Ms. Jones, the orphanage director, was a short, stout woman with gray hair and a kind smile. She had been the director of the orphanage for as long as Ryker remembered being there. It had been his only real constant in his life, which was why he appreciated the orphanage when others often despised it.

Inside her office, it was small and cluttered; there was a desk, a filing cabinet, and a few bookshelves. Mrs. Jones sat behind her desk and gestured for Ryker to sit in the chair across from her.

"So," Ms. Jones said. "I've heard about what happened at Circuit City."

Ryker nodded. He didn't want to say anything yet because he didn't know what she heard.

Ms. Jones studied Ryker for a moment for any hint of vulnerability, but she didn't see any. It was much different from when he first arrived all those years ago. "Do you know how I found out?" she asked.

Ryker shook his head.

"Well, I wish I could say it was from you," she said with a bit of heat in her voice. "But instead, I received a call from Ms. Jimenez." That surprised Ryker. "And I was distraught and ashamed that I didn't know what she was talking about. I thought we had built up more trust than that."

"Sorry," Ryker said, and he truly was.

"After the call, I had to look it all up to see if it was true. I can't believe all that happened."

"Yeah," he said. "It was crazy."

"I can imagine," Ms. Jones said lowly. "And I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks," Ryker said.

"But I'm also concerned," Ms. Jones added. "About what happened and about your safety. But I also have to think about everyone else's safety."

"I understand," Ryker said. "But I'm fine, and the villain is dead, so no one should be trying to get revenge."

"I know you think that," Ms. Jones said. "But I'm not sure you realize how dangerous this world can be. Especially for people around someone with your abilities."

"My abilities?" Ryker asked.

"Yes," Ms. Jones said. "Your powers. Everyone is saying that you have powers, or else there was no other way you could have survived."

Ryker was silent for a moment. He didn't know what to say. Maria had mentioned that everyone was thinking that. Although it wasn't wrong, he didn't want people to know.

"Ms. Jones-"

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Ms. Jones interrupted. "Ms. Jimenez told me that you stopped by her store and that she was able to pull you aboard her team. I'm glad you did that because you'll need it." Ryker gulped at the comment. He could see where the conversation was going and wasn't happy. "Since you've gotten powers, I have to start the emancipation paperwork so you can move out. We aren't insured for superpowered individuals to live here."

"So, I should just pack my stuff?"

"Don't you go thinking I'm that heartless!" Ms. Jones snapped. "The paperwork takes about a week. You have that much time. But Ryker, I can promise not to tell anyone, but I can't promise that the information won't get out. Do you understand?"

Ryker nodded. "I understand," he said.

Ryker was disappointed, but he knew that Ms. Jones was right. He couldn't stay at the orphanage. There were already too many people who could find out the truth. Villains loved to attack new heroes and the people they cared about. He needed to find a place where he could be safe and didn't have to worry about others.

"Thank you," Ryker said.

"You're welcome," Ms. Jones said. "Now, go get some rest. You've had a long day."

Ryker stood up and left Ms. Jones' office. He was tired, but he was also a little relieved. For a moment, he thought he would have to leave that night. He would try to find a place as fast as possible, but at least he could sleep easily for a few more days. At least, as long as he didn't have nightmares.

Ryker was quiet as he walked back to his bed. It was already night. It wasn't exactly lights out, but it was considered quiet time. Ryker rummaged through his chest of clothes and grabbed some clean ones. He would need to do laundry the next day before leaving. Sometimes he would double-wear some shorts and shirts, but he needed to wash everything with the amount he had been sweating the last two days.

Gathering his bathroom bag, he headed to the showers.

Ryker had spent a long time in the bathroom. He wanted the extra quiet. When he returned, it was already light out, and everyone was lying in their beds. He put his dirty clothes in a bag, put his bathroom stuff away, then went to lie down himself.

Resting on the pillow of his bunk was a palm-sized note. In messy handwriting, it read: We know what you are – FREAK!

Ryker felt his face flush with anger as he read the note. He knew who it was from. He looked around the room, but everyone was pretending to be asleep. Jacob's bed was near the front. There were so many things he could do to him. Now that he had a superpower, there was even more that he could think of.

Still, this was what Ms. Jones was talking about. He couldn't keep the truth hidden. Ryker hoped to be able to relax for at least one day but instead made it his priority to find a place to stay the next day. Ryker crumpled the paper and threw it to the ground. Giving them any more fuel would be a mistake. He laid down and did his best to clear his mind. Thankfully, he fell asleep like a tall, blonde, pop-princess – swiftly.

The next morning Ryker was up early once again. Physically, he felt even better than before. He looked down at his knuckles, which had been bruised and scraped from his fight at the park. They almost looked normal; the injury was almost completely gone. He touched his chest. The area he was hit and scraped with the spikes was tender, but everything felt like it was nearly healed.

"Superhuman physiology is phenomenal," Ryker thought.

Ryker didn't waste any time; after taking care of his morning necessities, he was out of the orphanage and on his way to an internet café since the library wasn't open yet. With the internet café in his sights, he began cutting through an empty parking lot to get there quicker. He was halfway through when a loud whining keen erupted from the sky above him.

Ryker glanced up. As he did, he saw the sky break into pieces. A blue glow appeared, sending cracks all through the sky, and when the cracks intersected, panels of the sky would blink out of existence.

From the missing panels of the sky, Ryker saw the dull grey of metal. Patch by patch, the sky disappeared until hovering, now very loudly, was a large jet. The nose of the jet was blunted with the windscreen gleaming so he couldn't see in. The engines were embedded in the wings; they were vertical turbines that created small whirlwinds in the open lot where the jet hovered. Its fuselage was tall and wide, which gave it enough girth for a fair amount of space inside.

Ryker watched in amazement as the jet landed and the engines shut off. From the side of the jet, a ramp lowered, and one at a time, in surprisingly dramatic fashion, four people exited. Ryker really hoped that it was just a coincidence that they were where he was but had a horrible feeling that they were there for him. He just hoped it was for something good because this was the team he was going to try to join.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"But why does it have to be right now?" Ryker internally questioned.

It seemed like the right time. It felt organic to the story.

"How is this organic to the story? So much has happened to me in the last two days. That seems like too much. Can't I get a break? I was really looking forward to a bit of a rest. I didn't even get to do my laundry."

You'll probably be getting a rest soon enough.

"I hate when you're cryptic like that." Ryker shook his head.

Okay, okay. I'll give you some time to do your laundry.

----------------------------------------

The next morning Ryker was up early once again….

Ryker didn't waste any time; after taking care of his morning necessities, he took his time to clean his laundry, then fold all of them. He enjoyed his quiet morning, cleaning his meager possessions and evading all the other people in the orphanage. Since he had woken up and finished his laundry so early, the library still wasn't open yet – they had horrible hours.

So, Ryker headed to the internet café.

----------------------------------------

Do you feel better now?

Ryker had to choke down the vomit from experiencing the morning in a different manner than he had. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he planted his hands on his knees to keep the bile from rising up and out.

I guess not…😅

He was back in the parking lot with the jet on the ground before him. The team of superheroes was already exiting and giving him funny looks.

The first to exit was the team leader, The Steel Woman. She had long, black hair that flowed in the morning breeze. Ryker couldn't see them, but he knew from pictures that the superhero had piercing blue eyes. She was tall with a strong, athletic build. With her power to change her body parts into metal, she didn't need much armor, so she chose to display as much of her deep bronze skin color as she could.

When she reached the bottom of the ramp, she turned and headed directly for Ryker – to his dismay.

The following person on the team was Water Lad. He was just about the opposite of The Metal Woman in every way, but they worked well together. He was short and didn't seem to put much effort into working out. Of course, with the ability to turn into water and go anywhere, it wasn't a necessity.

Walking off in third was the sharpshooter, Rowdy Rex. The man really took the cowboy persona to the extreme. Although, it wasn't the quiet, gritty type of cowboy that's a man of deeds instead of talk. His cowboy persona was the highly flamboyant, loud and boisterous type. A personality that would be expected from someone in a circus or a stereotypical caricature of a cowboy. His clothing was white from head to toe with dangly tassels all around. His hat was comically oversized, even considering his curly, auburn hair falling to his shoulders. He had two pistols strapped to his waist that were modified for increased efficiency. Ryker knew that he may have looked like a clown, but he was a deadly foe with his guns.

The final person who exited the jet was Face 2.0. He was tall, blond, and had what everyone considered to be perfect features. He wasn't the fighting type, though. At least he was never reported to fight. Ryker had his reservations about that.

"I do?" Ryker asked confusedly. "Okay."

Face 2.0 was a shapeshifter and reportedly a master tactician, but that was all anyone outside of his teammates knew about his ability. He did have an enormous public persona with multiple social media platforms and a considerable following. His public persona didn't give away anything substantial, just popularity tips and minor comments about other celebs and supers.

The group continued approaching Ryker, spreading apart like gunfighters at high noon. When The Steel Woman stopped walking, the others did as well. They were about twenty paces from Ryker. He could cover that distance fast enough, but he knew they could do the same.

Ryker wanted a positive outlook on the situation, but he couldn't think of any good reason for their presence. He hoped they heard about surviving the Circuit City attack and wanted to recruit him, but that was a longshot with no concrete information about his power.

"Ryker Stone?" The Steel Woman asked, but Ryker could tell she already knew who he was.

"That's not good," Ryker thought.

"Yes," is what he said.

"We're here to talk to you about your involvement in a robbery."

"Robbery?" Ryker scanned the four superheroes. He was befuddled by what they were talking about. "I don't know anything about a robbery."

"We have information that put you at the scene of the robbery."

"Where was that?"

"It was at the Superb Pawnshop downtown."

"I don't know anything about a robbery," Ryker repeated. He tried to remain calm. Getting involved in a robbery was something he didn't need. He knew that he would be fine with the knowledge of his work request from the Bounty Board and his various alibis.

"We have our sources," The Steel Woman said. "We know you were hired to locate a stolen ring."

"I was hired to find a ring," Ryker said. "But I didn't know it was stolen. My location job was an official request logged on the Bounty Board."

"The job request on the Bounty Board was a cover. You're lying! I can tell," The Steel Woman accused.

"I'm not lying!" Ryker said. "I swear!"

"Then why did you withhold information from us?"

"I didn't withhold anything!" Ryker said. "I told you everything I know!"

"You're trying to cover something up!" The Steel Woman shouted.

"I'm telling the truth!" Ryker shouted back.

The Steel Woman took a step towards Ryker, her eyes narrowed. "If you insist on maintaining your innocence, then you won't mind coming down to the station," she said.

"I don't mind. As long as it will help."

"Then you're under arrest. Come quietly, and you won't be hurt."

Ryker didn't move. "For what?" he asked. "I said I would come with you."

"Obstruction of justice," The Steel Woman said. "And I'm charging you with accessory to robbery."

"This is ridiculous!" Ryker said. "I'm innocent!"

"Stop resisting!" Water Lad shouted back.

"I'm not resisting!" Ryker said. He had barely moved the entire conversation out of fear.

"Then why are you trying to escape?" The Steel Woman asked.

"I'm not trying to escape!" Ryker said. "I'm just trying to tell you the truth."

"He's running! Take him down." The Steel Woman pointed at Ryker, and the other three moved at her order.

"I got this, partners," Rowdy Rex said, waving the other two off.

"Alive, Rex," the Steel Woman said.

"My pleasure, Ma'am," he replied with a tip of his hat.

Rowdy Rex took in the boy as he got into his quick draw stance. He looked for the best place to aim so he could take him down easily. The kid was muscular and looked to be in decent shape. Rex wasn't a slouch, but a hit from this kid would probably take him out.

The boy smiled as if he knew something. The idiot kid didn't even realize the trouble he was in, and the arrogance just made it worse. Rex was going to shoot him in the thigh so it would be easy for him to recover, but after that smirk, he decided to take out his kneecap so he wouldn't walk right again.

Rex decided to count down from three for dramatic effect.

"3…"

"2…"

"1…"

Ryker lifted his leg and pivoted before he even saw Rowdy Rex move. It was a good idea, too, because the man's arm was a blur. He heard the bullet whiz by and ricochet off the concrete behind him.

"Woo, doggy! Didja see that?" Rowdy Rex asked the others. "That boy's fast."

"Indeed," replied the Steel Woman. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Ryker. This young man was stronger than he looked, and she didn't just mean in the muscle department. She needed to discover what his power was if they were going to beat him with minimal damage. She wanted to finish this business as quickly as possible and get her day back to normal.

"I'm going to try that again," Rowdy Rex loudly declared. "I'm gonna go faster though, boy, so be ready. I'll give you a chance, though. I'll count down from five, then shoot." Rowdy laughed internally. He loved this trick. It was always a hoot when people actually stood still thinking that he would actually shoot when he said. He wanted to make the feeling last, so he decided to shoot at two. Plus, he'll aim for the kid's shoulder so he can play the game another time.

"5…"

"4…"

"3…"

"2…"

Ryker pivoted, and the bullet flew by, sounding like an angry bee. Although, he didn't continue to stand there. Rowdy Rex was a ranged fighter, so he needed to get closer to eliminate his advantage. The cowboy was quick and started to fire more shots at Ryker. Each time he pulled the trigger, Ryker could sense where he would aim and dodged accordingly.

The sharpshooter wasn't able to hit him, but Ryker couldn't get close to him either. Eventually, Ryker managed to make it to one of the few cars that were still in the parking lot and duck behind it.

Ryker didn't think that the car would actually provide any protection from Rowdy Rex and his modified pistol and bullets.

"Well, I can use it to catch my breath for a second. And he isn't firing, so that's good."

"Are you done playing your game now," Ryker heard another male ask. It sounded refined and a little snooty, so he thought it might be Face 2.0.

"Hey, this kid ain't half bad," Rowdy Rex countered. "Why don't you take a crack at him?"

"Have you assessed what his power is?" Face 2.0 asked.

"I've narrowed it down to either reading minds or seeing the future. It's the only way he could dodge one of my shots."

"Hmmm," Face 2.0 pondered. "That seems unlikely based on his reactions earlier. He would have known we were coming if he could see the future. If he could read minds, he probably would have run before we talked to him."

"You think too much," Rowdy Rex said. "Are you going to give it a go?"

"Fine," Face 2.0 said. "But I can't promise he'll be alive when I'm done."