Super Powers Are Overrated

Chapter 14

May 3, 2015

I'm teaching some of the younger girls at the orphanage about origami when my phone rings. I pick it up, and see Nat's number. I press answer and put the phone to my ear, whipping my hair away from my face.

"Hey Nat, what's up? You almost never call me." I mean, you've seen how much she texts.

"Lily, it's important. You know the Ultron crap that's been going on?" She says. I crinkle my brow. Only some very third world countries haven't heard about it.

"Er, yeah pretty brutal. Why, are the Avengers having issues defeating him?" I get a little scared, because if they are, we won't be ready to fill in their place yet.

"No, they defeated him just fine. It's how they defeated him that's the issue. Look, are you near a TV?"

"Er, yeah, what channel?" I say, taking the remote and turning it on.

"Channel 5 news. Oh my god Lily, I can't even believe it." I turn to channel 5, and me and the girls sit there watching.

"Further into the mysterious case of the new robotic avenger, code named The Vision, Tony Stark's newest invention after the brilliant screw up of Ultron, was released by Tony Stark's lab partner and co creator of both robots, Bruce Banner, also known as the Hulk. Dr Banner said that the blueprints for the vision were not his nor Tony's, but were actually found online. Dr Banner continued by saying that Ultron most have found his creativity running low, and stolen the layout of The Vision from a facility somewhere or from an inspiring new robotics technician. In either case, Dr Banner says that we shouldn't have to worry, Ultron is absolutely gone, and who ever designed The Vision should be proud to have an invention become an Avenger. Back to JJ Jameson in the studio." The female field reporter says. On the top left hand corner of the screen is a picture of The Vision in action, fighting Ultron's drones. The video feed flips back to a very angry looking JJ Jameson. What a surprise.

"Shadow Mercenary struck again last night as three chickens on a local farm where found bloodly torn apart by supposedly a wild fox, but we know better!" I cut off the lunatic by muting the TV. I hear Nat calling my name, but I'm a bit shell shocked. I blink trying to clear it, but that picture of Vision is seared into my head. He was operational, he was intelligent, he was functioning without glitches, he was...He was red and green with a golden cape. His color coordination was god awful. But he also wasn't mine. And, maybe it was in the haste of the moment, maybe it was intentional, I don't know, but he had those eyes that...I hadn't seen in years. I missed those eyes, I missed that face, I missed...I missed the model of my robot, I missed my brother.

"Lily, are you okay?" The youngest girl, Felicia, asks.

"Yes...Yes why?" I whisper.

"Wasn't that guy your robot? You showed us his design one time." Another one, Rebecca, the oldest, asks.

"You're crying." Felicia asks.

"Are you sad that Ultron took your robot?" Maggy, one of the twins asks. Her twin, Alice, elbows her.

"No, silly, she's happy her creation's alive." She says. I nod.

"Which one?"Rebecca asks.

"I'm...I'm happy Vision is alive and with good people. I couldn't have funded him, so it's better this way. I don't even know where I would have gotten vibranium from anyhow."

"So why are you crying?" Felicia asks.

"Because I...I'm sad I didn't get to create him, and I don't get to see him. I'm just...Just sorry that he...He probably doesn't know who I am." Unless Ultron kept his blueprint records downloaded into his brain, or the Avengers intercepted Vision before Ultron could erase them, but chances are that's very slim. But the real question is, how did Ultron find them? They weren't on the internet, they were saved to my computer upstairs. Is this the warning I've been getting about May? No, that's the fifteenth, not the third. So that means something else is gonna happen?

"LILY!" Nat screaming my name jolts me back to reality. I pick up the phone, wiping away the tears rolling down my cheek.

"Sorry, forgot you were on the line." I mutter. She huffs out an angry breath.

"Whatever. Look, I need to talk to you. Well, all of us do. Meet us at Jill's house, Pimberly's making tea. I think we all could use it." I nod, then, realizing she can't see me, agree. I hang up and sit there looking at my phone for a while.

"I need to go. Sorry girls, let's continue this later, my friends need me." I get up and put on my jacket. "If Jan asks, I'm out with friends." And I head out. I walk for a bit, before I feel a tug on my jacket and I'm pulled into an alley way. "Hey, what the-" I'm cut off by a gloved hand over my mouth, and I find myself staring into the deep, serious brown eyes of one the biggest threats in the US, possibly the world.

"Scream and I knock you out, got it?" A computerized voice says to me. I nod, and she scopes the streets for anyone who might have seen me. Wait, no, she's too good at her job. She scoping for anyone looking for her not me. "Look, I don't have much time to tell you this, so listen closely. Your life and your friends' lives are in danger."

"Wha-what?" I stutter out. She huffs out a breath, and glares at me. I go jelly at the knees almost instantly.

"Someone is coming to get you guys. You have a bounty over your heads, and she plans on collecting it."

"Wh-who is it?"

"Tiffani van Hessak." I breath out relief.

"Oh, just her, okay. I thought it was someone dangerous." She growls at me.

"She is dangerous. She hired me to get some supplies, and she's planning something big. She's trying to bring you all down in one swoop, and she very well might be able to. You and your friends need to look out, she might get you. Now, I need to go. Pay me twenty bucks." She says, sticking out her hand.

"What? Why?"

"Because, I don't want it getting out that the Shadow Mercenary gave out information like that for free." I nod, forking it over. Last thing I need is her chopping my head off.

"So, it was you who was sending me the warning notes." She nods. "Why?"

"I know you have superpowers. Your friends are very powerful, and if I pride myself on anything, it's powerful allies. Besides," At this point she cocks her head, and imagine a grin underneath that mask,"you're good kids. Great friends too. I maybe a ruthless killer and thief, but I don't like seeing good people get hurt. Stay safe, kid." She runs off into the alley, and jumps up to the roof. From there, I lose sight of her as she runs off, but I hear her words echo. I head off towards Jill's house again. I let myself into the manor, Pimbersly probably off making tea.

"Hey guys, I think I have something more important than the Vision right now." I say as I step into the room. I take off my coat, and I drop it to the floor as I see the wreck of a room. Tables turned over, TV wrecked, balcony doors wide open, but most importantly, Pimbersly unconscious on the floor, and my friends nowhere in sight. I run over to him, and try to shake him awake. I see a note next to him, and I pick it up.

I now have one more piece of the puzzle. All that's left is you. Beware the Ides of May, indeed. Let's see if you have the guts to try and get your friends. I'd love to see you try. ~T.H.

Drama. I love it. Yes, finally this story is going somewhere. That only took about a year. But anyway, yes, Shadow Mercenary showed up, B-Team disappeared, and now it's up to Lily to save her friends. The story is coming to a close soon, so expect the next few chapters to be so jam packed full of adventure, you need to focus a bit. But anyways, I'd just like to say, thanks for sticking with the story thus far. Hope you like the next few chapters.