10:39 PM. SOMEWHERE OVER TORONTO, CANADA
The hardest part about being a superhero has to be the ride back from the missions. We were all tired. Our muscles ached and whatever wasn't aching was soar. Most of us had cuts and gashes that would receive further treatment back at HQ. For the most part, all four of us were fine, especially compared to our other missions.
I just wanted to clear my mind, but it didn't matter what picturesque city skyline we were flying over, I couldn't stop remembering how I failed. I let the whole team down even if they wouldn't say it to my face. The mission was a simple search and rescue. When the government caught wind of illegal Alpha Human creation labs they sent us in to recover two babies that had been taken from a hospital by the disgraced Dr. Wyman for testing. Intell said that only two children had been in the laboratory. In reality, there was closer to a hundred children in cages being tested on by Dr. Wyman.
They looked like skeletons with hollow faces and sunken cheeks. Some kids had sharp ribcages protruding through their skin. I've seen worse. Everyone on this team had lived through worse. But I broke down. My body stiffened and I let Dr. Wyman get away with the two babies. Sure, maybe I saved the other hundred children but that wasn't my mission. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that I was able to bring myself together to call back-up to take the rest of the children into Treatment and Recovery but there is this nagging feeling that Wyman has something much worse planned for the babies.
"Hey, um, Green Star." I looked back to see our mission leader standing next to me.
"Spilt." I moved over to give him room to sit down.
He shook his head slowly as if trying to get an image out of his mind. Split looked to me and frowned. That was all I could see from behind his helmet that covered his whole face except for his mouth.
"Look--"
I cut him off.
"I know." I sounded as defeated as I felt. "You can save the whole lecture. I let everyone down. I failed the mission. I understand if you write me up."
"Woah. Star, calm down. We all have miss steps. I'm not writing you up." He said.
"You aren't?" I tried to scan his face for some sign that this was a joke but like I mentioned before he was wearing his helmet.
"Nope. We'll get Wyman next time. Beside writing something this small is not worth the amount of paperwork." He rubbed his hand across his mouth for emphasis and slunk back into the seat.
Small. So that's what Superheroes in the big leagues call this. Compared to fighting apocalypse causing aliens and literal gods this would be considered small. However, I wasn't in the big leagues -- at least not yet, and I couldn't stop thinking about the kids, the babies that got away and the mad doctor.
"So if you aren't here to scold me -- why are you here? " I asked.
"You say that as if I never talk to you."
I rolled my eyes. Big leagues never talk to lower ranking heroes. Once Split caught on he sat up, his relaxed down to earth facade faded away.
"Your host family is in intensive care Star. You are being relocated." He didn't look at me.
"What!" I yelled. The other two team members turned towards us and then went back to what they were doing.
My host family consisted of an ex-Superhero in her late seventies that went by the code name Rocket Launcher but she let me call her Betty. Betty despite being retired still used her powers around the house and liked to watch Mama Mia. A week from now would have marked three years together. She was tough as nails but would always offer to help braid my afro.
"What happened?" I asked.
Spilt just shook his head.
"Tell me." I pleaded as a lump formed in my throat.
"The government is doing an investigation but for now I can't say anything. I'm sorry. All your stuff will be in HQ by the time we land there, you'll receive all the information you will need for your new host family." With that Split patted me on the back but I felt just as stunned as before.
"New host family?" I muttered.
He nodded. "Star for your safety you're being relocated." With that, he walked away and took his seat in the pilot's chair, switching off autopilot.
I was quiet for the rest of the flight.
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