Page 74 of The Not So Super Hero

Z ane had been gone a while. Bailey didn’t want to ruin the moment. He sat twiddling his thumbs, attempting to watch TV, although not a single word stuck. Then the door opened. He whipped his head to the side so fast he almost gave himself whiplash.

“It’s fascinating you’re still alive,” Zane said, chuckling.

Bailey offered a playful glare that Zane smiled at.

It was obvious Zane had talked to Marceline, and it was obvious things went well.

Though Zane’s eyes had a reddish tint and his cheeks were a little damp, the smile remained.

The way he held himself made him a little taller—not that the bastard needed it.

The air around him felt warmer, like the cold exterior he had worked so hard to maintain had suddenly slipped away.

“I know,” Bailey joked, shrugging his shoulders. “I may have bad luck, but none of it has killed me yet.”

“And somehow that makes you lucky.”

“Did you talk to Marceline?” he asked, hoping for a little elaboration.

Zane nodded. He sat on the edge of Bailey’s bed. Bailey took his hand, interlocking their fingers.

“I did,” he replies.

Knowing that they talked relieved him because Zane was more than prepared to head off with the twins, to fight Antoine.

“How is she?” he asked.

“Good. She’s married, has two kids. They’re living in Arizona. She wants me to visit sometime.”

“When this is all over, you should go.”

“You mean we?” Zane asked, glancing at Bailey with an almost hopeful expression that made his cheeks light up like a Christmas tree.

“I... well, I mean... if you want me to.”

“You’d probably die without me.”

“I would not. I’ve lived most of my life without you. Don’t use my bad luck to avoid saying you’d miss me.”

Zane didn’t deny nor confirm that statement, which made him smile.

However, every joyful moment felt short lived, for it only reminded them both that they would be separated soon.

Although it was not by force, it still hurt.

There were questions, countless ones that bombarded them, but remained similar in nature.

How could Bailey be safe if he was already attacked once before? How long would it take to find Antoine? Could he even be beaten? When would they see each other again? How much more of their lives had to be put on pause because of this? Would Zane be ok? Would Bailey be ok? Would any of them be ok?

All were questions only the future could answer. It left an almost stale taste in the air.

Their remaining time together should have been sweet, like in the movies.

The two should have spent their nights cuddling, whispering sweet nothings and acting like their troubles didn’t exist. Except real life was nothing like the fairy tales.

Both laid awake at night wondering about their futures.

Neither spoke much about what was to come because they were trying to avoid the inevitable.

The day came when Zane could join Nate and Natalia while Bailey was healed up enough to leave the hospital. That day was the quietest one of all. It felt almost like the past, the way the two didn’t speak, and Zane avoided Bailey like the plague. He took no offense to it.

Chris came to their room around noon, appearing as uncomfortable as Bailey felt. Still, he smiled and said, “There’s an escort waiting for you in the lobby, Zane. You can head down when you’re ready. Bailey’s escort will be here shortly and, as promised, I will stick to him like glue.”

If there was anything that could help quell everyone’s fear of Bailey being attacked again, it was Chris remaining at his side. He had battled Rebirth before.

“I’ll wait outside,” Chris said, gesturing behind him before disappearing out the door to allow Zane and Bailey some privacy.

First, there was tense silence, one that had the taste of rotten eggs. The cold air coated Bailey’s skin like a film. Then Zane took hesitant steps towards Bailey, clenching his hands at his side. Neither had a clue what to do or say, so Bailey did the best that he could.

“Be safe,” he whispered, slowly looking up to lock eyes with Zane.

“You should tell yourself that,” he countered, finally sitting at Bailey’s side. Their shoulders brushed. “Stay out of trouble.”

“I am trouble.”

Zane encased Bailey’s hand with his own. They had been on the same page a lot lately. Both their hands shook, but it didn’t stop Zane’s resolve.

“It doesn’t matter what Antoine says,” Bailey said out of the blue, causing Zane to give him a curious stare. “He can call you a monster or claim that all you do is hurt others but, you get to decide who you are, Zane. Not him.”

Bailey’s words reminded Zane of his conversation with Marceline. Though the phrasing was different, the meaning was the same. He wondered how long it would take for him to actually believe them. For once, the time felt so close he could touch it.

Zane leaned in for a tender kiss, sweeter than a bag of cotton candy. A promise that they’d see each other again as soon as they could.

With that, Zane walked out of the room without looking back. If he did, he might not have left.

In the lobby, Zane met with his transport.

An armored convoy, kind of like those buses that transported prisoners, which was what he felt like after getting on board.

It wasn’t exactly hiding, though considering Rebirth wasn’t either, there was no point trying to.

Traveling with a group of strangers, government especially, was not on the top of Zane’s to-do list. It was uncomfortable, annoying, and a real pain in the ass.

He hoped to get a nap on the ride. Thought it’d be like in the movies where they would be all stern and serious in the car.

Alas, the world hated him. Most spoke, although it wasn’t all jokes.

A lot of the discussions had to do with Rebirth.

Information tossed from one officer to the next, keeping each up to date with the current situation.

From what Zane heard, Rebirth was everywhere.

Members popped up to do little heists to giant revolts in cities, just as the news had said.

But there was one conversation in particular that caught Zane’s interest.

“I heard the hero Tempest lost their powers.”

“What do you mean, lost them?”

“I don’t know. They were fighting a member of Rebirth and suddenly dropped. Hasn’t been seen since and there’s talk they aren’t even a Level 1 mutant now.”

Zane turned to eye the officers a few rows back. They were unaware that he was listening in. Mustache was the one who seemed to “know” about the supposed attack with Tempest, while Mr. I-Look-Twelve seemed unconvinced.

“You can’t take someone’s mutation away for good. If they were attacked, then it was likely a mutant that just stunned them. They’ll be back on their feet in no time.”

Mustache shook his head, smirking like he had all the answers. “Not what I hear, M.R.S. is claiming to have a cure.”

Mr. Prepubescent cocked a brow. “There is no cure, and if there was, someone would have found it already. This is a load of crap. Who did you hear it from?”

“A reliable source!”

“Junk television. You’re full of shit.”

Zane tuned them out after that. Not because it was nonsense, but because he believed it.

Chris mentioned whispers of it back when he was undercover.

At the time, it was all hear-say, no reliable proof or even a hint to whether or not it was true.

However, if there was anyone who could find a “cure” to mutations, it was Law.

He was a sick and twisted individual with Antoine’s power and money at his beck and call.

Even Antoine wanted the ability to pick who got power and who didn’t.

If there was talk of a cure, then there likely was one.

And it only hardened Zane’s resolve. He had to take Antoine down before he unleashed this “cure” or, worse, gave it to M.R.S.

Those sick bastards would kill children if they could get away with it, not to say Rebirth wouldn’t.

The two were on the same wavelength, yet somehow M.R.S. roamed free.

Zane rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long ride.

And a long ride it was; over six hours. Zane hadn’t a clue where they were, another city whose name he did not catch. While he desperately tried to sleep on the bus, it didn’t work. Odd. There was once a time that all Zane did was sleep. What happened to such luxuries? He wanted them back.

They arrived at the precinct that Nate and Natalia stayed at.

Last Zane heard, Leona was sighted nearby.

It was why they were so quick to head down.

If Leona was nearby, then catastrophe was bound to strike.

There was a chance Antoine was held up somewhere nearby. He rarely let his watch dog go far.

For one of the few times in his life, Zane was eager to get off the bus. It felt weird to be eager, but he was experiencing a lot of new feelings lately so, what the hell, add eagerness to the list!

He wasn’t all that shocked to overhear some frustrated officers speaking badly about his presence.

Their gazes followed closely behind him, and the officers leading him to Natalia and Nate.

He kept his gaze ahead, regardless of the heat at his back.

He didn’t blame them for it. Zane had no prior experience as an officer or military.

He lacked specialized training—their specialized training, at least. However, none knew of the experience he had and none hoped to have it either.

Their words didn’t bother him, but it was going to be a pain having to deal with them.

“Look who finally joined us,” Nate teased the moment Zane stepped into the room. The officer escorting him quickly left, allowing Zane to take in the new audience he was standing before.