Super

Chapter 9

[Matt]

        Even with my...business as Imperium, I still got back to the dorm before Noah.

        It was the crack of dawn, so the public still hadn't found out about the fight between the heroes and villains, or that Magnet Man was gone. Hopefully, the League of Heroes thought that we had given away our hand completely. If they realized that we had another card up our sleeve, then we might be in trouble. But, honestly, they were too single-minded to figure anything out, thinking that they knew absolutely everything. Especially Talpa.

        I couldn't wait until that upstart was taken. We had an entire list devised, a method to our madness, so I knew exactly when he would finally be out of the picture. Villains don't work on a whim. No, we had a set schedule for each and every kidnapping, created by yours truly. Kelly had helped me make it, of course. Anyone who had seen my report card knew that doing things on time and planning weren't exactly my strong suits.

        Speaking of Kelly, I wondered what exactly she wanted to talk to me about. We had teleported back to the base using Teleman's powers after the battle, since it was the only place we could safely gather. Everyone went their own ways immediately. We weren't exactly the most sociable bunch, after all. But Kelly had stayed behind and waited for me, and asked me to meet her sometime after three that day. I was confused, but I agreed.

         I glanced up at the time. I'd been waiting for over half an hour, but Noah still hadn't come back to the dorm.

        Waiting for him made me anxious. I still didn't know where he went, and I hadn't had time to focus on it during the battle since Talpa was being his obnoxious, oblivious self. Honestly, demonstrating the Champion's powers for the heroes was way too kind of me; don't get me wrong, they still didn't have any chance of undermining our plans. But now, at least they could think they were making progress.

        I know, I'm generous. I can't help it.

        But the adrenaline rush from the chaos was gone, and all I could focus on was Noah getting home soon. When he did, I wasn't sure if I would hug him or strangle him for leaving the way he did. An unknown alarm blares and he disappears without a word? He and I would have words.

        When the door cracked open, I was up in an instant. Noah didn't know what hit him as I launched my arms around him, dragging him into the room as I did it.

        "Um, Matt?" he said, voice muffled by my shirt. I held on for a second more before shoving him away from me. He stumbled back, looking confused.

        "Mind explaining just what the hell?" I snapped at him. His eyes widened with an unidentifiable emotion.

        "Oh, um, see--" he stammered. I raised an eyebrow, glaring down at him from my taller height. He flinched, but his shoulders relaxed a bit, like an overfilled balloon that had just been punctured.

        "My grandma. She fell, and I had to take her to the hospital, since she couldn't get up on her own," he explained quickly.

        I stepped back a bit in surprise. "Seriously? Wait, then what was that alarm?"

        Noah shrugged. "It's been my ringtone for her since this isn't the first time it's happened," he said.

        I reddened a bit. I felt embarrassed, afraid that I had overreacted...but he did scare me. I spent ten minutes running around the building, trying to find him, make sure he was okay, and it almost made me miss the entire battle that I had technically orchestrated.