Dreams of Times Past

~A younger Star Skyline adjusted the gloves on her grubby little hands, listening to the melodies flowing out of the radio in the front of the town car as they crossed the giant bridge. It was a tune that she wouldn't normally spend much effort listening to, but with nothing else to do during the trip since her father was in the car behind them, it was now the sole focus of her attention. Her feet didn't quite reach the floor of the vehicle, so she swung them to the beat of the music, lightly kicking the driver's seat in front of her every once in a while. With her chin in the air, and her eyes closed, she pretended to know the melody as she hummed along, convinced she was the lead singer up on a stage.

Perhaps it was her off tune attempt at humming and the friendly chuckle of the driver as he listened, or maybe it was how he was 'ooo'ing and 'aaww'ing whenever she hit an especially high note, but the man didn't have time to react when something landed in front of their car. And with an ear piercing sound of grinding metal, the music and the car both came to an abrupt halt.

Star didn't quite realize what was going on at the time. The sound of metal bending against something solid and the way she was suddenly thrown against her seatbelt seemed like more of a car crash then anything sinister. So she didn't understand why the driver was so quiet all of a sudden, or why he was staying in the car instead of getting out and checking on the other people they must've hit. Maybe he was waiting for her dad to get out of the car behind them and take care of it? Maybe he was scared that dad would fire him for ruining the car? That's okay, she would talk to him! After all, she was his daughter! He would do anything for her! So she went to tell the driver this, sure that everything would be just fine.

She wiggled against her locked seat belt, unclicking it with a pout of frustration. As she leaned over to look around the seat in front of her though, her little gloved finger paused mid-air, and her tiny lips parted in shock.

The entire bridge seemed to be falling under attack. Cables were swaying, sparks were flying, and as people got out of their cars to run, they were swooped up by various villains. Their screams could be heard clearly, now that the music wasn't playing.

But that wasn't what made the little child go quiet. It was the giant stone golem-like creature the hood of their car was wrapped around, and the dark eyes that stared menacingly back at them.

Star relaxed slightly. After all, her father was riding in the car behind them. He would take care of it! He wasn't just her dad, he was the number two hero! Her hero! All they had to do was wait, and stay quiet! He would save them, like he saves everybody!

As the seconds ticked by, though, Star felt her confidence sink. The screams around them continued, and the golem turned to block a sound quirk. He brought his fist down and broke the bridge under the hero, causing the brave person to fall 20+ stories into the water below. Why wasn't her father getting out? He could've saved that person, right? Was he still behind them?

Star didn't dare turn around to check, both her and the driver not even so much as breathing. The golem turned to them, and air that she didn't even know she still had in her lungs left her lips in a high pitched scream as it's fist suddenly came down onto the windshield. Faintly in the distance she could hear a helicopter. She hoped it was more heroes! Maybe her dad was overwhelmed by saving people! Yeah, that had to be it!

But as the windshield was shattered, she felt the sting of glass at the same time as she felt the sting in her heart. Maybe he forgot which car was theirs? The driver reached back and urgently pushed her head down until she was laying on the floor of the car, and like the young child she was, she kept screaming. Normally she would hate being touched, but unable to move while paralyzed with fear, she was thankful instead.

Of course, as he touched her, she could feel him. His resignation at his fate, disappointment in the 'hero', fear for his life, concern for her life, and as he scanned the skies and saw that the helicopter wasn't here yet, she felt him accept that her dad wasn't-

His hand left her head as if ripped away, and the sound of grinding metal and a throaty roar filled the air. Covering her ears against screams of agony, she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her little heart beating so hard in her chest that she thought she was going to die as well.

The helicopters were overhead now, and the sound of their blades against the air overpowered the rest of the noise around her. All of the noise, except one booming voice.

"I HEAR YOUR CRIES, CITIZENS! IT IS I, CAPTAIN CELEBRITY!"

Her dad was here! They were saved! She knew he would come for them! No villain could beat her dad, not one!

Raising her head, she sat up and looked out the back windshield. Her father's cape was flowing in the air as he stood on top of the car behind them that he had been riding in, a beacon of hope that no one could look away from. His perfect teeth were sparking as he grinned broadly, the lights from the press helicopter shining off of them as it hovered above him. The cheers of the citizens around them was deafening, and she felt her joy rise with the sound, and a big grin lit up the little toddler's freckled cheeks.

They were saved!

Scrambling up from the floor, she whirled around and huffed as she pulled her small self onto the center console. She wanted to share the joy with the driver, to cheer her dad on! They were saved! Her dad was the best hero ever!

But instead, she was met with an empty seat... and a car stained with blood.~