Exigence Ep. 01

"You need me to write that book. Then what? You make me your girl?"

"Is that really what you want?"

"I've never met a real-life superhero... Or, supervillain... Based on what we just did."

I exhaled gently. "I don't want a girl who likes the things you like."

Danika rolled her eyes and flicked her hair as only a blue-eyed blonde with big boobs and a fit body could. "I can be gentle too," she purred with the tears in her vocal cords apparent. "I just like the idea of putting myself in harm's way... Like my mom and dad used to do. You know, my father took a bullet to his chest once. Small calibre. It hit his notebook instead of going through his heart."

"Paging Dr Freud," I chuckled, eliciting a sincere smile from my companion. "Look, Danika, what I'm asking you to do is dangerous. But I'll do my best to protect you."

"I know. You're a softie at heart. A softie who knows how to have some fun and follows through on his good intentions."

"So, you'll write the book?" I asked.

Danika smirked. The answer was yes.

Epilogue • Stop the Presses

Danika Dalton placed one finger on 'K' and another on 'F,' settling into the afternoon's typing. She was about to craft her resignation letter. The night before, she'd designed every sentence in her head, but she was struggling to put thoughts to paper.

Looking at her vape pen, the blonde saw an old crutch. She picked it up, turned it around between her fingers, and threw it into the little bin next to her desk.

She smiled.

Things had changed.

Sure, she'd never be her parents. But she could be herself. She was good enough to stand as her own person.

While Oliver Orwell built his supercomputer, made a home, and hunted down the Archive, she would be writing a book for the ages. Her newspaper job had been a diversion, taking her away from what she was meant to be doing all along.

Yes, she'd found her true purpose.

It would take months -- it might even take years -- but she was going to expose one of the most wicked and powerful secret societies on the planet. She would unmask the dealings of the corrupt and cast light on the dark dealings of powerful people who'd enjoyed the public's unearned trust.

Danika Dalton didn't get the story she was looking for. She got the story she was supposed to get.

Beginning to type, she said sorry to her editor, Jimmy. He'd been good to her. The paper had been good to her. She couldn't reveal much but promised she'd make him proud once her project hit the shelves.

Danika Dalton was a force of nature, and the Doomsday Archive was in her sights.

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In the next episode...The art of homemaking and how to train your mother.