SUPER

Usual Suspects

Vertigo City is actually quite peaceful at five in the morning.

My footsteps fall in perfect harmony as I jog around Mooney Park. It's located just outside of downtown with big, shady oak trees lining the walking path and a lake right dab in the center reflecting the sunrise.

My father used to take me here when I was younger. I have memories of eating PB and J's on picnic blankets and watching the annual kite festival in the spring. I remember my father teaching me to ride a bike as I wobbled along the outskirts of the park. I remember setting up hammocks between the trees and reading cheesy teen romance novels until it got dark.

Being here makes me miss my dad. It seems like lately he's been so busy with work and Piper Green (ew) and I've been busy with school and Hero work that I've barely spent any time with him. Growing up my dad was all I had. I maybe all grown up now but I'm reluctant to let go of that completely.

Maybe that's why I come here to run and think.

Right now I have the park all to myself. There is an occasional fellow jogger or cyclist but for the most part I'm alone, allowing my mind to drift off with the rhymic thumping of my shoes against the pavement.

That is until I hear someone running behind me, matching their pace perfectly with mine. I turn around quickly, mid stride, but there's no one there.

It's only when I turn back around that I collide into him. It's like running into a brick wall.

"Gah!" I yell out, sprawling my arms out as I wobble back. Luckily for me a strong hand grabs mine and balance me out before I fall straight on my butt.

I look up only to be eye to eye with an amused Levi.

"You Supers are going to give me whiplash," I say slightly flustered as I pull away my hand from his, "What are you even doing here? How did you know where to find me?"

"I needed to talk to you," he says, "And I used to be brainwashed into stalking you by Genesis labs. Finding you is sort of an old habit."

"So you followed me? That's creepy dude."

Levi shrugs, reaching out his hand. I reluctantly take it and one quick bout of super speed later we're sitting on the other side of the lake, our feet hanging over the edge of the dock and over the water. I gasp out slightly, my breath a white cloud of smoke in the cool morning air.

"I still hate that," I shiver, " What is it you wanted to talk about that is so important it needed to interrupt my run?"

"I'm leaving town," Levi admits. I watch him in the morning light, the sun reflecting off his dark hair, "Vertigo City holds too many bad memories, you know, the whole being mind controlled to kill Finn thing. I need to be off on my own for a while. Figure out my own path in life now that someone else isn't picking it for me."

I'm quiet. Although our relationship started out rough (I'm still slightly bitter about the whole kidnapping bit) part of me does like Levi. There's something about him that's just easy to talk to. Even though he tried to kill Finn (no biggie right?) I know he only did so because he was being brainwashed by Genesis Labs Levi might not be a shining crusader for truth, justice, and the American way but he's no super villain either. "Well I'll be sad to see you go," I say finally, "Vertigo could always use another hero around town."

"You know as well as I do that I'm not exactly superhero material," he laughs.

I get a strange mental image of Finn and Levi wearing matching super suits and beating up bad guys.

"Ha! You're right. You and Finn aren't exactly the Wonder Twins," I laugh back before something clicks in my brain. It's so obvious I want to hit myself for not thinking it earlier, "But before you ago I have a favor to ask."