Hardly A Hero [REWRITTEN ON NEW ACCOUNT]

Chapter 34: The Tom Cruise Way

Finding NASEB's headquarters was hard, no argument, but to get in was going to be Mission Impossible.

The whole journey there I had the idea of perching on a building and watching it from afar, then sneaking in and setting up a few sound recorders. But it wasn't going to go down that way.

My first problem was that the entire building was located in a wide, open field, with no buildings or trees anywhere nearby. The second was that there were trigger alarms, cameras and security guards located everywhere. I couldn't get within a mile of the place.

Realising that my ticket inside wasn't going to be entirely ethical, I clocked into my villainous mindset, something I had learnt how to do from TerraStorm.

A jet black Cadillac purred down the long road, where I hid behind the closest shrub. I eyed it with caution as it approached the first set of gates and a man leaned out of the open window, displaying an ID badge and stepping outside while the security guard prepared to do a full sweep of the car.

I readied myself for a sly, swift ambush, waiting for both of them to turn way from me.

I sprinted out from behind the shrub.

But I skidded to stop when the guard himself was given a swift blow across the head with a crowbar by none other than the man navigating the vehicle.

It was too late to run back and hide and it was also too dangerous to approach.

Who was I kidding? I was a Super. I didn't need to be scared.

The man spotted me and gave me a curious smirk. He couldn't have been a day over 25 and he wore a crisp, sand-coloured suit. Without a second to stop and evaluate the situation, he gave me a childish wave.

He turned back to face the car and unlocked the trunk, the limp body of the guard still sprawled out at his feet. As soon as he opened it, two other figures jumped out.

They both had masks disguising half their faces.

I pursed my lips with immense confusion.

Were they Supers too?

I decided to jog over, no matter the danger.

"I swear, next time, I'm driving." A girl groaned as she struggled to balance herself on her feet, craning her back as it cracked.

"Stop complaining, we haven't got time for that." The guy in the suit moaned, holding the door of the trunk up. "Get out, Philip."

The moment they turned to the man, I could see their faces.

Well, half of them. They were wearing masks. Super masks.

"You're Supers?" I asked, unintentionally gaining their attention. I really was only questioning it for the purpose of defining it myself.

The second figure that climbed out of the trunk was a guy who had fiery, crimson hair and a strongly contrasting, mundane scowl on his face.

Before I even knew what side they were on, I was happy to see them. It gave me a stronger sense of belonging in a world full of people who didn't want someone like me amongst them. Well, not all of them.

Every new Super reminded me I was not alone.

"Well, we're not cosplayers." Shot back the ginger-haired boy, crossing his arms over his chest.