Coffee and Candy

Who?

Chapter Title: Who?

Hanna slumped over the desk in her quiet coffee shop, her cheek pressed against the cool wood. The soft hum of machinery was the only sound in the room as she groggily muttered, "Another meeting to listen to Brandon preach about nonsense? No, thanks."

Her brief moment of peace ended abruptly as a thick file smacked onto the table. She jolted upright, glaring at Annie, who stood over her with a sly grin.

"Rise and shine, Angel of Chaos," Annie teased, her fox mask dangling from her fingers.

Hanna groaned, rubbing her temples. "I swear, if I have to endure one more of Brandon's sermons about 'heroic responsibility,' I might just throw him and that smug face of his out of the bloody window."

Annie chuckled, already suited up in her stealthy black-and-white bodysuit accented with mesh and tactical straps. "How do I look?" she asked, sliding her fox mask into place.

Hanna glanced at her, unimpressed. "Normal, love." She adjusted her own sleek black tactical suit, the silver accents catching the light as she secured her bow and quiver on her back.

"I hate these meetings," Hanna continued with a heavy sigh. "What's the bloody point? We pay for damage we didn’t even cause, while Brandon and his darling wife sit around doing sod all."

Annie patted Hanna's shoulder. "It’s called obligation. We’re heroes, remember?"

Before Hanna could respond, Jacques burst into the room, startling them both.

"Ta-da! Ready to roll!" he announced, proudly showing off his new cyberpunk-inspired suit. The glowing teal accents and futuristic armor gleamed under the lights.

"When did you make that?" Annie asked, her voice laced with amusement.

"Three months ago," Jacques replied, puffing out his chest. "This bad boy’s got self-healing fabric. I’ll never have to worry about injuries again!"

"Cool," Annie said, giving him a playful punch on the arm. "But you still talk too much."

Hanna watched them, her lips twitching into the faintest smile before she shook her head. "Come on, let’s get this over with."

---

The trio made their way through the hidden underground passage beneath their shop. The dimly lit corridor echoed with their footsteps.

"I heard Brandon’s chairing the meeting today," Jacques said, folding his arms. "Why is he even qualified? Has anyone actually seen him fight or do anything useful?"

Annie snorted. "Probably shacked up with Madam Tiana. Let’s be honest, nobody knew who he was before their wedding."

"Enough," Hanna snapped, her sharp tone silencing them instantly. "If Tiana hears you, we’ll never hear the bloody end of it."

When they arrived in the Metro City Hero League’s grand chamber, the air was thick with tension. Rubberwoman, Strongish, Porcupine-Man, and Allosaurus-Girl were already seated, along with Brandon and Tiana at the head of the table.

"Afternoon, gentlemen," Hanna greeted dryly, her British accent cutting through the chatter as she took her seat.

Porcupine-Man smirked. "Ah, Miss Chaos, Miss Akumu, and Mr. Electro. Late as always."

"Shut it, Saad," Hanna said flatly, her gaze cold enough to freeze him mid-smirk.

Brandon cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming. As you know, the city’s damage expenses have risen. It’s imperative we discuss how to handle this financially. Everyone will need to contribute their share."

Hanna leaned back, raising an eyebrow. "Contribute, you say? You mean we fork over our earnings for damage caused by villains while you and Tiana line your bloody pockets with donations?"

Gasps filled the room. Tiana stiffened, but Hanna's glare was unyielding.

"You’re out of line, Chaos," Brandon said tightly.

"Am I?" Hanna leaned forward, her voice dropping but gaining an edge that silenced the room. "While you sit here playing chairman, I’m out there saving lives. Do not lecture me about responsibility, Brandon. You haven’t the faintest idea what it means."

Annie smirked behind her mask. Jacques shifted awkwardly but said nothing.

Porcupine-Man turned to Jacques with a sneer. "Still hiding behind your tech, Electro? Real heroes don’t need gadgets."

Jacques fidgeted, his fingers tapping nervously. Before he could respond, Annie’s sharp voice rang out in Japanese.

"この馬鹿醜い人！お前にはスパイク以外の能力はないのか？" ("Stupid, ugly idiot! Do you have any skills besides spikes?")

The room erupted into stifled laughter. Saad’s smug expression melted away as he shrank into his chair.

Brandon slammed his fist on the table. "Enough! This is supposed to be a professional meeting!"

"Professional?" Hanna said, rising to her feet. "This is a bloody joke. Instead of discussing real issues, you waste time on taxes and politics. And now you want us to find the traitor in our ranks? Look around, Brandon. You’ve built a league of egos and ambition, not heroes."

Brandon scowled, but before he could respond, Hanna turned on her heel and strode out. Annie and Jacques followed, Annie muttering curses under her breath.

"Bloody pompous twit," she growled.

---

Later that evening, Hanna sat atop the highest rooftop in Trametro City. The cool wind brushed against her face as she stared at the sprawling city below.

Mr. Crow emerged from the shadows, his dark silhouette blending seamlessly into the night.

"Long day?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly.

Hanna smirked faintly. "You could say that. The same politics, the same lies. Now they think there’s a traitor among us. Bloody brilliant."

Crow nodded. "The city’s falling apart, Hanna. But it’s people like you who keep it standing."

She turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "And people like you who vanish when things get hard."

He chuckled softly. "We all fight in our own ways. Some from the shadows."

"Rubbish," Hanna retorted, her voice tinged with frustration. "If you want change, you can’t just disappear."

He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "You can change them, Hanna. But it won’t be easy."

Before she could respond, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving only the sound of fluttering wings.

Hanna sighed, leaning back. "One day," she murmured, her gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun began to sink. "We’ll fix this city. One way or another."