“What’s wrong with you? I was talking to my sister,” Liam yelled as he took off the now deactivated helmet.
Why would Mr. Hat care that he was talking to his sister? The call was secure, yet the man was freaking out like he’d just witnessed a murder, not someone talking on the phone. And an even better question, why did Liam listen when he was told to hang up? Was he still so used to being a Hero that he followed orders the second he heard them? Whatever the reason was, it could wait until he figured out why his new roommate went crazy.
“What’s wrong with me? You realize they’re listening to her calls.”
“Yeah, I know but I didn’t say anything they could use to find us. All I was doing was telling her I’m innocent,” Liam said. He set the helmet down on the bed with the rest of the suit.
“You don’t have to tell them where you are! They can track the call,” Mr. Hat shouted, arms flailing in the air.
“Maybe for a normal call, but not through my security systems.”
Mr. Hat stared at Liam like he was some kind of unknowable mystery. A fool in human disguise. The look grated on Liam nerves for its patronising appearance. Who was this man to act like that? Only one of them was known for their work with technology. And it wasn’t the guy yelling at people to get off the phone.
“We’re leaving,” Mr. Hat said. Racing to the closet he grabbed a duffle bag and threw it onto the bed, “You have a minute to pack the suit, then we’re gone.”
Liam stared at the bag, waiting for Mr. Hat to laugh and say this was a joke. But that didn’t happen, one look at the man’s face convinced Liam he was serious.
Seeing Liam frozen to the spot Mr. Hat glanced at his wrist and said, “Fifty-five seconds and counting.”
Keeping his grumbling to himself, Liam packed the suit. Rushing from one piece to the next. He needed the man, for now. His freedom relied on it. If keeping that protection meant he had to play along then he’d do it. Once they were gone, and no one came bursting in, then he’d call the man out for his paranoia.
Putting a glove in first Liam felt the tough denim like material of the bag. It was built to take abuse and stay intact. Unfurled it was big enough for him to climb inside. But to avoid damaging the suit, more than it already was, Liam had to be careful when he put everything inside. Like Tetris he packed the pieces of his suit into the bag in their exact spots.
While he was packing Mr. Hat went to the window. Peeking through the blinds at the street outside. In the week Liam had been here he’d never seen the man do that before. The blinds were constantly drawn to prevent outsiders from looking in. That action alone started to wear on Liam’s nerves. Even though he knew there was no way anyone could track his call, the other man’s actions were frightening to him. This wasn’t a joke, Mr. Hat was afraid someone knew where they were.
A thought flooded Liam’s mind, what if he was wrong and The Hunt could track them? Any second now they could come bursting through the door. Would he fight? How could he? The suit was going into the bag, without it he was an average person. Unable to protect himself from those with powers. No, Liam chided himself. There was no way they traced his call. Even if they got some information from it, they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint a specific building, let alone a room. At best they’d get a section of the city. Still enough space for Liam to hide in, everything was fine. He’d humor Mr. Hat for now and when this all blew over he’d point out the other man’s paranoia.
Reaching the last few items Liam had a little trouble fitting them into the bag. There was only so much room in there and everything refused to go in nicely. Seeing Liam slowing down, Mr. Hat left the window. Grabbing what gear was yet to be packed, he unceremoniously squished it in. By the time Liam knew what was happening, it was already too late.
“What are you doing? That’ll damage something.”
“If that damages the suit then it’s crud armor. I don’t think you’d make something that weak.”
If it wasn’t already damaged, the armor would be fine, but that wasn’t the case. Liam kept his mouth shut and winced with every scrape and ding. Hoping it sounded worse than it was. He would have to check the gear later, it’d be like he was starting the repairs all over again.
When the last piece of the suit was crammed in, all Liam could do was shake his head. Holding back his rising emotions by the thinnest of margins.
“Put this on,” Mr. Hat said as he tossed a hoodie at Liam.
The faded blue thing was well worn with West High emblazoned on the front. So he was playing a high schooler today. Way to make him feel better, Mr. Hat. Liam left those horrible years behind a long time ago and now he had to relive them. A flush spread over his face as he realized he was comparing a hatred for highschool with what was happening to him now. They weren’t even in the same league.
Liam slithered into the thing and pulled the hood low before picking up the duffel bag and following Mr. Hat. The two made their way to the door grabbing nothing else in the apartment. The solid door had been a gate protecting Liam from the world outside. A world intent on destroying him. The door had done its job for the last week. Now Liam was about to venture past it, facing whatever lay beyond.
To say he was nervous wouldn’t do his feelings justice. He felt like crawling into the closet and waiting a week before venturing forth. Hoping the world would forget about him. But Liam couldn’t do that, he needed Mr. Hat.
Reaching for the door Mr. Hat stopped and said, “I almost forgot.”
Liam was unsure what he was talking about as he watched the man dart back inside. Pulling the blinds open on all the windows. Allowing the golden light of the afternoon sun to spill into the apartment. What would’ve been a pleasant feeling, having avoided the glow for the last week, only prickled the back of Liam’s neck.
If the door to the apartment had been the gate to Liam’s little castle. The windows were its towers. Seeing them fall sent Liam closer to the edge. The once impenetrable safety this apartment offered was gone.
Mr. Hat was back at the door a second later, tool box in hand, leading them into the unknown. It was Liam’s first time outside in what felt like ages, even though his mind told him that was a lie.
All the reasons and excuses to stay in the apartment and ignore Mr. Hat came flooding in, as if his mind had sent out a blank invitation. Asking on what grounds he could second guess this escape. Liam’s breathing sped up, becoming rapid and shallow. His pulse thundered inside his head, dimming his senses to everything else around.
He was better than this. He was a Hero, the outside world couldn’t scare him. Liam watched as Mr. Hat opened the first lock. It clicked then fell apart as if in slow motion. All they were doing was going to another safe house. Nothing would go wrong.
When the second lock clicked, Liam nearly jumped out of the sweatshirt. Was it supposed to make that much noise when it disengaged?
When the final lock clicked open Liam swallowed hard, it was time. Mr. Hat nudged the door ajar and stuck his head outside. Checking both ways before leaving the room, Liam hesitantly followed on his heels. With every step he made, his legs shook. Liam took extra care, afraid he would fall at any moment. Looking casual was key and tumbling onto his face wouldn’t help with that.
Out of the room Liam kept his head down. Following Mr. Hat’s feet. There’ll be a car nearby that’d take them to the new safe house, Liam assumed. Once inside he’d hunker down in the back. Avoiding the gazes of everyone they passed. All he had to do was make it there, then he could relax some. But that expectation wasn’t met as Mr. Hat didn’t take them to a car. Instead he scurried across the street, Liam sticking on his heels.
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The cold air of late autumn stung Liam’s face. In his time as a Hero he was never outside without his suit. The simple shift in temperature was a reminder of what he’d given up as part of the job. A sad, but a necessary part of it. Pulling his head farther into the hoodie, Liam made it look like he was huddling for warmth, when he was really trying to avoid detection.
They made their way down the block, stepping around the larger cracks in the cement. The sidewalks in this part of town were once sleek and precise. A shining example of what a city block should look like. That time was long gone. The cracked walkways of today resembled the broken dreams of those who used them.
Only a few other people were on the street. Liam didn’t look at them and he didn’t hear any cries of alarm. Either the people in this part of town didn’t care who he was, weren’t paying attention, or couldn’t tell. Each option was great for someone like Liam who was trying to sneak through.
Unsure where they were going, Liam was about to ask when Mr. Hat turned into another apartment building. This one, Liam noted with a quick glance, was in better shape than the one before. At least he could only see one broken window from the street.
The two tiptoed through the building. Going up two floors before Mr. Hat drew out a new set of keys. Sliding them into a plain door, it opened into a small studio behind. There was a simple wooden chair and bed to the far side of the room. But other than that it was empty, if well cared for. For a backup place it was in great shape, looking recently cleaned. Either Mr. Hat was running around town maintaining safe houses or he’d bought the place as a precaution.
When they were inside and the door shut behind them, Liam could relax again. Lowering his hood with hands that trembled. Looking at the new door to this safe house Liam noted only two locks. Either Mr. Hat thought this place was safer, or hadn’t gotten around to adding more.
In the back of the room was a window with open blinds, showing a view of the street outside. Mr. Hat went to it first and closed the blinds, then snuck a peek through. Separating two by the barest of margins as he watched the world outside.
They made it to the new place Liam thought. It was so much closer than he expected. Wasn’t it too close if someone found the last one? He’d assumed they’d go across town to find somewhere to stay. Well away from any doors being kicked in. Only to travel a block. If someone had tracked his call, they’d know what cell tower he’d used, and this building was bound to be on the same one. Which meant they could get a kind knock from the police at any time.
“Shouldn’t we leave the city?” Liam asked. Hoping Mr. Hat had somewhere outside the city they could stay.
“How many places do you think I own?” Mr. Hat asked.
Liam’s gaze darted downward. What was he thinking? The man saved his life and was hiding him. Wasn’t that enough for him?
“Pretend I never asked.”
Without turning from the window Mr. Hat said, “Sounds like a plan.”
With nowhere else to go and inside, Liam’s heartbeat slowed down. He was protected here. No need to fear the team as long as there were walls around him. This apartment would become his new castle, sheltering him from the world.
With his body calming down Liam got to work. Opening up the bag he started to take out equipment. Mr. Hat paid no attention to what was going on as he stayed at the window, focused outside.
Each piece of equipment Liam removed from the bag went through a thorough check. Making sure there was no new damage. While they were walking, he’d been careful not to shake the parts, but after they were crammed inside, his efforts might’ve been in vain.
The first two pieces he removed weren’t any worse for wear, but the third was a different story. Shoving the equipment into the bag had caused the suit’s breastplate to be impaled by a glove. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, the outside of the breastplate was hard enough to prevent damage. Unfortunately the glove wasn’t pushed into the outside of the armor, instead digging into the vulnerable interior. Without a thorough inspection there was no way to know the extent of the damage, but one thing was clear. There was something wrong with it now.
Liam gritted his teeth. Trying not to explode at the man in front of him. The anger he’d felt a week ago had never left him, it’d only been contained. Now it was screaming for release. But he needed the man, remember that, Liam commanded himself.
From the window Mr. Hat said, “They haven’t arrived yet, we got lucky.”
It wasn’t an aggressive or heated comment. It was simply Mr. Hat saying the other place hadn’t been found. But that was all it took for Liam to snap, “Lucky? My armor was damaged by your fears. We could’ve taken a few extra seconds and prevented that. Now I have to spend time repairing something that was already fixed because of your paranoia.”
Mr. Hat turned to Liam. Slowly making eye contact with the younger man, “You’re the biggest fool I’ve ever met.”
Another simple statement. If the first one opened the doors to Liam’s emotions, this one blew them off their hinges.
“I already told you, I’m a techie they won’t be able to trace the call! You’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting? Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you if they find you?”
Liam hadn’t thought of it. Sure there was a fleeting idea of what might happen, but he pushed it aside. There was no point in worrying about ‘what ifs’ right now.
“They’ll kill you on sight,” Mr. Hat said.
With the words out in the open, there was no hiding from it as the truth shook Liam’s heart. To be hunted by those you trusted was something he couldn’t describe. The pain, anger, confusion, and a dozen other emotions combined into something new and horrible.
“I know, that’s why I was being safe.”
“Are you a techie who specializes in communication?” Mr. Hat asked.
“No.”
“Didn’t think so. I can guarantee they have someone like that working this case. You’re famous throughout the country, they’ll get whatever resources they need to capture you.”
Liam had never faced off against another techie. Having them try to break his security would be a game of cat and mouse. Testing his skills against another like that would’ve been everything Liam was looking for a few weeks ago. Now it was an annoyance he hoped to avoid.
“Still, cracking my system will be difficult. I spent a lot of time working on the firewall.”
“I’m sure you did, but the differences between a techie who focuses on something and one who doesn’t is like clay and cement. You can build a home out of both, but one will stand up against the elements much better.”
Weird comparison Liam thought. Shouldn’t it be something simple and easy to understand? Wait, was Mr. Hat saying his gear looked like it was made from mud?
“Well I don’t have a focus so are all my inventions mud?”
Mr. Hat looked at Liam for a moment, a perplexed expression on his face, “You have a specialty. Have you seen the other suits from other Hero techies?”
There weren’t many other Heroes like him. People with powers similar to his tended to be bought up by large corporations. Their inventions could make companies billions, so those companies tried to poach every techie they could find.
Of the techie Heroes Liam knew, they all had hulking suits. Many as large as a tank and much tougher. Liam could only look forward to the day his suit would be like that. More like a walking wrecking ball than anything else. He wasn’t sure how much time it would take to get to that point, but couldn’t wait. When it arrived, his enemies would cower in fear.
“They’ve had more time than me to build their suits so they’re gigantic,” Liam said. Trying to hide his embarrassment that his suit didn’t meet those standards.
“It’s not that they want their suits to be that big, they don’t have a choice in it. They can’t make their suits smaller, but you can. I bet your original inventions were like that, small with multiple purposes.”
Liam’s mind went to his supresion stick. The little device had always been one of his favorites and it was as Mr. Hat said, small with multiple purposes. Liam’s mind followed Mr. Hat’s logic and asked.
“What does that make me? Small invention man?”
“Kind of, from what I’ve seen your specialty is connecting multiple pieces of technology without increasing their size. If you worked for a company, they’d drool over that ability.”
Great. he could make things smaller. Or maybe put more inventions into the same sized thing, Liam wasn’t sure. Either way what he knew was every other techie wouldn’t drool over that specialty. Especially those who could do something useful.
“Even if that’s right, it changes nothing,” Liam said.
“Doesn’t it? Look at your suit, you made something others can only dream of. Agile, small, and lightweight.”
Those were some advantages, but sometimes all you needed was more muscle.
“Techies who focus on communication can do things you’ve never heard of. Who’s to say they can’t crack your suit’s security.”
“Even if they could, it’d take them a long time to trace the call.”
Looking back out the window Mr. Hat said, “You think so? How about you take a look?”
Liam followed Mr. Hat to the window and peeked through the crack. A few buildings down on the far side of the street was their old apartment. Inside he could make out figures moving around. Their dark shapes made it hard to pick out faces, but only one group would be there right now. The Hunt was tracking them and was only minutes behind. Spinning away from the window Liam pressed his back to the wall. Breathing in long gasping breaths. Mr. Hat didn’t even turn as he continued to watch what The Hunt was doing.
“You’ll have to calm down if you ever want to face them again,” Mr. Hat said.
The man had no idea what people were feeling. Liam was calm, just surprised was all. He’d never thought they’d be tracked, let alone this fast.
“Not the chair, I liked that one,” Mr. Hat said, as he watched the Hero’s digging through his old home.