Liam ran his eyes over the wiring one last time. The small copper lines looked like city streets from a bird’s-eye view, laid out in some alien way. Verifying everything was in place, for a second time, Liam slotted the chip into the casing, then tightened it into place. With that done, the glove he’d spent the last few hours working on was almost ready, only one thing left to do.

Reaching his hand into the glove, Liam felt it wrap around him, extending a comforting embrace. Once the glove was on, there were a series of clicks before it tightened around him. Conforming itself to his hand.

Watching the glove proceed through its initial attachment, Liam jotted down notes. Trying to capture any issues with the process. When the glove was attached Liam was happy to report it worked with no hiccups. Checking the system readings he found them in agreement, everything was within standard levels.

Flexing his hand and contorting it into several positions, Liam checked the glove for any mobility issues. No matter what he did, the glove easily flowed through with the movement. Satisfied with the results, Liam noted it on the page before proceeding to the final test.

With a click he activated the hands taser feature. An arc of electricity formed in his palm. Zapping angrily at the world around it. Watching the blue glow, Liam went back through the mobility check, testing the taser with each gesture.

Reaching the end of the trial, Liam let out a long held breath. Everything checked out. It was operating at full capacity. Satisfied, Liam took the thing off and added it to a growing pile of repaired parts. One that’d increased to hold over half the suit since the start of his work.

It’d been a week Liam longed to forget. One where his face was plastered on every TV screen in the country. But life had a way of keeping people from what they wanted and all he could do was move forward with the repairs.

Since he’d landed with Mr. Hat, Liam spent all of his time working on the suit. Waking up in the morning to a simple breakfast before he was off to work. Only stopping for lunch and then dinner before calling it a day. It was an exhausting schedule, but every moment spent with his suit was one spent away from the outside world. Doing the work, Liam almost felt like his old self again. If only he could spend his entire time working.

Looking back to the piles of gear, Liam could feel the pressure on his chest lessening. He’d just finished the last of the lightly damaged parts. That left the suit a long way from being fully operational again, but it was a good start. Flying was out of the question and his flame glove was having troubles all its own. But at least he’d be able to get around in the suit and wouldn’t be embarrassed being seen in it.

With all the minor issues resolved it was time to work on the serious ones. Liam had changed the repair schedule after working on the first boot, it’d shown him just how difficult some parts would be. With the new plan, he worked on what he knew could be fixed first, then the questionable stuff. Originally he thought it’d take at least two weeks to get to this point in the repair, but here he was. Ready for the work to finally begin in earnest.

With his limited resources the next repairs would require a hefty bit of thinking as Liam worked around the missing tools and equipment. Wanting to hold off on that new headache, Liam took a break. Giving his brain some time to relax before he got back into it.

Placing his now worn-in tools back into their little plastic container, he set them reverently on the bedside table. They’d earned a break as well. The tools had been a big surprise during the last week. The cheap things Liam initially ignored had earned their place. Like himself they would be disregarded by most people, but they still showed up to each task ready to work. The little plastic things had a work ethic worth emulating and Liam could respect that.

The bed itself was covered in parts. The thing wasn’t the softest in the world, with only a fraction more cushion than Liam’s old workbenches. Meaning it wasn’t a great loss when he converted it into a substitute workbench.

If only he’d thought to take the bed sheets off before he began working. Now the sheets were stained with grease and grime from all the work he’d done. The initial inspection of the suit left enough gunk on the bed to convince Liam it wasn’t worth trying to salvage the sheets. Since then the bed operated in its new role perfectly.

When Liam told Mr. Hat about the new arrangements, the man hadn’t even batted an eye at the thought of sleeping on the floor. He just went out and bought a pillow and blanket. Then made a little nest in the corner of the living room. Sleeping there every night without fuss. Say what you will about the man, he knew how to take things in stride.

Even though Liam was the reason for the change in sleeping locations, he was finding it much more difficult to deal with. The hard floor of the apartment wasn’t the most inviting of surfaces. It often left his neck stiff and sore every morning. But that was a fair price to pay for work space.

Leaving his work on the bed Liam went to the kitchen. Opening the fridge for a snack he surveyed the options. A half empty container of milk sat alone on the fridge door. Or what used to be milk Liam thought as he glanced at the expiration date. It’d likely transformed into something else by now and he wasn’t brave enough to check what.

Staying away from the ‘milk’ Liam looked through the rest of the fridge. There was an unopened bottle of salsa, mustard, a few apples, and a bottle of tequila. Surprisingly the apples looked freshly picked. Not the best options for a meal.

Looking for something better, Liam opened the freezer and found it empty. No surprise there, it looked like Mr. Hat still hadn’t been grocery shopping. Liam wasn’t sure if the man didn’t mind the limited options, or if he didn’t know he had to buy more with two people living here. The man knew many things, but how to keep a stocked pantry was not one of them.

Hoping to find something else in the kitchen, Liam opened all the cupboards in the room. Only finding a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. How could someone live like this he wondered?

With the limited options it was decision time Liam thought. Is it another day of peanut butter sandwiches, or should he mix it up a little? He wondered what a peanut butter and mustard sandwich would taste like. Ultimately deciding it was better to leave that concoction to his imagination. Liam retreated back to the fridge and grabbed an apple. It was the healthy choice, his body would thank him when he was older. If he made it that long. The last thought was unintentional and stung, he’d been away from his work for too long, better hurry back before he could think anymore.

When Liam was half way back to his room he stopped. Mr. Hat was out right now, and it’d been a week since the incident. An itch in the back of Liam’s brain asked him to check the news again. Grasping at a childish hope that they had forgotten him. As if Liam ignoring the news would cause the world to do the same for him. Letting his curiosity get the better of him Liam turned on the TV. He didn’t even have to surf to find what he was looking for as the news popped on.

Over the last week Liam’s mood had improved. With the repairs to his suit underway the idea of going out and proving his innocence had formed. He didn’t have a plan yet, that would come later. But with a powered suit, doors would open. He’d be able to do something that made a difference. That budding hope had carried him through the week.

In one fell swoop all the progress Liam made was gone. On the screen was something he never thought he’d see. Did Mr. Hat know about this? Was he trying to keep it from Liam? Liam clenched his fist at the thought of the man keeping him in the dark. Eyes unconsciously tracking to the unrepaired hole in the wall before shooting back to the screen.

The reporter on TV said, “It’s been three days since Melody Miller, the sister of the disgraced former Hero Liam Miller, also known as Source, came on the air. Three days since she begged her brother to turn himself in, but no one has heard from him. I’d like to play her request one more time for anyone who missed it, before we go to the panel and get their take.”

Liam’s breath caught in his throat. They’d gotten to his sister. Why hadn’t the Department of Controlled Powers or DCP for short put her under protection? Wasn’t that their job, the entire reason they existed? The answer was clear, he was a wanted man. Which meant she had lost any protection the department was going to provide. So much for innocent until proven guilty.

When Mel’s face appeared on the screen, Liam’s mind flashed to when they were younger. It was a hot August day. Liam’s brow was damp with sweat as he packed the car for the trip to the academy. To all their neighbors he was just one in thousands of teens headed off to college. But that wasn’t where he was really going, this was in fact the first step on his career as a Hero.

“So this is it?” Mel asked as she strolled up to the car. It was the first time he’d seen her in days. She’d locked herself in her bedroom as the packing began. Liam could swear he heard muffled cries coming from beyond the bedroom door the few times he tried to comfort her, but the door itself never opened.

“Yeah,” Liam said. Trying to remain nonchalant as he struggled to force the last suitcase into the trunk.

“Off to save the world?”

Liam shot a glance towards his sister. Finding her with freshly painted makeup covering her face. But even a layer of that wasn’t enough to hide her red and puffy eyes.

“That’s on the list of inventions I need to build,” Liam said. Trying to lighten the mood.

“What, a world saver?” Mel asked with a laugh.

Hearing the moment of joy in his little sister’s voice, Liam relaxed. Having her happy would make leaving easier.

“You laugh now, wait till I name it Maddening Mel or something like that,” Liam said.

“You would never,” Mel said in mock horror.

The conversation lulled as Liam gave one final push to the suitcase. Crushing the bag into the back. Testing the trunk, Liam was happy to note it shut, how he’d get things back out when he arrived, Liam tried not to think about. That was a problem he’d deal with in due time.

With the packing done, Liam turned back to Mel and found tears streaming down her face. Smearing her makeup into riverlets.

Between sobs she said, “Just promise me you’ll become the Hero we always dreamed of. Someone everyone can look up to.”

The memory faded as Liam jumped back to reality. He couldn’t miss anything she was about to say.

Mel’s face looked so much older than the little sister he remembered. Gone was the mischievous smile. The glint in her eyes suggesting a prank was on the horizon. The young woman staring out from the TV looked haunted. Dark circles under her eyes and hair that’d lost its luster. Like she was fighting a battle with no chance to win.

She began to talk in a slow, even drawl. Easing her way through what must be a terribly difficult discussion, “Brother, I know what the news says. What your team says you’ve done. But please know I still love you, regardless of all of that.”

Liam’s heart sank. They hadn’t just gotten her to do an interview. This was so much worse than that. They’d convinced her that he turned traitor.

Mel continued, “I’m begging you to turn yourself in. Let the system you fought so hard to protect do its job and find justice in all of this.”

“No,” Liam whispered, not her. Not Mel. She’d always supported him, been there through everything. He couldn’t reconcile the woman he was watching with his sister. When they were younger Mel would dress up as a cheerleader whenever Liam had a science fair. Chanting like crazy when it was his turn to be judged. She cared more about the events than Liam himself. What happened to that little girl? How could she turn her back on him now, when he needed her the most?

There was a pause before she spoke again as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, “You won’t be harmed if you turn yourself in. Please big brother, be the man I always thought you were and come in without hurting anyone else.”

The clip ended with that and the announcer came back on air.

When Liam was first called a traitor, he’d erupted in anger. A feeling so intense he could almost see it. Now his body was simply numb. There was nothing there, nothing for him to do except watch.

“And there you have it folks, the traitor’s own sister begging him to come in,” the reporter said. A scowl on his face as pictures of Mel and Liam hovered behind him. Staining her through association. Continuing, the reporter said, “Now I’d like to hear from our panel. What’s your take on all of this?”

The screen shifted again and four faces filled the corners of the TV. The man in the top right corner spoke first, “This is a disgrace. Why wasn’t she condemning what Liam did? Three people are dead because of his greed. That’s not something you can brush under the rug. She should know better and until she calls him out, she’s just as horrible as her murdering brother.”

A woman cut in next, “What Liam did was abhorrent, but can we blame his sister?”

“We can and should. Just as we would for whoever's abducting people on cruise ships.”

Liam stopped listening to the report. He couldn’t hear them insult his sister like that. How could they do that to someone as innocent as her?

The images of what Mel just said filtered back into his head. It wasn’t just the reporters, but his own sister who was corrupted by all of this. When he got his hands on The Hunt, he’d make them pay. They’d wish they never brought his sister into any of this.

A sharp pain focused Liam. His nails were digging into his hands, he was squeezing them so tight. Small red lines forming under each finger.

Liam blinked a couple times before going to the fridge for something to dull the pain. Where he again found the freezer empty. With a huff he threw open the refrigerator, and that’s when he saw it. Sitting on the bottom shelf was a bottle of tequila.

Without thinking Liam grabbed it and took a pull. The smell hit him first, it was an herbal odor he could almost taste. Liam didn’t have any experience with liquor and was surprised it had such a potent smell.

The flavor of the tequila was the next to arrive. It was a mixture of vanilla and caramel that burned the entire way down.

Setting the bottle aside, Liam raced over to the sink and threw his mouth under the faucet. Taking gulp after gulp in an attempt to dilute what he just drank. It took a few mouthfuls, but it did the trick.

Going back to the living room liquid courage rushed through him. Right now he couldn’t get to the Hunt. He still needed a plan for that. But he couldn’t just sit here waiting, while his sister thought he was a murderer. There was no way he would do that. Knowing what he had to do Liam raced to his suit. The TV still spouting its lies behind him.

“Now we bring on the first victim’s family. Please tell us your take on all of this?” the reporter said.

A voice yelled in response. Each word carrying the agony of a mother’s loss, “Why are they trying to take him in? Just kill him on the spot and be done with it…”

Liam tuned it out again. The stupid woman was angry and lashing out. If he kept listening, he might do something drastic to her and he couldn’t live with that. He had to stay on point right now.

Liam grabbed his helmet. The piece was in the best shape of everything left to be repaired. A lucky outcome as it housed the suit’s processor. If they had destroyed that, Liam could kiss an operational suit goodbye. Custom made processors weren’t something readily available on the open market. Less so for someone being hunted by Heroes.

Putting the helmet on, Liam ran through the system menu. Navigating through a few menus Liam found communications. He couldn’t just sit here while Mel thought he was a murderer. She needed to know he was innocent and there was only one way to do that.

Running through the security subroutines everything looked in order. The suit wasn’t your average telephone, so it’d take something impressive to break through his security. Nothing a small city police force would have on hand. There was still some risk involved, calling unsecure lines could cause an issue, but it was small and he’d live with it.

With the check done, Liam dialed his sister. The phone hadn’t even finished its first ring when it was answered.

“How did you get my number? I’m not doing any interviews.”

The voice answering the call was fierce. He was such an idiot. Calls from the suit came up as a restricted number. He was surprised by his sister even answering the phone with everything going on and not knowing who was calling.

“Hey Mel it’s me,” Liam said.

“Liam! Where are you? Are you OK?” Mel asked. Her tone doing an instant 180 when she learned who was calling her.

“I’m doing fine. Listen I had to call when I saw you on TV.”

Liam stumbled, unsure what to say next. He knew he had to talk to her, but never thought through what to say. His sister didn’t help, waiting for him to continue, not making a sound on her end of the call.

“It’s all a lie Mel. I didn’t do anything they said. It was the rest of the team, they framed me.”

The clicking of locks sounded in the background but Liam wasn’t paying attention to it. He was focused only on his sister, what she was saying and how it was breaking him apart.

“Liam I… I’ve seen the evidence they’ve gathered. I know the truth.”

The door to the apartment swung open with a screech of protest.

“No Mel it’s all a lie.”

Mr. Hat ran into the room. Grabbing frantically at Liam’s helmet.

“What are you doing? You idiot! End the call now!” Mr. Hat commanded, steel in his voice.

“Who’s there with-”

As if Mr. Hat’s voice was the only thing that mattered, Liam cut off his sister and ended the call.