Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf strained against the grip of the armored minions dragging her across the warehouse floor, her golden hair matted with dust but her eyes still burning with defiance. The moment they loosened their hold, she twisted sharply, driving an elbow into one guard’s ribs and kicking another squarely in the knee. For a heartbeat she tasted freedom, warm, electric, and so close her pulse surged in anticipation. But the clang of heavy metal echoed through the room, freezing her mid-step as the lights flickered to life overhead. The villain was behind her, encased in a hulking mechanical suit that hissed with hydraulic menace. Steel plates overlapped across its frame like the armor of some monstrous insect, and its glowing visor regarded her with cold amusement.