Unmasked Heroes (Book 1)

Chapter 14

Failure doesn't mean the game is over, it means try again with experience

Len Schlesinger

Princess Puma takes another selfie with an overeager fan, the camera on the small girl's flashy covered iPhone flashing like the lights on the police cars. Scorpio stands out amongst the blue-cladded men in his red leather costume, as he helps put another stretcher inside the back of an ambulance van. The paramedics thanks him before driving off, alarms blaring loud as the bank one had a mere hour ago. The robbery wasn't too nasty, but two workers were injured onsite – someone somehow managed to get a hold of the paramedics whilst the Alpha Squad captured a group of villains, known as Panic Attack, trying their luck at the biggest bank in the city.

It was a fail, of course, since we'd arrested them, but I still feel horrible knowing someone was hurt in the collision. We're superheroes – it's our job to protect. If I can't do that, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. What my purpose in life is.

"Hey, you good?" Skye walks to where I'm assessing the damage, his mask dimming the brightness of his eyes.

"Yeah," I say hollowly. "I hope they're gonna be okay."

I gesture with my chin towards the bank, where one wall has collapsed, and glass lies shattered on the broken tiled floor, scattered like flakes of snow. This was Panic Attack's debut assault, so at least that's one trouble avoided. Hopefully, after the police sort them out and fill in whatever reports, Dex can get hold of the group and put them in the rehab programme for villains. It's their first attack, they can still be saved.

"A group of gun-wielding criminals," Scorpio shakes his head. "Who wouldn't thought?"

"I think it's a creative approach," Princess Puma joins us, as the last of the emergency vehicles clear up. Most of the press have left as well, leaving the three of us alone on the deserted street. Even the parked cars are long gone, given most of the bank staff escaped whilst they still had a chance, and Puma escorted the rest to safety.

"They were dangerous," I note. "And it was their first offence."

"So it's a good thing we caught them, right?" Scorpio tilts his head.

I nod, but I don't even manage to convince myself.

"Then why do you look as if we're lost?" He asks.

I look between Scorpio and Puma. "Because we could've. Then what? They would have come back stronger, just like Chasm did."

Scorpio rests a hand on my shoulder. "Then we stop them again. Just like we did with Chasm."

"I agree," Puma smiles and flips her sleek ponytail. "Besides, this group was kids. Have you seen them? They couldn't have been legal adults."

Which makes it worse. Why are such young people turning to crime? What is the driving factor? The city has feeding programmes and shelters for the needy, all kinds of organisations are readily available to help anyone living in poverty. Yet criminals still exist, exponentially increasing in numbers every day. I wish there was a way to make it all stop once and for all, free our city from criminals, help those who had no other way but to turn to stealing. And then –

Then, maybe we would have been saving other cities as well. Helping countries around the world.

That's ambitious thinking if I ever heard any. But with the rarity that is superpowers, my team and I should be able to save the world. Not just one measly city. Even if I do love Skylight.

"Their guns were pretty expensive, though," I mention. "Do you think it was supplied by the same people who assisted Chasm?"

Scorpio shrugs. "Maybe. You should bring it up with Dex, he'll know."