Page 76 of The Not So Super Hero

T wo weeks passed.

Days grew longer. Tension higher. A lack of normalcy.

The world had been flipped on its head. Time seemed to have reversed to the days when Rebirth did as they pleased.

Chaos spread. Riots broke out in cities.

The Mutant Reform Society became the talk of the notion as many tracked down mutants.

Many were beaten, or worse. Their once radical ideas of “cleansing” the world of mutants didn’t seem so radical anymore.

Public opinion changed. People were frightened.

Bailey avoided the garbage across social media at all costs.

Streaming was his safest bet, but those among the safety house whispered or he overheard talk of recent events.

He spent most days rewatching shows or attempting to learn some self defense from Chris.

Difficult with his leg, but he got an idea of how to throw a decent punch.

“Have you heard from Zane?” Bailey inquired when Chris brought out the breakfast—more like brunch—he prepared for them.

“Sorry, I haven’t. Last I heard Leona was spotted nearby, and they were monitoring her, but that’s it.”

Bailey hummed, a disappointed glint to his eyes.

“I know it’s tough right now, but we’ll get through this,” said Chris.

Bailey wished he had such optimism again. He wasn’t sure when it left, but suddenly he missed the cheer that had once always burned within. A piece of him had been ripped away, like an unfinished puzzle that itched to be complete.

“What do you think will happen afterwards?” Bailey asked.

“What do you mean?”

“If Rebirth is taken down for good, what will happen?”

“Hopefully, everything will go back to normal,” Chris answered. “Nate and Natalia will be heroes. I’ll return to work. You’ll go back to school and Zane will be a custodian.”

“You think he’ll go back to working as a custodian?”

“You’ll probably have to kick him back into shape. Why? What do you think will happen?”

Bailey wasn’t sure. Going back to normal didn’t feel possible.

Didn’t Zane even admit to that being a ridiculous thought?

The truth of his mutation had been revealed.

What were the chances the government would leave him alone?

Especially when he was helping already. It would only prove how helpful he would be to have around.

Perhaps Chris was only saying that to be nice, hoping it would relieve him, but it didn’t.

Bailey’s “normal” life felt so far away that it didn’t feel tangible. When he thought back on it, normalcy seemed so out of reach. How could everything return to normal when so much had happened?

Zane thought along those same lines, but they were put on hold after the absolutely horrendous piece of garbage Natalia was showing him.

“No,” he said.

“You have to,” she argued, having far too much fun based on that devilish grin.

“I’m not wearing that.” Zane pointed at the suit laying on his hotel bed. While he approved of the colors, black from head to head, he would never wear tights.

“You need to protect your identity. Do you want to return to your normal life?” Nate asked, a humored cadence to his voice.

While the suit wasn’t anything grand, like Natalia and Nate’s, the outfit was still too much.

The last thing Zane ever wanted was a damned super suit.

Why were they always tight? That made no sense.

What if it ripped? What if he got a wedgie?

Tights gave the ultimate wedgies. He was not picking his ass in the middle of battle.

Let him wear jeans or sweats, for fuck's sake!

“I rather die,” Zane growled, glaring at the garment like that would vanish it to the dark dimension.

“Put it on. If you don’t, then you’ll never go on a normal date with your precious Bailey,” Natalia said, wincing when Zane whacked her in the back of the head.

The twins left to give Zane some privacy and waited for at least fifteen minutes outside his door until the man finally stepped out. The moment he did, Nate fell to his knees, overcome by tears of joyous laughter. Natalia had her phone ready. She took a picture immediately.

“I will break that phone if you do not delete that,” Zane said.

Nate wheezed, on the verge of death, and Zane hoped he died. The asshole.

“But Bailey needs to see this,” Natalia giggled. “Oh, whatever, we’ll probably end up all across social media so the whole world will see you in all your tight glory.”

“They better not.”

“They will.”

“They better fucking not.”

“They will.”

Zane ached to murder someone. He was uncomfortable.

He did not understand how a small black mask over his eyes shielded his identity.

Everything about the suit made him want to slit someone’s throat.

Nate sat on the top of that list because he was still ready to piss himself from laughter.

Alas, there was no time to murder Nate as they had places to be.

After two long weeks of keeping tabs on Leona, it was time to finally strike.

Rebirth acquired an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town to be used as a hideout.

From the intel they received, the hideout potentially had to do with the “cure” people were hearing more and more about.

Leona had been seen escorting missing scientists while shipments left in the evening.

No one was sure if Rebirth was aware they were being watched.

No one knew what was going to happen, but they all knew it wouldn’t be easy.

It was why everyone was silent during their ride and why no one, not even Zane, argued with Paul when orders were given.

They all had those dumb ear wires to hear each other with.

Zane scowled while putting it in, wondering what the hell he had become.

Couldn’t he go back to mopping floors? It was so much easier than all this garbage. He was too lazy for this shit.

“Now we are aware there are some unwilling participants inside,” Paul explained, glancing at the team. “Be careful. Don’t mix them up with who we’re truly after. We must avoid as many casualties as we can and get these people home to their families.”

Well, at least Paul wasn’t a total dirt bag. Zane gave him credit for realizing and caring about those that were obviously not there of their own free will.

Zane was teamed up with Nate, which he complained about at first to piss Nate off, but it felt better knowing he was around.

While Zane had gotten back into the groove of using his abilities—in a sense—that didn’t mean everything was fine and dandy.

He still got massive headaches and sometimes couldn’t get into someone’s head like he was meant to.

Having Nate around, having that experience, made the idea of slipping up less daunting.

There was no chance they were getting inside quietly.

Zane was originally ordered to cause a scene by getting into the head of one of the lookouts.

However, that idea was quickly shot down when it was noted how quickly Leona would catch on that Zane was there.

His mutation was far more telling than the twins.

There were various heroes with ice or fire related abilities.

When they attacked, at least they had the advantage of Leona remaining unaware of who attacked.

The moment Natalia shot a blazing trail of fire into the building, all hell broke loose.

It took Zane a moment to register all the noise.

Gun fire. Shouts. Frightened thoughts. All the panic came crashing down like a physical mass that froze his legs.

It was a hard tug from Nate that reminded Zane he had work to do.

Zane barrelled towards the entrance, hand outstretched. Shadows morphed into a shield around him. Officers followed at his back. With a quick wave of his hand, Zane sent a pulsating stream of darkness towards the entrance that knocked everyone in its way to their feet.

Nate had already maneuvered himself onto the second floor.

It appeared to be more of a look out than anything else, nothing but armed guards and empty tables.

When he crashed through the windows, he cast ice across the floor that froze all the Rebirth guards’ feet in place.

Nate hopped over desks to disarm every man he saw.

Shots fired. The scent of copper and smoke tainted the air.

Zane scouted the first floor. Boxes upon boxes of who knew what piled along the walls.

Plastic sheets hung from the ceiling, shielding lab tables and equipment.

The Rebirth guards fired, regardless of the scientists behind the sheets.

Some screamed. Others dropped to hide beneath the tables.

Zane, like the other officers, was quick to shield themselves from the oncoming fire.

For a moment, it was like a nightmare. Memories of Raiffel, the scenarios they were always put through, filled Zane’s mind.

He was suddenly back there and his life up to this point was all just a dream.

When a man came around the corner with skin that shimmered like diamonds, Zane realized it was all real.

He had to move if he wanted to survive the afternoon.

He grabbed the desk he was shielded behind and tossed it at the man.

The stranger ran forward, arms held in front of him.

The desk broke in half against his diamond skin.

He used all his body weight to hit Zane square in the chest. Shouting, Zane fell to the floor, his head throbbing from hitting concrete.

Zane twisted the shadows around the stranger. Zane swung his arms up. The shadows swung the stranger into the ceiling, then down to the floor with a deafening smash. The man didn’t move, laying motionless with blood trickling from his nose and lips.

A handful of scientists crawled across the floor, desperate attempts to flee. Natalia battled a villain across the room, one whose body bent in ways that could make one sick. Flames scorched the walls.