The Girl Who Stole The World-1 by Lynceus Mallory was promised a lot of things in life. Those promises were broken, leaving the young teen bitter and resentful of those around her. Then she got the power to make all of her dreams come true..but will that power corrupt her?

---

Disclaimer: I make no claims to any character or image owned or under copyright by another party, nor do I intend on profiting in any way from their use. The Comics Retcon Universe concept is the creative property of Lilith Langtree.

Chapter One-

You hear a lot of adults say that high school was the best time of their life. Adults are idiots- High school is somewhere between Hell and a prison camp.

-Mallory Thawne

“Out of my way, loser!” That was all the warning I got as Jessica pushed me out of her way. I hit the row of lockers to my right. Hard. I drop all of my books on the ground- foster 'rents are too cheap to buy me a backpack, naturally. Bastards.

I suck in a breath, even as my eyes well up with tears. Never let them see you hurting, kiddo. I bite my tongue and manage to stand. Jessica, of course, just keeps on walking. They all just keep on walking, like I'm invisible.

I'm not invisible though. Just poor. They see me, with my secondhand clothes, and they hate me.

Well that's ok. I hate them more.

My name is Mallory Thawne, and I'm a freshman at Brighton High School, also known as the Eight Circle of Hell. As I'm often reminded, I don't belong here. I'm an orphan kid, lower class. Pretty much scum. The only reason I'm here in the first place is that I screwed up and let someone find out how smart I was. Got me a damned scholarship. Yay.

They hate me, but they sure don't mind me increasing the GPA. Bastards, all of them. Yeah, I'm angry and I have issues. If that bothers you, well..fuck you. I could care less.

I'm late for class, which gets me a stern lecture from Mr. Greene, a pompous ass who thinks he's the best teacher on Earth. I hear some snickering in the back of the class- isn't it great to make fun of other people's misfortune?

Well, at least I'm smart enough to earn my A in History legitimately- unlike Stephanie McCormick, who has to suck Mr. Greene's dick for the privilege. God, she's such a slut, sitting in the front row, smiling at the old man, showing off so much skin a hooker would blush. Bitch has it all, but she's too lazy to apply herself- she'd rather spread her legs for a goddamned civil servant!

I clench my fist so tight I draw blood. It makes me so fucking angry! Maybe it was time to post those pictures on Facebook after all. They think they're so smart, they think nobody knows. Well I know, and I made sure to get proof.

Dad would be so proud. If he wasn't dead, of course.

The shrinks are convinced I'm repressing my feelings. Not many kids get to see their Dad's brains get blown out, after all. That's what you get for crossing the Russians. Yuri Dimitrov doesn't tolerate thieves.

Mom and Dad were con artists, and they were good at what they did. I practically learned how to spot a mark before I could walk. The key to every con is simple human greed- you don't con people, you let people con themselves. Which is why I'm an orphan- my folks just got too greedy.

They stole too much from the wrong guy, and what happened was inevitable. Sometimes, though, I wake up gasping for breath, my sheets soaked with sweat. I don't bother screaming, not anymore.

Nobody cares.

I could blackmail Mr. Greene..or Stephanie, I guess. But for what? Money? Money just buys things. What I wished I could have, they couldn't give me. Power.

Phys Ed. What a joke. I'm the shortest girl in the gym, which means the class is just an excuse to push me around some more. Ms. Riley has nothing but contempt for me. I've got too much self-respect to out her, even if it would destroy her. Sure, everyone thinks women P.E. Teachers are lesbians, but Ms. Riley actually is one. And she's been...inappropriate with some of her students.

There's a lot of that going around. And this is supposed to be one of the good schools!

I survive the day with a nasty bruise on my shoulder to show for it. I'm only fourteen. How the hell am I going to get through four more years of this bullshit?

Chapter Two-

You know that crap about how you can choose your friends and enemies, but not your family? Whoever said that was obviously not an orphan. -Mallory Thawne

Nobody greets me when I get home. Bruce is probably out drinking with his buddies after work at O'Malley's Pub, and Helen is most likely working late. I make myself a sandwich, careful not to use up all the lunchmeat. Bruce will pitch a fit if he has to eat out of a vending machine at work.

He's never hit me, but he's a loud, obnoxious drunk. And Helen is useless. I mean, I guess she tries, but really- how the hell did these two manage to become foster parents? If I got hit by a truck, the only thing they'd miss is the check from the State.

I take a shower. It's one of the few luxuries I have, really. A long, hot shower. My shoulder feels better, and I feel clean again. Being in that school with those people..I feel unclean, somehow.

I sigh as I look at my reflection in the mirror. Mom had been a looker, but me? I'm plain as can be. Bad enough I'm a shrimp, but I swear I could pass for twelve! Oh sure, Mom claimed she'd been a late bloomer, and promised me I'd be beautiful when I grew up.

Just like she promised she'd never leave me. She'd been arrested, sent to a woman's prison. She got knifed by another inmate when I was 10. So much for that. So much for her.

I wrap a towel around my body and head to my room. I don't want to get dressed, not in those clothes. I wish I could just walk around naked, but it's too damned cold in the apartment- when Bruce isn't home, the heat stays down.

I dream, sometimes, about living in a big mansion, having it all to myself. It'd always be warm, and I'd never wear clothes. And I'd have an indoor pool, so I could swim whenever I wanted to. I like swimming, it's the one athletic thing I'm good at.

I sit down in front of my computer and turn it on. It takes forever to boot- most of the kids at school have fucking tablets, but I get stuck with this ancient piece of dino tech from 2007. I've managed to upgrade it a little, but it sucks, and there's no getting around that.

I turn on my i-Tunes, and the playlist spits out some Lacuna Coil. I close my eyes, pretending I'm far away from here.

I get dressed long before Helen gets home. She checks on me, asks questions about my day, but I swear I could say Godzilla attacked the school and she'd just nod patiently.

I make sure I'm in bed by the time Bruce gets home. He's louder than usual. He's drunk.

I close my eyes tightly and try to block out the sounds of him hitting Helen. My body shakes, I'm so angry. Why? What did I do to deserve this?!

I wake up and it's Saturday. Which means I get to go with Helen and help clean rich people's houses for them. She's wearing sunglasses to try and hide the shiner Bruce gave her last night. She pretends it's not there, and I follow suit.

I guess she feels guilty about my indentured servitude, because she cuts me loose at noon, and even gives me a little money. I don't need it- I've got my own money, but no sense letting her know that. I wonder if Bruce even notices the missing money. I'm careful to only steal from him after he's been at the bar, of course.

I take the bus to the Library, my one true sanctuary. I like books better than people. Books are honest- they'll tell you right on the cover if they're fiction or not.

I spend most of the day curled up in a chair with Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber. I've read it a thousand times before, but I don't care. Corwin's immortal family are a pack of treacherous wolves, for the most part, but they never make any claims to the contrary. My kind of people.

I get home, only to hear the sounds of domestic violence. Nobody in this neighborhood is going to call the cops. I would, if I thought it would help. I keep on walking. No way I'm going to walk in on that, even if it is snowing outside!

I make my way to the park and look up at the sky. Something builds up inside me. I'm so angry. Things other people can have- warm clothes, good food...parents that give a fuck...

I can't have any of that. And it burns. Oh God, it burns. I want to scream at the top of my fucking lungs. Maybe, then, just maybe, someone will listen? Someone will notice me?

Yeah right. With my luck, it'd be a rapist or a mugger.

I can't keep the tears in any longer. I'm hurting, and I don't know what to do about it. I fall to my knees in the snow and I cry my eyes out. And then I notice it's awfully fucking bright in the park.

I look up, and I see a blue ball of fire, hovering in front of me.

Chapter Three-

When you're a kid, naturally you believe in magic. In miracles. I mean, look around you- there's no way we'd have come this far as a species without some kind of supernatural guidance. But adults, you know, they keep drilling it into your skull that there's no such thing as miracles, and eventually, you have no choice but to believe it. Have I mentioned that I think adults are morons? -Mallory Thawne

“MORTAL, KNOW THAT I AM THE BLUE FLAME THAT CAN GRANT YOUR HEART'S DESIRE! A THOUSAND YEARS WILL I BURN, GRANTING YOUR FONDEST WISH, CONSUMING YOUR ENEMIES, UNTIL NONE REMAIN. WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?”

Ok, now I've heard of superheroes. Who hasn't? Even Boston has a few, like Miss Terrific or Doll Girl. But it's one thing to read about costumed vigilante...and quite another to come face-to-face with Godlike power. My jaw literally dropped, and for once in my life, I couldn't think of anything clever to say.

“You're joking.”

“FAITHLESS ONE, LISTEN WELL! LOOK INTO THE HEAVENS THIS VERY NIGHT, AND YOU WILL SEE A STAR FALL! A BLUE STAR, LIKE NONE OTHER. GO, FIND IT, AND BRING IT TO ME!”

The flame went out, and I was alone.

I really didn't know where I was going, I was operating on autopilot. Something inside told me I had to get away from the city, away from the lights. The bus driver gave me a long look, but took my money all the same. The words the flame had spoken were burned into my mind. I can't even describe the voice. It wasn't male, or female. It simply was. Like the voice of an angel.

If you believe in that sort of thing.

I ended up walking until it was nearly morning. I was exhausted, cold, and hungry. And then I saw it, a streak of light, and I heard a crash in the distance. Even though my muscles burned in protest, I ran.

Finally, in an alleyway, I saw a blue light. I moved closer, and saw, on a pile of debris and rubble, a blue crystal, resting there like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was about the size of my fist, and the most beautiful, the most precious thing I'd ever seen.

It was probably radioactive or something, but I didn't care. I reached out and touched it with my bare hand. I flinched, expecting it to burn...but it didn't. It was warm...alive.

I clenched it tightly in my fist. It just felt like the right thing to do.

“MORTAL, MINE POWER IS THINE TO COMMAND. BATHE IN MY LIGHT, AND BE FOREVER CHANGED. WHAT IS YOUR HEART'S DESIRE?”

“I want...power. I want everything. Eveything I want. I want it all!”

“SO BE IT!”

Cobalt flames surrounded my body, and I wasn't cold anymore. My clothing began to smolder and burn away, but the fire didn't harm me. The crystal began to shrink, and I realized the power was flowing into my body. It was merging with me...changing me. And it felt so damned good!

I woke up, starving. Not just for food, however. There was a new hunger inside me. An emptiness that I needed to fill. I was curled up in a ball on the ground, naked, and despite the light dusting of snow on my bare skin, I wasn't frozen solid. Cold, yes, but not uncomfortably so.

I stood up, amazed that no one had found me. As I crept towards the entrance to the alley, I saw a homeless man stumble past. I froze, but even though he looked right at me, he didn't even bat an eye. Just kept right on walking.

I might not be all that attractive, but a naked fourteen-year-old girl should get some kind of notice! Was I invisible? Looking down, I could see my body, so that wasn't it. Fuck it. I had to be sure.

I stepped out of the alley, and despite several cars passing by, as well as a few other people on the street, nobody noticed me at all! I felt giddy, and I couldn't keep a smile off my face. And trust me, I don't smile often.

As fun as it was to be invisible, what I wanted was to be warm. I saw a car pass by, and I noticed a fur coat hanging from a hook from the back passenger window. It was big and warm and I wanted it.

And then I was wearing the coat! It was huge on me, obviously meant for a taller woman. But I wrapped it around my body and it felt good. I paused for a moment, wondering what had happened. I'd just...really wanted the coat, and now it was mine.

The blue flame, or whatever it was...hadn't lied. I could have anything I wanted!

Shoes were the next thing on my list, so I walked to the corner and spied a bus stop down the street. There was a girl a little younger than myself standing there. She was wearing a comfortable-looking pair of red boots. I really wanted those boots.

And then I was wearing them! The girl wasn't barefoot, to my surprise- but the shoes she was wearing were nowhere near as nice or comfortable. I clenched my fist. I wanted more from her. Much more.

A shivering girl got on the bus, wearing threadbare summer clothing under her coat. As for myself, I was fully dressed and feeling a lot better about myself. People were starting to notice my presence, so I waited and got on the next bus- after helping myself to the contents of a few wallets.

I got off the bus at the nearest mall. It was time to upgrade my fashion in a serious way! I wandered into an upscale clothing store, the kind of place I'd never been in before. The place the girls at school would shop at. I wasn't sure if I could just steal things off the shelves and get away with it, but it was a simple matter to help myself to enough money to pay for anything I wanted.

I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror. My hair was a mess, but the new clothing suited me. I'd always thought I was plain, but I came to the realization that I was actually kind of cute. I couldn't get that smile off my face, no matter how hard I tried. And I realized I actually liked my smile.

It had been a long time since I could eat as much as I wanted, and I pigged out a bit at the food court. It felt good to be warm and have a full belly. Really good. It did make me sleepy, however, and that's when I remembered what I had to go home to.

Fuck that. I was never going back there. But my powers couldn't let me steal a house, could they? I looked around, and noticed a well-dressed businessman sitting at another table. He had a bluetooth earpiece, and was hunched over an expensive laptop, an attache case on the floor next to him.

I knew I could take his money easily. But I wanted something more. My eyes narrowed and I felt my heart thumping in my chest. “I don't want his money...I want his wealth.” My voice was barely more than a whisper.

I felt very hot, and the world became blue for a moment. I closed my eyes until my head stopped spinning. When I opened them, the man had changed. Now, he was a shabby looking bum, munching on greasy fries.

And in my mind...facts and details were literally popping into my head. I had a bank account...with a large sum of money in it. It was in my name. I knew the pin number. And I had a house...a nice house...in Brighton!

I'd stolen the man's prosperity...his life. And he didn't seem to notice at all! Maybe he'd lost his money in the recession, God only knew. But it was gone, and now it was mine. I felt a little twinge of guilt about it. I mean, I knew what it was like to have nothing.

I walked up and offered him some money. He was stunned, and kept saying “God bless you, young lady!” over and over. I was going to Hell. But it was going to be a lot of fun!

I took a cab to my new home. New memories kept forming, establishing links to my new life. I had inherited an estate from my maternal grandfather, Russ Malverk. I'd never met Grandpa Russ, but I knew Mom's family had money. The executor of the estate was my legal guardian, but as per the provisions of the will, I was to be allowed a great deal of freedom. “Gee, thanks Gramps.”

The house wasn't quite a mansion, but it was big, and warm, and all mine. And I had it all to myself. No pool, but I had a jacuzzi. I started it up, stripped off my clothes, and sunk into the water. God, it felt so good!

I curled up in a large bed that night, and before sleep took me, I smiled wide. There was so much more...so much more that I wanted. And it was going to be mine. All mine!

Epilogue-

I should warn you, getting what you want and being happy are two quite different things. -Desire of the Endless

A figure lounges on a couch in a penthouse apartment. A decanter of chilled red wine rests nearby, and the person is holding a glass in one hand. In the dim light, it was hard to tell much about the drinker- he was either a very beautiful man, or a very handsome woman. Androgynous and young-looking, with short, black hair and smoldering dark eyes. With a free hand, the figure idly strokes the hair of a naked young woman, who is resting her head in his (her?) lap.

The person's attention is far from the room, however. She (he?) is looking far away, as if able to see through solid objects. A bright spark can be seen, in the distance. A burning ember of need, of want. Of lust. An ember that can be fanned into a mighty flame.

“Oh, aren't you a treat, little flame. I'm going to have fun with you.” The figure laughs with a beautiful voice that could be male. Or female. Or both.

The young woman stirs. “Please. Again? I...need.”

“Of course you do.” The person finishes the wine and rises. “One more for the road, and then I must be off...for I have many miles to travel before I sleep.”

“You...you're leaving? But...I'll die without you!” The woman's eyes grow wide.

“Fear not, my pet. I'll leave you with a night to remember me by, for the rest of your years. And who knows? If you're very lucky, I'll introduce you to my sisters.”