Chereads / Heroes Without Masks / Chapter 22 - Chapter 21

Chapter 22 - Chapter 21

I hang up the phone with Mrs. Sun, Diana said she was going to bring it up with the Hero Court, I sent her all the evidence and she had contacted my sister, she will be the eye witness and pledged on her powers that she would tell the truth, or she will allow the Hero Court to take her powers.

I sit at my computer, as Darek sits next to me, "What are we going to do with the physical pictures?" I looked at him, "We should burn them." Darek nods as we leave the compound and make a small fire pit, I had called the girls' families and through video calls, I showed them all the pictures, they did have a right to know what was going on. They agreed that we needed to remove them, Yukii's parents were shocked and offered me money for a lawyer, I refused and stated that the Riverside's were going to pay for it. Violet's father wrote down the information and told me he would send me more dirt for the case, like a private investigator, I sent him Mrs. Sun's information so that they could send more dirt to her.

Lilia's grandfather was the only one we told, her grandmother would have a heart attack, he did promise to tell her but when she more stable and not frail. As our makeshift fire pit was put together, three people joined us, Yukii's father brought us all chairs, Violet's father brought lighter fluid, and Lilia's grandfather brought his Bible, he calmed that such images were as vile as any other sin, he also brought a picture of Lilia's late father, "Henry, would want to be here to watch the evil burn as well."

We all sit in the lawn chairs as we start the fire, I had everyone a pile of pictures, my throat clinches as I feel the vile rise in my own throat. When the fire was ready, we threw the pictures in, the fire screams, as the defiled pictures touch its pure state of being. I never knew fire could scream, but the more we threw in the more I felt like I could see outlandish beings of evil laughing in the shadows, Lilia's grandfather began to read softly from his Bible as the heavy feeling lingered until his voice grows I close my eyes, I could feel a deep sensation overtake me as I let out my own prayer, I don't know who I am truly talking too, but if God is out there, I hope he can make this right.

I snap out of my own thoughts as the words, "Amen." Ring through the woods, the air became light, and the sky even though it was dark, was brighter. We continued to watch the fire with only a few words spoken until the sun began to come through, the morning sun is breathtaking and I can't believe I stayed awake this wintertime. Never in my lifetime would I have thought that they would be a part of such evil, I protected the boys enough that the Hero League was less interested in them by the time they were twelve, the girls; however; were prizes that were keys to the Government, to the Hero League, and even Villain leagues.

I don't even think a Villain would stoop as low as Stone-head had done, Darek was helping everyone clean up as I pour water over the ember ashes. The men left even though we offered them some breakfast, but the men refused and returned home as if has nothing happened. They were acting strong but these men would bend over backward for the girls, it doesn't matter if it's Lilia's grandfather either, to her that man was her father and he would protect her until he met his grave.

We reenter the compound and enter the green hall, the when I noticed the kids and the six were sleeping in the party room, it was filled with sleeping bags, popcorn, soda, candies, moves, games, and Yukii's hotpot. I smile, at least they found slumber better than us. Darek walks into the room, "Good morning everyone! It's time to rise and shine get some breakfast and start your schooling for the day! Even though the high school is closed you six still have classes to attend to as well!" I giggle as I hear more groans from the six than I do the kids as Lilia pushes Heath and Yukii off of her, "Can't we all have just one more day?" I laugh, Lilia the one whom I was sure lived and breathed school, just asked for a day off, she must need it more than I thought.

I walk into the room more, "Alright, but you guys do need to get up and clean up this room and I want to ask the girls some questions too." Everyone groans, but they do start to wake up, I walk over to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast as Dr. Staff is reading the paper, "I see you returned." I nod as Dr. Staff introduces himself to Darek as they chatter, I nurse the coffee I poured for myself. Dr. Icy comes in her husband Hank is with her and their daughter Dorthey. They seem happy this morning as I continue to sip on the coffee, "Good morning everyone!" Dr. Icy said as I take a seat.

Dr. Icy was gone yesterday she was getting her husband and child from the hospital. Dr. Staff if I remember right; left a little after Lilia and Heath spoke to him, due to his wife coming into America, he was setting up their new home here in town and was unpacking so that she had little to do here. His wife is German, and while he works here in the states he also works in Germany, which is why his wife was there, but now that her papers went through, he can retire and live with his wife in the same country, I think his son even lives here in the states.

I allow the voices to overpass my ears as I just enjoy my coffee. "Grace does this mean you are getting married, now?" my coffee didn't taste so good as I spat it across the room. Darek was red as Dr. Staff looked at the both of us, "Marriage? Isn't too early for that?" Darek asked as I cough out my coffee. "He's right, Calvin they should date first." Dr. Icy said as her husband ignored this conversation, "I don't even know if we are in that relationship yet." Darek said as I calm down enough to converse with them. "Let's just take this slow, I mean we have the rest of our life to decide, it's not like we need to worry about kids since I'm sure the boys will accommodate with children of their own, and then we have the 3rd creation too, so we have time," I said calmly as we return to small talk.

The kids arrive dressed and begin to eat, the only one who is not with us is Sei, but she is on monitors and is on a liquid diet. Hopefully, she wakes up sooner rather than later. I look over to the group, and think about some choice that the girls need to make, the boys are easy, as their guardian I can just say, you need to move into the compound. The girls don't live here even though as their creator, I worry for them as well. I grab a bowl of cereal and waste the rest of my early morning thinking.

The girls sit at our command table as the guys were forced to go to town with Darek and help him move. I sit down with them as they chatter lightly, but they are still pretty shaken up by what happened yesterday. "Alright, let's get down to business, I think you girls should consider moving into the compound." They looked at me worried, but Violet asked me what I felt could be dumb. "Why, if you don't mind me asking?��� I look at each girl so different, but yet so perfect even in the face of danger. "I think it would be for the best since the trail will be starting, and even though it's a hero trail you'll still become subjects of hero paparazzi, you kids have always been wanted in the hero world, but this trail will bring them to find you since your identities will be released for the hero public making it easier for villain and hero groups to come and find you." The girls looked worried, "Can we have time to think about it?"

I nod as they go off to do something, I'm sure they'll sit and talk about it. I go back over to my computer and open the Hero League screen, and start my own investigation in the Hero League system. I run through the files that Seth and Lilia found useless, they might be deemed useful to me. I enter other Heroes computers and scavenge through their files. I did find a little bit that I could be useful to me, but it's not enough for me to do anything.

I scroll past the weapons files when I find the files for B.A.S.I.C. I open the folder and read the inscription; Babies and Super Infants Class. I find the files of all the doctors and scientists who were apart of the program and find mine, I scroll to the bottom of the page it read in bright red lettering: Missing/ Quit 2011. My heart was beating fast as I open Flint's file: Fired 2010/ Under investigation 2020. It seems even the Hero League knows Flint's up to something since he was released from prison.

I look over to the computer clock, it's already 11. I stand up and leave the room, I should check on the children. I walk towards the red hall and find the three in Sei's room coloring and reading a book to Sei. I smile and walk in the room, "Hello, are you kids having fun?" Dix stood up and rushed over showing me a picture, "Look at what I drew!" I take the paper and find ten people on the page, "These are all my siblings in the 3rd creation, I want to give it to Sei." I look at the oldest, "Oh, how lovely, can you tell me who everyone is?" Dix smiles, "Yes, so this is our older brother Unus, he's super cool and does private super hard missions for father."

I nod intrigued as she moves to a girl, "This is our older sister Două she is super cool and does missions with big brother Unus. Două is the nicest big sister ever, when I had first arrived, I was only three-years-old she was the one to help anyone Unus didn't really go out of his way to help." Her nose scrunched a little, "Next, is Tría she is super cool, but she likes to read more than play with us." Shi jumped over, "Then there's me!" he was super happy and was tickled pink.

Dix scowled at Shi, "Yes, then we have—" Pyatʹ the boy who hardly spoke smiled and pointed to himself, "That's me, I'm super-cool like big brother Unus." Shi glares, "No way, I'm as cool as Heath, because Heath is super strong, smart, has a girlfriend, and is on tv when he saves the day!" Who would have thought the difference between an 11 and 10-year-old was so huge? Then again Shi's lived in the compound for a while and has grown a liking to Heath, which hasn't surprised me.

Dix scowls again the two quiet down as she clears her throat, "Then we have sister Sei, she's nice too, but like to play with Ms. Riverside's old make up more than play with me." I laugh nervously, a reminder to self, get Sei a makeup kit for Christmas. The group chatters for a second before she continues; "Then we have brother Bảy, he's weird and like to do, math on his own, father gave us workbooks and he finished his math first like how weird is that!" I smile weakly, I mean I'm good at math, but I don't do it for fun.

She points to the only girl with red eyes, "This is sister Vosiem, she has red eyes when she uses her powers too much, I think father said her eyes bleed but father keeps pushing her to use them." Okay, the next child to bring to the lab when we find her is Vosiem. She points to the last boy, "This is Ahob, we're the same age and like brother Pyatʹ and sister Sei we have that kind of relationship!" I nod as the children are becoming more relevant, and will be brought here soon than later. "I see you guys all must have been close, right?" Shi and Pyatʹ looked away, "Not really, only Sei and I were close to each other because we were forced to be, we are…counterparts, father said we needed to work together as a team and learn our enemy."

Shi and Dix looked a little upset, "Before coming here, I broke off from Ahob because we thought we could cover more ground if we split up, but it winded up getting me caught were even my hormone wore off when Lilia found me." Dix said as I realize, before when the boys confronted her; it was easier to catch Dix when you don't have lasers coming for your head.

Shi nods, "I did the same with Tría, she went to town and started looking around for the six, I went towards the school and found them leave, I marked the tree with the third creation's symbol of the tragedy mask and it was enough to catch their attention, but not long enough for Tría to arrive." I nod Shi's powers we're very powerful, but Tría, from what Shi has rambled off about her before could grow which would be difficult to the group and the town if a girl grew to the size of the water tower. The kids return to what they are doing as I walk out of Sei's room.

I walk out and go to the orange hall, where Seth sat in his cell reading, as the in-cell screen played some kid movie, "Seth," I said opening the door, he looks up, "Dr. Kellie?" He sounded worried, "We'll be sending you back to Kansas City tomorrow. You are free to come back though as a guest and not a prisoner." He smiles, "Thanks, I like it here more than I thought maybe I'll work for you instead." I laugh, "Sure, you build the gadgets I need and you're hired after you take a rigorous test." He nods, "I won't fail, I'll study hard, I have no interest in being a hero anyway. Invisibility is a good superpower as a kid, but getting older you realize you need a second skill to go along with it to make it as a hero."

At least he has his priorities straight, I thought, as I close the door to his cell. I found Dr. Staff walking out of the blue hall, "Have you seen Heath?" I stop to join him, "Heath is helping Darek move along with Tucker and Ryan." Dr. Staff nods, "I was bringing him the condoms I made the ones the Hero League made broke on him twice, and he doesn't want to make Lilia pregnant, so I made him some." I look down the hall, "Was Lilia not in their room?" right everyone knows they enjoy the farthest room from everyone since they are the ones most likely to set off the sensors with Heath's fire powers.

Dr. Staff shook his head, "No, I was going to look for her down the green hall she might be having lunch or she's gone to the white hall and is training." Right the white hall, the only hall that has another color connected to it, green eventually turns white, one could say that it's the basement for the compound and can withstand the fires, storms, and forest of my three major powers. I'm not sure of Yukii's Electrokinesis could shock the power source of the compound or not, but we'll see.

We walk down the green hall and pop our heads into the cafeteria low and behold, the girls were sitting there and eating, it looks like they were working out too. "Lilia, I brought you a gift." Dr. Calvin Staff is the oddest man I have ever meet on this earth, he is so sweet and kind, but no freaking filter. Dr. Staff hands her the box of condoms and her face turned beet red. They are all active enough, but they still don't want the others to really know, well maybe not Lilia and Yukii.

I sigh and walk over to them, "Girls," they turned as Lilia slips the box to the floor next to her chair. "Dr. Kellie," Violet rushes over to me, "We were just talking about leaving to return home tomorrow." I was shocked, "Lilia are you returning?" She looked at me, "Yes, my grandparents are worried, like anyone would be, but we decided that if something comes up like we are threatening our families' lives we'll move into the lab." I looked at them, but I understand their choices, "I see, well Lilia if you need to run away again my door is always open." She laughed, "I think I'm done being rebellious."

I sit and chat with the girls until the clock reaches 1 in the afternoon, the girls deiced to return home, as I return to the computer screen. I look at the files that have my name on them and destroy anything about my connection to the Riverside Scandal I do the same for Dr. Staff and Dr. Icy. Hopefully, this will help us, keep us out of the dirty water Stone-head has tossed us into. I'm sick to even think of the pending trail ahead of us.