The visit to the hospital lasted a few hours. Every minute was a highlight of Liam’s short Hero career. When the team finally left, Liam was already looking forward to their return visit. Everyone they met at the hospital had been amazing. From the kids who wouldn’t let a disease break their spirits to the doctors and nurses who spent their days fighting for these kids’ futures. The only problem was how fast the trip ended and the team was back to their other duties.

Leaving the hospital the team separated into groups. Gladius and Liam continued with today’s special mission, city visibility. While the rest of the team went to help the police on the murder investigation.

Before they left, Ullr gave one last bit of advice, “Gladius, play nice today. If you have to take on any Cowls try to do it without ripping them in two.”

“Tough ask boss, but for today I’ll give it a shot.”

H-Bar rolled his eyes at the comment before everyone separated.

After a month of patrols Liam was used to the routine. Skip would bring the patrolling Heroes to a section of the city where they’d start their rounds. Walking a few blocks and talking to those they passed. The team believed communication was critical for these missions. As it allowed them to reassure the public they were being looked out for in a personable way. It also gave the public an avenue to bring any issues they saw to the Hero’s attention. Meeting face to face, allowed people to open up and speak their minds. After half an hour Skip would come back and bring the patrolling Heroes to the next area where the routine would start all over again. Working together like this the team could cover large swaths of the city in a single day.

Every jump the Heroes made people would stop and stare. As a local celebrity of a sort materialized in front of them. Even if people’s opinions of Heroes had slipped in recent months. Having an opportunity to come up and talk to the Hero’s was something worth taking.

As the day wore on and their shift of patrols was ending, Gladius took a break. Bringing Liam to the top of a parking garage overlooking a small city park. As the citizens of Des Moines continued about their daily lives, the Hero’s watched on. Gargoyles in the light of day.

Down below, they spotted a woman pushing a baby carriage in a small green park. Stopping it, she bent over to whisper sweet nothings to the child inside. In the corner of the green space was a group of older kids playing tag, weaving in and out of a clump of trees. The world, so vibrant and full of life, continued on. Heedless of anyone’s wishes.

Liam broke their watchful vigilance by asking, “At the hospital, Skip had dozens of toys. Where’d they all come from? I think he had a specific one for every kid.”

“You saw the teddy bear trick?” Gladius asked as she turned away from the park. An animated smile on her lips.

“Well it wasn’t just those. He had all sorts of different toys,” Liam said.

Every room Skip visited he had a personalized gift for the child inside. As if he could guess ahead of time what the kid was going through and what they liked.

“He and Blue Feather used to visit the hospital all the time. I think Skip uses these visits to honor her,” Gladius said. Her smile falling as her gaze became unfocused.

“But she turned traitor. Why would he want to honor that?” Liam asked.

Wouldn’t Skip want to get away from that stain on the Hero community? As a member who joined the team after the betrayal Liam found clouds of its aftermath still lingering overhead. Threatening to bring a storm if they weren’t careful.

“The world isn’t black and white. Before it all went down those two were great friends.”

Liam waited for Gladius to continue as she looked out over the park again. Watching as the game of tag dissolved into something new. The kids racing their way through the trees laughing exuberantly as they made it to the other side. After a minute of silence she continued.

“The hospital gives them some basic information on the kids. Something like; female, cast on the left arm, and likes teddy bears. Or always playing some video games. The two would take that information and spend hours deciding on the best gifts. Each child getting something special, just for them. It became a game of sorts. Blue Feather and Skip would strive to be more creative than the other. What you saw today was that tradition continuing.”

“So he’s always done it?” Liam asked.

“Since I first joined the team.”

Skip had never shared that. Maybe he was embarrassed about it because of the taint of a traitor. Or the pain of the betrayal had gotten to him. Whatever it was, this was a window into the true Skip. One Liam had never seen before and was having trouble reconciling with the man he saw every day.

“It’s hard to see Skip doing that. It’s like he’s a different person.”

“The… betrayal changed him,” Gladius said before lapsing back into silence. She looked away from the park, staring up into the blue sky. Not a cloud to be seen. Closing her eyes, she stood there basking in the world’s warmth. With a long contented sigh Gladius turned back to Liam and said, “The betrayal changed all of us, but Skip was hit the hardest. He was the one who put Blue Feather down.”

Gladius was no longer looking at him. Instead she was staring through him. Looking at something only she could see. The past, Liam realized. She was reliving the worst fight of her life. Speaking up Gladius continued, “Sure the rest of us were there, fighting for our lives and futures. But it was Skip who ended it. A moment of hesitation from Blue Feather and Skip struck. If she hadn’t hesitated, we would’ve lost. She was standing on par against all of us that day. One person taking on four and winning. But she wasn’t fighting to kill. An important lesson to learn, always fight to win even if that means killing your opponent.”

As Gladius stopped talking, a shiver ran down Liam’s arm. Someone who could take on four trained Heroes. Blue Feather must’ve been a force to be reckoned with. Someone Liam could never hope to compete with. Thankfully, The Hunt had come out on top, saving the city from whatever horrible plans Blue Feather had in store for them.

“I love to fight, it’s what gets me up in the morning. Testing yourself against someone is the foundation humanity was built upon. Yet her eyes that day… I’ve never been afraid of a fight, I was against her.”

Gladius pulled into herself and the silence grew cold. Liam decided it was time to change the topic and cheer them both up. Nothing more about their traitorous former teammate.

“So H-Bar and that doctor. How long has that been a thing?” Liam asked with a Laugh. Hoping to get Gladius out of her rut.

“They’ve talked, but no reveal yet,” Gladius said as the edge of her lip curved up into a smile.

“What do you mean?”

“He hasn’t taken off the mask yet. She still only knows him as H-Bar.”

“He should push that along. They would be great together.”

“I agree with you, but there’s a little issue. Remember the girl who ran up yelling ‘Uncle H-Bar’. That’s his actual niece.”

His niece was there! And she called him Uncle! That could’ve blown his cover in a minute.

“Lucky all the kids call him Uncle,” Liam said.

“That’s not an accident, more a result of his niece calling him Uncle H-Bar. The other kids overheard and wanted to call him that as well. H-Bar let them and now all the kids call him Uncle. Since they all do, no one’s the wiser.”

“Smart plan, but how does that stop him from dating the doctor?”

“All the kids in the second ward are part of a special program. One that doctor runs. H-Bar’s niece was lucky enough to make it into the program. To avoid any perceived conflicts of interest, H-Bar can’t tell the doctor who he really is. If he did, his niece might be kicked out of the program. To make sure she keeps getting the experimental drug that’s being offered there, H-Bar can’t take the relationship with the doctor any further,” Gladius said.

“Good point. He needs to be wary of that,” Liam said. Hero guidelines were serious on that point. No special benefits for family members through a Hero’s connections.

“I think he’s waiting for the treatment to end. We both know he’s too stuffy and needs to get out there more,” Gladius said.

As they were talking about date ideas for H-Bar, two other Heroes jumped in. Skip holding onto Romeo himself. Standing at the top of the parking garage, the light of the noon sun seemed to make H-Bar look smaller. Like he was sunken in on himself. Leaving the kids and going to a murder scene must’ve done a number on him.

“Speak of the devil, he’s here.” Gladius said. Knocking H-Bar on the shoulder with a fake punch.

“If I were the devil, I’d have horns,” H-Bar said. His usual jovial attitude returning. “Now Ullr’s helmet is much closer to that description.”

“Do you think I’d tell Ullr he’s the devil?”

“Not if you are smart,” H-Bar said with a quiet bark of a laugh before continuing, “So I’m not sure what you’d do.”

“If I didn’t know you better, I might be offended.”

Walking over, Skip cut in and asked Gladius, “Ready to go?”

“What, not letting me enjoy my little talk with H-Bar?” Gladius asked.

“Do it later. We have a killer to find.”

“Fine, be a buzzkill.”

With Gladius’s approval, Skip reached out and teleported them away. A moment later he was back. Transporting the other two Heroes to a new section of the city.

The next few hours continued like the previous ones. With H-Bar and Source jumping around the city, meeting with the community as they went.

H-Bar’s mood seemed to improve as the day wore on. The fake smile he wore at the start of their patrol was replaced by a real one as the minutes passed. But Liam could still feel an edge to it, like something was eating away at the other Hero.

With a fight always a moment away there was a constant tension in the air, weighing down on the Heroes. However, they used that tension to fight against the monotony of the patrols. Going around the city doing the same thing over and over dulled the senses. It left the Heroes in a weird state where their bodies were like coiled springs ready to go, but their minds fell behind.

Eventually that tense monotony was broken as Skip jumped in earlier than expected.

“Robbery in progress. Possible Cowl involved. Ullr asked for a three member response,” Skip said in quick succession. Each point crisp and clean. Like a bucket of cold water being thrown over them, they pulled themselves out of their stupor.

H-Bar and Skip jumped first, with Liam taking the second trip. The once strange form of travel was lost to Liam as he prepared for a fight. Coming out of the teleportation, Liam was ready for anything.

He found himself at the end of an alley. It was a little tunnel in the middle of the city. Long ago becoming more a collection of old take out boxes and newspapers than a serviceable road.

The Alley itself was straight like a bowling lane and almost as wide. At the far end, where the pins should’ve been, was H-Bar. Already aglow. A ball of pure light held in front of him.

Skip stood next to Liam, staring down a man, silhouetted in H-Bar’s light. Details were hard to spot because of the brightness of H-Bar’s suit. But Liam could discern a bag in the man’s hand.

Finding himself surrounded, the man’s head flicked from one side of the alley to the other. Trying to find a weakness in the net that just appeared around him.

As Liam ignited his staff, one end burning with electricity, the man dropped the bag. Arms reaching up to the sky.

“I surrender. I surrender!,” the man called.

Not exactly what Liam expected, but he’d never complain when he could avoid a fight.

“Do you have a weapon or power?” H-Bar shot back from the far side of the alley.

“I have a BB gun in my pocket. It’s not a real gun, I swear!” the man said. A desperate plea in his voice.

“What about powers?” Liam ordered. Just because the man didn’t have a weapon didn’t mean he wasn’t a serious risk. Many of the most powerful people alive were that way because of their ability, not from the weapons they carried.

“I’m not a super!” The man cried. Overwhelmed when facing three Heroes.

“Only one way we can be sure,” Skip whispered.

“What?” Liam asked back.

“He could be lying, waiting for us to get in close before he strikes.”

What was it that Skip wanted him to do Liam wondered. Have him attack a defenseless person. That was a horrible thing to do. Liam would never do something like that. Let alone a person who’d already given themselves up.

“Sir, I’ve been authorized to use deadly force if you resist arrest.” H-Bar said from behind the subject, “Please keep your hands where I can see them and lay down on your stomach. Then put your hands behind your back!”

As the man complied with the commands, H-Bar’s gathered light stretched forward. Becoming arm and leg restraints for their burglary suspect. The restraints helped pacify any potential attacks. It’d take someone as strong as Ullr to break through them.

With the suspect restrained the Heroes moved forward. If the man was telling the truth, and he wasn’t a super, then coming here had been a waste of time. Sure they’d stopped a burglary suspect, but the police were there for cases like this. Heroes were around to fight others with powers.

The group of Heroes moved forward and surrounded the man, remaining on guard the entire time. H-Bar used his light to dig into the man’s pockets and see what was there. Only to pull out an ID. This wasn’t the brightest criminal in the world, bringing that along with him. Running the ID through the police database, they found he had no prior arrests and wasn’t a known super. The gun in his pocket was also a BB gun, like he’d claimed.

“Looks like the guys telling the truth. We got a false report on super involvement,” Skip said.

“I’m sure the police won’t mind if we bring him in. Quick capture after a robbery will look good for them,” H-Bar said.

“You’re right,” Liam agreed. Who in law enforcement would be upset if a criminal was captured? Regardless of who did the capturing.

“But I did nothing wrong!” the man on the ground protested.

“Oh? And why should I believe that?” Skip asked.

“I was just minding my own business when you showed up.”

“Running away from the store that just reported a robbery?”

“I always run here. What, is that against the law?”

“Running with a bag?” H-Bar asked as he looked into the large sack the man set aside, “Full of computer parts?”

“I mean, I, I bought them. Yeah, bought them all, they’re mine, and I was just running home.”

“Has anyone ever told you, you make a bad liar?”

“How dare you say that, I’ll tell my lawyer.”

As the two continued to argue, Liam made his way to the bag. Taking a peek inside he found it was crammed full of computer components. Processors, video cards, RAM, and solid state drives. All top of the line parts.

“Quite the pick up here. Planning on opening a store?” Liam asked.

“No, just building a computer. It’ll be top of the line.”

“With three processors?”

“You just don’t understand how a computer works. It’s too complicated for most people.”

“I’m a techie,” Liam said as he motioned to the armor he was wearing.

“Oh...oh.”

Liam had heard of the saying ‘taking the wind out of his sails’ before. But he had never seen it in person until now. The man appeared to deflate as realization dawned. He was trapped now.

“You want the honors?” H-Bar asked. Nodding toward Skip.

“Might as well be me,” Skip said as he moved forward and dragged the criminal to his feet. Not even giving him the opportunity to object. “Let’s get this over with.”

The two walked down the alleyway and were soon out of site. The criminal not even trying to struggle.

Skip had left so quickly he hadn’t even bothered to bring the bag with him.

“That guy knew what he was after,” Liam commented, when they were alone.

“They’re just some old computer parts, right?” H-Bar asked, as he peered around where the crook had been. Looking for anything else the man might’ve dropped.

“Cutting edge computer parts,” Liam corrected, “Some are better than what we have back at the base.”

Liam’s mind wandered as he imagined what he could do with these parts. Upgrading the base was only the first step. His mind was running wild with the possibilities.

“Want one?” H-Bar asked.

“I couldn’t take one,” Liam said. He didn’t dare take something from the bag. If he did, it’d make him no better than the criminal they just caught.

“Of course you can. It’s only us. I won’t tell,” H-Bar nudged, “Plus you were saying these parts are better than what we have back at the base. You know how long it’ll take to get an upgrade approved from the DCP? Think of all the good you could do with these before that happened.”

“I have no idea how long it’ll take, but there are channels to follow,” Liam said.

“Well, let me put it this way. By the time the request goes through those parts won’t be top of the line anymore.”

“It takes that long?” Liam asked. That would be months of waiting. How could a simple upgrade take so long to be approved?

“The government works slowly. Lots of red tape to go through.”

“Even so, I can’t take any,” Liam said offhandedly. You have to work through the system regardless of how inefficient that was.

H-Bar stared at Liam for a moment. Then down at the bag. Then he nodded to himself before he turned away.

It took a moment for realization to dawn on Liam.