Part 1: Excerpts from a Golden Diary

 Well heya thanks for dropping by!

 My agent told me its good to write about my career as one of Paragon Citys most popular models! Well here I am!!!!!!!!

 Well I started off living in England with my parents and all I ever wanted to do since I was little was be a model! So Mummy decided if thats what I wanted, she’d do what she could to help. So like all good models I started with singing and acting lessons, which were lots of fun!.

 Then I saw this promotional thing that said Paragon City was looking for Top Models! I’d only ever been to Marbella and Mummy’s home town in Greece so this seemed like a perfect chance to see the world and become a famous model! I came to Paragon City and they put me in this really dingy flat in Galaxy City – I didn’t like it at all – it was smelly and dirty. But it did give me a chance to go to auditions and stuff coz it was so close to the railway station.

 I went to lots of auditions and got a few bits and bobs that meant I was able to move to a nicer flat in Talos Island. That was much better – the clubs in Talos are so much more upmarket! So then I got talent spotted at this nightclub by a big model agency promoter guy! Woweee was that exciting! Anyway the next morning he told me and this other girl we met in the club that we should go to these auditions for this new Promotional thing his company is starting… something to do with paint or something.

 Anyway so I went along and got accepted!!!! They seemed to like me – they were laughing a lot anyway. So here I am in my dressing room ready to go on set for this BIG important TV advert they want to do…

 I just LOVE this metallic swimsuit I’ve got to wear – I’m amazed it doesn’t – you know – chaff anywhere, considering it so small!

 OOO okay they are calling me in… be back soon….

 Love and kissses

Kalli

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

 PS hope they like my nails… had them done spesh!

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Oh dear!

Well its 6 months since I wrote that last entry in my “journal” and things are a bit different now. Was I so totally brainless then?

Some weird changes have occurred since then, but I am getting ahead of myself. Let us go back to that day 6 months ago…

That advert was for one of Crey Industries subsidiary companies, a paint manufacturer, who had developed a new lustrous gold paint, designed to be a cheap substitute for gold leaf on statues. The advert was supposed to feature a gorgeous blonde model (that was me) in a gold swimsuit, who swims through this large pool of the gold paint.

That all seemed fine, just nobody bothered to check if the paint was safe in direct contact with skin. Needless to say – we are dealing with Crey Industries after all – it wasn’t and apparently after about 10 minutes in the stuff I collapsed into a coma, from which I didn’t recover from for 4 months. Apparently at one point they were going to turn off my life support!

Anyway I woke up 6 weeks ago and wonders to behold, I could think! Well my nails were in a right mess and that bothered me but I could think BEYOND my manicure or even what to do with my hair (most of which had fallen out because of the toxins)! Wow, it was a revelation I can tell you!

Once I had woken up, the doctors were surprised at my rapid recovery, and I was even more surprised by how quickly my hair grew back! I had to have the hairdresser come to the hospital, and there was such a fuss when the staff nurse saw all the split ends cut off on the bed!

So 3 weeks ago, I was able to discharge myself from the hospital and boy was it good to be out in the sunshine again! But I had this strange feeling, a sort of pressure building up inside of me like I was about to burst – it was very peculiar, almost like an orgasm! There I was walking along the street – I had all my possessions in a small suitcase – even the swimsuit I’d worn in the gold paint! Then one of those Hellion gang members and his pal ran up and tried to grab the case.

Well normally I would have just screamed for help form one of those heroes and hope some muscular hunk would come and save me… but this time all I felt was a righteous anger that they could NOT be allowed to get away with it and before I knew what was happening one of them was flying through the air backwards with a solid bolt of energy connecting him to my fist!

Wow!

The second Hellion just looked at me and started running, but I wasn’t having that – even in my high heels I found I could run after him and WHAM he was knocked down as well and blown to kingdom come!

I was changed! No longer the brainless bimbo who thought only of her nails and what to wear! Now I was a Superhero Energy Blaster!!! Of course my nails and appearance are still important – I mean we have an image to project to the public, and presentation is always important! I even found a use for the swimsuit – it became my first Superhero costume! Funilly enough it seems the “unique” design the boutique raved about when I first bought it, isn’t quite so unique – I’ve seen dozens of other heroes wearing similar, but of course none of them fill it properly!

Kallisti Gold is on the case, so poisoners and polluters beware! I will be on your tail and to the people who made that paint…. I have a Power Blast with YOUR name on it!

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Lawyers are such parasites, corporate lawyers doubly so! Turns out the Crey Corp lawyers wanted me to sign an NDA contract to stop me talking about the ‘accident’ that made me a superhero. Of course I told them to stuff fit where the sun doesn’t shine… and no I didn’t mean Dark Astoria! They threatened me with the medical bills that had grown quite large while I was in the coma – that wasn’t something I was used to coming from England and our wonderful NHS! My lawyers told me that if I didn’t sign it I’d be declared bankrupt and sent back to England! I did seriously consider it, but then the lawyers told me that Crey would keep chasing me even in England – my only options were to sign the NDA and effectively give up my career OR find criminal evidence of their dangerous products and pollution. Well what a choice?

So there I was in Brickstown, chatting  to this chap in an orange jumpsuit who knew something about someone who knew something happening inside Crey’s laboratories… Complicated eh? I must admit to being distracted by the orange jumpsuit, it REALLY didn’t suit him, I mean so 70s darling – and not in a good ‘retro’ way! Turns out this experiment wasn’t anything about poisonous paint but something to do with trying to open a portal thingywhatsit to another dimension and it would be THE END OF REALITY AS WE KNOW IT!!! Not again… I mean surely this happens every other day, its amazing we are all still living and breathing!

ANYWAY, so I traipsed off to this secret Crey Laboratory hidden under some rocks in Talos Island… hmm that reminds me I saw some awesome Jimmy Choos in the shop there… what? Oh yes the story, right…

So Crey Lab, reality destroying portal… yadda yadda yadda…

Anyway for the past week or so I’ve had this terrible tickle in my nose and halfway through one fight… by the way have I ever told you how ANNOYING those bloody Paragon Protector pillocks are? No well let me tell you, bloody annoying – especially when they do their “I’m an Invulnerable Dickhead” trick and NOTHING you do can hit the buggers! so… yes… anyway, tickle in nose… suddenly halfway through the battle aaahhh ahhhhh aahhhh CHOOO BOOOM!!! What the hell? Big flash bang wallop and the bunch of Crey losers I was was fighting are flying arse over tit, slamming into walls and through windows and whatnot.

Wow that was spectacular – felt a bit drained after it though, so need to watch that sneeze! I’ve since been told its REALLY called a Nova – I like to think of it as a nuclear sneeze!

Then I noticed something odd – there was this large hoop-shaped machine standing in the middle of the room with one of the battered Crey techs sprawled across the control panel and there were a bunch of blinking red lights that looked DECIDEDLY unhealthy and this sort of rumbling, humming, whining sound that just set my teeth on edge… oops something other than the Crey techs got broken by my sneeze!

I looked up at the hoop and there was a shimmering sort of glassy look and I’m thinking.. .Oh crap looks like this might be the reality destroying portal that I’ve sort of sent into overdrive… oops! So I’m turning tail and about to flit out of there when there is this sort of silent explosion… hmm well it sort of was a soundless BOOM if you get my drift… yes I know that doesn’t makes sense but NONE of it made sense!!!

Next thing I know I’m lying against the wall, hair all OVER the place and then the portal thing goes black and this woman steps out, dressed in a sort of red/yellow outfit with a quite passe flame motif and get this… HORNS sticking out of either side of her head. She had also rather overdone the suntan as well, I mean bronze is a nice tan but this was like REAL bronze! She looked at me and started waving her hands and wham, I’m surrounded by a ring of fire.

“Hey cut it out, you’ll singe the hair!” I said. She sort of did a double take.

“Say that again?” she said… her voice seemed oddly familiar but she did have a proper English accent and there are damn few of us here in Paragon City!

“I said lay off the barbecue effect please…”

“What is your name?” she switched the flames off and walked over too me – hmm about my height but the horns were a bit off-putting, she looked sort of familiar.

“Kallisti Gold – what is yours? Hey whats wrong?” She seemed to pale at that, well as pale as someone with bronze coloured skin could.

“My name is… Kallisti Bronze!”

“What? You bloody copy cat! I’ve got that name registered as a trademark.” I stormed. “You’ll be hearing from my lawy… omg you are me!” I suddenly realised why her voice was familiar – it was MINE!

“Oh crap, were you trying to shut down a Crey interdimensional portal?” When I nodded she slapped her forehead. “I think we’ve somehow opened a rift between time lines!”

Okay she might be me, but I’m not that clever… looks like things might have gone a bit different in her timeline. “So did you get your powers from an accident with a bath of bronze paint which affected your DNA while modelling for an advert?”

“No it was gold paint… omg who is that?” Stepping through the portal was another woman, taller than both of us and with powerful muscles, she wore a skin-hugging suit of armour plates that were red and silver. Her fists glowed with energy I recognised…

“What the fuck…” she said in a very familiar voice.

“And your name is…” said the horned one.

“Kallisti Red – who the hell are you two and what just happened?”

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The forest clearing was awash with demonic energy and filled with the evil creatures. Without hesitation, Kallisti the Friar leapt into battle swinging her soul-bonded quarterstaff in a circle to connect with as many of the foul creatures as she could. With a hiss of hatred, the entire band of summoned demons turned on her, shooting dark bolts of energy and balls of flame at the hooded figure. The staff span in her hands as she turned to face the thickest part of the throng. Some of the fire and dark energy bolts slammed into her and she felt herself weakening but her enhanced reflexes kept her safe from most of the attacks. Suddenly there was a deafening crash, the ground shook and before her the demons were pushed aside as the Demon Lord appeared to face her! This was it, this was her time to sacrifice herself to defend her people like so many of her friends had done before!

 With an almighty bellow, the Demon Lord struck out, catching Kallisti the Friar a glancing blow and spinning her round, but her opening move was a leap in the air to bring the tough quarterstaff down with a mighty blow that usually felled most lesser enemies. This time, the Demon Lord caught the staff in his hand and pulled her off her feet toward his deadly flaming maw…

 A strange ripping sound echoed across the clearing as the Demon Lord’s head exploded and a dark gash appeared in reality which swallowed the fighting girl and then winked out of existence as the headless Demon Lord collapsed in a heap and began to melt.

 Kallisti the Friar landed on her feet in a fighting stance ready for the next onslaught, but this was not what she expected. She was in an alley with grey stone walls on either side and an a constant drone of noise in the background.  The air smelled strange, an odd sort of metallic smell but a whiff of decay and corruption caught her attention and she saw a group of shambling figures ahead surrounding a figure dressed in strapped black leather… wherever she was, she knew an enemy when she saw one!

“Excuse me miss but can I ask you to move off that wall, you are on private property” The uniformed guard approached the blonde girl dressed in a gold mini dress, sitting on the wall by the steps to the Crey office building he was guarding. She looked at him over her shoulder and gave him a dazzling smile.

 “Well hello Mister Guard, how nice to meet you!” she gushed. “My name is Kallisti Gold and I believe that you are incorrect in your statement just now, so no I won’t move off this wall” The firmness in her tone was masked by the frendly way she spoke.

 “Yes Miss Gold we know who you are, but I must insist you move off that wall.” He spoke quietly into the microphone at his collar.

 “Insist away my dear chap, don’t let me stop you, its a free world after all – well apart from the bits that Crey own of course” Her smile was dazzling again – there were golden sparkles floating around her and the bunny ears were distracting. “Oh look i do believe that is your supervisor coming this way isn’t it? How lovely!”

 “Alright Office Braithwait, what appears to be the… oh Miss Gold isn’t it? What can we do for you today?” The muscular woman in a bulky business suit moved in front of the security guard , but remained on the steps up to the office buildings, not setting foot on the pavement next to the wall where Kallisti sat.

 “Nothing at all, I was just sitting here enjoying the sun, sitting on this wall In The Public Footpath -” she emphasised the words carefully, still smiling over her shoulder at the tough-looking woman “- when your man came over and started talking a load of old tosh! You really ought to train your staff better dear Lady – the boundary of the Crey property is that step you are standing on and as you can plainly see I am nowhere near it… well to be precise I am two point one metres from it, six feet eleven inches in old money – ” The mask of joviality slipped for a moment “- so don’t give me any bollocks about private property – ” the smile returned like a sunbeam from behind a storm cloud “- because we know different, don’t we?”

 The security supervisor wiped her forehead and gestured the guard away irritably. “You have a very good point there Miss Gold and on behalf of the Crey Corporation let me apologise for your treatment just now.” She paused as if listening to a distant conversation. “However, I now must insist that you move away from the newly acquired Crey private land that you are now occupying as I have just been informed that our agents have just completed the deal to purchase the roadway and sidewalk in front of the Kallisti Wharf -” she struggled to get through the name – “Crey Corporation Headquarters.”

 “Oh what a marvellous way to waste Crey money, just sitting on a wall!” Kallisti Gold laughed. “I’d like to see proof of this miraculous transaction before I move an inch or centimetre, I’m not fussed, I was taught both at school in England.” She measured an inch and centimetre with her thumb and forefinger as she described them. She looked away from the security woman. “If you own the pavement you can get off that step and show me.”

 The security supervisor consulter her tablet, spoke into her label microphone and glanced over her shoulder. Coming out of the building behind her were several figure wearing armour and one in a blue banded outfit with a hood covering their head.

 “Hey KG we got some ice creams, want one?” came another voice from across the road in the forecourt of the Christie Apartment building. Kallisti Red, dressed in her red and white armour plates waved across the road then gestured at her three companions: Kallisti Scarlet in her buckled leathers, also in red and white waved back while licking the ice cream cone; Kallisti the Friar, slightly shorter that the two tanks flanking her, was very obviously enjoying the ice cream and struggling not to let any drip down her new outfit, a green lacy leotard and updated new tall boots that had replaced the old patched and dirty homespun robes that she had arrived in Paragon City with not long before. Behind the three stood Kallisti Bronze, dressed in her usual flame motif leggings and top, trying to catch the dripping ice cream as it melted quickly in her warm presence.

 “Is it strawberry? You know I like strawberry the best” Kallisti Gold jumped up from sitting on the wall to standing. The security supervisor reacted quickly, her hand shooting to reach into her jacket. Kallisti Gold turned around to face her. “Oh look, you’ve brought some friends too! I particularly like THAT one… ” she pointed at the blue clad Paragon Protector. “Hey Bronze, she reckons this road is now owned by Crey and we are trespassing, wanna check?”

 “Hmmpf” Kallisti Bronze discarded the melting ice cream onto the road with a plop and took a computer tablet from her belt pack. “Bloody things always melt before I can eat them… let me see…” She tapped the screen a few times while the other three girls moved to Kallisti Gold and Red handed her another ice cream cone as if from thin air.

 “Thats not strawberry!” said Gold, tucking into the ice cream anyway.

 “It says here that a contract has been drawn up for the sale of the road but it hasn’t been ratified as there are some legal objections being raised by the Kallisti Wharf Board of Trustees, objecting to the sale of public assets to a private corporation without proper public consulation… oh dear, how sad, never mind.”  Bronze put the tablet back in her bag. “How opportune of us to warn them about corporate over reach so recently eh?”

Kallisti Gold turned back to the security supervisor, now flanked by her Crey technology-powered assistants. She smiled again, the effect somewhat spoiled by the traces of ice cream on her lips “I’m so sorry I didn’t get your name? So do we now indulge in a bit of shenanigans or possibly even malarkey, or will you piss off back into your corporate shit hole and leave innocent members of the public to go about their business?”

The security supervisor listened to the voice in her ear then flicked her hand at the troops backing her up. “Once again I must apologise for the inaccurate information I was given.” her voice was brittle “However this incident and the video footage will be handed over to our lawyers to bring in front of your lawyers”

“Yeah yeah, just add it to the fooking list why don’t you… Lets start with trying to poison me with a bath of gold paint, then trying to blackmail me into signing a very oppressive NDA by threatening to not cover my medical bills, then the faulty Portal Generator that brought my girls here…” Gold paused and looked skyward briefly ” – we can probably skip over that one as I LOVE being a gang of Kallistis! Oh and in case you didn’t know, we all are now your neighbours…” she gestured at the apartment block across the road “We all live in that on up there on the top floor – I would invite you round for tea, but I’d rather rip my own arm off first!”

“Yes we know, we will be monitoring the situation.” the security supervisor smiled grimly.

“You do that, but don’t get too intrusive or MY lawyers will be talking to your lawyers and it all goes round and round. I’ll be keeping an eye on you buggers as well and we are all licensed heroes and you know what a mess that can be! Say hi to the Countess for me, she’ll remember.” Gold jumped down from the wall and jauntily put her arm around Friar’s shoulders, nudging the ice cream causing a drop fall on Friar’s leg. “Come on girls I’m dying for a cuppa – did anyone get some garibaldi biscuits?”