The Sidekick Club

1.8

Sam kept a wary eye open as she helped Ethan carry Edison through deserted alleyways. She couldn't be more overjoyed that her hero was alive, but at the same time, his identity had been revealed to both her and Ethan, and he had yet to wake from his unconscious state.

He was completely and utterly vulnerable, and it was up to her to protect him.

"My parents are at work," Ethan grumbled as they rounded a few corners and came upon a small apartment building, "but we can go up the fire escape to avoid suspicion from the neighbors."

"But won't someone see us through the windows?"

"We only have to pass one, and the old lady in that apartment always keeps her curtains shut."

"You sound like you have plenty of experience climbing down the fire escape," Samantha observed.

"Yeah, well, doesn't everyone go through that rebellious teenage phase?" Ethan tried to brush it off.

As Ethan pulled down the bottom of the fire escape, Samantha supported Thomas's full weight. She found it kind of ironic that he'd decided to name himself Edison when his real name was Thomas, but then again, she had never suspected a thing, so she guessed it worked.

Luckily for Edison, it didn't seem like Ethan knew Thomas Baker, which meant that even though Ethan saw him without a mask, his identity was still largely a secret. The only reason Sam recognized him was because he graduated from her school two years ago. She doubted he would recognize her though.

"I'll take him," Ethan reappeared and bent down to situate Edison's unconscious body over his shoulder. When he stood again, there was no denying he was heavy. Ethan felt the stress on his spine and wanted to cringe at the thought of carrying him up two flights of stairs.

Samantha stayed behind Ethan as he slowly made his way up the fire escape, keeping a white knuckle grip on one of the railings as he went.

The going was slow, and the fire escape kept squeaking sketchily, but eventually, Ethan leaned Edison against the wall for Sam to hold and slid open his bedroom window. Together, they pulled the unconscious hero inside and set him on Ethan's bed.

Samantha, once satisfied Edison was not going to fall on the floor, glanced around Ethan's room. It was a bit of a mess, but then again, what teenager's wasn't?

In hindsight, Ethan realized he probably should've listened to his mother when she told him to tidy it up last week. A cold feeling ran down his spine when he realized his super suit was hanging very visibly in his closet.

Luckily, a groan from Edison was enough of a distraction for him to stand in front of it, effectively blocking it from both of their views.

"He's waking up," Ethan muttered. "Of course, he had to wait until after I'd hauled his ass up two flights of stairs."

Samantha nervously bit her lip as she watched her hero's eyes flutter open. He groaned again and slowly propped himself up on his elbows.

Glancing around the room, he immediately became more alert when he didn't recognize his surroundings.

"Where am I?" his voice sounded hoarse and dry. Ethan handed him an unopened bottle of water that he kept on his nightstand and returned to his subtly-blocking-the-super-suit stance.

"My apartment, Sir," Ethan told him. "We found you in an alley and figured it'd be best not to leave you out in the open."

Edison looked at Ethan, then to Sam and shook his head. He weakly tried to get to his feet as he croaked, "I can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

It's too dangerous.

The words bounced around in Samantha's skull. It had been one of the last things he'd said to her before he'd disappeared. It's too dangerous.

Feeling her anger bubbling up inside of her, and finding herself unable to contain it, Samantha let all of her frustration, stress, and fear out on her idiot of a hero.

"It's too dangerous? It's too dangerous? Too dangerous my ass! If your stubborn ass had just let me help you then none of this-" Samantha stopped herself abruptly when she realized her mistake. She didn't have her mask on. She wasn't Hush. She wasn't his sidekick. She was an idiot.

"Holy shit," Edison wheezed and squinted at her, taking in the unmasked appearance of his sidekick for the first time.

Samantha sucked in a sharp breath and slid her gaze to Ethan, who watched the exchange with a surprised expression on his face, "Hush?"

"You can't tell anyone," she pointed an accusatory finger at Ethan. "And I mean anyone!"

She took a few threatening steps towards him and he raised his hands in surrender. "I won't."

"Swear it!" She poked his chest, making him take a step back to balance himself. "Swear that you-"

Samantha froze as she saw blue fabric hanging beside him. Blue fabric with gold trim. Ethan quickly blocked her line of vision by stepping in front of his suit.

"Oh my God," Sam said in realization.

"It's- it's just a Halloween costume," Ethan attempted to cover it up with a lie, though it was rather pathetic.

"You're Mr. Dependable."

"No I'm not."

"You're lying," Samantha narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah, whatever. At least we're even now. We've all seen each other without a mask, so we all have insurance that none of us will tell anyone else," Ethan said nervously, not liking this new feeling of vulnerability.

"What do you mean by that?" Edison asked suspiciously.

Sam rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly as she turned to her hero, "We sort of found you without your mask on. Mr Dependable put it back on out of respect."

Edison cursed under his breath and scratched his head.

"Whatever. That doesn't matter right now. I need to get in contact with the other heroes. Do either of you know how to contact them?"

"I only know Talon," Ethan told him.

"I'll call a club meeting," Samantha said, taking out her phone and preparing to send out a mass text.

"Club? What club?" Edison asked wearily.

Samantha looked up and smirked at her hero with a proud glint in her eye.

"The Sidekick Club, of course."