Superheroes Suck

Chapter 42: Totally F**ked

It felt like every few minutes some rich couple or group came up to me insistent that I take their photo. For the first few, I complied because it's usually a lot easier to do so. The problem was that people continued to come up to me and they all wanted a full photoshoot. I started turning people down after a while and did my best to blend into the wall.

It was difficult, most of the security Mr. Thompson hired were giving me strange looks as a slunk through the shadows. I didn't mind, it seemed like the only way I was going to get any candid photos.

I caught a flash of Harry in the crowd but it seemed people were reacting to him in the same way people had been reacting to me. It seemed odd at first that there was no other press at the event but Murphy explained his father donated a decent amount of money to the Advocate, trust me the irony is not lost on me. The furthest everyone else had been allowed was the front of the mansion, though security was well prepared to "handle" anyone who tried to sneak back around the gardens or sneak in.

I had had my fill of taking pictures so I decided to head back to Murphy. He mentioned that the dessert table had eclairs and that they were to die for, and after the thing with the gelato, I guess I trusted his taste buds.

"Nova?" I turned around to find a face I knew anywhere.

"Mary!" I turned on my heel and thrust myself into her arms. It had been far too long since we had spent any time at all outside of school. To be fair, we never go more than a couple days without getting coffee at least. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad got a last minute invite. They sent this insane dress," She did a twirl for me to show off the shimmery grey dress, "and my father's tux along with a freaking limo. Maybe I should just marry rich like you and devote myself to all the finer things in life."

"Shut up," I nudged her with my shoulder, "Murphy and I have a long way until marriage, if it even comes to that so I'm making the executive decision to end this embarrassing conversation. I love your dress, though I'm confused as to why they chose grey."

Mary shrugged, "Probably because the of the guy who sent it. He had a weird name, something with and E, but his last name was Greyson."

I stilled, "Was his first name Eobard?"

She nodded happily, unperturbed as my whole body shook, "Yeah, that's it. Dad rode in with one of his buddies but I took the limo and the driver let it slip."

Suddenly we were weaving through the crowds. My grip on Mary was tight as I searched for Murphy or my mother or someone else who could help us before shit went down.

I'm pretty sure you can guess why I panicked. Eobard Greyson had to be Stromer's father and him sending a dress to May could only mean one thing.

"Everyone down!" A voice in the crowd scream as the glass ceiling came crashing in, littering the ball room in a million tiny glass shards.

The attendees fell to the floor automatically, though something pushed me to move. They all lay huddled on the floor frozen while I pulled Mary through the servant's door. I know that I'm not one to run from danger, I usually run towards it camera in hand, but it was different this town. I had no doubt that this attack had to do with me, and my trembling friend who knew nothing of the world I somehow found myself in.

As we raced down the hallway, I tried to piece together everything I knew about Eobard Greyson and his sons. Having met Stromer several times, his older and theatrical son seemed to match the most but then again, I knew so little about them.

The sounds of footsteps met us when I burst out the side door and into the yard. Security had most likely pushed in, attempting to handle the situation inside. That only made it easier for us to slip past unnoticed, and thankfully Mary seemed to have accepted that I knew what I was doing. She grew less and less hesitant the further from danger we grew.