Page 78 of The Not So Super Hero

W hen the two split, Bailey expected to be left in the dark.

Perhaps Chris would learn a piece of truth here or there or he’d catch peculiar information online.

However, Zane’s face was plastered across news and social media for over a month.

Nate’s injury too. First, Bailey was terrified, then infuriated that all the information he had was; “our sources have told us that Frostbite is in the hospital with serious injuries that he gained while helping take down Leona. One of Rebirth’s founding members. ”

Bailey couldn’t stand the silence. He even freaked out on Chris, let him at least call to receive updates. What if Natalia and Zane were hurt too, but the news didn’t want people to panic? His thoughts spiraled. But Chris promised Nate was all right, and they’d all be together again soon.

Soon wasn’t soon enough. Bailey couldn’t comprehend waiting much longer.

Although, watching Zane being a hero was awe-inspiring.

He even wore a suit, which Bailey was flustered to admit made his heart palpitate.

And he regrets not being there to have witnessed Zane’s utterly shell shocked expression when being instructed to wear it.

But then there was the horror of seeing Zane being a hero.

The power he possessed. Everyone knew it now.

Clouds of smoke tossed cars like plastic toys and shielded officers from fiery blasts.

Men dropped as nothing more than screaming piles of withering meat bags.

It was all there. Zane was there, showing exactly what he was capable of to the entire world.

If either of them had a glimmer of hope for a normal life after that, it was gone now.

Bailey should have felt fine. Zane could handle himself. He was okay, but eventually Zane would find who he was searching for. Eventually, he would face Antoine. The mere thought of him buried a hollow darkness at the base of Bailey’s gut.

To top it all off, people asked questions.

Who was this new hero? Where did he come from?

How could he possess such a mutation? Conspiracies already floated about.

The public sought answers. News anchors and influencers argued over the right to invade Zane’s privacy, whose hero name had become Fear.

Bailey doubted Zane liked that. Fear was one of many names passed around, sticking after a couple of battles ended with people screaming like they were caught in an endless nightmare.

Scoffing, Bailey threw his phone. He couldn’t read or listen to another word.

“I told you not to watch the news.” Chris stood behind the couch, reaching over to press his hand on Bailey’s trembling shoulder.

“I have to. It’s the only way I know where Zane’s at or how he’s doing,” Bailey mumbled. “Why do they say Zane’s a threat? He’s helping. When has he done anything to show otherwise?”

“People fear what they don’t understand and Zane is someone we cannot understand. It’s tough to hear, but we know who Zane truly is and that’s what matters.”

Under normal circumstances, that would be enough for Bailey. However, the continuous stress left him in a peculiar daze that forever clouded his days. Sighing, he got up to find something to do, anything to keep his mind off what was happening.

The new hideout, like the last one, had everything someone needed inside.

There was even a small movie theater that Bailey used.

Sitting in a dark theater alone became a huge smack to the face.

How he wished he could be out there helping.

Instead, he was stuck, hiding, safe, while Zane wasn’t.

He absolutely hated it, unbeknown to how Zane relished in that thought.

Knowing that Bailey was ok and nowhere near him was what helped Zane get up every day. Especially after what happened with Nate. Even after seeing him in the hospital, hearing the heart monitor, watching his chest rise and fall as he slept, it didn’t quell Zane’s nerves, nor Natalia’s.

But Nate was quick to recover. He acted like it didn’t bother him, walking around with a nasty scar that stretched from the middle of his nose to the far right side of his face.

He had to shave the sides of his head to keep his hair looking even.

Apparently, the lack of symmetry drove him nuts.

Nate wore an eye patch that he struggled to get on or keep on from time to time.

If anyone offered to help, he’d curse them out.

Eventually, people stopped asking. It was proof that what happened bothered him, and how he avoided looking into any mirror.

Everyone close to Zane got hurt, so it was best that Bailey was nowhere near him.

That didn’t mean Zane was ok with Bailey’s absence either.

He was safe, but Zane was alone. Natalia and Nate didn’t have the same comfort as Bailey.

Without him, Zane felt smothered. He bottled up his feelings because Bailey was the only person he wanted to talk to, to tell everything.

The news, for example, he refused to discuss. The twins had tried, though it resulted in Zane blowing them off. Then there was the nickname; Fear. That was a sucker punch. He told himself it was fine, it would stop eventually. Deep down, he knew that to be a lie.

“Zane!” Natalia called out. “Come on, Paul wants to talk with us.”

Natalia always spat Paul’s name out like rotten food ever since what happened with Nate.

Zane nodded and followed her. The last few weeks they had hopped cities.

They were closing in on Antoine, everyone could tell.

Higher members of Rebirth were being caught on the daily, although that didn’t mean the heroes were winning.

In fact, what Paul had to speak about was proof of that.

“So it’s true? There’s a so-called cure,” Natalia inquired in an abnormally soft voice.

“Yes, we didn’t believe it ourselves. In the beginning, doctors thought it was more like a paralysis, something that would fade, but these battles were a test. Whatever Rebirth was trying to find, they found it, and have now created a serum that destroys the mutant gene,” Paul explained.

His elbows rested atop the table, hands steepled.

“That’s not possible. You can’t erase someone’s mutation. It’s not possible,” Nate argued.

Paul turned his eyes downward. “There have already been four heroes who have been affected. Tempest was the first. After weeks of hospitalization, they haven’t recovered.

Doctors have run all sorts of tests. They can’t even find a hint of Tempest’s mutation.

The same goes with the other three affected. ”

Zane’s grip tightened atop his crossed arms. His fingers scratched the fabric of his jacket.

Considering that Rebirth had given him a mutation, there had to be potential to take one away. Bailey and Chris had already mentioned it, so they knew that was part of their end game, but so soon, and so successfully?

A twinge of guilt bit Zane’s nerves. All those years he was at Raiffel they were running tests—tests that would inevitably lead to a serum that would rip a part of someone’s very being away. The thought of it made him sick.

“To make matters worse, the Mutant Reform Society has their hands on the serum,” Damien spoke up, one of Paul’s officers that had been on the case for years.

“There have already been meetings amongst the members to take it to the courts. To make it mandatory that everyone takes it and finally wipes out mutants all together.”

“That’s insane!” Natalia spat. “It would never happen. They can’t honestly believe that will work.”

“Honestly, I don’t think they care,” Damien answered. “They want publicity, to get the word out to those mutants who don’t want mutations. The M.R.S. are already trying to create centers to allow it, completely unaware that they are puppets on a string.”

“I’m sure they are aware,” Zane spoke. “Rebirth gave them the serum. They know damn well what they’re doing. They don’t care. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or some bullshit.”

“These clinics. They’ll be shut down, right?” Natalia asked, squirming in her seat.

Paul shrugged. “I hear there are plans to pass laws to prevent it, yes. Doctors need to study this serum, see its side effects-—"

“But either way, after it’s studied, it will always be here and always be an option,” Zane interrupted, causing everyone in the room to look his way. “Meaning, whether or not we take Rebirth down, there will always be a cure. There will always be a chance of someone else getting their hands on it.”

No one wanted to hear that, but it had to be said. No one wanted to think about it but they had to do exactly that. Even after this battle, there was a war. A war that would probably never end. They had to be ready for it.

The following days only seemed to make things worse.

M.R.S. had opened clinics that people were actually going to.

Mutants freely gave up their powers with absolutely no idea of what the side effects would be in the long run.

Lawmakers were quick to set strict rules, but society was already affected.

In the end, Rebirth got what they wanted, at least part of it, and that only strengthened Zane, Natalia, and Nate’s resolve.

They were hot on Antoine’s trail, yet they were always too late. Even when they thought they had caught him during a weapon’s trade, it turned out to be a trap. No one was surprised. He had evaded capture for so long for a reason. He was a slippery snake, but everyone was determined to end this.