Who Needs Superheroes?

Chapter 7: Myths, Technology, and Perfectly Tanned Skin

"What do you mean, 'he's back'?! He's been dead for years! There's no way he could have come back to life," I exclaimed, arms waving around in exasperation. I started to pace the floor in wide steps. Somehow, I ended up walking in circles around Fear and halted my actions. Fear merely stood as stiff as a board, calculating my next move. I noticed that his eyes were coal black, almost crowlike. After observing that I had stopped moving, he took a few slow steps until he stood in front on a giant window overlooking the city. I had not even noticed the window; I had been to absorbed with the sights of the room. Now, I noticed that the sky was darkened with sinister glow. It was drawing close to nighttime and the street lights had already been turned on. I had lost track of how long I had been in this strange place and began to worry if I would ever escape.  

"While Battlesword isn't immortal, like me," Fear spoke, pulling me away from my now worried thoughts. His voice seemed tiresome, as if he did not wish to explain anything to me. "He is extrememly resistant and can regenerate - almost like Achilles," Fear explained, turning back to face me, eyes glazed over. I thought back to the ancient Greek myths. In an attempt to make her son immortal, Achille's mother bathed him in the Styx. However, Achilles did not acquire full invulnerability: A small, vulnerable spot was left, due to his mother holding him at the heel. "Not a perfect example, but roughly the same. Battlesword was seriously injured, but I guess it wasn't enough to kill him; he healed and regenerated his strength." He sighed and turned his head back to the window, adding, "though, even immortals can die..." I was fairly certain he had not meant for me to hear that last part. Though he stood before me in his full form, he seemed as if he was far, far away. I pondered his words. What could he have meant?

I sat down on a black chair that had been placed next to the window and thought about it. Did Fear mean to say that there was a possiblity that even he could be killed? I could not imagine Fear dying. Despite all of the black he wore, he seemed so alive and well... invincible. The thought pulled at my heart and I shook it out of my head. Something was nagging at my mind. It started off as a small pull in my stomach, but the sensation increased the longer I sat until it became a pain.

I shot out of my chair and jabbed my index finger at Fear's chest. "Wait, but how did you find out he had come back?" He glared down at me with a look of anger and I immediately pulled my finger back.

"I have a security system installed around the city that is connected to this watch," he said and lifted the suit off of his left wrist. Beneath the black fabric was a flawless, tan skin. Tan? That had to mean that he went outside fairly often without his villain suit on. My mind drifted off yet again and wondered what his secret identity looked like. There was no way he could not have one. Did he normally wear a suit? Or dress casually? Would he look good in khakis? Of course he would; he was built like a god and could probably pull off any look.

On his wrist, was a black-banded black watch. Its sleek screen lit up with a touch of his finger. The smart watch revealed a miniture map of Justice with two small red dots and a small blue triangle and pink square on it.  The square and triangle were consistently blinking, whereas the dots remained fixated in their place. I gave fear a look of confusion and he clarified, "the red dots are suspicious activity, the blue triangle is me, and the pink square is... you," he finished sheepishly.

"So that's how you keep finding me."

"Yeah. Get over yourself. The only reason you're on there is the fact that you can't seem to keep your ass out of trouble."

"I was perfectly fine on my date with Klyde," I uttered.

Fear growled and stood up to his full height. "Drop it." The most scary part of that sentence is that he had not had a need to yell to settle my protests.