As I’m scaling my way up my clock tower, I realize that there’s a box sitting in the center of the room.

  Lips pursed, I run through the options of the people that could deliver presents to my super base.

  There’s not a lot of people that could get up here though I guess the old mayor could? Maybe he’s here to give me a welcome present and ask me to start paying rent?

  It could be Travis as well. He’s definitely been mysterious more than once, and I really doubt that he’s as retired as he might want me to believe.

  With a grimace, I enter the room and focus on narrowing my mind map to glean more details. There’s no tech in there, but I can’t feel anything particularly notable, just a tightly packed box.

  Could it be a bomb? I’m mostly bombproof, but I really don’t want to have accidentally bombed a building. That would make trying to catch the science brigade a lot harder if I’m marked as a terrorist.

  Gently, I place my hand on the box. After counting to ten, nothing seems to have happened, and I move onto step two.

  Letting my power flood the object, I get a better look at it all. While the box is tightly packed, it is mostly the interior padding holding everything in place, the largest object being a helmet of some kind.

  “The hell?” I mutter, pushing the box away as I sit down, staring at the thing in contemplation.

  There’s a slight grating sound as the box slides away before it catches on something, halting its momentum.

  It’s a letter?

  Or at least an envelope presumably that would make it a letter, I hope.

  After hesitating for a second, I snatch the envelope up and begin opening it, wanting to know what’s going on.

  Only to have the fact there’s no light here rendering that plan mostly moot. As good as my mind map might be for trying to see in the dark, it doesn’t give me much reading capacity.

  Folding the message back up, I slip it back into the envelope before shooting the box a glare.

  On one hand, I really want to know what’s in there properly, so I want to open it right now or at least bring it with me.

  On the other hand, regardless of where I’m going in life, I want to separate super stuff from home life stuff.

  Going to have a good work-life balance, at least when it comes to super powers. Though I guess I need to figure out a super name, at least in my head. Can’t just go around calling it my super life.

  Too pretentious for me.

  I’ll meet myself halfway.

  After hunting around for a good cavity in the walls, I hide my box with the helmet in it before changing into my normal attire.

  Now a completely normal civilian, I sneak out and walk around underground before I can climb up into my car.

  Starting the car and, more importantly, the heater, I flick on the overhead and pull out the letter, opening it as fast as possible so I can finally start reading it.

  This way I’ll have way better self-control. No matter what this mystery says, I’m going to have to go home and take care of Bianca until I can get another sitter.

  Gives me time to think about it. And more importantly, it helps me be in the driver’s seat. I don’t want to do this all reactively.

  Even if the whole reason I started was because I am reacting to them taking my friend away from me.

  I forcibly relax my hands and try to piece together what the letter says over the building, irritation in my body blocking my vision.

  Well, I would be addressing this letter to your name if you had one, but as civilian names are private as well, I’m going to call you Shades. Now, when I saw that there was another vigilante hoping to strike fear in the city, I was incensed. I mean how dare! Silver City is mine after all. But I thought about it more, and I realized it’s a good thing. With this recent stink of ne’er-do-wells, I and, more importantly, we can use all the help we can get. So, I wanted to do something for you. Your costume is a bit drab, shall we say? While the barely a costume chic works for you, I thought I could throw something together for you substantially better. No tech involved beyond a few essentials. But proper armor that will help keep you safe and actually last, unlike all the jackets you’ve been going through. Think of it as a gift and an offer for the two of us to work together. We can do so much more together than we could do apart. With the two of us, we can rule this city, make it a truly safe place, one where criminals and supers are too afraid to come here. All we need to do is ?cultivate the right image. Think about it. -M.E.

  Uh yeah, I’ve got no clue what that’s supposed to mean.

  Someone trying to do the whole mysterious benefactor thing with me because I’m not particularly amused with that? Though if it comes with something like a super suit, I won’t say I’m not at least a little tempted to use that gift?

  I’m definitely at least going to look at the armor because, well, who couldn’t look at a super suit that’s meant for you? But I’m afraid of what it means. Is this person implying they know my civilian identity?

  Should I ask Travis to take a look at this person?

  Tossing the letter into the glove compartment, I make my way home, letting music drift through the air in its effort to relax me.

  Arriving in the parking lot, I’ve managed to mostly get myself fully under control.

  Still not sure about that letter.

  I would be lying to say that I wasn’t interested in it. After all, it’s a real-life super suit, and the letter makes it sound like it’s armored and everything, not just my pajamas.

  But would putting it on be alright when I’m not even sure how long I’m going to do this? Is being a hero a part-time gig for me over the summer to pay back my conscience, or do I want something more?

  The answer should feel simple. I don’t want to be a passenger in my own life, and I don’t want to spend so much time. I value my life enough that I don’t know if being a hero full time is what I want?

  Doesn’t matter. I’ll wait until Amelia is found or… No, that’s not going to be an option. She’s alive somewhere, and I’ll ransack that lab to find clues and go around the world to bring my friend back.

  With a click, I retrieve my keys and get out of the car, hoping to push all of this behind me.

  Shoving my hands into my pockets, I make my way up the stairs, taking them two at a time as I let my awareness spread out. If I’m lucky, Bianca is going to be asleep already, and I’ll just have to say night to Reyna.

  It’s not the case. I can feel Bianca running around as Reyna eats an apple, I think as I put a hand on the door.

  Curse Bianca and me for really not needing that much sleep, if any at all. It would be easier if the toddler slept.

  I signed up for this. It takes a second, but I struggle and fail to put a fake smile on my lips, mostly because a small but genuine one is already there.

  “I’m home!” I call, opening the door and giving Reyna a wave.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Thanks for watching Bianca.” I say, giving Reyna a hug as she walks out the door.

  “No worries, it’s nice.” She says, returning the hug before pulling away. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  “Nope, but I’m going for it anyway.” I shrug.

  “If you ever show up on camera in neon spandex, you’re never going to live it down, you know that, right?”

  “You’ll never catch me in spandex, promise.” I assure her.

  Goodbyes said, Reyna goes to her car, and I finally am back home, though I first make sure to close and lock the door so that hopefully nobody else will accost me tonight.

  As if waiting for the door to shut, the sound of pattering feet fills the room as Bianca barrels from her hiding spot to hug my legs tightly.

  With a grunt, I pick her up, holding her at eye level. “Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” I ask, poking her nose gently.

  Bianca innocently bats her eyelashes at me.

  “I’m happy to see you, too. Are you ready to nap more, or did you nap mostly while I was gone?” I ask, beginning to move to her room just to gauge the reaction.

  Bianca points at the TV, which does not help me figure out if she’s actually gotten a chance to sleep or not, but I don’t mind that much.

  “Do you want to watch more TV?” I ask, moving over to the living room.

  She nods.

  “Want to watch more of your favorite show?” I ask picking up the remote and already navigating to

  Bianca claps her hands in agreement, and I settle in for more Force Guardians, which I’m not really complaining about, either.

  I haven’t watched any in years prior to Bianca, but it was my favorite show growing up too, so it’s nice to see all the things that shaped my goals as a kid.

  The world is so much simpler in TV shows. Though it does make me feel a little bit better about not being ready to fight the lab yet.

  These heroes of the universe spend twenty to fifty episodes figuring out what the villains are trying to do and only manage to stop them in the final battle.

  As I watch the teenagers with attitude do their best to escape from their current obligations to go save the day, I can’t help but wonder how I can do more.

  For the most part, normal crime isn’t bothering me anymore. I can handle pretty much any normal human. And add in the fact I’m just more? No normal human can keep up with me.

  Not that I’ve been able to force Travis to use his powers once.

  “Hey Bianca?” I ask as the song comes on.

  She turns to look at me, eye wide.

  “What color do you think my hero costume should be?” I ask changing questions at the last moment.

  She points at the show, looking at me questioningly.

  “Yeah, I was thinking if I’m going to stop those guys that hurt us, I need an actual costume.” I shrug. It sounds silly when I say it like that.

  She points towards the black guardian and then the white guardian in turn. Which doesn’t surprise me.

  “Those are good colors.” I agree.

  If I start next week trying to study and harass them, I can start learning.

  What I really need to do is learn if they have any other supers besides Kurt, the goblin lady, and Andromeda.

  As long as the Alchemist is gone, I can manage, I think?

  Presuming that my phasing works on energy.

  And that the goblin was telling the truth.

  And that I’m a good enough fighter that I can fight through as many clones as possible?

  Okay, maybe my plan isn’t as nearly foolproof as I originally hoped that it would be.

  As the song finishes playing, an azure light flashes, and Bianca uses her wires to move her cup so she can drink properly.

  “Some time would you want to play with your powers with me?” I ask, feeling bad.

  The wires scare me something fierce, but it’s probably hard for Bianca to never get to play with her power?

  Hell, I use my power constantly.

  Why a toddler is better at using her ability, then I am is beyond me. Especially when I’m pretty sure my power is the easier one!

  Bianca cheers as she points at the TV.

  “You want to play superheroes?”

  Bianca practically vibrates out of my lap with her excitement.

  “We can’t fight real bad guys. You might get hurt.” I chastise. “But maybe we’ll see if Ms. Sasha will want to play superheroes with us.” I offer, holding up my pinky to her in promise.

  Bianca seems to pause at the name, which is fair. Neither of us knows who Sasha is. She’s just the person Travis recommended that we go to.

  “I’ll protect you, promise. We’re a team, right?”

  At the word team, Bianca seems to calm down and give me my pinky promise.

  It would be nice if there was an actual team here in Silver City; then I could join them and get help. But nope.

  Any supers from here moved away ages ago, looking to make an impact in bigger cities.

  “Hometown Hero.” I mumble between mouthfuls of cookie.

  Torrent was my hometown hero back when I was growing up. Why the water manipulator never decided to leave a desert state is a wonder.

  I probably have an old poster somewhere in my stuff that I could dig out.

  Thinking about home, I realize that it’s what I want. Not to go home, but that same sensation.

  Maybe it’s because I was a kid, but maybe for everyone having a stable powered presence people can turn to is helpful.

  “So if there was a superhero in our city, would you want to watch movies about them?”

  Bianca points at me, then the TV.

  “There aren’t any movies about me yet, but who knows, maybe if I’m famous.” I agree.

  Thankfully, Bianca eventually settles down, and the two of us get some sleep.

  Upon waking up, I make sure that Bianca is still asleep before I rifle through my closet, looking for the tube of rolled-up posters.

  Upon finding my old Torrent poster, I hang it back up in my room. I already know that tonight I’m going to try on the costume.

  Maybe I’m still reacting, but I don’t think so.

  You can say I was reactive in starting this crusade to try and find my friend, but it is my choice to put on the costume and become one step closer to doing this all for real.

  Bianca peaks into my room holding up a saucepan made out of wires, looking at me hopefully.

  “Are you hungry?” I ask, walking over and scooping her up into my arms. “Do you want breakfast first or do you want out of your pajamas first?”

  Tilting my head to the side to dodge an errant thrashing of the wire pan, I think that the answer is pretty easy.

  “We’ll do breakfast. Isn’t bacon yummy?” I agree, starting the bacon and pulling out some orange juice.

  With my phone on speaker, I press Travis’s number and wait for him to answer as the bacon starts to sizzle.

  “If you’ve adopted another super child, I’m going to start accusing you of kidnapping them.” Travis groans.

  “You okay, man? You sound like you went a few rounds with your bed and lost.” I call as I begin cutting an apple.

  “Haven’t slept yet. Was out on a job and running around like a chicken with his head cut off is a pain.” He says, and I can practically hear him straightening up and shrugging his shoulders.

  “My super power is intangibility. As far as I can tell, I can go through more or less anything, as if it’s not even there.”

  The silence is palpable.

  Bianca makes grabby hands at me, so I give her a few apple slices to tide her over while the bacon cooks.

  “And yeah, I’m telling you because I want to know how to use my powers while fighting better. I’m too slow right now.” I plow forward.

  “Thank you for trusting me and sharing what your ability is.” Travis says after a few seconds of consideration. “I’m still not going to be your sidekick. Cannonball doesn’t do vigilante work.”

  “Just training. And maybe help if I realize I’m out of my depth. And you don’t have to do anything even then. Just let me talk to some people that do that kind of stuff and I’ll talk to them. But yeah. I just want to know how to use my powers smoother. Even Bianca is better with her ability.” I try to explain.

  “Of course she is. She isn’t getting in her own way of doing it.” Travis snorts.

  “I’m doing my best to not feel particularly insulted by that statement.” I mumble in what I hope is a joking voice.

  “I’m not doing extra lessons, but if you want to start using your ability during our lessons, feel free,” Travis says after a moment.

  “Please don’t go around telling people what my ability is.” I tack on.

  “Whenever you push me to the point of using my ability, make sure you don’t tell anyone. Until you become a danger to people, I won’t say a word.”

  “Does that go for Bianca as well?” I ask suddenly paranoid.

  “Sasha already knows, as do a few other people I trust when it comes to dealing with powered children. Sasha wasn’t the first person I asked.” Travis answers instantly.

  “Fair. Doesn’t bother me too much.” I lie as I push the bacon around.

  Probably should have thought about making pancakes or something first, but here I am making the bacon first, so the pancakes will never happen.

  “Do you know if there are any super geniuses in town?” I ask on a whim. Maybe Mr. former superhero keeps his ear to the ground and will actually know who my mysterious benefactor person is.

  “Uh, no, why?” he asks, sounding significantly more interested in the conversation than he was a moment ago.

  “Someone left me a gift. Seems like they’re trying to play mysterious benefactor or something.” I admit with a shrug.

  I get a little plate of bacon ready for Bianca and place it in front of her before sitting down myself.

  “Are you going to use it?”

  “Of course I am. Who’s going to say no to a super suit?”

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