Page 81 of The Not So Super Hero

B ailey felt an incredible sense of déjà vu when the alarms started blaring. His immediate thought was, are you fucking serious? Followed by wondering how people in witness protection survived because, apparently, he couldn’t be hidden! Then again, not everyone had Rebirth coming after them.

Unlike last time, Chris was with him. That didn’t mean Bailey wasn’t scared, but Chris had Bailey on his feet in record time. They ran into the hall before Bailey could linger on the alarm.

They didn’t take more than a step into the hall before a strange ball of light flew by. The ball shattered at the end of the hall, leaving a searing crack. Following its path, they discovered Law at the end of the hall. His lips twitched into a smile when he said, “Oops. I missed.”

Chris retrieved his pistol and shot. A peculiar glowing light formed a shield around Law that blocked the bullet. The light originated from a short gun-shaped item that was previously used to fire the shot earlier. Evil geniuses really were a pain in the ass.

“Bailey, I’ve been sent to escort you to Antoine. Would you mind?” Law inquired, like he honestly believed Bailey would agree.

Bailey gave a flabbergasted look before wincing after Chris’ second shot rang, then a third and a fourth.

“I’m talking to Bailey. It’s rude to interrupt,” Law said.

He fired another shot. Then they somehow appeared at the opposite end of the hall. It wasn’t until Chris had him running down the hall that Bailey recalled his mutation. He could stop time and, apparently, move people during it.

Chris kept a firm hold on his wrist. Bailey peered over his shoulder. He heard Law shooting. The walls shook after every impact that somehow expanded in power. Law’s voice echoed through the hall, “Don’t run! I’ll take you to Zane. I hear you haven’t seen him in a while!”

Rounding a corner, Chris came to a sudden halt.

Bailey slammed into his back. The floor shook.

The blasts became unbearably loud. When Bailey peered over Chris’ shoulder, he saw where the noise originated from.

From the floor they were now on, they could see over the railing to a floor below.

A battle ensued. Gunshots rang and who knew what else?

A fire had started. The sprinkling system kicked on.

There were cries for help, followed by agonized screams that put Bailey’s teeth on edge.

There was an exit nearby. Those below hadn’t seen them. Bailey stuck close to the wall under Chris’ orders. He kept his attention on Chris’ back, struggling to ignore the suffering shouts. His stomach knotted. That knot became strangling when Law stepped through the door.

“Found you!” Law shouted. He raised his gun, the shot aimed at Bailey. Chris body slammed him to the floor. Bailey cowered, hands over his ears. The world blurred from the loss of his glasses. Chris fired. His hand searched the floor, feeling the rim of his glasses.

Chris disappeared, then reappeared behind Law.

Law pivoted to face Chris. The shield formed to protect him from the bullets.

Though Chris was in front of him, he didn’t fire the gun.

He found that odd. Could it be that the gun couldn’t shield Law and attack, or it needed time to prepare for an assault?

Chris fired another shot. Law still wasn’t firing.

From the position Bailey was in, he could barely make out a blinking light on the side of the gun.

It was currently yellow, like a stoplight.

Green likely meant shoot. Red was out of energy.

Yellow was powering up? He wasn’t sure until the light shifted green.

Law fired. That wasn’t the only weird thing, either.

There was a very thin opening between the floor and the shield.

The shield covered Law all around, but beneath him; he was vulnerable.

Chris wasn’t having an issue dodging the attacks, but getting close to Law was proving difficult. Even when he got close, the shield wouldn’t let him through. It bounced Chris back like he was in a bouncy ball. He had already run out of bullets and re-loaded.

“You’re getting on my nerves.” Law sighed. Even with the threat of officers below, there was no fear in his voice.

Bailey had an idea. Before he could test his theory, the floor gave out from a shock wave. Cursing, Bailey tumbled down along with the debris to the first floor. Though he grabbed his glasses, he couldn’t see from the cloudy debris.

A hand grasped his bicep. He was an officer Bailey recognized from the interviews about Boomer. The officer tugged him out of the debris. Then a bullet flew past them. The name on the officer’s face said Terry. He shoved Bailey’s head down. They ran towards a nearby car to take shelter.

“Are you ok?” Terry shouted.

“As ok as I can be,” Bailey replied, glancing up to the second floor to see Chris was still having trouble dealing with Law.

“Chris needs your help.” Bailey pointed towards the floor above.

“Is that Law? When the hell did he get here?” Terry hissed and gestured for some officers nearby to head over.

“He attacked us seconds after the alarms went off,” Bailey explained. “Listen, that gun he’s using, it creates a barrier around him, but it stops just a centimeter before the ground. I don’t think he’s protected underneath.”

“Huh?”

“His feet, there’s a circle right around him or, at least, I think there is.” Bailey could be entirely off base. He could have been seeing things. His glasses were cracked and fogged up. However, it was the only way he could think of helping Chris. Judging by his lack of shots, he was low on ammo.

Terry didn’t look all that convinced. Bailey didn’t blame him, but when he heard Chris’ gun go off again, he growled and did as he was told.

Terry and three other officers made their way beneath Law’s feet.

Two officers fired at Law from below. Law spun around and fired off a warning shot, but nothing followed.

The gun was charging up. The officers continued firing.

The flooring cracked and crumbled until the bullets pierced through.

As Bailey predicted, the shield didn’t cover Law completely.

The floor gave out just as Law was bombarded with bullets from below.

He dropped to the floor beneath. Terry quickly put an end to him with one last shot that Bailey swore rang louder than the rest. He wasn’t sure what else happened after that.

Chaotic, that was the best and only way to put it.

He sat there, waiting for Chris to retrieve him, but it felt like forever.

The world was too loud. Even when Bailey covered his ears, he couldn’t keep it out.

Even after Chris returned to his side, Bailey felt weak and alone.

He just wanted to go home. It was too much to take.

But when the two were clear of the battle behind them, Chris said something that put a smile on his face.

“You did good,” Chris said with a proud smile. “Who said you need a mutation to be a hero?”

Bailey wasn’t sure if it was the best time to feel proud of himself, but he couldn’t help it.

It was another two hours before the attack finally ended.

Bailey was kept in a safe room with Chris for the entire duration.

Although when he was told it was over, Bailey’s head remained on a swivel.

He was constantly shaking, waiting for something to happen and too paranoid to round a corner without checking it first.

Chris made sure not to leave his side, which seemed to ease Bailey enough to at least munch on some snacks back in their room. He needed the energy after that entire ordeal, and for the one they were about to be in after learning the news.