The sun beat down overhead. Constanza gasped for breath. She blinked as the sweat stung her eyes, her hair sticking to her face and neck. Her legs burned, her lungs screamed, every muscle in her body felt like jelly.

“Again.”

Constanza gulped but pushed off the ground once more. One leg in front of the other. One leg in front of the other. Reach that post. Reach that rock. Reach that turn. Reach the finish.

Constanza dropped to the ground as she passed her mentor, breathing heavily.

“Again.”

She screamed in her heart. She opened her mouth, but the dust made her cough.

And after another lap…

Icy Falcon handed her a bottle of water. She accepted it and tanked it down without a word.

“W-Wha…What…”

“What does running have to do with hero work?”

Constanza nodded her trembling head.

“Stamina. Strength is irrelevant if you can’t last through the fight. Winning is irrelevant if the opponent escapes. Now, again.”

Constanza closed her eyes and grit her teeth.

But she rose to her feet once more.

Constanza let out a cry as a fist hit her cheek, sending her sprawling on the ground.

“Get up.”

Icy Falcon pounded his palm with his fist.

“Villains won’t wait for you. Neither will I.”

Constanza rolled to the side as a foot stomped by her head and jumped to her feet. She swayed from side to side but held her hands in front of her.

“Come.”

She charged with a shout.

Constanza grunted as she held her hands out in front of her, palms spread apart and facing each other. Two clouds of fog sprayed from each palm, ice starting to form where they collided. This way and that the ice crystals grew, until a wavy spike had formed. Constanza grit her teeth and flung her hands forward, the spike following suit.

And flew not even a meter within the round target, much less the bullseye painted on it.

“Again.”

Icy Falcon lit a burner can, and then placed it under a pot of water. He waited until the water began to boil.

“You can’t fight near civilians if you don’t have control. Cool the water, but don’t put out the fire. Do it until you can keep the water liquid.”

Constanza nodded and closed her eyes. She held out her hands and took a deep breath. She called upon her power.

Control.

Just a bit.

Just a strand.

Just a little.

She started to sweat. She grunted. She grit her teeth.

Clang!

She opened her eyes. The fire was out. The pot was on the ground. A cone of ice covered the ground in front of her. Icy Falcon relit the can and placed another pot above it.

“Again.”

Constanza screamed as an icicle cut her cheek. She dropped to her knees, the wall of ice in front of her collapsing into shards.

“Villains won’t let you concentrate. If you can’t handle pain, then give up now. Again.”

Constanza grit her teeth and held out her hands. She began building up the ice wall as she had been taught.

The icy spikes fell once more.

Constanza flew across the ground. One leg after another pushing off and sending her soaring. She flew past the Icy Falcon, not pausing to hear him talk. Another lap awaited.

Constanza held out her palm. Five icicles grew in the air, each perfectly straight and sharp cones. She swung her palm down so that her fingers were facing forward. Five icicles shot forward and hit the center of five targets. Constanza took off running and leapt into the air. She spun to her side and thrust out her hand once more. An icicle shot towards a swinging target.

It landed dead center.

Constanza held her hands to the left and right of her. Two pots of water sat over campfires. Inside were two pools of water, completely still. Not a bubble rose, not a single ice crystal formed in either.

Constanza grunted as sharp ice cut her cheek. A whip lashed her back. A gale force wind knocked her off her feet.

But still the wall held.

Both of the walls on either side of her held.

Constanza leapt back as a leg passed by her stomach. She stepped in and ducked to the left as a fist flew past her face. She jabbed into the opponent’s abdomen and then stepped back to avoid the countering haymaker. She picked up her foot and sent it forward, placing it right on her opponent’s torso. The Icy Falcon took a step back from the front kick. He held up a hand. He nodded at Constanza.

“You’re ready.”

Constanza was sitting at home, tossing a ball of ice in the air, when her phone began to buzz.

“This is Constanza?”

“Marketplace, meet me at the west entrance. Don’t be late.”

Constanza grinned as she put away her phone.

Screams filled the air and fleeing people filled the street. Something crashed into a fruit stall and began feasting. It had a large round black shell, short, stubby limbs, and a rodent-like face.

It was an armadillo.

The size of a car.

The giant armadillo gorged upon the fallen fruit, ignoring the scattering crowds.

Suddenly something cold slammed into its face. It let out a cry and stumbled back.

“Who dares to defy the Iron Armadillo?!”

A girl stepped out into the street. Blue hawk mask, dark blue cape, and light blue dress. A pair of blue boots underneath. She placed one hand on her hip and pointed the other at the Iron Armadillo, turning to the side.

“Surrender now, evil doer! The Icy Swallow is freezing your career!”

“You will try, you Falcon wanna-be!”

The Iron Armadillo curled up into a ball and began rolling out. The Earth rumbled as the thousand pound iron mass trampled the stalls and fruits in its path. Icy Swallow leapt to the side, the ball passing her by. She swung out her palm.

Ice spikes flew through the air and found their mark.

But they shattered harmlessly on the villain’s shell.

“My shell can stop bullets! You’ll need more than Falcon imitation to stop me!”

The Iron Armadillo leapt into the air and curled up into a ball. Icy Swallow dropped her barrage and dodged once more, the iron mass cracking the ground where she once stood. The Iron Armadillo spun about as he uncurled.

And his tail caught Icy Swallow’s head.

She let out a cry as she flew through the air, landing into the wreckage of a stall. The Iron Armadillo grinned and curled up once more.

He spun about once in place and surged forth.

The ground shook.

A spectator screamed.

Icy Swallow lay still on the stall.

And the edge of her mouth curled up.

She spun onto her stomach and used both her arms and legs to push herself out of the way. She managed to clear the incoming mass a mere second before it flattened the stall.

And then it kept going.

The rolling armadillo swayed side to side as it careened forward.

The ground underneath it was a solid path of ice that reflected the sun.

Faster and faster the armadillo slid.

Until it slammed straight into the mighty oak at the center of the marketplace.

The armadillo uncurled, head on the ground and tail in the air, eyes spinning. Icy Swallow slid gracefully along the frozen path and placed her palm on the armadillo’s stomach. Ice grew from her hand until a block of ice wrapped around the tree, the torso of the Armadillo stuck inside it.

She let out a breath and let her shoulders drop.

She heard a thud behind her.

Icy Falcon stood there, arms crossed. He nodded.

“Good work.”

Her face curled into a massive grin.

Agent Wilson yawned and leaned back in his chair at the BSI. He glanced at the computer screen before him.

Resume was done, references done, application filled out.

Just had to do that dang cover letter.

He grimaced. How exactly should he phrase ‘I’m jumping ship because the BSI is useless’? Something something heroes and justice? Crush on Director Green’s bravery and leadership? Just say ‘I’m CIA and it’s classified’?

Steve walked up to his desk.

“Pack your bags, Wilson, we’re going on a trip.”

Wilson yawned again.

“What, another lost super-cat, Steve? Can’t you handle it without me, I’m kind of busy.”

“We’ll finish our applications later, this time is serious.”

“Serious? Who gives the BSI a serious call?”

“The DEA apparently.”

Wilson blinked.

“The DEA? What the heck is the DEA calling us for?”

Steve tossed him a folder. Wilson quickly scanned through the pages.

“Some sort of super drug?”

Steve nodded.

“And apparently a super’s been murdering cartel guys. No one’s been able to stop or catch him. Can’t even ID the guy. DEA requested we head down to Mexico.”

Wilson raised an eyebrow.

“And what exactly does the DEA expect the two of us to do about it?”

Steve shrugged.

“Official story or honest opinion?”

“I was CIA, I wrote the official story.”

“Supers in a cartel war? New magic drugs? DEA don’t want none of that, so they’ll hand it to us and shrug when we fail. Maybe use it to try and recruit a super of their own.”

Wilson sighed.

“Figured as much. So why are we going?”

Steve gave a wry grin.

“Don’t you want to try and do something as the BSI? One last hurrah, get the blood pumping a bit, and then stop by the ILS recruiter on the way home. Who knows, maybe we get to run from a super and write it down as a relevant experience.”

Wilson smiled and shrugged.

“I was never any good at cover letters anyways.”