"G'nite, Ms. Valentine."

"Goodnight, George," Victoria Valentine said, trying to hide her emotions. "See you tomorrow."

George stopped his shuffle and turned. "Honestly, Ms. Valentine, you keep such hours - for a young lady such as y'self. I'm jes' sayin', y'know?"

"I know. I appreciate the thought, hey?"

Victoria watched the graying man shuffle off into the darkness.

"Hey, Vic!" Eric Crane walked into the room, bouncing back and forth on his feet to a curious beat he called 'wham'. "Ready to make some history?"

Victoria smiled. She and Eric were the only ones in the building - of course, it was nearly two in the morning. "Just got to wait for our guest to arrive, Eric."

Eric just grinned and pointed.

Victoria whirled. Sitting on the edge of a desk was Americana.

"Hi. Hope you don't mind but I let myself in."

Victoria rapped her fingers on the table. "Someday, I am going to figure out how you do that."

Americana smiled and hopped down off the desk. "Kind of surprised to see the studios so deserted."

"I told Lou, my boss, that I'd be interviewing you tomorrow night," Victoria said smugly. "Not that he believed me anyway."

Americana wasn't sure that she approved of Victoria's lie, even if was a small one - but she had to admit it got the a studio clear of an audience, which she much preferred.

Even at two in the morning.

Victoria flicked on the lights to the Sunday morning set. It had two very comfortable-looking chairs, and a small table between them. A pitcher of ice water was on the table, and the right-hand chair was cranked up to its optimum height.

Americana settled into her chair and watched as Victoria settled into hers. She had thought out the answers to questions she thought Victoria would ask, and several she hoped that she didn't. She had adjusted her sleep patterns so that this was more like eleven o'clock for her. She had prepared for this interview in so many ways... now it was time.

"We have Camera One... and Camera Two," Eric announced. "Ready when you are, ladies!"

On the outside, Americana smiled, but inside she kept reminding herself of one of the crucial interviewing rules of Toastmasters. The idea is to get your point across, while the interviewer tries to present an entirely different point of view. No matter how friendly the interviewer pretends to be, never forget that she is an adversary.

That seemed like good advice.

Especially when dealing with Victoria.

"Good evening," Victoria said. "I'm Victoria Valentine. Over the past ten months, a remarkable woman has swept the imaginations of the nation. Tonight, I am pleased to present... Americana."

"Hi, folks."

"Americana, there are probably a large number of people out there who are doubtful that you are who you say you are. Would you kindly bend a steel bar for us?"

"Ah. I was wondering if that was left here by a construction crew," Americana smiled. "Sure, why not?"

She reached down and easily lifted the five-foot section of steel. Then she crumpled it, end to end.

With some satisfaction, she noticed the startled looks on Eric's and Victoria's faces. She guessed they intended her to simply bend it, not turn it into a medicine ball.

Americana casually dropped the steel ball on the stage, which produced a resounding thud!

Victoria quickly regained her composure. "All right. Would you care to tell our audience... why you are here? What does Americana stand for?"

Ah, yes, the easy questions first, Americana smiled. To set you up for the hard ones.

"I think I've shown, over the past few months, what I choose to do with my powers. Primarily, I am a shield against those forces that threaten people, whether unnatural weather or accidents or criminals. I know that in recent months I've gotten a lot of attention for fighting supervillians, but in truth I only step up when the police are outgunned or I can capture a criminal quickly."

"You don't actually go looking for trouble?"

"Truth is, trouble usually finds me just fine as is."

"But when supervillains attack... Countdown, for instance."

"Well, yes, let's take Countdown. You've got a guy who's shooting up the city with some crazy cannon-glove-things. He's already taken out four police officers, done thousands upon thousands in damages, and he's just getting started. Of course I'm going to respond if I hear about it."

"But isn't that response what he wants? A number of people say you attract these 'villains'."

"Nonsense," Americana said sternly. "You live in my neighborhood, you know that taking away the cops just breeds more crooks, not fewer. Our criminals might dress up more than in other towns but they're still pretty much our local crooks.

"I mean, with only a half-dozen superheroes out there, does it make any sense to come to one of the cities protected by one?"

"Perhaps not. But what about those villains who are out to make their mark, so to speak? There were plenty of people who drew on Wyatt Earp, and there were plenty of places to rob which didn't have him."

"Then it's a good thing they concentrate on me, isn't it, instead of turning their weapons on the police or other people."

Victoria nodded slightly and glanced at her notes. "So you're saying that you don't mind when supervillains come to town?"

Ohh, boy. Here we go.

"I didn't say that, Victoria," she said calmly. "And I certainly apologize if I've given that impression.

"I see myself more as a protector of people who have nowhere else to turn. Heaven knows I can keep plenty busy with auto accidents, collapsing scaffolding, fires and the like. If a so-called supervillain shows up and threatens people's lives and property, then by all means I'm going to step up and put a stop to it."

"Even if it kills you? You took a pretty good shot from Il Pheonix the other week."

"That's 'Il Fenice', 'the Pheonix'," Americana corrected her. "Yes, well, I'm going to keep my eyes open a bit more, but I'm one tough cookie."

Victoria's eyes lit up with amusement. That quote would make the papers, for sure.

"Do you work for the Federal government?"

Americana paused. "No."

"But you've met with the FBI, haven't you? Even the Vice-President?"

Easy, Americana. Think before you speak.

"Worked with the Federal Government, when needed, yes. For, no."

"Wouldn't you say that's semantics?" Victoria smiled.

"Not at all," Americana answered calmly. "'Working for' the government means I'm employed by them, that I have superiors, that I follow orders. None of which is true.

"On occasion such troubles have arisen, such as with the Ex-Patriot or Il Fenice, that are so desperate they're willing to share information with me in the hopes that I'll take care of the problem.

"But they aren't my boss, I still remain independent. They ask, they don't command."

Victoria thought for a moment.

"What if... they ask you to do something that you're unwilling to do? Such as... kill someone?"

Americana's eyes widened. Whoa, she wasn't pulling any punches.

"I never, ever kill. Frankly, I never come close to it. A lot of people out there might think that that's my greatest weakness. It's not. It's my greatest strength."

"How so?"

Americana smiled. "I think you know the answer to that. I hope you do."

"So the government - ?"

"Please. Victoria." Americana sighed. "I work with all levels of law enforcement - police, FBI, SWAT - if they'll have me. In return I get to act on my own."

She shrugged. "It's really that simple."

Victoria paused for a moment. "All right. Let's say you do decide to act, to interfere in a crime, for instance. What are the upper limits to your powers, to what you can do?"

"Hmm." Americana thought a moment. "I'm really not sure how to answer that. For instance, I'm strong, ridiculously strong if you must know, but I haven't really reached a limit as to what I can lift or hit. Same as my resistance to harm - I've been knocked out by the Ex-Patriot's explosives, but even that did little to really hurt me. Didn't even break my arm, really."

"You're strong, tough, can fly even. But some people say you have extra powers you don't talk about."

Surprise, Americana thought glumly. This was one of those questions she had hoped would not be asked. Still, she had prepared for it.

"X-ray vision, perhaps."

Americana laughed. "No. No x-ray vision. What, being strong and nearly invulnerable isn't enough?"

"Flight, then," Victoria continued. "You can fly, right? As opposed to just jumping really far."

"Yes."

"Why don't we see you zipping around, like Windjammer, then?"

"Okay... this is kind of embarassing, but... well, when you're running, even pretty fast, it's still running. Whether you leap over a fire hydrant or a fire house, it's still pretty much the same. Flying is, I don't know... not natural.

"Add in that Washington is a no-fly zone and, well, I don't do it that often."

"I have to ask you this..." Victoria said apologetically.

The old secret identity question, Americana nodded.

"But... why don't you reveal your real name?"

"Like 'Victoria Valentine', you mean?" Americana grinned. "That's not your real name, is it?"

The newswoman sputtered. "It is now! I -"

Americana held up her hand. "Easy, Victoria. You changed your name to something that was more professional, that rolled off the tongue easier, right? That was a little snazzier, had a little more oomph?

"Well, same thing."

"You didn't answer my question," Victoria said, calming down.

Ooh, this girl was good, Americana smiled.

"No, I didn't, Victoria," Americana apologized. "For now I think I function better as Americana. If I decide to reveal my real name later, well, you'll be first to know."

Victoria seemed happy with that answer.

"All right, now, I'd like some opinions on each of your enemies. First, the Monarch..."

"... I believe it was in Atlantic Monthly a few years back. The study showed that you have to keep cleaning up after criminals damage your neighborhood. If you don't erase graffiti, pick up the trash, they see it as a sign you don't care and then they take over.

"So, yes, I see my going back to drug houses as a good thing, a positive step to taking back the neighborhoods."

"Well, that's terrific, Americana. I feel we've really gotten to know you better over the course of this interview."

"Thank you, Victoria. It was a pleasure."

"Okay, lights!" shouted Lou.

As the studio brightened, Eric shut off the tape. He and Victoria looked expectantly at Lou.

"Okay. Not the way I would have done it, but... gold. Ratings gold."

He stood and stretched. "It's way too long, though, for the news. We can stretch it out over a week, maybe..."

He smiled. "Or we can rattle some cages and run it Thursday. I think we can skip running 'Wheel of Destiny" for a night, can't we?"

Victoria's face lit up. "You... you mean?"

"You got an hour of prime time, doll. Going to have to cut a little here and there, but I think we should run it as is."

Victoria's heart fluttered. In three days, she would be a household name.

She tried to tell herself that she would continue to pursue Americana's true identity, despite her having given Victoria the interview of a lifetime.

Well. Maybe she'd cut her just a little slack.

For a while.