Liam’s shoes squished as he walked into the base. A rancid green slime sliding off him and onto the floor. Leaving a sticky blob in his wake.

“What’s that smell,” H-Bar called out. Fingers reaching up and pinching his nose.

“That would be our newest member,” Skip said as he stepped away from Liam. Having completed the teleport, he moved to give Liam a wide berth.

“What d’you do? Jump into a container of rotting food.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Liam said in a deadpan voice. “It’s not that bad.”

“Says the guy hiding in a helmet.”

Well, there was no arguing that point. He was safe in the suit and had no intention of removing his helmet until absolutely needed.

“I got in a fight with Sludge.”

“You let him get in close? How many times did I tell you to stay at range against him?”

“I tried, but he’s faster than he looks and I thought I had the tool to take him down.”

“Enough, shower now, we can talk more when I can breathe around you,” Skip said as he butted in.

“Fine,” Liam mumbled. Turning around, he started to walk towards his room when H-Bar called out again.

“You’re not slugging that through the base. Skip teleport him to his bedroom.”

“Nope. I got him here, that’s all I agreed to do,” Skip said. Crossing his hands over his chest.

“It’s either that or he tracks sludge all the way to his bedroom. Which I might point out is past yours.”

That revelation was all Skip needed to come forward and transport Liam to his room. Jumping away the moment after they arrived.

Liam didn’t need to be told twice. He crept to his shower, trying to avoid sludge falling everywhere. He got into the tub without leaving a trail behind him. Looking at his suit in the mirror, Liam decided it was best to stay in it while he showered. Globs of green gunk was all the motivation he needed. Only when the air was breathable again, would he come out.

Turning on the water, Liam began to scrub like crazy. As green goop fell onto the shower floor Liam knew he’d have to bleach the room. If H-Bar’s comment was any indication, the place would be uninhabitable until that was done.

As Liam scrubbed, his mind started to wander. It’d taken some time for him to get used to being a Hero. There was a certain rhythm to it that could only be felt when living in their world. After weeks on the job Liam was finding his place. Training, briefings, patrols, and meeting with the press were all part of it. Each fitting together into the melody that was his new life.

Every day the song was similar to the day before with slight differences. The briefings of yesterday became the actions of today. And the actions of today became the news conferences of tomorrow. It was a continuous cycle that Liam was growing accustomed to. He was no longer the stranger in this song. But was becoming one of the musicians in his exciting new world.

In the mornings, Liam was getting up earlier. Often being one of the first people in the training room and one of the last to leave. It was the grind for improvement that kept him there. With perfection as the ultimate goal. With each small victory Liam came closer to that unattainable ideal. He used the attack on the bank as motivation. Determined to prevent other officers from facing the same fate. He knew he couldn’t change what happened that day, but with enough effort he’d stop it from being repeated tomorrow.

When The Hunt was on patrol, Liam became a trusted member of the team. His devices being called to action more often every week. Each of his gadgets provided the team with advantages they’d never known before. Need to see what’s happening in that window? His robotic fly could show you. What about listening in on a conversation between criminals? He had a tool for that. A little sound gun, that when aimed at a target, captured whatever was being said. Have a stakeout tonight? Not a problem for Liam’s suite of cameras, that could cover any building in the city and the block surrounding it with ease.

The team was beginning to rely on his technology. And using it had enabled them to become more efficient. Allowing them to help more people with less chance of collateral damage. Both of which were accomplishments Liam was proud of.

Patrols were also becoming much more common for the already stretched team. After three deaths in a matter of days they put their energy into reassuring the public. From becoming more visible on the streets. To calling dozens of additional press conferences. The team did everything in their power to ease the worries of the citizens of Des Moines.

Despite all their work, the search for Mr. Dean’s murderer had made no progress. Every lead they’d uncovered was running dry. And with such limited evidence, it was looking like they wouldn’t be able to solve the case. Not that that was public knowledge.

To the people of the city, the case was still on track and the Heroes were hot on the trail of the culprit. How long the public would believe that only time would tell.

On a good note, Liam was shining with the press. After their first contentious exchange, where Blue Feather had caused such a commotion, Liam had been worried he’d always live in her shadow. Her betrayal a constant stain lingering over him. But he’d been wrong. Since that interview the media had decided he was the little darling of the team. The cities very own techie. One of the few places that could claim such a thing. Often they’d create fluff articles just to paint Liam in a good light. It was a type of attention Liam had never experienced before, but found enjoyable.

With his suit as clean as it would get, Liam turned off the shower. Taking one last breath through his suit’s filtered air he popped open the latch. His head coming out a moment later.

Taking a tentative whiff of the air, Liam understood what H-Bar was complaining about. While it wasn’t a bio weapons grade smell, like H-Bar implied, it was still bad. His earlier assessment had been right, the bathroom would need a bleach bath.

Pulling off the rest of his suit Liam headed to his closet to find something else to wear. When he looked inside he was greeted by scant options for clothing. However the space was crammed with something else, his very own Hero merchandise.

Of all his new experiences, what amazed Liam the most were his collectables. Shirts, posters, and even an action figure. All of Source in his black and green motif. It was hard to put into words just how it made him feel. However, every time he looked at his likeness it was like he’d sprouted wings and took flight. Sailing through a cloudless sky as the wind rushed through his hair.

The ‘Source merchandise shrine’ was taking up more closet space by the day. All the posters were in the back, a box of the shirts in front. The team hadn’t noticed the new collection yet, and Liam was hoping to keep it that way. The thought of them finding Liam’s stash sent a blush creeping to his cheeks. Yes, best to keep this secret to himself Liam thought, especially H-Bar. The man would never let him hear the end of it.

Pulling out a couple shirts, Liam moved them to the bed while he decided what else to wear. Reaching the bed he found a small package on it. One he’d missed when he first entered the room. Brimming with curiosity, Liam opened it up and found a small pack of what looked like baseball cards inside. Only the front had a picture of a Hero taking flight. Stuck to the back of the pack was a sticky note.

Turning it over Liam read the note.

‘First batch of the Rookie Hero cards came out today. They guaranteed your card was inside. Hope you like what you see. Frank’.

The team’s merchandise guy had done it again. Getting him a sample to add to the Source exhibit right away. Liam would have to find out when the man’s birthday was and send him an amazing thank you.

Ripping open the pack, Liam shuffled through it. Going through pictures of many of his old classmates from the academy, until he found what he was looking for. His card, which showed him on a street corner, holding his staff at the ready. The end ablaze in spitting electricity.

For now he put the card on the top shelf of his closet. He’d have to get a case for it before it was damaged.

With his exciting new piece of merchandise uncovered Liam moved back to getting ready. Pulling on the shirt and pants in quick succession as the smell from the bathroom was beginning to waft out.

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Retreating from his room Liam raced to the workshop. Until he found some bleach he’d be living down there.

When he reached the room, he found the only piece of his collection kept in the open, a small action figure. The little Source was sitting on a desk overseeing the workshop. Guarding the room as the real version tinkered away nearby. Over time, noticeable differences had appeared between the suit worn by the real Source and the plastic one. As Liam gained experience as a Hero, his understanding of what his suit needed had also expanded. Which translated to changes in the armor. The most noticeable of which was when the suit came together. It was no longer a set of different pieces. It’d evolved into a single cohesive unit where each part locked into those around it. Allowing Liam to face whatever challenges he’d encounter knowing there was no obvious weak point in his suit.

Before Liam knew it a new action figure would be needed. Couldn’t have kids playing with an outdated model. What really excited Liam about this was seeing the changes in his Hero’s appearance over time. What would his suit look like ten years from now? Maybe it’d have six arms and a tail.

Laughing to himself Liam sat down to work. Allowing the melody of life to change around him. He’d already proven he could keep up with it. Two months on the job made sure of that. He was just happy he’d found a great home with The Hunt.

His workshop was proof of his acceptance here. It was no longer the empty white space from when he first found it. Now it had a little character. New contraptions littered the room in an organized mayhem only Liam understood.

On one of the frosted white tables was a boot with dozens of wires running out of its heel. On the back, hidden by the boots armor and the wires, was what could best be described as a rocket engine. While its purpose wasn’t written anywhere, it was clear from a glance, it was meant to fly. A prototype of which Liam hoped would one day bring him into the air, something he was far too giddy about. And who wouldn’t be? Being able to take off and soar with the birds was a fantasy many people shared.

With any luck he’d be able to test the boots soon. Showcasing them to the team after they became part of his arsenal. That would be a great surprise for them. He could imagine the look on H-Bar’s face as he saw Liam flying in the air above him. He’d have to be careful not to give any hints about the boots otherwise he might spoil the reveal.

Laying on a separate table was an exosuit arm. The cold metal muscle was designed to strap onto the back of his suit and increase its strength. One of Liam’s biggest weaknesses was his close quarters fighting. This device would allow him to mitigate that. Increasing his strength and allowing him to fight on an even playing field against many Cowls. He wouldn’t be on the level of Ullr, but the new arm would more than double his strength.

The room and all the devices in it were something to be proud of. And Liam was happy to call it his own.

After he’d been working for around thirty minutes H-Bar came in. Cracking the door he poked his head inside and took a great exaggeration of a sniff. Keeping his eyes scrunched tight as if afraid of what he’d find.

“It’s breathable, thank goodness,” H-Bar said with relief.

“Don’t give me that, it wasn’t that bad,” Liam said with a wave of his hand.

“Is that why you retreated here and aren’t in your room?”

Liam didn’t dignify the comment with a response. Only swiveling in his chair so he was facing the other direction.

“I get it, no more talking about how you got into a fight with a skunk.”

“Are you going to help me with this or would you like to do it on your own?”

“I’ll be as quiet as a mouse,” H-Bar said as he rushed to the offered seat next to Liam.

The two got to work on several improvements to H-Bar’s lights. It was slow going, for every piece that worked two proved useless. However, each had to be reviewed, that’s the way development worked.

When they first started, Liam wanted to just build new lights for H-Bar, however he couldn’t do that. He had to begin by determining what to improve. To help with that they discovered what properties of light H-Bar could control. Then, they worked on manipulating the lights to enhance H-Bar’s abilities. Wavelength, intensity, and distance to the source were all measured and reviewed. The results were less promising than they’d hoped. The only factor that impacted the power of H-Bar’s ability was the number of lights and the intensity of them.

They toyed with the idea of using an ultraviolet or infrared light, that opponents couldn’t see. But that came crashing down when H-Bar couldn’t control them. It seemed he had to see the light to manipulate it. But from those ashes came the new plan for H-Bar’s suit.

Adding more power to lights without increasing their weight. There were many advantages to the plan, increasing H-Bar’s access to his power while not impacting his movement was key among them.

“No luck with these either,” H-Bar lamented. The man started each meeting excited and energetic. But as their work wore on he became bored with the process. With each new test his shoulders would sag a little more, until he couldn’t continue any longer. But, like clockwork, he would come to the next day energized and ready to try again.

“That’s not surprising,” Liam said, “and not out of the realm of what we expected.”

“Okay, then what’s next?” as H-Bar spoke Liam knew this meeting was coming to a close. If he didn’t do something fast, he’d lose H-Bar.

“Give me one second,” Liam said as he activated his power.

Unlike the rest of the team, who used their powers whenever they trained or fought, Liam used his sparingly. Every time he activated it he’d be unaware of his surroundings. Not something you wanted to do in the middle of a fight.

As the power began to take him. Liam’s brain exploded, in a good way. As ideas flashed through his mind. Hundreds and thousands of them whizzing around. Each idea was like a little spark of electricity, calling to him, telling him of the wonders they could bring. Those that flew near the surface were the simplest of ideas. Like adding armor to the lights. They would work like eyelids and protect the lights from damage. Focusing on that idea Liam could see a path forward and the steps he needed to achieve it. The more complicated the idea the harder it was for Liam to focus on it. Which was why he often had to take progressive steps towards the ultimate device lest he get lost along the way.

Switching his focus from the armored lights, Liam dove deeper into his sea of ideas. The farther he went, the fewer ideas there were, but each was a much larger ball of energy. Zapping its way through Liam’s mind. These ideas were also much more difficult to implement than the smaller ones on the surface.

Looking around at all the possible solutions Liam’s eye was caught by one such ball of energy. It involved modifying the dopant profile for the LEDs in H-Bar’s suit. A change there would result in a substantial increase in energy efficiency and light output. All at no extra weight. Though the lights would be more expensive. Adding a little armor to them might be a smart idea. Good thing he’d scanned through that first thought at the start.

With his ability ending, Liam said, “I’ve got another idea, but it’ll take time to build.”

A weird taste of metal lingering in his mouth as he talked. One of the more annoying side effects of his ability.

“Great let’s hear it,” H-Bar said, his posture straightening up. New light shining in his eyes.

“Well I’m going to make new lights for you. They’ll weigh the same, but should increase output twenty percent more,” Liam said. Running the numbers through his head, Liam nodded when they checked out, then continued, “We should also add protection to the lights since they are custom made and come with a little price tag.”

“I love everything I just heard.”

“I’m sure you do,” Liam said. Just able to hide a laugh by clearing his throat, “It’ll take a few weeks to a month for a prototype.”

As Liam spoke he was already planning out the time table. There were so many things to complete. The implanter for the new doped lights was the first thing to build and would cost the most. He needed incredibly strong magnets, a high voltage power supply, and an ion source to name a few of the parts. None of which were what you call cheap.

Then there’d be the calibration of the tool and experimenting on the process. Both of which could take weeks. Before he could finally optimize the lights and create enough of them to cover H-Bar’s suit. In all, he expected it would take a little over a month.

“Don’t worry about getting it done fast. If it works, that’s all that matters,” H-Bar said. Rubbing his hands together with excitement. The man was like a kid dreaming of his birthday, already imagining what he’d receive. Sure, he’d said he didn’t care when the lights were done, but his actions betrayed the lie. He was dying to get his hands on them.

An announcement over the base speaker, “All Heroes report to the entryway.” interrupted their conversation.

“I didn’t think we had a patrol for another hour,” Liam said as he checked his schedule.

“We don’t,” H-Bar said as a frown crept across his face, “Let’s head over and see what’s going on.”

One of the first things Liam learned as a Hero was schedules never last. As the protectors of the city they rarely decided the time and place of a fight. Instead they were forced to respond to the latest Cowl trying to break the law. It wasn’t a bad thing, dashing from scene to scene. It let them shift their focus to whoever needed their help at that moment, but being repeatedly called out of his workshop in the middle of his work was getting old.

The other important thing Liam learned was the Broken Crest committed almost every crime in the city. Ninety percent of the time when they responded to a Cowl, they found a member of the Broken Crest facing them. Liam was still trying to figure out why they were the only Cowls in the area, but had made little progress on that front. He’d asked the team, and they didn’t seem to know either. It was a mystery Liam would keep poking at until he figured it out.

A quick walk later H-Bar and Liam found themselves with the rest of the team, gathering at the kitchen table.

“There was another murder,” Ullr said when everyone had gathered. There was no preamble, and no surprise in his voice. The man was stating the facts, like saying planes can fly and the grass is green.

“Again?” H-Bar asked. Glancing around at the rest of the team.

“Yeah, and it looks like the same MO,” Skip said. H-Bar let out a deep sigh as the words left Skip’s mouth.

“It’s too early to tell for sure, but we’ll be heading over to investigate,” Ullr said.

“Anything from the public?” Gladius asked.

The media would have a field day with this Liam realized. The team spent the last couple months calming them down, and it was finally starting to pay off. Then this comes along.

“All those extra patrols and public appearances for what,” H-Bar asked to no one in particular.

“We couldn’t have stopped this,” Liam said.

“Couldn’t we have?” H-Bar said as he eyed Ullr.

“Enough. What’s done is done. We can’t change the past. All we can do is look forward,” Ullr said as he stood up and walked toward Skip.

“Might as well head over,” Gladius said, as she followed Ullr.