The Anthem Force Chronicles

New Moon

::Mackenzie:: 

There are two things in my apartment: a ratted old couch I got off a yard sale and a box of valuables I “acquired” from a few Anthem citizens. 

It’s not home. Anthem City isn’t my home. Although, granted, I don’t really know where my home is anymore. 

I look out of the window to the fog creeping over Anthem Bay, sipping the coffee I picked up at the shop downstairs. I have no purpose here. My life revolves around one thing and part of me almost wishes I hadn’t taken up Paragon’s ultimatum. 

My teammates should be finishing up school any minutes now and I’m expected to meet them at the headquarters for a debriefing meeting from last night. Now that was a fun time. Or at least the sneaking part was. I could use without the almost getting killed by a bunch of supers. 

Setting down the coffee cup I walk to my closet where my suit is waiting. 

My name is Mackenzie Moon but for the last week I’ve been going by Noname. That’s what you get I guess when you let a guy with sparks for brains pick your name. 

Not that it matters though, I’ll be out of here soon enough and they’ll all forget about that ninja girl with no name. I was their teammate for a short time, that’s all they need to know. Nothing more. One big mission cleared and I’m free. 

Slipping on the black suit under a hoodie and pushing my mask into my pocket. I’ll change into the full costume before I get to headquarters but for now I go outside to wait for the bus. My teammates don’t need to know I’ve been using public transportation to get around town either. It’ll ruin the illusion I’ve been building up. 

Sometimes it’s just too fun messing with them. They all think I’m an actual ninja. 

I finally arrive to Anthem Force headquarters, full outfit on so that my face is hidden, and all my teammates are already there. They look beat. Andy, the girl who’s always perfect sunshine, looks like she got run over by a bus. It’d almost make me happy if I wasn’t the reason she took a hit. Now I owe her one and I hate owing people anything. 

“Alright now that we’re all here we can finally start,” Radley says. He’s unsure about himself, it leaks off his body language. I’m sure the others can see it too. “Noname why don’t you tell us everything you learned last night.”

“Yah,” I say. While my teammates had been hiding away I had snooped around and gotten the goods, “There’s this higher power at work supplying the Formula X, they call themselves the Reckoning. I couldn’t get any more info except that they’re planning their next meeting at some dance thing this weekend.”

“The Anthem City Annual Gala,” Andy chimes in. 

“Yah that’s the one.” 

“I’ve heard about that,” says Radley, “It’s a really high class event, only the Anthem City elite. How are we supposed to get into that?”

Andy sighs, “Leave it to me.”

“What are you talking about?” Keith says, looking up from playing with sparks in his hands. 

“It takes place in the Adenine building,” Andy mumbles, “My parent’s sort of own the Adenine building. They’re hosting the Gala.” 

Radley and Keith are staring at her with wide eyes. Am I missing something here?

“You’re rich!” Keith shouts, “How come you never told us you were loaded?” 

Andy blushes. “I didn’t think it was important.”