The gang hadn't seen each other for a few weeks after that. While she was eager to, Stfeani found herself too caught up in paperwork, forced by Smith to sit down and fill them out. Jason, for his part, continued creating their HQ, in a mountainside the perfect distance away from Hollow City. He also had another little gift for them all, something he was sure Stefani would especially appreciate.
During the many hours of planning with the construction crew, Jason was surprised to see just how quickly it was all developing.
"Since it's not so big, we can incorporate nanobots, just like your suit. Not only does that save everybody loads of time but it'll be fancier too. Comes with a hefty price though," a man said. Jason didn't catch his name but he knew he was a master builder. He let him do his thing.
"Not to worry sir. If everything's ready, let's get to work." He adjusted his hardhat. "Everybody, stand back please."
The crew of twenty or so people all obliged, taking ten steps away from him. Over the weeks they had managed to dig out a fairly sizable hole that would work as the foundation, but they needed a bit more muscle for more specific places.
Inhaling lowly, he grit his teeth and planted his feet into the ground, exhaling. Suddenly his whole body and immediate surroundings were enveloped in a blue light, sparks flickering everywhere. The crowd stared on as Jason manifested an aura of lightning around himself, willing the dancing energy to focus into his arms. When he felt the familiar tingling sensation throughout his hands, he reared back and jumped to the pile of boulders, smashing it to bits.
"He..Can do that?" One woman said.
"I guess electricity powers can be used for more than just speed…Man, it's like he's a different breed of human. All of them.."
"That's true. Powers really are amazing.."
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Since their argument, Hazel hadn't spoken to Lloyd. It wasn't that she was angry with him or had any animosity, it was his words.
She hated to admit, but they held some truth.
Hazel barely knew Stefani outside of work. It wasn't until she had gathered them at her fathers house that she knew the other woman had a family at all.
It was par for the course for a superhero to keep their identity private, sure. But as a friend? Maybe not.
These complicated feelings surged through Hazel. Like a tea kettle, if she didn't at least talk to Stefani she'd lose her cool and quit all together.
That's why when they both had the opportunity, Hazel was the one to invite Stefani out. The older woman obliged, thanking her for "saving her life" from paperwork.
"So what's up? You don't plan on asking me to pay, are you?" She wiggled her eyebrows, eyeing the menu.
"No, but I do have a question for you." She gripped the fabric of her pants tightly, avoiding eye contact. Stefani hummed in response, appearing as nonchalant as could be, ordering her lunch. Hazel had a simple glass of lemonade.
She shook her head and faced her head on.
"Why did you make a team? There are other heroes you could've chosen? Why us?" She finished, quietly murmuring "Why me..?"
Stefani was taken aback by her words, eyes slightly widened. She drank her ice water as she formulated a response.
"Well, I guess that's a fair question," she began. Hazel sat quietly as she listened. "I don't really have one answer or another for you, I'm afraid. I could go with, "I need the money" but that would be a lie. I could also go with, "it's purely for career purposes" but that'd also be a lie. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's a pretty hard question to answer."
"But If I really think about it, I guess it's because you all provide exactly the type of support that I need."
After a moment of silence, Hazel was confused to see Stefani chuckling.
"I can tell by your expression you don't believe me, or maybe it's yourself you don't believe in, but it's true. Nobody else would fit the bill like you do. All of you."
"But why?!" Hazel repeated. "You're telling me you just woke up one day and decided to change the game like this?!"
Huffing, she lowered her voice to a frustrated sigh. "Look, it's not that I have self esteem issues...Well maybe that's true but it's not relevant, okay?! If I'm going to lay down my life for a cause, I need to know what the cause is first!"
A few pigeons landed near them, picking at the ground. The larger of the two stared at it's companion, nudging a breadcrumb to eat. When it noticed the small one watching itself, the bird nudged the breadcrumb to his bird friend.
"I wouldn't ever ask you or anybody to sacrifice their life for me." Stefani began. Her face was unreadable. " I need to get to the bottom of a private investigation. A team would not only help with that but could also act as a cover."
Nodding for her to continue, Hazel noticed a wave of an uncomfortable feeling flashover Stefani's face. She shook her head and the feeling was gone, covered up by a confident expression.
' What is she hiding? ' Hazel wondered.
"The truth is, my brother has been missing for 8 years. I've dedicated my entire career to finding the truth behind his disappearance."
"Oh…" Hazel whispered. "Why do you think a team will help you find him?" Even more confused but with a bit more understanding, Hazel felt at ease.
Stefani crossed her arms, shifting in her seat. She avoided Hazel's stare. "I just can't do this on my own, y'know?"
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The time that had passed by allowed Alex to hone in on his skill. He knew he could generate force fields, stretch his limbs, and access "refuge".
The day he had gotten his suit he had mapped himself a patrol route using his phone's GPS, and set a schedule of 5am, 3pm and 7pm. In between patrols he continued his college studies and even began a workout plan. He'd considered reaching out to Stefani for combat training; for the short term he'd watch tutorial videos online.
During his evening patrol was when he ran into the scene. He immediately shouted to make his presence known.
"Hey! Stop right there!"
The criminal turned to face Alex, eyes bloodshot and crazy. He was in the middle of stealing from a woman.
"Shut yer trap!" The man yelled. "Mind your business or I'll bust her brains out!"
The woman yelped as he manhandled her, holding the gun to her head. Alex froze midstep. The outburst had caused a small crowd of people to gather, much to Alex's dismay.
' Why does a crowd always manifest at a time like this?! '
"Hey now, let's not get too hasty. " Another man spoke. His voice was raspy, and from underneath his jacket hoodie he could see he had a bit of stubble.
The criminal whipped around towards him, spit flying everywhere. He struggled to hold the woman and aim the gun at the stranger's face.
"Fuck you asshole! You wanna be next in line to eat some lead?!" He screamed. Alex watched as in a matter of seconds the criminal's wrist was snatched in the hooded figures' much larger hand, bones crushes as the gun fell to the ground. He whimpered and crumpled to the ground in pain as the stranger let go. Alex seized the chance to safely collect the sobbing woman and console her, while also returning her purse.
"Thank you.." She sniffled, awkwardly wiping her nose on Alex's shoulder. He laughed and gently gave her a nod.
"My pleasure. Take care now!"
Seeing her off he turned to look for the hooded man when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.
"Hey..Sorry if I stole your thunder there.." The guy laughed.
"No worries. Actually, I should be thanking you. I would've been toast if you didn't help out." Alex gave a small bow. "Thank you...Mister..?"
The man slid his hood off, revealing a tired expression.
"Nielsen, but you can call me Volt."