King of Superheroes 3, page 11
“They also spoke about how we all wouldn’t be a problem for much longer,” I continued before I glanced at my team. “Which can only mean they’re planning to take me, and you guys, out…”
Mori stiffened, and his expression shifted as he grew thoughtful.
“Well, they quite literally said Pyro had a plan,” I added quickly. “But we just don’t know what it entails.”
“I have a few guesses,” Mori muttered grimly before he shook his head. “But let us not worry ourselves about what may or may not happen. Panic is an entirely useless emotion.”
“So, what do we do now?” Hannah asked.
“We continue on as though nothing has happened,” Mori said.
“What? We can’t just do nothing,” Frank argued.
“Until I’ve done some further digging, yes we can.” Mori crossed his arms and leveled us with a stern look. “I know how you all must feel, but we need to make it seem as though everything is as it was before you left, so we do not raise any suspicion. The last thing we need is someone catching wind of this bust and tracing it back to Mark. That might put the Antis’ plan into overdrive.”
“You’re right.” I sighed and nodded, but I glanced at the folders Mori was holding, and I thought about the manifesto and propaganda that was nothing but ashes in that base now.
Then I thought about the protest I’d read about and realized I still hadn’t spoken to Mori about it, but now seemed like as good of a time as any.
Even though I’d tried to ignore it entirely, it had been in the back of my mind since I saw the post online. I didn’t know what they thought throwing a protest was gonna achieve apart from a lot of noise, but it was still rattling me, especially after hearing those Antis talk about their “cleansing.”
But my friends were right, if anyone knew how to handle this situation, it was going to be Mori. He’d been working in the Academy for years, and although he hadn’t had to convene with an Omega yet, he’d seen more than most people.
“There was something else I wanted to run past you,” I began as I looked up at the famous Dreamer. “I just haven’t had the chance yet.”
“Go on,” Mori prompted.
“Before you sent me on my way for my first solo mission,” I explained, “I saw a post online about some protest.”
“A protest?” Mori repeated with a furrowed brow. “About what exactly?”
“Well, about me,” I said. “It seems like not only do some people not want me as their Omega, they don’t want an Omega at all.”
“That isn’t something they can choose.” Mori sighed. “But they can choose how they want to react, and we can help steer that in the right direction.”
“So, I shouldn’t ignore it then,” I said as I sat forward in my chair. “What should I do?”
The Dreamer went silent as he seemed to iron out a plan in his head.
“I’ll arrange a… PR event, if you will,” Mori eventually suggested. “For later today. It’s best we act as quickly as we can with things like this. News travels too fast in this day and age.”
“Doing what exactly?” I asked.
“Well, it’s actually pretty common for the well-known Supers to make visits to local hospitals,” Mori explained. “Mostly to visit the children, but there are often some older patients who are big fans.”
“So, I just go there and talk to the kids?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t see how that’s going to work.”
“It’s important we uphold your clean image, Mark,” Mori said. “There are a lot of eyes on you, and now that you’re very well on your way to rule over a nation of Superheroes, we need to ensure you’re on your way to becoming… the nation’s sweetheart.”
Mori let out a low chuckle at his own admission.
“Especially if you’re already experiencing pushback,” he added.
“That makes sense, I guess.” I nodded and ran a hand through my hair. “But I feel like I’ve already done so much to show I’m nothing like my predecessor.”
“A lot of people refuse to forget, I’m afraid,” Mori said, and his expression was apologetic. “You can understand, I’m sure. We must learn from history, so as not to repeat it.”
“Man, okay. No pressure.” I exhaled loudly.
“You’ll be fine,” Mori assured with a wave of his hand. “All you have to do is smile for the camera and cheer up some children. Oh, and bring your team with you to the hospital. It’s good to show you have a united front. Especially since the last Omega often insisted on standing alone. Whatever we can do to further set you apart from him in the public’s eyes, the better.”
This was a whole different side to being a Super I hadn’t anticipated. When I first activated, I just assumed I’d be running around taking down bad guys, the last thing I thought I’d have to do was a press run.
“Oh, that sounds sweet,” Rhiannon cooed as she turned to me. “I love kids.”
“Hell yeah,” Danny said. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“Count me in!” Hannah grinned.
“I feel like I scare kids,” Frank admitted and pursed his lips.
“Yeah, I can see that,” I teased. “Probably the hair. Put a comb through it before we go.”
“Good idea,” Frank said without even batting an eye at my snide comment and instead took it as genuine advice.
“I’ll set it up and send you the details,” Mori said.
We left the benefactor’s apartment and split off to shower and get dressed in our super suits, and then we reconvened in the common area before making our way to the Academy’s underground parking lot.
“We gotta take a cool whip,” Frank said as he eagerly rubbed his hands together. “The kids will love it.”
“You’re the car guy.” I shrugged.
Frank eyed up the Academy’s selection of cars, and after a moment, my pyromancer friend made a beeline for a red Ferrari. Most of the Academy’s cars were more practical, but there were a couple of sporty vehicles for more “elegant” events.
“It matches my suit,” our redheaded friend sighed as he stroked the red hood. “It’s like it was made for me.”
“It was written in the stars.” I chuckled and slapped Frank on the back.
“Can we all fit in that?” Hannah noted as she shot the smaller car a skeptical look.
“It’s got four seats at least,” Danny said before he hopped into the back. “Wow, this is niceeee.”
“Do you think showing up in a Ferrari sends the wrong message?” Rhiannon chimed in with a worried frown. “The last Omega was about opulence, right? And we want to make sure Mark’s seen as his opposite. So showing up to a hospital, to visit sick kids, in a flashy car might not be the best idea.”
“Hmm, you might be right,” I said and furrowed my brow. Then I shot Frank an apologetic look. “Sorry, buddy. Maybe next time.”
“I understand,” my Conduit friend sighed, but he stroked the hood of the car again and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ll come back for you, girl. One day I’ll take you on the ride you deserve.”
“Should we leave you two alone?” Danny asked as he got out of the backseat.
“No, I’ll be fine,” Frank said as he wiped away a faux tear. “Our love is made stronger by adversity.”
Hannah rolled her eyes, and I stifled a snicker as I glanced around the lot for an appropriate car.
In the end, we chose another sleek but not overly flashy Tesla X, and after a short drive, we pulled into the hospital’s parking lot and exited the vehicle.
I spotted a well-dressed woman in a gray tailored pantsuit and assumed she was the reporter Mori had said would meet us here. That, or she was overdressed. Still, I couldn’t help but appreciate a good-looking girl when I saw one.
Her makeup was clearly done with the camera in mind as it looked far too powdery in the daylight, although she was extremely pretty. If anything, she looked too young to be a reporter and definitely didn’t need half of the stuff she’d put on her face. Her thick hair was ash brown and was lightly curled at the ends as it sat just below her shoulders, and her eyes were nearly as piercing as Hannah’s but were a slightly deeper blue. She was definitely made for the screens.
She was also accompanied by two men. One was holding a camera, and another was holding an elaborate boom mic. It felt a bit slimy to walk into a children’s ward with a whole camera crew with me, but I guess that’s show business.
I approached her with my team fanned out behind me.
“Lauren?” I asked once I was in earshot.
“Well, hello.” Her face transformed into a warm, yet rehearsed, smile. “You must be Mark. And this is your team I presume?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” I said and shot a glance over my shoulder. “Frank, Danny, Hannah, and Rhiannon.”
I pointed at each of my teammates as I named them, and they shot a smile or a coy wave at the reporter.
“It’s amazing to meet you,” she said with the same big smile. “Don’t worry, it’s not going to be a huge production. We’ll just get a few shots of you and your friends with the kids, then we’ll do a quick interview afterward. Does that sound good?”
“That’s fine with me,” I said.
“Great.” She clasped her hands together. “Shall we?”
We followed behind Lauren and her crew into the hospital’s entrance. She navigated us through the corridors as if she knew the place like it was the back of her hand, but as we walked through the halls, I felt myself get the chills.
Like most people, I’d never liked hospitals. They always creeped me out. Luckily, I never had to spend a prolonged amount of time in one, but even this short visit was making the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
Eventually, Lauren directed us down a corridor that was vibrantly painted with rainbows and beloved cartoon characters. My heart sank a bit as I thought about the kids who had some of their childhood taken from them, and I just hoped I was able to put a smile on their faces, even if it was for ten minutes.
We finally turned into the children’s ward, and Lauren approached one of the nurses on duty, who promptly turned to address us.
“Hi guys, my name is Emma,” the nurse said warmly. “Thank you so much for coming down, the children are so excited to meet you all.”
“We’re happy to be here,” I told her.
“Bless you.” She smiled. “Follow me.”
Emma led us into a large room, which I quickly realized was the children’s place for downtime when they wanted to get out of the ward. The room was as vibrant as the corridor leading up to the ward, and it was decorated with more cheery murals.
As I scanned the room, I spotted a poster of one of Pyro’s last movies, and my stomach turned. I hated that he’d become a role model or a hero for anyone, considering he was living a lie. Of course, I wasn’t gonna deliver that truth in a children’s ward, but it still made my blood boil. The kids both in and out of the hospital deserved good role models to look up to, not fake Hollywood scum, but I shoved the thought to the back of my brain so I could focus on being lighthearted for the excited children.
There were about fifteen kids waiting patiently to meet us, and their heads all spun around in unison as we came through the door. Then they let out small squeals and immediately got to their feet.
“Hello, everyone,” Emma said loudly over the commotion. “Look who’s come to see you!”
A few of the kids clapped and jumped excitedly on the spot.
“If you all sit down patiently, they’d love to come and talk to you,” Emma said gently, and the kids immediately plopped back into their seats.
My team and I gathered in front of them, and I plastered on a broad smile.
I didn’t have a lot of experience interacting with kids. The only interactions I had to go off were my visits to my younger cousins on my mom’s side. Based on that, I wasn’t horrible at it, but maybe a bit rusty.
“Hey, guys, how are we all?” I addressed the group.
They called out excitedly over each other to greet us. This was definitely one of the better sides of being a Super. Seeing how excited they were to see us tangibly showed me how important my job was. Of course, I already had an understanding of the weight of my role, but having it played out in front of me added a whole new level.
“Has anyone got any questions they’d like to ask the Superheroes?” Emma asked.
The room immediately filled up with their small, but surprisingly loud voices as the kids shouted their questions out.
“Ah, ah, raise your hands, and I’m sure they’ll get around to answering all of you,” Emma said.
The kids obediently sat silently and raised their hands, and I pointed to a boy who looked about eleven years old and was gripping the metal pole of his rolling IV unit.
“Can you show us your powers?” he asked with wide eyes.
“What do you say, guys?” I turned to my team, who all looked excited to show off.
Rhiannon began hovering on the spot before she circled above the kids, and they all watched her with surprised faces. She swooped back over to the rest of us and landed gracefully, and the children started clapping as my Tempest girlfriend gave a shy curtsy.
Then the kids’ attention turned to me.
“Can I have a volunteer for a demonstration?” I asked.
Every single kid put their hand up.
“Okay,” I laughed. “Uhhh, you in the blue top. What’s your name?”
“Ben,” he answered and even though his skin was pale and wan, his broad smile lit up his face like the fourth of July.
“Come and join me up here, Ben,” I said.
He skipped across the room and stood in front of me.
“Are you ready?” I asked him, and he nodded excitedly.
“Okay, then, hold on,” I said, and I gently lifted him up with my telekinesis so he hovered a foot above the ground.
He let out a high-pitched giggle as he struck a super pose, and the onlooking kids clapped as they watched Ben float in front of them.
“I’m flying!” he gasped, and the other kids gawked and shouted about how they wanted to be next.
I held Ben up for another thirty seconds before I slowly lowered him to the ground, and he immediately thanked me.
“No worries, buddy,” I said as he retook his seat.
“My dad has electricity!” another boy with an impressive head of curls called out.
“Wow.” I crouched down in front of him. “I bet he’s really talented.”
“Yep,” he said plainly. “He’s the best.”
“My brother told me you have loads of powers,” another girl called out. “Is that true?”
“It is.” I smiled. “I’m called an Omega, so I have lots of powers and use them to help as many people as I can.”
The kids all looked awed, with wide eyes and agape mouths, before another child in the crowd spoke up.
“What else can you do?”
“Well, let’s see,” I said as I put a finger to my chin in a thoughtful gesture, and Lauren and her crew lingered in the background as they caught some shots of my team and me interacting with the kids.
Then I showed off a few more of my less offensive powers, since I definitely couldn’t risk conducting a fireball in a hospital in front of a bunch of kids.
Most of the children were focused on me and calling out dozens of questions, but a blonde girl gravitated toward Hannah and grabbed her hand.
“What do you do?” she asked as she stared up at my girlfriend.
“I’m a Dreamer,” Hannah said, and she crouched down so she was at the girl’s eye level. “Which means I can tell what people are thinking.”
“Wow.” The young girl’s eyes widened. “That’s so cool! Can you tell what I am thinking?”
She jumped up and down as she waited for Hannah to rifle through her head, but patience didn’t seem to be her strong suit.
“Actually, I can just tell you,” the girl said proudly. “I’m thinking I want to be like you when I’m older.”
“Yeah?” Hannah laughed and cocked her head, and I could see her melt at the little girl’s sentiment. “I think you’re gonna be amazing when you grow up, you’re already so brave.”
“Really?” the girl asked as she swayed on the spot.
“Definitely, I’d like to be more like you,” Hannah said with a very serious nod.
“Okay, now you can have a look in my head,” the girl giggled.
“Alright, if you say so.” Hannah made a display of intently studying the girl’s face and tapped her chin. “Hmmm, you’re thinking about your sister.”
“Yes!” the little girl cheered and clapped.
My heart warmed as I watched my Dreamer girlfriend interact with her mini-me. It was nice to get to see this side of her, and all of my friends for that matter. We’d spent so much of our time on missions or trying to figure out what was coming our way next, it was refreshing to touch base and feel connected with the more wholesome side of the job. Especially after the trip to the Antis’ base, I think we all needed the relief.
After another forty-five minutes of showing off, it was clear the kids’ energy levels had dropped, and it was time for us to wrap up our visit. So we reluctantly said our goodbyes and made our way out.
“You did great, guys,” the brunette reporter said as we left the ward. “You really made their day.”
“They made ours as well,” I chuckled. “Great kids.”
“Let’s do a quick interview, and I’ll let you go on your way.” Lauren led us over to a wide, bright window to conduct our interview in front of.
“Is this good?” I asked as I stationed myself in front of the lens.
“Looks great,” Lauren said as she checked the viewfinder. “My cameraman will let you know when we’re rolling, okay?”
I nodded in response.
I’d avoided cameras most of my life, but now it felt like I was constantly in the limelight. Having an image to uphold was almost as tiring work as taking down criminals and hate groups, and I started to wonder how any of the Supers managed to do it full-time.
I guess I was gonna have to work that out for myself, whether I wanted to or not.
As Lauren began her questions, a faint chant could be heard from outside the hospital. I was conscious that the camera was still on me and didn’t want to react too quickly, but Hannah shot me a look over Lauren’s shoulder.
