My apologies: Last message I posted was only the quote, because my internet cut out as I was submitting it and I haven't had it back for three days, so it's just been in half-baked limbo. Eugh.
My current favourite idea is that Alice hits Ms Explosion a few more times and then suddenly stops, her expression turns to one of horror and she says something like: "No, I'm not that person anymore..." Then she slowly stands up and growls at her opponent: "If you're smart, you'll stay down."
It's just a vague idea forming in my head at this point - That maybe looking after the locals and their territory is Alice's community service. She's a former violent criminal; the reason why she's so embarrassed about the adulation she gets is because she doesn't consider herself a good person worthy of praise, rather she's just a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, desperately trying to change herself for the better. It's hard when, as we see here, she gets an excuse to tap into her dark side.
I literally had the same idea as soon as you got past that first paragraph. I was about to echo the same thought, except I kept reading and realized you'd already stated it exceedingly eloquently. So, instead, I'm going to build on it with something I said earlier.
If what we're supposing is true, I want this to all end with the best form of
World of Cardboard speech, the one I alluded to wanting earlier. The biggest point of the WoC speech is that, when it's originally delivered by Superman, it's that they hold back not because they're weak but because they're too strong. Too scary. In Superman's case, it's because of his own morality. In Alice's case, they could be holding back around the citizens because they're being held back by a higher power. Alice won't hold back with Lady Jesus Explosion because
nobody is around to stop her, and Alice doesn't want
to stop. If she stops
anyway, when the reason holding back has only ever been
external, then we've got a character who is always on the literal knife's edge, the precipice, of snapping and going too far because they're too tired of holding themselves back and, anyway, they don't
want to.
One of the greatest Batman lines came after -- I'm quoting DC comic books here, again, aren't I? Damn it, I need to stop doing that, or at least quote Marvel a bit more to compensate -- Robin is murdered by The Joker. He's brought back in the Lazarus pits as the Red Hood and holds The Joker at gunpoint and gives Batman an ultimatum; kill The Joker, or kill what is essentially his beloved adopted son who he had already lost once.
And Batman says no, he won't make that choice, and turns to walk away.
Ex-Robin is dumbstruck, heartbroken, and demands to know why Batman would let The Joker live, even after everything he's done, even after everything he would do, why he wouldn't kill The Joker.
Is it because it would be too hard?
And Batman gets furious. "Even after all these years, you still don't understand," he says. "I don't kill because it would be too easy, not because it's hard. If I cross that line just once, the next would be easier, and then it would be harder not to, and that's not a line I want to cross. After that, there's no going back."
What was the point of all that, you ask? Of that long, rambling Batman quote? How does it relate to Alice.
Well.
Imagine Alice as somebody who has
already crossed that line but is trying to step back, and the only person that has the
power to pull them back is themselves, because what's stopped them before has already cast judgement and stuck them here, and isn't there to do it again.
Now imagine what happens when they stop wanting to hold themselves back.
Yeah.I will also add that, in my too-short time in this forum, I typically read a message I find myself most agreeing with, hit the quote button, and then my eyes will drift to the top of the quote tag and see your name there. I assure you, it's unintentional that I tend to single you out the most.