Being a Hero

Chapter 31

The song for this chapter is "Natural" by Imagine Dragons.

"We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers." –T'Challa, Black Panther

*Everett's POV*

"So...how many people did you call?"

Mabel glanced at me from under her mask, then back at the cars and single taxi pulling into the parking lot. "Aside from Boreas and Gusan? Leo and Auxiliary. I figured we could use all the help we could get."

"Did you have to call Boreas back though?" I grumbled, watching the ice punk race up the drive in costume. "Dude probably left a trail of ice all the way here. The whole world is going to know this is our base at this rate."

"Do you have a better idea?" she ground out.

I held up my hands. "No, but I don't like it." I frowned and looked back to see Leo step out of the taxi. "We should be able to save our own, you know?"

Mabel sighed. "I know. I don't like it either, but we need them. Leo especially, if this goes overseas."

"Yeah...at least Crow split before they all showed up. Can you imagine him and someone like Leo going at it?"

Mabel shuddered but didn't speak. Her eyes were elsewhere. I followed her gaze and watched as three people instead of the expected one piled out of the car with Michigan plates. From the description I'd heard from the ladies, the guy with glowing wrist bands was Auxiliary. So, who were the two girls?

Mabel smiled. "Jumper! What are you doing here?"

The lady in a lime green and dark red costume smirked. "Auxiliary told me you needed help. I couldn't let you have all the fun, now could I? Guess it's a good thing I sent Auxiliary one of my spare costumes in case I needed to visit again."

"Thank you for coming. Auxiliary, Switchblade, good to see you again." Then she introduced me, "This is Guinness."

"Pleasure to meet you." Auxiliary smiled and offered a handshake.

I cautiously shook his hand and nodded towards The Commons. "Coffee should be about ready if you want any."

"Yeah, let's get out of this cold," Boreas said, joining us.

"I find it refreshing, though hot coffee is always welcome," Leo said, striding past.

Gusan arrived a few minutes later, walking up from the bus stop. While Mabel ran introductions and debriefed our allies, I retreated to take the eye drops Mark had sent several of us home on. Turns out eye inflammation isn't fun, and the cold, dry air ain't helping. I knocked on a few teammates' doors as I headed back to The Commons. The sooner everyone was assembled, the sooner this could be over with.

Once everyone was present in the dining room, introductions were made one last time. Then we got down to business.

"Any leads?" Leo asked.

Mabel, who had been quietly elected the meeting's leader, shook her head. "I checked in with police this morning. They've got nothing aside from the lady at the bait shop seeing a black SUV pull into the drive yesterday. She didn't see when they left or remember their plates though."

Leo scratched at his goatee. "That's more than any of the other scenes. What about those stills you mentioned?"

Tracy turned on the tv on the far wall and typed something on her laptop. A moment later the pictures she'd been able to retrieve from the parking lot's surveillance camera appeared on screen.