This was real. It was happening. The words swam through Liam’s head. Demanding his attention, his recognition of what they meant. The world Liam once knew was gone. Only yesterday he’d woken up in The Hunt’s base. Warm blankets covering him and the thoughts of new inventions pleading for his attention. Now, that was a thing of the past.
The comfort and security of his old base. The knowledge he was making the world a better place. Everything he’d spent his entire life working for. All of it was gone in mere hours. Ripped away by a team that was like a family to him. A team he’d been willing to do anything to protect, to share his deepest pains, and moments of glory. Who Liam believed cared for him as well. That fantasy was shattered at the factory. When Liam called out the corruption in one. He found it growing in the shadows of the rest.
What came from this new world Liam couldn’t tell and he felt like throwing up at the prospect of finding out. For his entire life he’d followed a plan. Step by step reaching every milestone. Each in turn keeping him pointed true. As with everything else in his life, that was now gone. Burned away in the darkness of the night. What was left from that inferno, he didn’t know. The only indisputable truth that remained was this is happening. He couldn’t hide from that conclusion anymore.
With the realization came emotions he struggled to contain. They came at once, throwing themselves at him as he tried to stay in control. A wildfire that burned inside. The flames of it licking at Liam’s body. The initial push was staggering, bringing with it a brutal fight for dominance. But it was soon over, leaving Liam hanging onto the edge.
With the wildfire of feelings subdued, for the moment, it retreated to the corners of his mind. Leaving behind glowing embers, waiting as patiently as fire is known to. Their hungry red light begging for fuel.
With the embers still smoldering Liam spoke in a whisper, “I’m a Hero.”
The words echoed in his head. Hollow as a balloon. Its thin shell fooling no one.
Still curled up in a ball Liam rocked back and forth. His eyes never leaving the screen in front of him.
“I’m a Hero,” Liam repeated.
Each lie he told digging deeper inside. Sinking its fangs into his already weakened body. From here a cycle began as he spoke the mantra over, “I’m a Hero... I’m a Hero… I’m a Hero.”
His voice was low and emotionless, barely loud enough to reach his own ears. Carrying with it the deadpan nature of someone who’d lost all hope. But he continued on, the burning he’d felt earlier beating inside of him to this new tune. Pushing outward as it refused to die down.
Mr. Hat watched from his spot near the door. Not moving an inch. Through the first few verses of Liam’s new mantra he gazed on. Whether to allow the young Hero a chance to cool down, regain his bearings, and come back to his senses. Or because he had nowhere better to be Liam didn’t know and had no intention of asking.
Eventually the man’s patience ran thin. Looking over at Liam he said, “You can’t stay like that forever. Get up and let’s get to work.”
The brutal honesty of the comment pulled Liam back from his stupor. Who’d this man think he was? Demanding someone who’d just had their life fall to shambles ‘get to work’. How self-centered did you have to be for that?
Looking at the man Liam changed his assessment. The frankly bored look on Mr. Hat’s face showed he didn’t care what was happening. Or who it was happening to, as long as it wasn’t him. That attitude alone exemplified a man who had no problems destroying others if it benefited him.
“What do you mean? They ruined my entire life,” Liam said. A sharp edge slipping into his voice.
“Grow up. Shit happens in life. You learn to deal with it, or you won’t be here to worry about it, for long,” Mr. Hat said. Waving his hand dismissively towards Liam.
Who hit this guy as a kid Liam thought? It was almost like he was disappointed in the way Liam was behaving. Like he’d been through something worse and thought Liam’s circumstances were nothing to his own pains. If that was true Liam did not understand what it could be.
Or was he just a grumpy old man? Taking his anger out on someone younger. It was hard to tell, but looking at Mr. Hat that wasn’t the impression Liam got. There was something in his eyes, speaking of pain carried deep down. A pain he could never forget and carried with him every day.
Even if the man had been through something horrible, Liam refused to believe it could compete with his own recent past. Of that Liam was sure.
“I’m a Hero, how can I just get over this?”
“No you aren’t. At least not according to the rest of the world.”
Every comment Mr. Hat made seemed to be a needle aimed at Liam. Like he was trying to wound the younger man. While the older man might claim that wasn’t the case, Liam could see through it. The ember in his stomach, that was begging for a new life, had found its fuel. With each comment the older man made, it would grow. Bringing its burning glow back to life.
The fight to control the blaze was back on. But this time Liam was prepared, stamping out each flame as they shot to life. Refusing to allow this feeling to pull him into its depths.
Thinking back to what Mr. Hat said, Liam’s brain churned. The man was right, the rest of the world didn’t see him as a Hero. At least not anymore. It just wasn’t fair, he’d done everything right. He’d stayed loyal through it all and this was his reward? The anger and hatred of the town he’d protected began to tip the scales.
“But I haven’t done anything wrong,” Liam said.
“Have any proof of that?”
Proof of his innocence. Of which part? Of the team attacking him? The image of Ullr’s hand gripping his shoulder, flashed into Liam’s head. It was almost reassuring at first. A comfort for his youngest teammate before their fight with Skip. Then the crunching sound of metal on his shoulder being bent inward. Ullr’s hand still there, the destroyed camera in his grip. Yeah no chance of that, Ullr made sure of it.
But he’d collected other evidence. Like the pictures of Skip’s goo disappearing at the crime scene. That was on the tablets in his workshop. Also backed up for safety in multiple databanks. Unfortunately, all of which were out of his reach right now, Liam realized. Under lock and key at the Hero’s base. Liam’s gaze turned somber at the thought.
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Without the evidence in his hands it was worthless. Liam had to get the proof of his innocence. Once it was out in the open, it would clear his name. Sure his Hero career would be over, there’d be no putting his face back under wraps after this, but he’d be proven innocent and get some part of his life back. Both of which were worth whatever price was asked at this point.
Now all he needed was a way to get it back. He’d have to sneak into The Hunt’s base, maybe this Mr. Hat could help create a diversion. Once he had the files, he could release them to the public. With that new goal in mind the flames inside of him died down, once again. Their seesaw life swinging the way of control.
“What do you want me to say? It’s all back at the base. All we have to do is get it and everything will be back to normal,” Liam said. His voice firming up for the first time today.
“It’s already destroyed by your former team.”
The comment hit Liam hard. He wanted to deny it, claim the man was lying, but he found it hard to talk. The evidence was already destroyed? How could that be? Heroes weren’t allowed to destroy evidence, it was against the very fiber of what they stood for. The moment the thought came Liam was already embarrassed by it. Heroes weren’t allowed to destroy evidence, that was true. But did his former team fall into that category?
Every spec of evidence that could point to The Hunt was already gone or in the process of being destroyed. There was no way they’d leave it around, and short of breaking into the base now there was nothing he could do to stop its destruction. What else could he even try? Walk outside and ask them to leave it be. That’d end up perfectly, with him in jail. Electronics were out of the question as well. Even with a perfectly functioning suit there was no way for him to reach the files. At least not without being there in person. That was one of the many safety features he’d built into the storage systems. The very systems designed to keep the bad guys out were now protecting them. The irony wasn’t lost on Liam. All of that left one conclusion, he was in real trouble now.
The brief ray of hope faded before Liam’s eyes. Taking with it the last bits of resistance to the ember inside of him. Sensing its freedom it sprang to life like a spark to kindling. Growing into a red hot dragon, roaring with rage, destruction on its breath.
“Didn’t expect that now did you?” Mr. Hat asked with no hint of mockery in his voice. Even if the statement entailed it.
The words didn’t even register to Liam as the world was dyed in red. The only sound he heard was the blood rushing to his head.
Before Laim knew what happened, he found himself turned toward the wall. His fist coated in plaster dyed in liquid red as he pulled it out of the once solid surface. Leaving a hole from his flash of anger. The ember inside of him laughing at what it’d just done.
Mr. Hat, a few feet away, didn’t even twitch at the sudden outburst. He simply stared on. Almost bored by the sudden display of violence.
“The most expensive healer in the Midwest fixed you up not two hours ago and this is how you repay that kindness? By hurting yourself again,” Mr. Hat said in his deadpan voice.
Liam’s eyes flashed open at what he’d done. Seeing the destruction his shoulders sagged, the fight leaving him.
“Sorry about the wall,” Liam replied.
What’d just happened? One moment he was having a conversation, the next he was trying to destroy a building. This wasn’t the Liam he’d been his entire life. This was someone different. A small voice in the back of his head asked if that was a bad thing. Hadn’t the old Liam gotten him into this mess?
“I couldn’t care less about the wall. Your hand is a different story. You could’ve just broken it.”
Liam didn’t answer, he just stared at his hand. Each drop of red falling from it called to him. Promising vengeance on those who put him in this situation.
“It doesn’t hurt, it’s only a scratch,” Liam said.
He wasn’t lying, he couldn’t feel his hand right now. And who was to say the blood falling from it wasn’t from a scratch? Liam wasn’t a doctor so it wouldn’t be him.
Mr. Hat left for the kitchen, ignoring what Liam just said. The sounds of cupboards opening and closing followed in his wake. Liam didn’t know what he was looking for and didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was the call of the red droplets as they fell one by one.
A few seconds or hours later, Liam couldn’t tell, Mr. Hat returned. Handing over a cold pack wrapped in a towel. The simple gesture was enough to knock Liam back to reality, bringing the sharp pain in his hand to focus. Wrapping his injury in the blissful chill Liam walked away from the apartment’s new decoration. The hole almost matched the rough appearance of the place.
“I’m sure you’re right. They wouldn’t leave such an obvious vulnerability. All the evidence must have been destroyed.”
“I’m glad you’re starting to see reason.”
There was another long pause in the conversation. Looking to the older man Liam found him back in the kitchen, eating an apple. Slicing each piece in a practiced manner then popping them into his mouth. He didn’t even look at the wall, seeming to not care his security deposit was going out the window.
“Are you a Cowl?” Liam asked.
The question had been growing in his mind for a while now. He had to know who this mystery man was. Since he didn’t volunteer the information Liam would work to pry it out of him.
“I’m above any classification like that.”
“So you are.”
“Listen kid the world isn’t black and white, Hero or Cowl, but a rainbow of colors.”
Liam had heard the saying before but didn’t buy it. In every situation there was a right and wrong. That’s how the world worked. Bringing an order and uniformity to everything. It was an ideal he lived by and one of the reasons he became a Hero. If you couldn’t find right and wrong around you, then you weren’t looking hard enough.
Middle ground was just an excuse people used to do bad things. They’d tell themselves they weren’t bad, they were just forced to do it. His team was a prime example. They saw killing him and branding him a traitor as the better of two choices. Looking at it from any sane perspective would show that was the wrong choice, yet they made it. The excuses they clung to were just that. Rationale meant to make them feel better.
“Am I a Cowl now?” Liam asked. Leaving unsaid his belief about good and evil. He’d never believe he was, but would others agree with that?
“I doubt they’d take you.”
Again the man surprised Liam. Who would’ve expected a response like that?
“So even the bad guys don’t want me.”
Mr. Hat stopped eating his apple as he thought about it. Mulling over what to say next.
“Too much heat on you. It’s nothing personal though.”
What, the Hero who broke ranks was too well known? Only everyone in the entire country would know his face by tomorrow. How could that be too much?
“Isn’t there heat on all of them?”
“If you joined a crew, every Hero in the country would be after them. Do you think any group wants that kind of heat?”
“Then why are you helping me?”
“I told you I’m not a Cowl,” Mr. Hat said. “And I doubt they’d even think to chase me.”
Liam didn’t speak for a moment, instead he watched Mr. Hat plop another slice of apple into his mouth.
“What do I do now?” Liam asked. His injured hand falling to his side. Ice pack secured and doing its magic.
“Work for me. You owe me your life, anyway.”
Such a simple statement from Mr. Hat, but it carried so much behind it. Could Liam work for this man? The one who didn’t mention his past. Who claimed to have saved Liam’s life. Even if Liam himself didn’t remember it.
“Regardless of what people think of me, I still see myself as a Hero and we don’t work with Cowls,” Liam said.
Liam knew it sounded weak as he said it, but he had to cling to the thought. As soon as he admitted that part of him was gone then he was lost for good. Swept away by what was happening around him.
“You can say that all you want, but no one thinks you’re a Hero anymore.”
“What people think of me doesn’t change who I am,” Liam said. His voice almost sounded convincing. Mr. Hat’s face showed what he thought of it.
“Well I’m working to bring down your old team. If that interests you at all.”
Bring down his old team? Now that was an interesting proposal.