Jill was on the cusp of being a teenager when the Overseer took over. In those days, the superhero industry was ablaze with new heroes bursting onto the scene each day, yet not even the seemingly unstoppable tide of caped crusaders could shield the world from the brutal onslaught of the Meatbags.
She had been in history class, learning some kind of mind melting lesson, when an alert had been announced over the intercoms.
"This is a lockdown situation, please take shelter until the nearest hero is able to assist"
Alright, simple enough. It was a pretty simple procedure, just hide until the latest upstart villain got served by the fist of justice or decided that there were better things to do with powers than terrorize children.
Except the hero never came. Any heroes that might have been close enough had their hands full dealing with the rest of the growing horde, they didn't have time to deal with just one brainwashed vessel of the overseer that had broken into a school.
The rest of Jill's memories from that event were a chaotic blur. She recollected the Meatbag breaking through the classroom door. She recollected the foul creature swelled and mutated as it ate their teacher, the additional organic matter warping the thing that was once human into a collection of parts designed for an unknown purpose. A sack of flesh and bone. A bag of meat.
She recollected dashing out of the room with all her might as the monster was busy feasting upon the class president, her delicate legs propelling her through the halls, and ultimately taking her to cower in the school's basement, praying that either a hero would save her or this would be her origin story.
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As the first rays of dawn filtered through the dusty blinds of Jill's small, cramped apartment, a jarring blare shattered the silence in her reality and the fear within the memory she had been dreaming about. Her alarm clock had gone off, marking the start of yet another day in The Last Haven, the small city that was her home.
"Urghhh…" Jill groaned and reached out to fumble for the snooze button, trying to cling to the elusive remnants of sleep, but she knew it was futile; she was not a morning person, and had long since resigned herself to the inevitability of waking up before the sun.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and took a deep breath, inhaling the stale air of her tiny abode. The walls seemed to close in around her, a constant reminder of her limited resources and the reality of living in the City, the minimum wage she earned meaning she could only afford to rent out a couple cubicles of what used to be an office building. At least she managed to get a room with a bathroom, though.
However, Jill was determined. She had a job to do, bills to pay, and a life to lead. With a weary sigh, she stumbled towards the bathroom, her mind already racing with the tasks that lay ahead.
The water in the sink was cold as she splashed it on her face, trying to erase the traces of sleep from her features. She blinked away the haze that clouded her vision, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection was a stark reminder of the harshness of life in the city - dark circles under her eyes, an unkempt mop of hair, and a furrowed brow.
Gazing pensively at her own reflection in the mirror, she contemplated the vivid dream that had visited her just moments ago. It was a recurring one, an memory brought forth to the front of her mind by slumber. Yet, such unsettling dreams no longer had the power to rattle her, and she easily cast it aside. With a confident air, she slipped into her well-worn leather duster, hugging her lithe figure, and placed her trusty newsboy cap on her head.
As she stepped out onto the bustling street, the vibrant city sounds enveloped her, a symphony of voices, clattering shopping carts, and melodious birdsong. It was as though the chaotic energy of the city was pushing the dream to the recesses of her mind, replaced by the exhilaration of the present moment.
But Jill pressed on, a steely determination in her eyes. She knew that the city could be cruel and unforgiving, but she refused to be beaten. She would face the day with all the courage and resilience she could muster, ready to tackle whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Alright Jill... You've got this"
With each passing day, she had become intimately familiar with the mundane routine of navigating the bustling streets. The thought of elbowing her way through throngs of people, all marching to the same monotonous beat, filled her with dread. She knew all too well that the incessant jostling and pushing would only serve to slow her down.
And so, with a quiet determination, she made her way down a lesser-known alleyway. It was a narrow passage, flanked by towering buildings that loomed over her like sentinels. But she knew that this was the path less traveled, and it would lead her to the outer wall of the city.
As she drew near to the towering edifice, her gaze swept over the detritus and debris that had been ingeniously fashioned into an imposing barrier by the superheroes. To the average citizen, this feat would have been insurmountable, but for these extraordinary beings, it was just another remarkable accomplishment, a testament to their otherworldly abilities.
Undeterred by the daunting sight before her, she pressed on, unyielding in her quest to reach the top. Her eyes were fixed on a staircase, one of many that adorned the length of the imposing wall. She approached it with a determined step, her heart pounding with a fierce sense of purpose. With each stride, she drew closer and closer to her goal until she finally reached the summit. The wall was sturdily built, and its flat top provided an ideal surface for sentries to patrol.
As Jill darted across the wall, her hair billowed behind her like a wild and untamed thing, imbued with the exhilaration of unfettered freedom. Casting a fleeting glance beyond the fortified rampart, she discerned the faint outlines of hapless souls shuffling about like marionettes in the grip of an unseen puppeteer. Alas, they were mere "meatbags," hapless victims of the Observer.
As she stood atop the twisted and tangled mass of scrap metal that constituted the Outer Wall, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness for the state of things. The rusted metal, shattered glass, and splintered wood that made up the wall were a stark reminder of the chaos that had consumed the world outside.
But she had a job to do, and she knew that she couldn't afford to get lost in thoughts of the past. With a heavy sigh, she began her descent down one of the many stairways that snaked their way through the jumble of debris.
Despite the precarious appearance of the structure she was navigating, she new it was sturdy, and she moved with an easy grace, her steps sure and steady. She had made this journey many times before, and her familiarity with the twists and turns of the stairway allowed her to descend with a speed and agility that surprised even herself.
Finally, with a burst of exhilaration, she leapt onto the railing and slid down it, the wind whipping past her face and filling her with a sense of freedom and possibility. "Yeah! Best time yet, Jill! Maybe I'll actually be on time today!" she exclaimed to herself.
She was not on time