The Trick to Falling in Style

Cowardice

Tommy waved goodbye to the woman who had just checked out. She returned the wave with a distracted smile on her face. The expression melted away quickly as whoever was on the other side of the phone pressed into her ear began talking. She snapped something back at them, the glass door clicking shut behind her to muffle whatever she was saying. Tommy didn't mind, though. Most people left the hotel in a rush for various reasons. It wasn't uncommon to see someone on the phone as they left, dressed in their most professional business attire for whatever meeting they had in L'Manberg or the surrounding districts. When they were on the phone, it was because it had everything to do with their jobs. Tommy knew what it was like to be committed to the job, so he didn't criticize them in his head for being on the phone. As long as they weren't directly rude to him, he couldn't care less who they were chattering with as they exchanged their keys for a card that confirmed they had spent the night at the hotel.

The back door opened with a soft squeak, and Tommy looked over his shoulder to see Sam approaching him. Sam was holding a newspaper in his hands with disbelief etched into his features. Tommy raised an eyebrow, looking around the lobby to make sure no one was there to overhear their conversation. When he confirmed no one was around, he gave his full attention to Sam. "Alright, Big S, what do you have for me today?"

Sam placed the newspaper in Tommy's awaiting hands. The blonde looked at the front cover. The picture immediately captivated his attention. It was Vermillion, launched into the sky with a sliver of the moon visible in the corner of the image. The headline clarified what Tommy already suspected. The newspaper was going crazy about how the Red Angel of Logstedshire had been seen in L'Manberg. People were taking this as a sign that their hero returned. The Hero's Association was even getting involved, if the newspaper was anything to go by. Tommy normally wouldn't blindly believe a news outlet, but he was certain that the association would be getting involved in some capacity. Kamikaze was not the only hero that Vermillion had left behind. The entire article was 10% factual observations by the person who took the photo, and the other 90% was a multitude of theories about what Vermillion was doing and if he was really resurfacing. Tommy kept his face neutral as he read. He should have known that someone would catch him if he donned the mask. He was just grateful that they didn't see him in Snowchester. L'Manberg was one of the center districts which meant that Vermillion could have business in other districts but needed to cross through L'Manberg. They couldn't tie Vermillion to any one place.

"I don't know what you want from me, Big S. I guess your little hero has come back for the anniversary of his disappearance," Tommy said, throwing the newspaper back at Sam. His boss caught the paper in his hands, folding his fingers over the image of Vermillion. Tommy had to keep himself under control. If he showed any strong emotions, Sam could get suspicious. Tommy knew how to lie, of course, but Sam was one of those people that Tommy found it really hard to lie to. It wasn't like he couldn't lie; he felt uncomfortable afterwards.

"Don't you think this means something? Vermillion retired for some reason. One of those reasons could be that he thought Logstedshire was going to be alright without him. If he came back, doesn't that mean something is happening in the district that requires him to come back?" Sam said. Tommy hated how accurate Sam was. He didn't need someone investigating the matter of Vermillion. In fact, he didn't know why Sam cared so much. Was it because Sam was a hybrid that he held respect for Vermillion? Did Sam have some past with Vermillion that Tommy couldn't remember? Has he ever saved Sam? Perhaps he saved someone close to Sam. That could have been the case.

"I don't know," Tommy shrugged. He wished that he could cuss at his workplace. A good curse word right now would really help him settle his nerves. He would sometimes cuss when it was just him and MD, but there was no way he was going to let one slip in front of his boss. That was a ticket to getting fired, and Tommy needed this job. "Hey, Big S, I have a question. Do you know of any good orphanages for hybrids or that accept hybrids? I found a kid in an alley on my way back from work last night. I don't have the funds or experience to raise a child, so I'll have to give him away. I can't give him to any orphanages, though. Some are shi- er, garbage."