The hubbub and clatter of lunchtime in the Blue Macey Cafe wasn't the kind of place I'd had pinned for a top secret meeting area. A narrow walkway, empty except for knocked over trash cans and rats would have been more in tune with my imagination. Guess that just goes to show how little I know about this world.
I couldn't help lowering my head as the people pushed against each other, struggling to enter and rushing to leave. I would have been one of those people only a week ago. I'd give anything to be swerving around the crowd with only my small, individual problems seeming like they would be the end of me and I wouldn't hesitate to join the gathering of followers that waited for their coffees.
“So you are Warden.”
My head perked up and I caught a glimpse of a pair of tightly clenched fists encased in leather gloves. Leaving no fingerprints. I see that done on TV but spotting it in real life isn't as cool. Especially when the man that's doing it looks like he'd been swallowed by Adonis and come out with some extra Hercules. It was weird. For all intents and purposes he should have looked like a common street thug-come-boxing star, but his silken locks of curly blonde hair and freckles made him look like a fresh faced college student that should be playing volleyball and surfing on the beach. Not exactly the profile you imagine for one of the countries most wanted criminals.
“I understand that you want to avoid conversing as much as possible. You're a smart man Warden.” He gazed at me with his tantalizing blue eyes.
'Oh god, oh god. I'm so dead.' I gulped down some coffee to distract myself from the fear I was feeling.
“But coming alone, with no disguise and staring into my eyes as you sip on coffee only a week after killing my right hand man, my best friend, and stopping one of my most important operations? I'm not angry, I'm impressed. There are less than five people in this country with balls as big as yours, and that's including those costumed pansies society calls heroes.”
He smiled at me and I grinned back. I don't know why I did it, the guy's face just looks so friendly. I suppose it shows how naïve I am to the real dangers in the world, but he didn't look anywhere near as deadly as those grainy shots the news always show after another terrorist attack kills a city block of people. I wrapped my hands around my coffee mug and gripped it tightly until they stopped trembling. A couple of customers talked loudly as they walked past our table.
“Why have I never heard of Warden? Is he some famous hero from another country?”
I looked at one of them from the corner of my eyes, he was pointing towards the small TV in the corner. A news reel with a reporter talking over it showed whatever tragedy had occurred around the world. His companion shook his head in disappointment.
“Don't you know anything? Warden's been fighting in secret for years. They say he's the one responsible for Marco Special's disappearance in Paris. It was all hush hush until he offed Toad's lieutenant.”
'Oh my god. Maybe you guys should just ask for an autograph while you pull the trigger on my execution.' I silently cursed as the duo merged into the crowd.
How did they not notice him.
“You would think that they'd be over it after a week.” I nervously tried to flick a lock of hair behind my ear.
The gesture seemed to trigger a response from Toad. Maybe he saw the trembling of my fingers, the sign of weakness that showed I wasn't the man everyone thought I was. The merry sounds of the cafe seemed to shrink away as I looked into those soulless eyes.
“How did you do it?”
His smile slid off his face as his attitude turned from jovial to grim, and his body exuded an aura of seriousness.
“We spent ten years developing the protection for that operation alone. The police, hero association and the feds did not know it existed. But you got in and destroyed it in a matter of minutes.”
I looked at him with a gaze of sympathy. The poor guy seemed to be talking to me like a was some sort of equal, a master tactician that had foiled his plans without leaving any clues as to how I did it. It would be funny if I wasn't so terrified right now.
'Too bad he'd kill me if he knew the truth. Hell, he'll probably kill me anyway.' I shooed away the thought as soon as it crossed my mind.
'I just have to let him know that I'm not a threat. Without getting killed. Oh god, why did this have to happen to me?'
“You don't have to worry about that.” I told him honestly, “All you have to know is that Warden won't bother you any more.”
It was a true statement that I had spent hours watching action movies and crying in terror to make. I had no intention of seeing this guy ever again, or thinking about him, or even being in the same city as him. I'm considering leaving the country as soon as this meeting is over.
Toad's perfectly carved features didn't seem to loosen up at my words. His frown actually deepened.
'Oh crap did I do something wrong?'
He checked his watch and as though he'd had a sudden revelation his eyes lit with caution and he stood up.
“You-” *BOOM* “****ing-” *BOOM* “bastard.”
The cafe was wracked with tremors and explosions as roof parts fell into the air all around us, interrupting the customers actions. I shot to the ground in fear as all the tension I'd been holding down discharged through my body like a spring.
The atmosphere in the cafe had given way from the quiet discomfort of normal life into cries of panic and screams of fright. The noise pained my ears and shrieked as well. As soon as the explosions subsided I tentatively looked up and saw the air covered in floating dust particles. It was almost possible to see past a few meters but somehow all the people were out of sight, even the screams had stopped. Even though the roof had caved in I saw that a transparent blue screen, barely visible beyond the dust. It looked like it was keeping the majority of the roof rubble out... while keeping us trapped inside.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Toad. Warden.”
I almost jumped out of my skin as a voice suddenly blared out at me. A blue and white costumed man descended elegantly from the roof and stayed floating about half a meter above the ground in front of me. He gestured for me to come nearer.
“You know,” his glowing golden eyes glittered as I shakily got to my feet, covered in dust and maybe even my own piss, “I heard you were good, but had I realized how extraordinarily good you were I would have let you handle it alone. God knows when you did it, but the fact that you spotted my team would have earned you my praise and respect just by itself. But dodging Toad's venom with split second reactions and timing? That's just art. The kind of skill that no amount of money can buy.”
'What the hell is he talking about.' My fear addled brain barely registered his words.
He leaned his head over to the side and I followed with my eyes onto a patch of floor, where my seat was. Or at least, it had been a seat and floor when I last saw it, the clearing dust gave me a full view of the smoking wood that had been burnt through by a puddle of dark green goo. Half the chair had dissolved and the floor beside it was a bubbling, smoking mess. I let out a squeak but the man had already turned his blue masked face to the other side of the table.
“It was a bold move. Coming into a public area where Toad would think he could use the civilians as hostages.”
I noticed for the first time that Toad was pinned down, his face smashed against the ground by a man with golden fists. I guess from the splinters he's the one that broke through the roof. Toad's golden locks drab and dirty as his arms were handcuffed by a girl covered in pink from head to toe.
'I've seen these guys on TV before.'
The premier 'powered' hero team of the city. The man floating beside me was called Blue Charm and he was the leader of the five man team. That made the pink clad girl Pink Devil and the man that broke down the roof Gold Strike. Where were the other two?
'Idiot. That's not what you should be noticing right now.'
Blue Charm didn't look away from Toad as he continued to speak.
“It was a risk, but I agree that it was the only way to get him out of hiding. And it was possible only because of the anger he felt after you dealt with his lieutenant. A masterful plan, you even used us heroes as pawns.”
'Actually, HE was the one that wanted to meet here.' I thought tearfully.
Toad looked up at us and I could see the torment on his face, along with a frightening amount of anger.
“Blue Charm, I am appalled. Could you be implying I have engaged in immoral acts that require me to remain hidden from the world? My guiltless conscience shudders at the very thought. I am no 'terrorist' as your so-called government has deigned to designate me. I fight for the rights of my kind, our kind. Why do we let ourselves be regulated by those weaklings that fear us and want us dead? A revolution?” His lips pursed together in an expression of mock horror. “A gentleman such as myself would never suggest such a thing. I am simply a messenger, one that has to show our people that we should not protect those powerless vermin, let alone serve them.”
He broke out into laughter, a slow, maniacal sound. I shuddered. Then he twitched his eyes around to stare at me with admiration.
“I underestimated you Warden. Your execution of my executive, the darkness I see in your gaze and the guts you displayed fooled me into believing you would not cavort with these weak willed beings that call themselves heroes. A magnificent performance that fooled even I.” Toad grinned, “But now that you have silenced me the true show has begun. The discontented, the oppressed, those that needed a martyr for our cause will find one. A storm is brewing and the gates I held in check are now open and defenseless.”
A glint appeared in his eyes but disappeared as his curls covered his face in shadow.
“But... was this part of your plan too? Warden?”
Blue Charm snorted and as though that was the only confirmation needed the pink girl, Pink Devil, lifted Toad onto his feet and strapped a metallic device over his mouth. On the news I'd seen that his venom could only be ejected from his mouth. I wondered why they didn't do this earlier or while he was talking, but it didn't look like he was trying to fight back. I watched as Blue Charm moved his hands and Toad was gently wrapped up by the same transparent forcefield I saw holding up the roof. It looked like a jovial hug if you ignored the tension in the air.
“Holy crap. That's Toad!” A person shouted out.
I suddenly became all too aware that all the civilians who had previously been screaming were all looking calmly at the scene in front of them. Some of them even had excitement on their faces. They were being pushed back by the blue force field and in front of them were the remaining two members of Blue Charms team, standing guard in case anything unexpected happened. In fact, I was the only person aside from the heroes and Toad inside the danger zone. Unprotected by anything or anyone.
'I really want to cry.' I could barely stand as the revelation hit me, 'I almost died just then.'
“You got your say Toad.” Blue Charms every word shouted confidence as the wailing of police sirens began to fill the air. He turned to face me, “I knew you were a big name from the moment I heard about you. Listen, we're not going to try and steal your glory here, if anyone asks us the full credit goes to you. We're just here to pick him up and deliver him to prison.”
Despite my fear-filled feelings, I felt my eyebrows lifting, “I didn't do anything.”
It was true. Why couldn't they see it. I did nothing except show up and drink coffee, and I only came here because I was so scared Toad would kill me if I didn't come that I'd almost had a heart attack every second of the week.
“Warden.” Conflict appeared in Blue Charms eyes, “I can see why villains fear you, and the association is wary of you. Your every action, every word you speak, seems to be sculpted towards some ulterior goals.” He crossed his arms and I could feel him frowning under his mask. “But this is a hero run city and we don't let your kind... vigilantes,” he ran a hand through his ruffled hair, “do their own thing.”
“But that's just a rule set by those posh upper management figures.” He waved his free hand and a hole appeared in the forcefield in front of the entrance, “I'm going to take a back seat this time. Toad isn't just a small tap on this cities nose, he's a mirror reflecting the evil and greed of people that have power and choose to abuse it. If you hadn't risked your life to take him down then dozens of people, no, hundreds, would have died at his hands in the future.” He closed his eyes and the other heroes looked away as well, trying their hardest not to look at me, “Move out now. We give you our word that Toad will go straight to prison, hopefully even the Sphere.”
'I have no idea what's happening any more. I don't think I have for a week.'
I ran out of the cafe in a daze. As fast as my legs could take me. Ignoring the stares of the people inside and outside of the cafe I coughed lightly as my dust filled lungs finally seemed to come to life.
I don't know when I got home but the first thing I did was get on the couch, spread my legs and cry. The news was playing a section called “Super in the Public Eye”. Normally I would love to watch it, excited to see those lucky powered people that were so different from me. But nothing was normal for me now, the show was like a slap in the face. I could see pictures of me on the TV and I was wishing that everyone would just come to their senses and see that I'm no hero, no vigilante, no power filled person.
'Just realize that I'm a normal person already.'
“Just moments ago he was seen at the scene of Toads arrest. The question on everyone's lips, who is Warden?”
I placed a finger on my lips and felt it covered in liquid, blood. I'd bitten into them. The segment started to blare about other things and I turned it off. Left with the sound of silence broken only by my loud sobs.
“Why did this happen to me?”