It had been six months to the day she first took the mantle when Aleshia Scott straddled the white motorcycle with the silver cursive APHRODITE scribbled across the left side. Her mother had presented it to her on the day she introduced her to her alter ego. Aleshia was beyond stunned that her dainty mother was once a nose busting, roof top jumping, crime fighter. She was more stunned that The Mighty Aphrodite's liar was secretly stashed below the condo she grew up in. Aleshias mother showed it all to her on her twentieth birthday. What a birthday!
Aleshia was easily the biggest fan of The Mighty Aphrodite, who retired before she was born. Her love for the heroine is what propelled her easy 'yes' when the ex-crime fighter, her mother, asked would she carry the mantle. From there she dove head first into intense training, learning the city, and being prepped on the mind of a criminal. Everything went beyond perfect, and in two months time she was ready and anxious to make her debut.
The media went wild. Every local blog, newspaper, magazine, and new channel ran the story of the return of The Mighty Aphrodite! Aleshia allowed herself to be photographed in the patent white leather catsuit and heart shaped mask. To show the public that The Mighty Aphrodite was timeless and back to shelter them. It played perfectly! Some media outlets even speculated that she was the same crime fighter from the 70's. All was well, the criminals faltered and Sledge city started to brighten...for a while.
It did not take Aleshia and her mother long to realize that the heroing game had changed. With moral and integrity severely lacking, anyone could be tempted into being a hired hand. Cleaning up the streets meant more than beating down a few goons if they would just keep returning or new ones kept popping up. She had to cut off the head to kill the body. So that's what she decided to do, she would gun for the mob bosses, kingpins, and drug lords. Leaving the street goons to her crime fighting comrades.
This is what fueled Aleshia as she rode out six months after her introduction to the world. She was well equipped with knowledge, spending week tracking the higher up criminals, and decked out in a new costume. If the game was different the The Mighty Aphrodite had to be also. She chopped the legs and sleeves off of the full bodied cat suit for added flexibility. It now hugged her around the hips and shoulders. She added thigh high boots for easy stashing of evidence on the run. The old suit had no pockets. The utility belt that slouched on her hips had been revamped. Instead of a grappling hook Aleshia used a rubber pellet gun, seeing how most criminals did not think twice about firing at her. Yes, The Mighty Aphrodite had been reworked and she was ready for anything. But anything wouldn't be ready for her.
---
Air sleekly flowed over the rough hide, cropped, white leather jacket she added to her uniform as she barreled into the city. She jerked her motorcycle in between the light traffic, making her way to her destination. Confused faces peeked out at her, recognizing the heroine but not the reworked, sexier costume. Aleshia ignored them, being sexy wasn't what The Mighty Aphrodite was about. It was about using woman hood as a strength and making a difference. So they all could stare, she knew why she did what she did.
She pulled the motorcycle into an alley on a rapidly decaying street. The whole district was going down hill but her work that night would set the cogs in motion to restore it. Hopping off the bike, she stuck a tiny heart shaped tracker to the side though she was confident no one was dumb enough to steal her bike. Her head craned to the top floor of the apartment building she parked next to, seeing the light was on in the last window. The target was home. With a running start and a push of her foot off the wall she grabbed the fire escape easily and galloped to the top. Once again kicking off the wall she planted her feet on the roof and walked to the end of the building. Touching the tiny silver earpiece in her ear that connected her to the lair, she said, "I'm in position, stand by."
"Roger that Aphrodite," her mother responded
Aleshia had something as The Mighty Aphrodite that her mother never did, someone on the other side to help. So when she rounded up the crooks her mother could anonymously alert the trusted police chief to the location of the bound, wanted individuals.
---
Police chief Anderson had never met either woman who took the title of The Mighty Aphrodite but trusted both completely. He stopped questioning the anonymous phone calls and personally went to the location the woman over the phone gave him to apprehend the criminal. Each time he hoped to catch a glimpse of the heroine but never managed to, she was too quick. So he returned to his office and waited for the next tip, leaving the city in the capable hands of beautiful crime fighter.
---
Aleshia was on the case of a big drug deal involving Angelica Ortiz, the biggest Queen Pin of cocaine in Sledge City. After a tip from a frightened goon-for-hire that the mobstress would be coming out personally, Aleshia made a point to appear also. So there could be one less dope slinging jerk in the free world.
Sticking a wireless bug to the window she crouched over, Aleshia listened for the right moment. People walked in and out of the apartment for five minutes before Angelica Ortiz entered. The room went quiet when she and her thugs came to collect money from a re-up. When Aleshia heard enough to put Ortiz down she replaced the bug with a heart shaped detonator from her utility belt. It blew after five seconds of sticking to the window and Aleshia flipped from the roof's ledge to inside the bare apartment.
"What the-"
Bags of white powder fell out of the stunned criminals hands and burst onto the floor. The room stood still as The Mighty Aphrodite made her entrance. They were unsure of what to make of the new look, all they could do was stare.
"Don't stare at the hoe, shoot her!" Ortiz commanded
Half of the room scrambled for the door as Aleshia sprung into action. She grabbed the wrist of the nearest gunman, who had his pistol focused on her, and breaks it. Moving like a striking cobra, she swung her boot into the gut of the man behind the howling gunman. They both dropped. Diving behind the ragged sofa for cover from the gunfire that lit up the room, Aleshia extracted two razor sharp throwing hearts from her belt. She poked her head around the edge of the sofa and flung the hearts. They sink into the arms of two more gunman, the rest of the room scatters at the sight of four men being taken down in under a minute.
"Not so fast," Aleshia said, bolting from behind the sofa and grabbing Ortiz by her long jet black hair. Touching her earpiece she said, "target apprehended."
"Affirmative. Anderson is on the way." Her mothers voice answered back.
Aleshia tossed Ortiz onto the ragged couch. "Anderson can finally mark you off his list," she told her.
Quick as lighting Angelica Ortiz whipped out her butterfly knife, unfolded the blade and sprung off the couch. "Not today bitch!"
Ducking right, Aleshia threw her knee into Ortiz's ribs. She gasped for air and stumbled. Aleshia followed with a jab and a cross, Ortiz crumpled to the ground, lying unconscious next to the destroyed bags of cocaine she loved to sell. Police sirens pierced the night and Aleshia darted to the window, she waited until she saw the flashing lights before propelling out of the window and bouncing down the two alley walls to reach her bike. She wasn't worried about Ortiz escaping before Anderson reached her, the cross and jab combo would put her out for a while.
"Anderson's here, I'm going on patrol," She said into her earpiece as she throttled the bike to life.
"Job well done Aphrodite,"
Aleshia revved the motorcycle and whirled it around, racing to the end of the alley. She blurred passed the whirling lights, passed the amazed police chief and into the city. The city she made just a bit brighter by take one of the many dark specs from its bulb.
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