Therra Arcson - origins 1
She was born in Wisconsin. She didn't remember Wisconsin though. She only had her mother's word she was born there. That and her birth certificate, and social security number. All her life, all she'd really known was Paragon City.
They'd moved there shortly after her birth, her father lured there with the promise of higher pay and better benefits with a new tech company. Not to mention, of course, the protection the city gained as the City of Heroes. Sure, odd things happened here and there - the city's hero population being seen as a chance for the more ambitious criminals to test themselves - but things were typically brought to a swift end. It was nothing more than something for her father to talk about over dinner, something he'd heard on the radio coming home from his job as an electrical engineer.
There's always a "But" in stories like this, though.
She had just turned ten a few days before. A milestone in her short life. Double digit age! She was growing! She skipped home from school, FEELING every bit of her fifty five inch height. Oh, sure, some counters still loomed over her, and upper shelves were still "Therra Incognita," but she'd get there eventually. Soon, she was sure. She stopped to feel a spring breeze, turning to watch a butterfly flit out of the park, continuing the turn in a spin for the heck of it. Ten. A wonderful age. She didn't even notice the smoky haze over part of the city.
She ran home, racing her friend Sue part of the way, anticipating snacking on one of the last pieces of cake left from her party. "Mom!" she called as she came in the door. "Mom, can I have some..."
Something was wrong. Her mother sat, gazing at the television but not really watching. The phone sat next to her, beeping its frantic off-hook beep.
"Mom?"
Therra hung up the phone, just noticing the tear-tracks running down her mother's face. Concerned, she sat down and leaned against her, finally getting a reaction as her mother put her arm around her. She looked at the TV - something had happened downtown. Something bad...
The TV clicked off as Therra's mother turned to face her daughter.
"Therra... your father's gone." Julia Arcson looked at her daughter, not quite able to accept the reality of it yet. Her husband of twelve years, taken from her by a rampaging gang. Where were the heroes?
She settled in to try to explain to her daughter what she couldn't believe herself.
They'd moved there shortly after her birth, her father lured there with the promise of higher pay and better benefits with a new tech company. Not to mention, of course, the protection the city gained as the City of Heroes. Sure, odd things happened here and there - the city's hero population being seen as a chance for the more ambitious criminals to test themselves - but things were typically brought to a swift end. It was nothing more than something for her father to talk about over dinner, something he'd heard on the radio coming home from his job as an electrical engineer.
There's always a "But" in stories like this, though.
She had just turned ten a few days before. A milestone in her short life. Double digit age! She was growing! She skipped home from school, FEELING every bit of her fifty five inch height. Oh, sure, some counters still loomed over her, and upper shelves were still "Therra Incognita," but she'd get there eventually. Soon, she was sure. She stopped to feel a spring breeze, turning to watch a butterfly flit out of the park, continuing the turn in a spin for the heck of it. Ten. A wonderful age. She didn't even notice the smoky haze over part of the city.
She ran home, racing her friend Sue part of the way, anticipating snacking on one of the last pieces of cake left from her party. "Mom!" she called as she came in the door. "Mom, can I have some..."
Something was wrong. Her mother sat, gazing at the television but not really watching. The phone sat next to her, beeping its frantic off-hook beep.
"Mom?"
Therra hung up the phone, just noticing the tear-tracks running down her mother's face. Concerned, she sat down and leaned against her, finally getting a reaction as her mother put her arm around her. She looked at the TV - something had happened downtown. Something bad...
The TV clicked off as Therra's mother turned to face her daughter.
"Therra... your father's gone." Julia Arcson looked at her daughter, not quite able to accept the reality of it yet. Her husband of twelve years, taken from her by a rampaging gang. Where were the heroes?
She settled in to try to explain to her daughter what she couldn't believe herself.
posted by EGM at 7:50 AM
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