I woke up at five in the morning as per my daily routine. An early start allowed me to get ahead on my day. It didn't matter what time I went to bed; the routine remained the same. After getting out of bed, I did my normal workout session to get the blood flowing. From there, I ate breakfast, which consisted of a variety of protein-based foods along with a smoothie made of vegetables. While I ate, I sat at my computer and scrolled through my email to see what I missed. Most of it was junk mail or emails-from friends-containing links to news articles.
I clicked on several of the links and scanned through them very briefly. As usual, last night's news flooded the media with reports about my lone-wolf heroism. Every time I made a move, the city felt the need to highlight my achievements. To be honest, it was annoying that the city was obsessed with my nighttime crime fighting.
Rarely did any of the other heroes see as much notoriety as me, including the meta humans. Then again, I could outdo most, if not all, of the smug bastards because of my dedication to protecting this city. They were more like poster children than actual heroes, and their sense of entitlement was unbelievable. Most of them just wanted the fame and perks that came with the job, but very few wanted to put in the work. Even still, the league brought them aboard.
Originally, the league was made up of some great people. Then it became a public establishment due to an agreement made with the mayor to give aspiring heroes a job in exchange for never ending support from city hall. After this decision, many of the original group left or distanced themselves from the league.
Very few shared the sentiment of dealing directly with the city government. I, on the other hand, had too much faith in the project and temporarily stuck around. However, when the new wave of protectors came into the mix, I too distanced myself from the league. With that being said, I still lent a hand when they needed me. Today happened to be one of those days.
My brother sent me an email around noon requesting my services. He didn't say much. Only that it was a highly sensitive mission, and my assistance is very much needed. This put a roadblock on my day because, as always, I interrupted my routine for a group I really couldn't care less about. If it weren't for the fact that the details were classified, I wouldn't have accepted the call. The league could deal with their petty missions on their own.
I quickly threw on a new outfit made up of a black v-neck, jeans, and combat boots, before hopping on my bike to leave for the Hall of Heroes or the league headquarters. It was located in the center of the central sector of the city, which was an hour away from my apartment. I cut that time in half, zigzagging through the afternoon rush, and before I knew it I was coming upon the large marble structure. It resembled something out of ancient Greece. Almost like a picture perfect Mount Olympus.
After parking, I quickly jogged my way to the front entrance, pausing briefly to look at the enormous bronze statues lining the large stairway leading to gold encrusted doors. These busts reflected the current top members of the league. One pedestal, however, remained empty, and that's because it had once held a monument dedicated to me. After I left, my brother had it taken down and placed in storage with misplaced hope that I would fully return.
Unfortunately for him that would never happen, even if the league returned to the way it was. There was so much freedom to be had working alone, and I don't think I could ever fully return to a team.
Pushing my thoughts aside, I pulled open one of the shiny gold doors and stepped inside. The receptionist at the front desk instantly recognized me and beckoned me over. When I reached her mahogany desk, she gave me a bright smile.
"Welcome back to the Hall of Heroes, Mr. Osiris. Congratulations on your victory last night. The city and the league are all proud of your accomplishments." she said, her mood full of joy.
"Yeah, thanks. My brother sent me an email requesting my presence, so if you could fetch him that would be great." I said back, brushing off her statement.
I didn't want to be here any longer than was necessary.
She maintained her excitement as she replied, "No need, sir. They are waiting for you in the conference room. I can take you back if you want."
"I appreciate the offer, but I can make it there on my own." My statement came out more dickish than intended, but it didn't phase her.
"Very well, sir. Please enjoy the rest of your day, and good luck on your mission."
I gave her a slight nod before making my way through the swinging glass doors to my right and began following the long hallway. At the very end on the right was another short hallway. I turned down and stopped at the second door on the right. It had a sign on the door that read: conference room. I grabbed and twisted the bronze knob and opened the door. A group was already waiting inside, and instantly I regretted my decision to take this job. I knew this job was going to be a team effort, and I didn't recognize any of the heroes waiting inside.
You shot yourself in the foot this time. I thought to myself as I stared a hole in the back of my brother's head.
I now stood in a room beside four other heroes that I didn't know, and who were most likely new to the league. In front of us was my twin brother Dimitri and a government worker gifted with technology manipulation named Lexi Grayson.
My brother was a direct reflection of myself; Tall with short dark brown hair, green eyes, a chiseled face, and a sculpted body, we were the exact same except for two differences. One, I was taller by two inches, and two, I had a bigger build than him. Lexi, on the other hand, was only about five feet six inches tall, with a petite body, long ashy gray hair, and silver eyes framed by glasses. Behind Dimitri and Lexi was a giant screen, and on it was a map of the city. I wasn't sure what the details of the mission were, but I hoped it wasn't anything too difficult. For my sake and the team's sake, but knowing my brother, it'd be some mission impossible shit. He took pleasure in being a nuisance in my life.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, now that we're all here, we'll begin the brief. Please take a seat," my brother said as he motioned for us to sit.
The four unfamiliar faces took their seats as they were told, but I decided to keep standing. Dimitri raised his eyebrows at me in an attempt to get me to comply, but I just gave him the finger.
He rolled his eyes in response before picking up a piece of paper and reading it over before speaking, "I'm gonna introduce each of you; please stand when I do so the others can put a name to a face."
The group responded, affirming that they understood before Dimitri delved into his introduction, "Okay, first up is Selena Malkov, also known as The Ghost. Her power is invisibility."
The woman on the far left stood up. She was dressed in a full-body suit matching her short raven black hair. She gave a small wave to the group before returning to her seat.
"Thank you for being here, Selena. Next up, we have Ricky Thompson. He is also known as Steel, and as you can probably guess, his ability allows him to briefly transform his skin into steel, making him invulnerable to most attacks." Dimitri looked up as he waited for Ricky to stand.
To my surprise, Ricky was the skinny blonde wearing cargo pants and a cut-off muscle shirt, who couldn't be any older than eighteen. Ricky just glanced around at everyone nervously before sitting back down. The irony of his ability was an understatement. Usually, a guy twice my size would have an ability like his, not some nerve-ridden kid that I could break in half like a twig.
"Thank you, Ricky; we can't wait to see how much of an asset you'll be to the team."
I grunted at his statement, which earned me a glare from my brother, but we both knew this kid would be a handful.
Returning his eyes to the paper, my brother continued on to the next hero, "Our next hero is Amber Mason. She can create and control fire, and her alter ego is Lady Fire."
This girl was more upbeat than the rest, and she was definitely full of herself, "Hey, everyone, it's great to be working with you, and I'm glad that you'll all get a chance to be a witness to my Kick-Ass power in action."
She placed her hands on her hips in a cringy pose, and I wasn't sure what was worse, the pose or her entire get-up. She wore a leather leotard that resembled a flame, and just to add fuel to that fire, Amber had her hair dyed to look like fire. I couldn't help but pinch the bridge of my nose in irritation because the more I learned about this team, the more I regretted taking the job.
My brother cleared his throat, which brought Amber back to reality as she sat back down. "Thank you for your enthusiasm, Amber. The team could use a little more pep."
I'm sure we could dickwad, I thought.
"John Mcmac is our next team member. Also known as the Innovator, his talents rely on martial arts and the use of gadgets, much like our hero, who needs no introduction. After all, his takedown last night is the reason we're all here today," my brother paused as the whole room looked back at me, "Ladies and gentlemen, meet the one and only Darrian Osiris."
"Oh my God, I knew it was you! You're the Silver Angel!" Amber said excitedly.
"Yes, that is me," I responded, making my irritation known. Of course, Amber couldn't take a hint.
"This is amazing! I can't believe I get to work with a big-time hero like you. All my friends will be so jealous when I tell them." She said as she pulled her phone out of the duffle bag next to her feet.
Dimitri spoke up this time, "I'm afraid your friends will have to wait until after the mission to hear about your cooperation with Mr. Osiris."
Amber rolled her eyes as she returned her phone to her bag.
My brother nodded before he swapped positions with Lexi. "If everyone could direct their attention to Ms. Grayson. She is about to give you the details of your mission."
Lexi placed her laptop on the table and pressed one of the keys, and this changed the map on the screen. The map now had a red circle around a small portion of the city's northeast sector and a photo next to it showing what looked to be a typical warehouse. It was old and could do with some updates to its infrastructure, along with a fresh coat of paint to cover the graffiti, but besides that, it didn't stand out.
Lexi cleared her throat before she spoke. "This is a warehouse owned by Al Summers. Most know him for his revolutionary power plants that provide clean, sustainable energy for the city. He has been a big contributor and a hero to this city until now."
She pressed another key on her laptop, which brought up several images of Al and one of the guys I had apprehended last night.
"Darrian, you should be familiar with the other man in this photo since he was involved in last night's kidnapping," Lexi said, directing her focus to me.
I gave her a nod to let her know that I did indeed remember his face.
Lexi nodded back as she continued on, "He is one of the top dogs of the Blood Tridents, and for those who need a quick refresher, the Blood Tridents are a gang who used to run this city and terrorize its citizens until the creation of the league. Heroes took them down and helped flush out the corruption, forcing the stragglers into hiding."
Ricky raised a shaky hand and waited. Lexi looked at him, and if there was one thing I had learned about her from the few interactions we had, it was that she hated being interrupted.
"Yes, Mr. Thompson,'' she said with a sigh.
Ricky put his hand down quickly before he began to ask his question, his voice just as shaky as his body. "If they were taken down, why would the few still out there even attempt to resurface?"
"That is a great question, but had you waited, you would've had your answer already," Lexi said, almost scolding him.
Ricky slumped down in his chair, becoming more reserved than he already was, and his body went still. This kid puzzled me more than any of the psychopaths I've been against.
Lexi sighed, releasing all her tension, "To answer your question, Mr. Thompson, it is because our friend here," she pointed to the gang member, "Has been rallying the remainder and recruiting new members in an attempt to bring the Blood Tridents back. He has also been dealing with Al Summers for uranium."
The reality of the situation hit the new guys as all their eyes went wide. As for me, it meant I would have my hands full, taking a new team into a highly volatile situation. A situation that could destroy any amount of the city.
I finally raised my hand and spoke before waiting for Lexi's approval. "What is the intent behind stockpiling uranium, and how did last night's crime tie into this?"
Lexi gave me the same look she had given Ricky before she answered my question, "The intent behind it is to take back control of Victory City by the threat of nuclear bombing. As for the kidnapping, it was a ploy to transfer two small bombs across the city."
This time when she brought up new images, it was of two box-shaped devices. The outer layer was made of cheap metal with a timer. Another photo showed the inner workings consisting of wires and other mechanics.
"What were the destinations?" I asked.
"Here and city hall," Lexi said without hesitation. "Fortunately, you stepped in and put a stop to their plan. You also gave us the means to learn about the rest of their plan."
I nodded as I went silent again, feeling satisfied with the information given.
"Now, if there aren't any more questions, I'll give you your task," she paused for a moment, waiting for a question.
"Alright, good. Your task is to head to this warehouse," she said as she brought up the previous image of the warehouse again, "and apprehend all members involved and seize any uranium or already made explosives. Are there any further questions at this time?"
Amber put her hand up this time. "Um, when do we start?"
"You will leave here together starting at midnight. Anyone else?"
The room remained silent. Lexi nodded before closing her laptop, picking it up, and leaving. Dimitri returned to the center of attention.
"Alright, everyone, that'll conclude today's brief. Please be here, ready to go by midnight," he said.
With that, the whole group got up and exited the room except me. I waited for the group to leave the room, catching a wink from Amber in the process, which made me want to hurl. When the door closed, I looked at my brother.
"You give me a critical task and a team composed of a nervous man-child, a disappearing act, a knock-off, a bitch completely full of herself. All of which are brand new, I might add. It's almost as if you want the city to explode." I said.
He looked up at me, giving me that fake smile he gave everyone. "I know it's a tough pill to swallow, but it'll be good for them to get the experience and for you to learn how to manage a team."
"Why would I want to manage a team? Especially a team that's never been on any missions. It'd be better for them to go and patrol the streets." I said to him, the urge to knock that annoying grin off his face rising.
My complaint didn't faze him at all, "Look, little brother, this decision is final, and I suggest you use this opportunity to prepare yourself."
"For what exactly?"
He didn't answer my question. Instead, he changed the topic, "On another note, I need this to go flawless. The mayor is breathing down my neck about this mission, and as you know, it is election time."
"What's election time got to do with me or this mission?" I asked, my curiosity having been piqued.
He looked at me, raising an eyebrow, "You don't keep up with politics, do you?"
"No, not really. Why?"
He shook his head, disappointed, "Mayor Greene is steadily losing ground in this election, and his opponent, Vincent Thawn, is gaining traction."
I shrugged, "Okay, I'm still not seeing the problem."
"Mayor Greene has been a significant support to the league. If he loses, not only do we lose our support, but we also lose a lot of the freedom we have to do our job. This guy Vincent Thawn is using our work against us, standing on the platform of hero reform to help reduce issues in the city such as rising taxes, preventing unnecessary deaths, and decreasing the amount of prisoners." he explained.
I nodded, "Then either give me a team of veterans or let me solo this."
He moved over to the door and opened it, "I wish I could, but as I said, the decision is final. Mayor Greene has a lot riding on this, so don't let us down."
He gestured for me to exit, and I did before he closed the door behind me. The asshole really hung me out to dry, and now any backlash would, in the end, fall on me. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth, and I had no choice but to swallow it.