumed figure approaching. "I'm, uh... Whiplash, by the way. Is there, um, is there anything else I can do to help?"

Every time Whiplash thought that the day couldn't get any wierder, it did. Perhaps she should just give up making assumptions on what to expect. Was it safe to ride a giant bee? It must be. Super-bee would surely know. "Yes, thank you," she said. Whiplash hadn't even ridden a horse before, unless you counted pony rides at shows as a kid. She rode a motorbike, but somehow she doubted that that was the same thing. She tried not to touch anything that looked fragile as she climbed onto the bee, for fear of hurting it. Bees couldn't be that delicate, could they? They had exoskeletons. She gripped with her knees as she'd read somewhere you were supposed to do with a horse, held on with her hands as best she could without touching the wings, and tried not to pull on any of the bee's hairs. It was safe. Surely. The bee would know what it was doing. But she double-checked her grappling gun, just in case.

HellQ Introduction Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence. I’m a woman with bad past who’s just trying to protect the innocent. Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume? Well, I’m Whiplash in costume. They used to call me the Panther in New York, but that’s behind me now. What is your full birth name? Helen Joanne Crey. Where do you live? Southside. How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)? I’m 29. Born in ’82. Physical Traits What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain. Female. How would you describe your heritage? I don’t actually know that much about my heritage. My grandmother was Dutch, I think. How tall are you? 5’10’’. Too tall for gymnastics. What is your body type? Ectomorph Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities? Why do you ask? No, no I don’t. Are you sure this is private? How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence? People say I’m extraordinarily sure-footed and stealthy. Silent footsteps just come naturally to me. Describe your skin, eye, and hair color. Brown hair, grey in-costume. My eyes are hazel; people have described them as brown or green depending on the light. My skin is Caucasian but brownish; people sometimes have a hard time telling whether I’m naturally brown or just tanned. How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair? My natural hair is very short, all the easier to hide quickly under a wig. Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others? Well, I used to get hit on a lot. But I think that might’ve been due to my skills. I don’t think I’m that ugly, necessarily. Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks? No, not beyond the normal wear-and-tear scars. Do you resemble anyone famous? Not that I’m aware of. Do you have a dominant hand? I’m right-handed. What kind of clothing do you wear? Generally neat but cheap outfits. I shop at second-hand stores a lot. In costume, I wear dark greens and greys to help me hide. Do you wear makeup? Just lipstick and eyeliner, most of the time. What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way? My voice is pretty normal. Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people? It’s long-ingrained habit to check rooms for entry points, and some people find how silently I move to be disconcerting. I try to be noisier out-of-costume but often forget. History Where do you come from? New York. Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown? Well, I moved to Freedom City. Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country? America’s pretty good, comparatively speaking. I don’t think my level of patriotism is unusually high or low. How do you feel about the place you come from? It’s alright. I lived well for a while, but I’m not going out of my way to go back. I have a few enemies there now. Where is your home town? What was/is it like? It’s New York. Pick up a tourist brochure. Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you? I wasn’t really a minority. I mean, except for being a very young mother. People judge you for that. Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life? I love gymnastics, and I have a real talent for it. Unfortunately, I’m the wrong height, income and parental status to have ever made if very far competitively. But my gymnastic skills have been unexpectedly useful in life. Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)? No, not really. Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life. When I was twelve, my parents sent me to a new gymnastics coach. He was a big deal, and they saved up a lot of money to hire him. He took one look at me and said, “Too tall. Your daughter is useless.†And just walked out. Since then I’ve been very angry at people who tell me I can’t do something, or make snap judgements about me. The whole... you know, the whole burglary thing, a lot of that was about the challenge. Proving I could. What stupid things did you do when you were younger? Well... I got pregnant and became a criminal. Do they count? Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it? I went to a public school. It was fine, I guess. The normal bullying, rejection and confusion that accompanies one’s school years. I had a full secondary school education but never pursued tertiary education. Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not? I have photographs and so forth, and some early trophies and ribbons from minor gymnastic events. Nothing to be all that proud of, though. When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision? I decided to become a hero when some lowlife broke into my daughter’s bedroom looking for something to sell, probably for drugs! She could have been hurt; she could have been killed! These people are dangerous, and innocents need to be protected. Crime as a whole, even crime that isn’t obviously violent, provides a haven for dangerous people to hurt others. That’s why I do what I do. Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why? No, I’m pretty up-front about it, eliminating the exact circumstances of course. Secret identity. Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you? Not ‘secret’, but I did make a few enemies who might come after me someday. Of course, the superhero thing has to stay secret. If anybody connected my current activities to my past, old friends might become quite angry with me. Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why? I don’t mention my past or Anna. Secret identity. Otherwise, not really. If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets? Well, Whiplash being known as Helen would be embarrassing, but Helen being known as Whiplash would be dangerous. My old crowd don’t approve of people leaving. I got away with it, because I kept to the rules and had some respect, but if they knew I’d switched sides? They might even come for Anna. Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge? Well... yes. Any background check or google search would show my time in prison. As Helen, at least, not Whiplash. Family What are your biological parents' names? David and Joanne Crey. Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you. Yes, I was. What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living? Dad sold tyres. Mum was a daycare worker. We did alright, I guess. We had a house and never went hungry. Where are your parents now? Still in New York. Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot? We didn’t move around much. I spent most of my childhood in one house. How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable). We got along well, until I got caught and my criminal past came to light. Things have been... awkward, since then. If I hadn’t sent Anna to my sister I think my parents would have fought for custody for her. How do your parents view you now, or how would they? I think they’re quite disappointed. And angry about the example my criminal behaviour has set for Anna. If they knew about Whiplash... they might be proud, or they might be angry that I’m putting myself in danger when Anna needs me. I don’t know if they’d understand that Anna needs a safe world to grow up in as well. Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them. I have an older sister. Jenny. What was your birth order in the family? Anna’s older than I am by a bit more than a year. Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do? Jenny has a little boy, David. She’s also contributed to raising my girl, Anna. She lives a few blocks from me and works as a sales consultant. Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged? We’re in touch. We look after each others’ kids a lot. Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular? Well, Jenny and I are close, but otherwise, no. Unless you caount my daughter. Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)? No. Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain. My criminal record is certainly a point of contention. Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life. No. Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them. I have a girl, Annabelle. She’s ten, and a very bright kid. Her father didn’t stick around once he found out I was pregnant. If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind? It’s hard enough to keep Whiplash a secret from the family I have! If there were a way around that, like maybe I fell for somebody who already knew the secret, perhaps. Anna could use a father figure. What type of person would be your ideal mate? Somebody who cared for Anna more than anything, and had compatible philosophical and moral views as myself. I’d prefer a serious, reliable person. Intelligence is also a positive factor. Relationships Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them. My sister, Jenny. Most other people are uncomfortable around me when they find out about my past. Like I’m going to rob them if they tell me too much about themselves. Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend? I did have a couple of good, trusted friends in my old life. We’ve broken ties, like everyone else from back then. If you were to go missing, who would worry about you? Anna and Jenny, obviously. A few workmates might show passing concern but that’s about it. Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do? No. Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you. I testified against Gary, the man I was caught burgling a house with. He’s not the forgive-and-forget type, and describing how he intended to hurt our mark’s child got him put away for quite a while. I daresay he and his friends aren’t happy with me, and that’s part of the reason I got Anna out of New York. If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future? Gary will definitely come after me once he’s out of jail. I’m pretty sure I can handle him, but there’s a good chance he’ll go for Anna to hurt me. That’s what he tried to do with our mark’s kid. His friends are likely to try something similar, but Freedom City is a little out of their way and Gary’s still got a few years in jail, so we should be fine for the moment. What is the worst thing someone has done to you? Put my girl in danger to hurt me. Where do your loyalties lie? In what order? My first loyalty is to my daughter, and of course to the rest of my family. Beyond that, I’m just trying to make the world a better place and protect people who aren’t involved in its darker side. Who or what do you trust the most? Why? Jenny, my sister. She was there for Anna when I wasn’t. Who or what do you despise? Why? I despise people who hurt the innocent, and the people and subcultures that protect those people. What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess? Bravery, foresight and wisdom. Foresight and wisdom aren’t qualities I possess in great quantities, but I’d like to. What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities? Cruelty and the desire for revenge. I like to hope I’m free of such things, but if anybody hurt my Anna I’d tear them apart without question and I can’t really disguise that as ‘justice’. Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why? I do have a secret identity. Nobody knows it. The fewer people who know, the lower the risks for everybody. I plan to tell Anna when she’s sixteen, but ten-year-olds can’t keep secrets. Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower? I’ve always worked well in teams in the past. I’ve never been an overall leader, but I was a specialist in my area and sometimes there’d be another person whose job was to assist me. Usually I was more follower than leader though. Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them? I’m not on a team. Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that? I don’t really do groups. People tend to not want me around once they know my past. Personality & Beliefs Who are your heroes? Anybody who goes out of their way to protect and help the innocent. Sounds corny, I know, but I don’t really trust idolising big, public names. Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances? There used to be several legendary thieves I idolised, but that’s behind me now. They’re dangerous, not admirable. Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it? I like protecting others, yes. I like being useful. Heroing makes me feel useful and alive. But what really makes me keep doing it is that somebody has to. I got involved in this game by choice, when I picked the wrong side. If somebody’s got to protect those who never wanted to be in this, it should be me. Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides? I’m not switching sides again. But I’d give it up if it ever became seriously dangerous for the people around me. I do this to protect my daughter and the people like her, not to throw her life away for the sake of strangers. What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)? Making a little more money cleaning and getting a nicer apartment would be nice. What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)? This, I suppose. I’d like to be making a real, concrete difference, and I’d like Anna to be strong and capable and probably in university. What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear? That my girl might get hurt. And it makes me very, very angry when somebody tries. Is there anything you would give you life for? My daughter, obviously. My sister. How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end? I used to live comfortably, and it was a lot better than this. I’m a fan of money and the lifestyle it provides. But it’s a little out of my honest reach, and I’m not going dishonest again. How do you generally treat others? Politely. I’m a bit guarded about myself and my past, of course. Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused? No, I’m not a trusting person. I used to have a few friends I could trust a lot, but they were in my old life. Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence? I’m not very confident and I’m definitely not outgoing. I’m confident in my skills, of course, but I’ve never been very sociable. How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex? Normally. I’ve agreed to dates on occasion, but I’ve never aggressively sought them. I didn’t generally do long-term relationships in my old life and have had little opportunity to now. What are your most annoying habits? People say the silence when I walk is really unnerving. I’m also quite obsessive with locks and security these days, and won’t leave the house until I’ve checked them all. Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why? Criminals. I don’t care about things like kids who smoke pot, but everyone from vandals to thugs to fraudsters really raises my ire. They’re dangerous; those who aren’t dangerous protect and encourage those who are. What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can? I like steak. I tend to eat at a normal pace, I think. What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? Orange juice. I avoid alcohol when I can, it interferes with my well-honed coordination. What is your favorite treat (dessert)? Lemon ice cream. Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat? Shellfish. Anything rubbery, actually. What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike? I have no real opinion on colours. What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate? I like jazz, and I can’t stand rap. If you could call that music. If you have a favorite scent, what is it? Lemon. Do you have a favorite animal? I’m rather partial to birds. It doesn’t matter what kind. What is your most treasured possession? Why? I have a few momentoes, but not any particular treasured possession. I don’t count my daughter as a possession, of course. Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts? Creature comforts are certainly preferred, but I rough it when I have to. Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do? I don’t hurt children. Ever. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life? How important is it to you? No, I’m not spiritual. Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special? No. If you belong to a religious organization, how often do you attend? Do you have a specific place of worship, or friends within the organization? How much do you agree with the beliefs of your organization? I don’t belong to a religious organisation. Could you kill? Have you killed? I’ve never killed, and I don’t know if I could. I hope I never have to find out. What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action? Well, I’m here to protect people. Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they? Yes, to save others. I still don’t know if I could though. How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours? I think I’d have to try to stop them, no matter who they were. Any killing I have time to react to probably isn’t a necessary one. How would you react if something important was stolen from you? I’d track down the bastard to took it and beat them up until I got it back. How would you react to public humiliation? Depending on the circumstances, either violently or by hiding away. How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you? It hasn’t, but if a member of my family were killed on purpose... well, I wouldn’t want to be the one responsible. In those circumstances, I probably could, and would, kill. What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why? Murder, I suppose. Any violent crime committed in malice. But even ‘lesser’ crimes perpetuate a culture that encourages and protects violent crime. If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours? That’s a difficult question. Probably... probably tell my daughter and my sister who I am. Then visit my parents. Have a giant steak dinner.Spend the day with Anna. And then go base jumping, because there’s no sense in caution at that point. Career & Training Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it? No. I learned my gymnastics, of course, and I learned to fight in prison, but I’ve never had any special training for being a hero. Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person? Practically speaking, my skills have a variety of sources, most of them criminal. My moral compass is my sister, though. Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them? My unusual acrobatic ability is the result of a lot of talent, early gymnastics training and constant practise. My other... unusual skills, the ones related to being sneaky and getting inside places, were taught to me by criminal accomplices. Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to? I clean office buildings, now. I used to steal. What is your preferred combat style? I fight with a whip, in close quarters. My combat style is adapted from gymnastics and hand-to-hand brawling I learned in prison, with a smattering for several martial disciplines in it. Have you ever received any awards or honours? No, except for a few minor gymnastics competitions as a child. What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could? My skill set is a bit narrow. I wish I had some sort of useful trade skill to sell, like mechanics or programming. How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn? I learn from people who are more skilled than myself. It’s the best way to become competent in my previous career and now it’s just habit. You make use of those more competent, you don’t waste energy hating them. Lifestyle & Hobbies What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine? I come home and see Anna off to school. Then I sleep. I wake up shortly before Anna gets home, have dinner with her, and at 6pm I go to work. I clean until 10, then go on patrol until about four in the morning. Anna gets up at six, I help her with any homework or other issues, and then the routine starts again. It is interrupted a lot. Having a kid does that. Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up? Well... I’ve been experimenting with building electronics. I’m not very good at it, though. What do you do for fun? I read fantasy novels, watch TV and do a bit of urban exploration. The exploration is for my job, though. Do you have a costume? What does it look like? I do. It’s an heroic adaptation of a cat burglar costume, in muted colours for hiding and with a toolbelt for my crimefighting items. I added a cape and whip. How do you normally dress when not in costume? Neatly, but not all that up-to-date. I buy my clothing second-hand/ What do you wear to bed most nights? Is that question really appropriate? I don’t sleep at night. Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like? I tend not to wear jewellery, especially in hero mode. Too easily identifiable. Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables? I have a safe, yes, but I’m not telling you where it is. What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance? I ride a motorbike, or just walk. Long-distance, I take a plane or bus. Miscellaneous Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make? I made provisions for Anna. They’re quite simple and clear; Jenny gets custody of my daughter and any worldly possessions I have to help raise her. If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body? Well, my prints are on file. Criminal record and all that. What would you like to be remembered for after your death? I’d like Whiplash to be remembered as a protector who made the world a better place. It’s probably better if people don’t remember Helen too much. Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not? No, I do not pose a threat to the public. None of my enemies are in Freedom, and I use my skills for good these days. What do you perceive as your greatest strength? My cat burglar skills and insight into the criminal mind. What do you perceive as your greatest weakness? My lack of familiarity with ranged weapons. As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice... You don’t have to do everything yourself, you know. Things might go more easily if you let yourself trust a few people.

20Q Whiplash blinked down at the young man staring eagerly up at her. He was weedy, short, and looked to be about 17 years old, so he'd be staring up at her even if they were both at ground level, but in this case it was because she'd paused halfway up a wall. He didn't seem remotely perturbed by the man groaning on the ground barely out of arm's reach from him, or worried that the other two might come back. That in itself was unusual. Maybe the man just got saved a lot. "Who are you?" he asked. "Whiplash." Whiplash continued her climb. "Wait!" the young man shouted. "I need to talk to you!" "You need to either go home or wait with your... friend, there... for the ambulance." "Please, can't we just talk for a minute?" "Alright, what is it?" "I'm a reporter for my school newspaper." Whiplash turned away and kept climbing. She was sighting the next rooftop and preparing to jump when she heard a crash and a strangled cry. Reluctantly, she turned and walked back over to the edge of the rooftop. The boy was crumpled at the base of the building, rubbing one leg. "Did you just try to follow me up the side of a building?" Whiplash asked disbelievingly. "You made it look so easy..." "Go home before you hurt yourself." But the boy was already preparing to try another climb. Whiplash wasn't having the death of some kid on her hands. "Just... just wait there, I'm coming down." And Whiplash, the shadow of retribution in the alleys of Southside (or at least somebody who hoped to become exactly that), walked out of an alley into the open with a reporter. Apparently sensing that she was going to vanish as soon as she could be reasonably sure he wouldn't hurt himself following her, the young man was talking as fast as he could. "We're doing a special on people we admire," he said breathlessly, "and I want to interview mine but couldn't find anyone except music singers and high-profile heroes and stuff but I think you just saved my life or at least a lot of medical expenses so I was wondering if you'd let me interview you?" Whiplash took a moment to mentally insert pauses and proper intonation into the request, then a moment more to remind herself that flattery was no reason to do something stupid. But... he had said it was about people he admired. Did that make her a role model? "I have a secret identity," she said slowly. "I understand. I'll only ask questions that don't compromise your identity." "Alright," she said finally. "When would you like to..." but the boy was already pulling out a notepad. "Where are you from?" he asked excitedly. "Were you born in Freedom City?" "No. I'm from New York." That was safe, right? Lots of people were from New York. "Why do you fight crime?" "To protect the innocent." Their path was heading too close to open areas for Whiplash's liking. She turned to walk in shadows. "I stop violent crime, because it hurts people who never wanted to be involved. But the thing about crime is, most of it is violent. People think that fraud is safe, or that buying drugs doesn't hurt other people, but it does. Criminal culture funds and shelters violent and dangerous people. That's why criminal culture itself must be destroyed, not just the obviously violent parts of it." The boy was writing furiously. "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?" "What is this, a job interview? Surely printing a hero's weaknesses in your paper is dangerous." Not that anybody would care that much about Whiplash's weaknesses. She didn't have any powers after all. "But the greatest strength that anybody can have is resolve. Determination." And a whole lot of guilt, dexterity and gymnastics training. "Can you do anything really cool?" Whiplash blinked at the boy who'd just watched her beat up three men with a whip and climb a building with no problem. What did it take to impress kids these days? "I can do this." She sprang easily into a backflip, then pushed herself into the air with her hands, grabbing at a a lamppost with both legs. She shimmied easily up the post before raising both arms above her head and sliding down using only her legs. No need to mention the more suspicious parts of her skill set. Nobody needed to know how easily she could disable a lock, for instance. "What do you think are the most important qualities someone can have? Wait, I think you answered that already." Whiplash shook her head. "Strength isn't the only important thing. I think courage and wisdom are important qualities; the courage to try to make a difference, and the wisdom to know how to most effectively do that." I'm on fire! Whiplash thought. Maybe I should do public service announcements. "What qualities do you hate?" "Malice. Petty revenge. Those things cause pain for no reason, both to the person feeling them and to the target." "What's your greatest fear? And your greatest ambition?" "I'm not answering either of those questions." "Come on, you -- " "I said no." "Alright then... how do you feel about the state of the world?" "I haven't looked at most of it very closely. The parts I have been to are doing alright, but crime is rampant. We live in a world where anybody's house can be broken into at any time, where anybody can be mugged on the streets... as you yourself found out. That needs to change." "Do you have a boyfriend?" "No." Probably should've refused to answer that one. "Are you looking for one?" "If you're hitting on me, you're wasting your time. No, I'm not, and you're too young." "Do you have any family?" "Secret identity." "Right. Um... do you have a super-team?" "No." "Why not?" "I don't know any other heroes in Southside with the same goals and complimentary skills," she shrugged. "I work better alone." "What's your religion?" "I'm not religious. I don't generally think or care much about religion." "Do you have any phobias or mental conditions?" Whiplash glared suspiciously at her interviewer. Was he trying to gather intelligence or did he just not understand the concept of dangerous information? "No, not unless you count a compulsion to wear a costume and beat up criminals." "Do you have a dislike of any groups? Like a race or sexual orientation?" "Is that common in heroes? All I care about is whether somebody's dangerous." "How do you feel about how metahumans and aliens are treated on Earth, particularly Freedomn City?" "I don't know. I don't have strong feelings on the subject and don't know much about it." "Do you hope to be a role model for others?" "I hope that many people adopt a zero tolerance policy towards violent crime and decide to do something about it. But I'm not interested in being a role model, per se." Yes, I really do. "As a hero, what's your greatest victory?" "Protecting people can't be counted in terms of single victories. Every person saved is a victory. Every criminal ring busted protects people." I spend my time beating up drug dealers, with minimal impact. "Do you kill criminals?" "No. I wouldn't kill anybody unless I was forced to, in defense." I don't know if I even could. "But I make their lives hell." "Do you have any role models?" "There are people I admire, but I distrust the idea of role models. Everyone has flaws. Nobody can improve themselves by trying to carbon-copy somebody else." "Do you have any advice for readers?" "Always be active, always seek problems, and remove them. The world is run by lazy people and violent people. It's full of problems and unnecessary dangers. If we don't step up and do something, that will never change." The boy reviewed his notes. "I think I have enough stuff here, even with you refusing to answer some questions. Thanks, Whiploash! For the interview and, you know, saving me." "No problem." Whiplash watched him stroll away down the street, remarkably unconcerned for someone who'd just been attacked in an alley, before she got back up to roof height. It wasn't until she was halfway home that she realised she'd never gotten his name.

Whiplash took a moment to decode the message behind... super-bee's... accent, then nodded. "Do you want me to come with you to find this Fleur de Joie?" A giant bee flying around by itself looking for somebody was not going to be great for anyone, even in a place as strange as Freedom City. It was possible that she could help calm people down, or at least ensure a safe kind of panic. Or conceal the bee. Or... something. But maybe super-bee made this journey all the time, and people were used to it. Presumably the bee was referring to that school for the super-powered that seemed to have sprung up, and she imagined there were stranger things there than giant bees. Probably. Whiplash realised she was going to have to learn a lot to be an effective hero in Freedom City.

"Okay, don't worry; I can show you where Smith Street is," Whiplash said in the soothing voice that always worked on frightened children. But what could she do? Lead a giant bee through the streets? If the reaction of the other cleaners was any indication, that might cause a few problems. "Just follow me." She was pretty sure that the giant be, disconcerting as it was, wasn't going to try to kill her (at least not immediately), so she tucked her whip into her belt, found a handhold on the side of the building she'd been cleaning minutes before, and began to climb. Climbing such surfaces was old hat to Whiplash, and it was almost second nature to seek out crevices and ledges for her fingers and toes. Once on top of the building, she sighted the next building. Easy jump. No problem. If there were no complications, she'd simply lead the bee to Smith street across the building roofs, out of sight of easily panicked crowds. "Why do you want to go to Smith street?" she asked the bee conversationally, trying not to look like the creature was creeping her out. "Is it anything I can help with?" There was no point in leading the bee along the rooftops if it was immediately going to drop to street level and head into the crowded city.

Streetwise check (1d20=20)

Helen froze in the building's doorway. Who had screamed? Didn't matter, they weren't there any more. Apparently the appearance of... giant... bees... caused people to panic. Bees? Bees?! What kind of crazy city was this? She turned and dashed back into the building, rummaging in her pack for the miscellaneous parts of her costume that couldn't be worn under her uniform. Thank goodness she'd arranged her schedule to grow straight on patrol, or she wouldn't even be carrying the outfit. Getting changed was a matter of moments, hurriedly achieved behind a large and tastelss ornamental statue in one corner of the building's foyer. Yeah, this is safe. This doesn't compromise your identity at all. Seeing a superhero dash out of the building full of cleaners? Not remotely suspicious. Just better hope that everyone's too panicked to think straight and nobody finds your civvy clothes. The clothing in question was wedged out of sight behind the statue. Now, to... to what? She had not chosen heroing for this sort of thing. It had spoken. She was pretty sure the giant bee had spoken. It was... lost? And a giant, panic-inducing monster. But there wasn't much she could do about that. Cautiously, she looked out the open glass door of the building, tried to hold her whip in the most nonthreatening way possible and called, "Um, are you... are you alright?"

Thanks. Fixed the utility belt and smoke grenades.

I'm Jack. I'm a microbial biotechnologist. I work with microbial fuel cells. (Don't ask what they are or I'll never shut up.) I live in Australia, and my hobbies include science fiction, fantasy and procrastination.