Red vs. Black

Chapter 6

Liam doesn't mean for it to, but when he enters his flat, the door slams shut behind him. He's glad Niall's got to be in for work at half eight, otherwise he'd feel bad for the loud boom.

After pulling out the earphones that have been his source of entertainment for that morning's run, Liam walks towards the living area and leans over one of the couches to reach the remote. Once the channel's been turned to the morning news, he ventures over to the kitchen, taking out a glass and filling it with water.

"And if you woke up last night from shaking, no that wasn't an earthquake, but a freak thunderstorm. People from all around the capital reported a series of cracked and broken windows from how strong the noise was. Unfortunately, four teens in the Hoxton area fell victim to the storm. At three AM, one of the storm's lightning bolts struck their convertible and killed all on impact. According to a statement made by one of the girls' parents, the young man driving took his father's car out for the night without consent. A few people had complained of the car's reckless driving prior to the random storm, but it's the porter of a nearby building that called the authorities to report the car being struck. Police and emergency vehicles arrived within minutes, but all passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families. On the other side of the city, a much more heartwarming story took place with an unlikely friendship between a dog and a cockatiel."

Death by lightning, how rare, Liam thinks while pulling out the eggs and vegetables that he plans on mixing together in an omelet. He remembers waking up in the early hours of the morning, wondering if he'd dreamt up feeling the room rumble, only to be corrected when a flash of white lit up his room moments later. Perhaps the reason the car was such an easy target was because at three, there weren't many others; the streets must've been deserted. But even at that time, night buses are still running. They're much larger and made of way more conductive metal than a convertible. So why not one of them? Science, Liam will never understand it.

As he waits for the hob to heat up, the phone in his pocket pings, a smile immediately coming to Liam's face when he knows who it's from. If it's even possible, the grin widens at the flirtatious response Zayn's texted back. He knew it was a risk to message the man this early in the morning since Zayn had made it abundantly clear that he despised going into his office to work, but Liam couldn't help but shoot him a quick text as soon as his run ended at the front of his building. And he's glad he did. The image of the two of them in a childish fort is one that Liam's now craving to make a reality.

I'm honoured 😊 is there a password to get in?

Once his phone's set down besides the egg carton, he focuses on the task at hand, pulling out a pan and unceremoniously throwing all the ingredients he's retrieved inside. He's about ready to stand there and watch the mixture solidify, but then he remembers that he put in a load of wash before he left.

Liam's suit as Red Valor comes out of the machine in a damp ball. Holding it by the collar, he shakes it out, checking to make sure that the oil stains that had rendered the material practically black had come out; he knows from past experience the right amount of soap and what temperature to set the water to make the dark splotches disappear, but it's a habit. The same can be said for Liam eyeing the suit for bullet holes. Clear of any knife marks or gaping holes from helping the tactical force unit defuse a hostage situation at a factory site two nights ago, the material's slipped onto a hanger and left to dry from Liam's bedroom door frame.

Over the years, the suit and Liam have become one.  Technically, it's his second.  The first was a massive waste, suffering great damage after only a few stabbings.  He learned then that Kevlar is the way to go in order to avoid constant repairs and losing the sense of completeness that comes with having a visual identity to go along with his alter ego.  Plus, it doesn't hurt the unbreakable material makes it a lot easier for the general population to explain how Red Valor can withstand attacks that would normally kill a man. They're lucky, it took Liam years before he came to a conclusion on how his body can heal the way it does.