Different [A Superhero AU] - Book One

Chapter Seven - Puzzle Pieces

Mark can't remember the last time he felt so frustrated at being bedridden. The walls, the ceiling, the machines, the bedsheets, all of them look tired and bland by the end of the first day. He attempts to leave the room and walk around, but Matthias chastises him every time he sets foot out of the room. By the third day, the medical professionals and Matthias allow him to wander around the halls. He stands in front of the sink, tracing the scars that line his arms. A lot of them are minor, and will probably disappear given enough time, but there are a couple that he'll have for the rest of his life thanks to the beating he received from Anti.

He pulls a shirt over his bare chest and walks through the hall, eventually reaching the entrance desk. He sits down behind it, watching and waiting for the other heroes to come in. Matthias approaches from behind, handing a few papers to the secretary.

"Waiting?" he asks, although he sounds as if he already knows the answer.

Mark nods, slumping lower in his chair.  

Matthias purses his lips, glancing towards the door. "Being stuck here probably sucks."

"You bet it does. The villains are out there right now, committing crime, and I can't stop them."

Matthias nods and pulls up a chair beside him. "I've been doing research."

"And?"

"I hacked into their computers. It appears my dear rival, Matthew, was not available to stop me. I found out that the villain who controlled you is named Seán "Jack" McLoughlin. He was kidnapped from Ireland at age ten and mutated to give him super speed and a septic eye, which he can use to control people" Matthias glances over, smiling when he realizes that he has Mark's undivided attention. "They cut out his left eye and did experiments on it before reattaching it. I was going to find out more, but Matthew blocked me out, and the only way to get more information is from the source himself..." He grins a little bit, although it appears more like a grimace.  "I think you know what that means." 

Mark points at him, the wheels in his head turning. "We need to kidnap Jack?"

Matthias grins. "Yes, we need to kidnap Jack. I'm going to attempt to hack into the systems again and learn how it actually works, but if we manage to have a conversation with Anti..."

"We can learn their motives," Mark finishes, snapping his fingers. "You're a freaking genius, Matt."

The hacker smiles. "I get that a bit."

Mark stands, pushing his chair away. He starts pacing, rubbing his chin. Matthias watches him, leaning back in his chair.

"I have to be out there," Mark says, his eyes locking onto Matthias.

"You can't," the other hero replies, crossing his arms.

"But-"

"No, Mark." Matthias stands. "You aren't fully recovered. You can go out by the end of the week. For now, I'm going to do more research on the villains and those pesky anti-heroes. Do you have any information about them?"

Mark nods. "Arin and Danny. They can morph together. Apart they're strong, but together they're stronger."

Matthias inclines his head. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He glances towards the doors, focusing for a moment before gritting his teeth.  "They're coming back.  Looks rough."   With that, he gives the red-haired hero a two finger salute and leaves, heading back to his office with another folder of papers. 

Mark starts pacing again, his feet echoing against the tile floors. His restlessness only ceases when the rest of the heroes come, sweaty and exhausted.

"How did it go?" he asks, his dark eyes flitting from face to face.  "Matthias said it looked rough."

Felix clenches his fists at his sides, staring at the ground. "The villains succeeded, and the anti-heroes got away with two captives."

Mark's face falls. "Who?"

"Two of the villains, I think their names are Matt and Ryan," Marzia replies.

"Why?" 

Everyone shrugs in response to his question. Mark bites his lip and turns on his heel, making his way towards Matthias' office with just another piece of the puzzle in his head.