Report 04: Cosmo
Time: 09:30
Location: Celestine Ward
Date: June 10th, XXXX
Upon exiting the elevator, Lucia and I were greeted with a familiar scene we had witnessed not too long ago.
Heroes and Ordinaries rushing in all directions. Long racks of equipment ranging from cameras, drones, and cables lined the hallways. Phone lines blaring from the four corners of the floor. Shouts akin to gunshots rang in my ears, and the disorienting recessed light fixtures in the ceiling didn’t help with the already stressful environment.
I searched for Lucia, who happened to find where we needed to be. In a way, I found myself envious of her small stature as she managed to weave through the tiny cracks in the crowd without much of a hitch.
From the entryway, she shot her hand up. I laugh, finding it completely unnecessary, considering her silver streaks made her visible enough.
“Owen, over here!” She shouts. Her head pops above the sea of people as she props the door open.
I rush over to her side, pushing the door further, allowing her to creep in first, and then shutting it behind us.
“Thanks!”
“No problem.”
Unlike outside, the small studio was well insulated. As Hal said, you couldn’t hear the chatter behind the heavy metal doors. Compared to the brightness of the main floor, the studio was dark with all-black walls. Stage lights running along the exposed ceiling had cast cylindrical beams down at the epoxy resin floor sprinkled with silver glitter. The only items that could liven up this studio were the green screen in one corner of the room and the blinding white backdrop that could be modified into anything on a whim.
“Welcome!” An intense female voice booms. Her heels click against the floor as she enters the spotlight, revealing a woman with warm golden skin and short black hair pulled back on one side by silver pins. She is dressed in a white button-up shirt and flared-out black linen pants. “Welcome, our fletchings to Crime IV! I’m Marianne Tse, your Manager during your time here.” Her eyes dart over to me and Lucia quickly. “You two be Owen and Lucia.”
“Thank you for having us!” We say in kind while Marianne folds her arms together.
“Of course!” Marianne lets out a jolly laugh. “We’re glad to have you two entrusted in our care.” She cranes her neck back, placing a hand next to her mouth. “Arvin, the guy you interviewed is here!”
A familiar dark-skinned guy with long, bleached blonde hair tied into a messy bun emerges from the darkness. His attire was more casual than Marianne’s, donning a navy blue tee, navy jeans, and black sneakers. Piercings lined his earlobes decorated with numerous silver earrings, making him stand out more than necessary.
“Well, if it isn’t the skilled Drone Cameraman I interviewed! So nice to see you in person!”
I was just about to say something when suddenly Sao popped out behind Arvin.
“Hey! Hey! Hey! Little Lucia is here too!” Sao squealed, running up to Lucia and hugging her. “Wow, not only do I get to work with Arvin, but my interviewee got deployed here, too! My stars, this is amazing!”
“It appears everyone is acquainted with each other already,” Marianne says, observing our jolly reunions. “Then, I can get into the heart of things. I apologize for the lack of a “get to know you,” but we have some pressing matters.”
As quick as flipping a switch, the atmosphere turned serious—the warm atmosphere from before dropped several degrees. The double doors opened, and in came three more figures.
The first one was the team’s technician, Damian Wagner. His bumbling behavior, slightly pudgy body, oversized tropical shirt and beige cargo pants, and hat with a big letter ‘D’ on it gave it away easily.
Following behind him was a tall sepia-skinned lady with a buzz cut and makeup, boldly emphasizing her fake lashes that covered her amber eyes. Her attire was flamboyant: an orange long-sleeved blouse with ruffles at various parts, white faux leather pants that clung tightly to her long, thin frame, and black ankle boots with silver zippers running diagonally along the inner sides. She must’ve been the makeup artist Topaz Abebe. There was no doubt about that one, either.
However, Topaz’s flashiness couldn’t match the last individual who stepped into the studio.
If you actively followed Hero news, there was no reason you couldn’t recognize her.
Ivory skin that was close in color to the moon. Wavy shoulder-length hair pulled back on one side by a long silver clip decorated with gemstones that mimicked a constellation, revealing her silver drop earrings—violet eyes with hints of blue and silver with galaxies swirling in them. A thin golden chain and an oval locket hung from her neck, touching her knee-length off-shoulder dress made of purple and blue fabrics that complemented her silver cape decorated with white stars made of sheer attached to two golden armbands. To finish the look, she wore black tights and black ankle boots as Topaz, with her heels around five centimeters instead of Topaz’s seven.
This figure was the 5-Star Hero and rising field reporter of HNN, Cosmo.
>>>
From public knowledge, Cosmo was part of the 6th generation of Heroes from the famous Constellation Family.
The Constellation Family is the largest and most powerful of all Hero Families in Loran, with over a hundred of its members registered as Heroes. They are referred to as such because their Heroes are all named after words related to space. However, the five strongest Heroes from the Family are granted names after the five major Constellations visible from Loran’s skyline: Isopetra, Eudyptes, Caimento, Lacertilia, and Hagethrix. Yet there’s one who stands above them all who is granted the title of Starlight. Hence, the Starlight Prince who disappeared from the public eye seven years ago was not just from the Family but also its number one Hero and strongest one in the existence of Heroes.
As for Cosmo, since her name does not relate to a Constellation, she wasn’t part of the top Heroes of the Family. But if one doesn’t follow the Family as closely, the Family also publicize their member’s rankings online. The last time I checked, out of the hundred or so members, Cosmo was ranked 82nd.
>>>
My breath stops, and the realization hits me. I think at that moment, my heart was pounding against my chest.
This was the first time I was going to be working with a Hero.
I was getting one step closer to my dream.
“Sorry, we’re late, Manager!” The tropical shirt guy rushes over. “I was just getting the van ready.”
“No worries about that, Damian,” Marianne responds kindly. “Topaz, has Cosmo’s Chord been fixed from last time?”
The dark-skinned makeup artist flicks her hand, gesturing to the young Hero. “As good as new, Mari.”
Cosmo, who has her arms folded, beams. “Feels better than ever.”
“Excellent.” Marianne grins with satisfaction. “And our Interns are here as well! Owen. Lucia. Meet our technician, Damian. Topaz, our makeup artist and Chord specialist. And last but not least, the star of our show, Cosmo!”
Being the stiff Interns we were, we both responded loudly, “Nice to meet you all as well!”
“I look forward to working with you both.“
As much as I didn’t care so much about the Heroes that I saw on my commute here, coming face-to-face with a Constellation Family member was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any Ordinary. There was no way I was going to miss out on this chance.
I unzip my backpack and whip out a notebook and a pen.
“Forgive my impertinence, Miss Cosmo, but would you mind signing my notebook?”
Cosmo’s eyes shot open for a brief moment.
“Sure.” She replied casually, taking my notebook and clicking my ballpoint pen, her eyes twinkling excitedly. “I don’t mind.”
I wasn’t shocked that she was taken aback for a moment. Even though Cosmo has some fame, it’s nowhere near the level of the top Heroes. Hence, it wasn’t as usual for her to receive signature requests.
After a few seconds, the young Hero hands me my notebook back. Her signature is neat and curly, right above the ‘O’s and underneath the ‘S’. At the end of the second ‘O’, she also adds a small simplified doodle of her face with two four-pointed stars dancing around the sketch. One can tell that she put much care into practicing it.
A smile crept onto my face as I shut my notebook. This signature was proof that I had interacted with a Hero. It was enviable on many levels.
“Thank you so much!”
“Not at all. How did you find out about me?” The galaxy-eyed Hero inquired.
“I’ve always followed the Constellation Family. When I learned you were the only one who worked in the Media Industry, I had to follow as a person who also aspires to work in this area. To meet you in person like this is such an honor!”
“I’m flattered.” Cosmo laughs happily, knowing she’s slowly getting her name out there.
Marianne let out a dry cough as we were absorbed in the moment.
“Well, enough chit-chat. We got work to attend to!” The short-haired Manager opens her laptop. “We received intel that the Onyx Spider Association will carry out a major heist at Luminosity Bank on Nebula Avenue in a couple of hours. Casualty Control has evacuated as many citizens as possible from the area, but as we all know, things in this city haven’t quite gone as expected. As for why this is a big deal, the answer is because their leader, 7-Star Villain, Arachno, is rumored to be making an appearance. We don’t know what Heroes will be dispatched to the area, but that’s where we step in.” Marianne snapped her fingers, and Damian flipped his tablet. “The nearest Deployment Station is four blocks from here. We’ll position ourselves in two places. The bank and the halfway point at the intersection between Nova and Stellar Roads.”
“I assume you want Lucia and I to stay here at HQ.” Sao smiled, placing a hand on her hip.
Marianne grinned, folding her arms together.
“I like you already, Sao.” The Manager moved her finger across the screen. “As for the rest of us, Damian will take us to the intersection first and drop off Owen.”
“Understood,” I reply. “Will there be anyone else with me?”
Marianne nods before continuing to give her instructions.
“No. We’re incredibly short-staffed, but Arvin will help you get set up with the Drones. They’re the standard ones used in your classes, so there shouldn’t be any issues. Once they’re up in the air, keep looking for Heroes or Villains. Remember that we could go from reporting to Casualty Control in a snap, so be ready for that as well. Regardless of what happens, keep filming even if things turn for the worse and you have to ditch the drones. And we got a little something from Topaz-“
“Ah, showtime, babies!” Topaz cackles, popping open a briefcase with four silver disks the size of my palm. “I managed to procure these enhanced cuties with permission from upper management!”
I find myself covering my mouth with my hand. At that moment, I thought I was dreaming.
“Those are Chords?!”
“You are indeed right on the money!”
Chords are customizable transformation devices that Powered individuals use to hide their identities. They also double as inventories for any equipment an individual possesses.
“I thought you needed to have Powers to use one?”
“And my boy, that’s where you’re not entirely correct! These children are Defense Chords used by Ordinaries in Casualty Control. They can enhance your physical abilities about five times and deploy a shield strong enough to handle a blow from a 4-star Hero or about twenty grenades at point blank. If you had to jump off a fifteen-story building, you should be able to come out unscathed.”
“Sounds pretty powerful!”
“Ha, that’s nothing compared to Hero Chords like our lovely Cosmo’s here.”
“Okay, okay, enough chit-chat." Marianne snapped her fingers. "I’ll explain more in the van, but that’s enough for the main briefing. Let’s get rollin’!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Talk about going out of the frying pan into the fire.
On the first day, nonetheless.
Darn it! Darn it! Darn it! I cursed in my mind. I knew this was bound to happen but I didn't think now!
