When superhero Rob turns to villainy to complete his mission, he wasn't expecting to unmask the heroic monster threatening the city, nor to fall again for the supervillain he once betrayed.
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Superhero Roberto Tapir, a.k.a. Grizzly Bear, has a m...
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From March 2nd to April 15th, 2047
— Red Menace —
Red Menace was too violent of an alias for someone whose real name was Phillip Esposito. Mainly when the owner of said alias, a tall blonde with freckles and weird green eyes, stood sobbing in an empty street in the middle of the day.
Growing up, people always told him his eyes seemed a little too big and his forehead too small to the strong bridge of his nose. He'd always deal with it the same way—locked inside a bathroom, studying his face in the mirror and wondering how hard he'd have to hit himself to convince his mom he needed plastic surgery.
Léon was the first to say he liked his eyes and the last one to comment on them. And if Phillip had any chance of reconnecting with Léon, Grizzly Bear's presence in Invidia buried it along with all his hopes to rekindle their relationship.
Once Grizzly Bear ruined the party for him, Phillip marched out of the HQ with a furious expression and a heart filled with frustration. He could never control himself around Léon as much as he tried. Phillip jumped into his NAV, a blue Maybach 6, and breathed in the freezing air in Bouman street. He dried his tears on his sleeve, stuffed another marshmallow in his mouth, and stayed there for hours until the sunset dimmed into darkness and the moon shone above him.
Now, with puffed red eyes and dried tears on his cheeks, Phillip pressed his phone even more against his ear.
"No, Mamma, I'm okay... Yes. Yes, Dr. Brinn said I'm fine."
He loved the night. He loved the silence around him, the peace, the darkness. But he hated to be alone in it. His nonna used to say Phillip had solitude and selfishness as his personality enhancers, but he never felt it so strongly as that day. After all, he was used to having exactly what he wanted, so the idea of sharing Léon with that guy was a nightmare... even if he knew Léon was not his anymore.
Was it really selfish of him, though, considering he was the only one who could make Léon happy?
Phillip huffed and ran a hand across his face. "Mamma, I told you I had a business meeting yesterday at the office... No! I couldn't care less about The Mayor's son or his damned party. Dude's been dead for the past two years; why would I go?" He waited, then rolled his eyes. "Mamma, seriously, you can't ground me anymore; I'm twenty-four... Stop worrying. You're the best Commissary this place ever had; he won't replace you."
He raised his eyes skyward, asking for patience. No one answered, despite what nonna used to tell him—there was nothing up there but a dense, dark blanket of pollution hiding the stars.
"Mamma, I..." he trailed off as Invidia's doors opened. Bureau and Parfait finally appeared. Close behind them came Léon and Bear. Phillip reached for his keystick and started his NAV. "Mamma, I really need to go. We can talk more when I arrive home, all right?"
