The Heroes We Weren't

Chapter 33 - Everyone Has A Name

The last farewell between couple Adair was not at all that of your typical movie scene. There was no leaving by train as the other ran along in a try to catch their love – there were no water works down anyone's cheeks, and most importantly - there were no gut-wrenching butterflies twirling around in our stomachs.

I say 'our' because I for one was third-wheeling such a private moment.

We were still outside of the warehouse of Tyson Street, or well - what remained of it. Couple Adair had gotten back to their feet and Tanya was folding the blanket between her manicured nails (one had split in the middle, making it much shorter than the others).

It was the kind of awkward that would leave you taking note of every muscle in your face; The kind of uncomfortableness of having walked in on something you should have never been a part of, yet having stood there for too long to simply leave unnoticed.

It was that kind of awkward.

"Well then..." These two words seemed to be the only ones left in Adam's vocabulary - as if the smoke from the fire had ruined all other pages of his life's dictionary. "Well then..." He repeated.

"Yes." She fumbled with the edge of the blanket, folding it precisely and obsessively edge by edge. "Yes."

Carry on then. Either exchange your 'I do not's' or fly into each other's arms for an unexpected but gross make out session. That's how the movies go, so do carry on then whilst I make my leave unnoticed.

"Well then..." Adam said.

Oh god.

We were doomed to drown in a swirl of awkwardness around a clogged drain for at least twenty-four more hours. Here's to hoping that the street of Tyson doesn't get too cold at night.

"'City!" Someone had suddenly called out.

Yes!

Yes that was in fact my name and I seemed to be needed over there, so I would just-

I had the time to pull the most painful of smiles, but no time to escape the scene, as Hyun-Soo had already made his way to us.

Welcome to the charm of fourth-wheeling, Sir Soo; Thou cometh at times inappropriate. The uncomfortableness was great enough to quickly paint its traces onto the face of Sir Soo - The discomfort was strong with this one.

"I, uh..." He let his gaze wander over couple Adair before he turned to me. "I was trying to catch Ashanti but she got away."

"Ashanti?" I asked.

He nodded.

"She was the one who set off the explosives." He lowered his voice as a fireman passed us by (he as well seemed to get a taste of the thick air).

"By orders from the Glove Guy of course." Hyun-Soo had never been one for names (although in all fairness, Glove Guy didn't actually carry one).

I sighed. Nodded.

"Got it."

Tanya was listening in. Well I didn't blame her for eavesdropping - there wasn't much else for her to listen to, as Adam seemed to be silently dusting off his inner dictionary in search for the pages of 'how', 'could' and 'you'.

It was apparent that Tanya wasn't familiar with many men who would go by the nickname of 'Glove Guy', and so by pursing her lips she silently told a tale of having been betrayed - betrayed by what she had assumed to be her own team.

I do not, to this day, know if she there and then decided to turn her back on everything because of a pride hurt or out of actual fear that M would come after her in the end. But so she spoke: