Liberty Girl: Meet the Press (Part One)

Early in her superheroine career, long before her tussle with the Equalizer and looking for some good P.R., Liberty Girl agreed to an interview with a local journalist.  Or someone she thought was a local journalist, anyway...

The story is told from the POV of The Journalist (TJ).  We join him in a small warehouse room, sparsely furnished.  There is a wooden chair before him, and a door behind the chair.  The door opens.  LIBERTY GIRL (LG) walks in.

TJ: Liberty Girl! You made it!

LG: Hi there! And you know that I always keep my promises!

TJ: (chuckles) I guess you do!  Please, please, have a seat!  We’ll get started right away.  I know you have a very busy schedule, especially this time of year.

LG: (she takes a seat, brushing her hair aside) Oh yeah.  You bet.

Liberty Girl gets settled.  She glances around the room.

LG: Pretty interesting place to conduct an interview.

TJ: Well, you know.  I wanted to keep it discreet.  I know how you superheroines are about these things.

LG: I was kind of expecting there to be more people.

TJ: (chuckles) Oh no no no.  That would never do.  Like I told you in my e-mail: this is an exclusive.  It’s just you and me.  I want to get the whole story of Liberty Girl.  Oh!  And I do hope you don’t mind the camera.  Just want a record of the proceedings.

LG: That’s fine.  Let’s do this, then.

TJ: Okay!  So!  First question: What is the source of your incredible powers?

LG: (chuckles, nervously) Huh.  Not the first time I’ve got that question.  And it’s simple really.  I’m a superhero.

TJ: Well, yes, ha ha, we know that, Liberty Girl.  I’m not asking you IF you have super powers.  I’m asking you: Where exactly do they come from?

LG: And I just told you.  I’m a superhero.  They come from me.

TJ: From you?  So… Are you saying you were born a superhero?

LG: Well, I wouldn’t say that.

TJ: What do you mean, then?  Could you please be more specific?

LG: (pauses) You know, umm, could we go on to the next question?

TJ: Sure, of course, in a second… I just would just like, very quickly, an idea of how you became 

superpowered?  Perhaps you have, I don’t know, some kind of item that makes you so powerful?

LG: (nervous laughter again) No, that’s ridiculous.  What kind of item would possibly give me superpowers?

TJ: Well, your magic lasso, for example.  The public has seen that lasso in action.  We know that it forces people bound in it to tell the truth.

LG: Yes, that’s true.  But that’s just an accessory.  My powers come from me.  Now, please, could we go on?

TJ: Alright, alright, alright.  That’s okay, Liberty Girl!  No need to get all worked up on the first question!  That was an easy one!  Question number two is a little trickier.  What I want to know is… Well: who are you, really?

LG: Excuse me?

TJ: I mean, in other words, what is your secret identity?

LG: Are you kidding me?

TJ: What?  What did I say?

Liberty Girl stands up from her chair, pointing her finger at the camera.

LG: Okay.  You know that’s not an appropriate question.  One more of those and I’m out of here.

TJ: Liberty Girl! Hold on! I’m not trying to offend you, here! I’m just asking questions that the public is legitimately curious about!

LG: Well, I will never tell you, nor anyone else, my secret identity.

TJ: So what you’re saying is you HAVE a secret identity, then?  You aren’t just Liberty Girl all the time?

LG: (blushing) No, that’s not… Umm… That’s not what I meant…

TJ: So, by day, you are just some desk worker, somewhere?  Some average woman?

LG: No, I didn’t say that.

TJ: Where do you work?  The post office?  Kroger, perhaps?

Liberty Girl steps toward the camera and menaces it.  She grabs the cameraman by the shirt.

LG: Listen, bub.  I don’t want any more of these games.  All questions about my secret identity are off limits.

 Do you understand?

TJ: (gasping a bit) Yes!  I understand!  Please don’t hurt me, Liberty Girl!

Liberty Girl drops the Journalist.  She settles back down into her seat.

LG: (smiling) Now, if we understand each other… please ask your next question.

TJ: Jeez, okay (coughing).  Wow.  I didn’t think you were going to take this so hard.  But sure.  Next question: Who is your greatest adversary?

LG: That’s easy.  That nefarious creep, Dr. Vaughn.

TJ: Dr. Vaughn!  Yes!  He’s still on the loose, correct?

LG: Sadly, yes.  He still is.

TJ: Why haven’t you caught him yet?

LG: (sternly) Well, it’s complicated.  Dr. Vaughn is a fiend.  He doesn’t exactly like playing fair.

TJ: It is my understanding that you and he have had some major battles the past several years.

LG: That is true.

TJ: And yet, each time, he seems to get away…

LG: What are you trying to say here?

TJ: I would just think that a superheroine would be able to apprehend a little nerdy doctor, that’s all.

LG: (angrily) Like I told you.  Dr. Vaughn is a creep.  He is not an ordinary doctor.  He knows what he is doing.

TJ: Has he ever captured you?

LG: (caught off guard) What? No.

TJ: Liberty Girl.  I find that hard to believe.

LG: He has never captured me, or anything like that.  No.

TJ: But hear me out, Liberty Girl.  You and Dr. Vaughn have battled many times.  He always gets away.  It seems that some point along the line we would’ve… I don’t know… Tied you up, or something.

LG: (sighing) OK.  Yes.  Dr. Vaughn has, in fact, tied me up before.

TJ: Really?  How did he do it?  How did he tie up a woman who was born—supposedly—with super strength?

LG: Umm… Well… He has special, umm, metal bars.

TJ: That not even the great Liberty Girl can break?

LG: Umm.  Sure.

TJ: Liberty Girl, you are being pretty evasive here.  The idea with this interview is that the reader gets a complete idea of what you’re all about.

LG: Well, maybe you should stop asking such bad questions!

TJ: Bad questions?  What?  You know, Liberty Girl, this interview would go a whole lot smoother if I could just tie you up in that lasso… (chuckling)

Liberty Girl springs to her feet and moves to the door.

LG: That’s it!  I’m out of here!

TJ: Not so fast Liberty Girl!

The sound of a door locking.  Liberty Girl attempts to turn the knob but cannot.  She turns around, mad as hell.

LG: Let me out.  Right.  Now.

TJ: But Liberty Girl!  We’re not done!  I still have a ton of questions to ask!  What, for example, is your favorite color?

Liberty Girl struts toward the camera, angrily.

LG: I’m going to turn your face into my favorite color unless you let me out of here.  And turn off that camera.

TJ: Whoa-hoa!  What about the freedom of the press, Liberty Girl?  You always go around threatening journalists?

LG: You’re no journalist.  You’re a rat.  You’re connected with Vaughn, or something.  And I’m giving you to the count of three…

TJ: But Liberty Girl!

LG: One…

TJ: Perhaps you should see this video!

The Journalist flicks on a TV that’s off camera.  The sounds of scared children come from the corner.

LG: Two…

TJ: I’ll blow them up, Liberty Girl!  I’ll blow them up, right now, with this switch, unless you follow my orders!

Liberty Girl looks at the (off-screen) TV.  She is horrified.  She turns back to the Journalist.

LG: You’re bluffing.

TJ: Don’t test me, babe!  I’m wired to blow these kids up, right now!  They’re off in another room of this warehouse!  One touch of this button, and they’re all gone!

Liberty Girl looks back at the TV.  She sneers.

LG: So.  This was a set-up.

TJ: (laughing) Way to use that super-powered brain of yours, Liberty Girl!

Liberty Girl rests her hands on her hips.

LG: Ugh.  I should’ve known.  You don’t look like a journalist at all.  You look like you failed high school English.

TJ: (laughing) Perhaps I did, ha ha!  Not that it matters now.

He pulls out a gun, waving it at Liberty Girl.

TJ: What matters is you sitting your sweet ass back down in that chair.

Her face is defiant, but Liberty Girl complies.

LG: You’re not going to get away with this.

TJ: Wrong, Liberty Girl! I’m going to do whatever I want! I’m going to deliver the most in-depth piece of superheroine journalism ever concocted, in fact!

LG: Don’t you have to be able to write do to that?

TJ: No, Liberty Girl.  It’s a video piece.  I’m going to record, on this camera, the true answers to all those questions you so artfully dodged earlier.  I’m going to get the full Liberty Girl story, whether you want to comply, or not.  Now… throw me your magic lasso.

Liberty Girl looks at the lasso, turned into her boot.  She pulls it from the boot.

LG: It doesn’t work on me, you know.

TJ: We’ll see about that, babe.  Now… Throw it!

In disgust, Liberty Girl tosses the lasso toward the Journalist.  He picks it up, brandishing it at the camera.

TJ: Yes, here it is! Once you’re bound in this, you’ll have no choice but to reveal the source of your power and your secret identity!

LG: Well then (she smiles)… Come over here and tie me up with it.

Liberty Girl taps her toe.

TJ: Yes, of course!

The cameraman steps toward Liberty Girl, then halts.  Liberty Girl seems to want him to come closer.

TJ: No! No! You’d like that, wouldn’t you?  You’d like to put me in some kind of headlock.

LG: Well, you won’t know till you find out.

TJ: But that’s what lassoing is for, isn’t it?

The journalist flings the rope, lasso-style, around Liberty Girl, then draws it tight.  Liberty Girl’s upper arms are now bound to the chair.  She struggles weakly against her rope

.

TJ: (laughing) Now I got you!

LG: Ugh.  This won’t work.

TJ: We’ll see, Liberty Girl.  Now… What is the source of your superheroine powers?

Liberty Girl seems to be at war with herself as she tries to fight back a response.  Eventually though, she says…

LG: My magic belt.

TJ: Well, then!

The journalist/camera steps over to Liberty Girl and with one swift motion, tears her belt from Liberty Girl’s waist.

LG: Unngh! No!

TJ (playing with the belt, in front of the camera): It is a nice belt, isn’t it?  So now, Liberty Girl, question two, just to make sure: If this belt is removed, you are no more powerful than the average woman.

LG: (struggling)… Yes…

TJ: Great! So I guess I’ll hold onto this.  (he pockets the belt) Question three.  What is your real name?  What is your secret identity?

LG: (struggling)… Denise... Kingston...

TJ: Huh! Okay! Don’t know who that is, but whatever.  Question four.  How do we turn you from Liberty Girl back to, uhh, Denise Kingston?

LG: (struggling)… I have to… Do my… Spin move.

TJ: So I guess I’ll have to untie you for that.

The journalist removes the lasso from Liberty Girl.  As he back away, Liberty Girl attempts to stand up and grab her belt back from him.  He responds quickly with a punch to the face, which sends Liberty Girl to the floor.

LG: Ugh.  How dare you…

TJ: Now.  Liberty Girl.  You’re not tied up, but as long as I have your belt, and this gun, you’re still TECHNICALLY in my command.  So I need you to do your spin move to turn back to Denise Kingston.

LG: You monster.

She slowly clambers to her feet.

TJ: Let’s not delay this, Liberty Girl.  Those kids in the other room.  Think about them.  Think about the kids, please!

LG: (sighing) You won’t win.

TJ: Do the spin move, Liberty Girl.  Or boom.  I’ll blow your brains out.  And then the kids.

Defeated, Liberty Girl spins around.  She is enveloped in light.  When the light dissipates, Denise Kingston stands in the room, clad in jeans, black boots, and a tight top.  She puts her hands on her hips.

LG: There, happy?  Anything else you need me to do, you twisted freak?

TJ: Yes… (pauses, fumbles in pocket)… I need you…

He moves quickly toward Liberty Girl and stuffs a chloroform rag in her face.

TJ: To just… breathe.

Liberty Girl struggles against the chloroform but is eventually rendered unconscious.  She slumps to the floor as the Journalist laughs hysterically.

In Part Two, The Journalist reveals more of his evil plan.  Can Liberty Girl— powerless, costumeless, bound and gagged, and thoroughly humiliated in their first encounter— find a way to triumph over this sinister new foe?