With the election only a week away, holding another campaign rally would be paramount to insuring her success. She'd spread word all throughout the city that she'd be holding one in Metropolis city park, and sure enough, by the time she arrived, it'd already been filled to capacity. Maria joined her staff backstage where everyone was preparing for her big speech.
"Ah, Miss Anderson, glad you could make it." John Ross, her chief of staff, approached and held out his hand.
Maria returned the smile as she shook his hand. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. We seem to have gathered quite the crowd, think it'll be enough?"
John laughed cheerfully. "Certainly, our opponent can barely scrounge up a crowd half this size. If we keep up at this rate, claiming victory will be easy." He heard the crowd cheer again and smiled. "Now, I'd better get started on your introduction, good luck with your speech."
Maria stepped aside to let him pass, hearing a loud cheer go up from the crowd as he walked on stage. She took a deep breath and straightened her collar. One had to look the part to run for mayor.
"Excuse me, Miss Anderson!"
Maria's gaze turned to a young woman stumbling towards her, an intern, if she remembered correctly. "Can I help you Miss..."
"Amelia," the intern answered, brushing a few loose strands of her red hair aside. "I'm an intern, just signed on, and I need to tell you, I really don't think you should go through with this rally!"
Maria scoffed. "You want me to cancel my speech, after I've already arrived?" She shook her head and started walking away.
"Please, wait!" Amelia ran in front of her and held up her hand. "What if one of the villains shows up? I don't think you have enough security here to-"
"It'll be fine," Maria insisted, pushing past her and stepping out onto the stage.
Amelia bit her lip as she watched her go, praying her hunch wasn't right.
Maria walked out to the applause of the crowd, stopping to shake John's hand before approaching the podium. "Good people of Metropolis! Our city has long since suffered under the thumb of dastardly villains, who've terrorized this fair city with the power of their stink alone." She began in a solemn tone to invoke the right mood. "The Metropolis Police Department has been overwhelmed and under equipped to handle these new and ever multiplying threats. It is only through the efforts of Birdboy and Catgirl that this city hasn't already fallen."
The crowd murmured their agreements. There seemed to some sort of confusion near the entrance, but it wasn't large enough to disrupt anything.
"But that will all soon change," Maria continued. Her tone rising to inspire confidence and courage. "When I'm elected, I will bring about the changes this city needs to overcome these threats! Soon our Police Department will no longer be helpless in the face of these villains, and once they're captured, they'll remained locked away for good!"
The roar or victory from the crowd quickly faded into mumbles of confusion as all heads turned towards the park entrance. Where someone was pushing their way to the front.
Maria furrowed her eyebrows. Who could possibly be disturbing her rally?