“You’ve got to be joking,” Tank exclaimed, jumping to her feet. A finger poking into Nudges chest. “I said I was joining the team. You can be serious with us now. You don’t have to lie, especially in such an obvious way.”

“I thought he died,” Wire said, tilting her head to the side and staring at the ceiling.

“He did,” Tank said. “Touch killed him decades ago.”

“Then why are we going to look for him?” Wire asked.

“The man isn’t dead,” Nudge said as he brushed Tank’s finger aside.

While the others were debating the new target, Liam pulled out a touchpad and looked up any information he could on Bank-Breaker. Which, it turned out, was a lot. He’d jammed the device’s memory full of information about any and all known Cowls. Everything he could get his hands on was stored within, and it was finally coming in useful.

Even as the files were loading, Liam knew some of the Cowl’s history. With his line of work everyone knew at least a little about this man? Yet as the files finished loading and Liam could take a look at what’d the man had been up to, the breadth of his crimes was staggering.

At the dawn of the Silver Era, the man had half the country believing he was the bogeyman. While the other half had rolled over into submission.

During that time, the country witnessed the height of Cowl versus Hero fights. Supers of all walks of life took to either side. With the greatest of Heroes fighting the wickedest of Cowls. And yet even through all of that, Bank-Breaker’s name still stood at the top.

“And how do you know he’s back?” Tank asked, pulling Liam back from his screen.

“I’ve been chasing him for decades,” Nudge said. His casual demeanor betraying the severity of the statement.

“So one of the worst Cowls in history, who was taken down by one of the greatest Heroes to have ever lived, is who you’re after? Are you implying Touch lied about their fight?” Tank asked.

“Wouldn’t be the first time a Hero lied,” Liam muttered. Wire turned and looked at him, her mouth opening, but made no move to talk. Then, without a word being said, both turned their attention back to Nudge and Tank.

“Touch never claimed to have killed Bank-Breaker. You can look it up yourself,” Nudge said.

“There was a national celebration when the man was brought down, and Touch went on tour. They taught everyone about it when I was in high school. I’ve even seen videos of the ticker tape parade through New York City.”

“A tour he didn’t want to be a part of.”

As the two continued to argue, Liam ran a quick search. It confirmed what Nudge said. While there was a victory parade and celebrations around the country, Liam couldn’t find a single instance where Touch himself said the Cowl was dead. Only those around him claimed it.

Finding a few videos, Liam watched one where the governor of New York talked about how the Cowl would never again threaten their city. Touch was standing next to the man, shifting his weight as he listened. Were those his nerves that were forcing him to fidget? Or was it a guilty conscience, Liam wondered. Whatever the reason, the Hero himself remained quiet on a future without Bank-Breaker.

“And how would you know he never said that?” Tank asked. A hand waving to enunciate the point.

Wire, whose attention had shifted away from Liam, was watching the conversation like a security camera. Not missing a beat of the action. As the two older Heroes shot comments back and forth, Wire’s head ping ponged to catch the action unfurling.

“The Watch has access to a lot of resources. This base is proof of that. Knowing the mindset of past Heroes is child’s play in comparison.”

“Whatever, lets say Touch didn’t admit he killed the man. I’ll humor you with that assumption. What does it change?” Tank asked.

Liam could offer to support what Nudge was saying, he had the videos that corroborated the man, but decided against it. Instead, he wanted to see where the conversation led. You never knew what you could find out if you just let people talk.

“If Touch didn’t think the man died, then he must still be out there,” Nudge said.

“And how old would that make him? Bank-Breaker hit his prime seventy years ago. If we assume he was in his mid twenties at that point, we’re talking about a Cowl in his nineties now. If he was still out there, I doubt we’d have to fight him. If we took away his cane he’d be done for.”

Wire laughed at the comment, her first time joining the conversation since it began. Liam just watched on. After what he’d been through, he knew better than to go easy on a Cowl. In fact, he’d have no problem taking down a cane wielding Cowl. Or even one in a wheelchair if it meant stopping a Cowl.

Many people saw the disability and let that cloud their judgement of the person within. Liam wasn’t that gullible. How someone got around didn’t change who they were, he knew that.

“Wait, this all makes sense now,” Tank said as she snapped her fingers. Her eyes lighting up as if she’d just revealed some great mystery. “You had to create a group outside of The Watch. They didn’t believe your story and refused to indulge in your foolish errand. We’re the gullible saps you brought in to fill the ranks.”

“Are you saying hundreds of missing people isn’t a worthy cause to investigate?” Nudge asked.

“The crime is. And as long as you agree that’s what we’re fighting, not some search for a long dead Cowl. Say that and I’ll stay,” Tank said.

There was a pregnant pause in the room. Wire leaned forward to catch everything Nudge was going to say, while Liam avoided attention. Crouching back as far as his body would let him.

“Fine. This isn’t related to Bank-Breaker,” Nudge agreed. His voice betrayed the lie to everyone in the room, though Wire didn’t seem to mind. As soon as she heard the statement, she relaxed.

After that little argument, the rest of that night went by like a speedster. The group spending much of it preparing for what they’d just embarked on. There were plans upon plans, each with a set of contingencies ready to be called upon if needed. Everything from impromptu ship searches, to training, and reviewing past incidents. It was late into the night when the group finally left the training facility.

Despite the time, Liam still had work to do. Since it appeared Tank and Wire were here to stay, he’d spend the evening looking into their histories. Wire, being new to the Hero scene, wouldn’t provide much information, but Tank would be enlightening.

…

“Alright Source,” Wire’s voice sounded crystal clear in his ear. His communication system amplifying the whispered words into something he could understand. “Ten drones around the corner. Same plan as last time?”

The voice should have been reassuring. The plan was sound. Usually that was all it took to calm Liam down. Yet the implications of what Wire was saying, and how she knew what was there, set his teeth chattering.

“Sounds good,” Liam responded, only a few seconds late. While his voice might have been shaky, the suit adjusted for it. His audio system making it so Wire would hear assured confidence. Like everything Liam made, he was proud of the creation, though he’d never thought it’d be his nerves he was covering. Instead, he’d always assumed it’d be confusion or anger that needed to be muted. Or any other emotion that could take hold over.

Before moving forward with the plan, Liam ran through his new firewalls and kill switches. They covered his suit and systems. All installed in the last few days he’d been with the group.

Against Wire, he wasn’t sure if they’d work. But the idea of not taking any precautions was scarier than taking a frivolous one. Until he knew the exact limits of her abilities, the possibility he could counter had to be enough.

Who would’ve thought the slim woman in front of him would be such a threat? If you saw her on the street without her costume, it’d be impossible to pin her down as a Hero. Though, that might just be Liam’s own preconceived notions seeping in.

While he hated what she could do, it made sense why Nudge had picked her. Even if the rest of the team didn’t believe Bank-Breaker was their opponent, Nudge did. And if that case came true, she’d be their contingency plan.

Wire held out her hand, three fingers standing like dominos. Then, only two as the first fell. Liam pulled in, mirroring the finger. Readying himself for the rest to fall.

The second finger followed the first and dropped. Liam checked his firewalls again. Even if this was a simulation, Liam didn’t enjoy working so close to Wire. Her power was something else entirely. Any techie, even one like himself who came in with some understanding of her power, would flounder against the woman.

When the last finger fell, the two raced around the corner. Coming upon the group of sentry robots as they moved.

The robots had a main body as large as a volleyball, made of a dull metal. In the center was a large camera looking almost like an alien eye.

From the sides of the metal balls were six legs. Each spidery appendage was three jointed. Holding the main body aloft on their two foot high legs.

The first three robots, moving in sync, like they’d practiced the move before, spun and jumped on those behind them. The sounds of clicking and scratching metal coming from their pile.

Liam ignored the six entangled robots and raced towards the ones in the back. The ones not fighting their kin.

With his staff, Liam made a slapshot attack at the first unoccupied robot. The thing’s front two legs came up to block the blow as its back four legs braced against the ground. Little good that did as Liam’s swing connected with the center of the robot’s body. A gong of metal called out as the little critter went flying.

Liam heard it crash farther along the hallway, but he was already moving to the next target. This one Liam caught with a lung of the staff. His trusty metal appendage jammed into the robot’s eye. The robot struggled, trying to move like normal, as if the staff wasn’t jutting out of its insides. The jolt of electricity a moment later didn’t give the robot a chance to come up with a new plan. The smell of burnt microchips wafted out of the robot as it crumpled and went still.

With the second robot taken care of, the third jumped onto Liam’s back. It hadn’t been sitting around while Liam attacked the others and launched its own attack before Liam could react. Its legs folding into sharp knives to stab at him. Each bladed appendage scratching against his suit before it was deflected to the side. None able to dig past his outer shell to the soft man inside.

Reacting on instinct, Liam reached back, searching for something to grab. After a frantic few seconds, Liam found one of the thing’s squirming legs and gripped down. Using that as leverage, he sprung the little robotic critter over his back and brought it crashing to the ground.

As the machine’s feet spun around, trying to pry off Liam’s grip. Liam fought back and grabbed one of the twirling legs. Using his suit’s enhanced strength, he pulled at the annoying appendage. With a pop, the leg was torn free and fell still.

Two more legs met the same fate before Liam could hold the body down. Slamming his fist into the machine’s eye, the robot redoubled its efforts to escape. But it was all for naught as a nozzle sprung out of Liam’s wrist and pumped his patented concrete foam into the robot’s innards.

The device was meant to seal doors, or bind things together. Today he’d found a new use for it, one it was perfectly at home doing.

The dispensed concrete quickly hardened and froze the metal menace. Though its internal gears struggled to spin, the concrete brought all of that to an end.

Throwing the disabled thing to the side, Liam found the first robot he’d bashed to the side, struggling to stand. One of its legs was bent at the wrong angle. A new joint Liam himself had fashioned.

Liam raised his arm and fired a taser at the robot. The dart slammed into the struggling thing. Bringing its feeble movements to a screeching halt as electricity coursed through its electronics.

With his batch taken care of, Liam turned around to find Wire destroying the last of the still struggling robots. Three of its compatriots were holding the struggling one down. After a last gasp of energy, the three on top tore it limb from limb. Then formed their legs into blades and came down in unison. Once, twice, then in a blur of attacks. Leaving the once struggling robot as little more than spare parts.

Done with their gruesome deed as traitors, the remaining docile robots lined up in military parade formation. Waiting for their next command. With no ceremony, Wire took them out one at a time. Jamming a metal rod into the camera socket and then jiggling it around. Her power prevented any of the machines from so much as twitching as she worked her way down the line.

When the last robot was on the ground, little more than a metal husk, Wire turned around. It took all of Liam’s willpower not to trigger his suit’s kill switches. The proof of the woman’s power lay in front of him. Did he want to end up like that? A cored metal husk.

“Lets go. Tank should be around the corner,” Wire said, no hint of noticing Liam’s aversion in her statement.

Though, the change in subject gave Liam a chance to alter his train of thought. An opportunity Liam grasped at. Increasing his suit’s audio settings, Liam listened for the tell-tale signs of Tank fighting. They were hard to miss, and soon he zeroed in on the dull thuds of combat.

Taking off, Liam led the way. His suit GPS showing which turns to take at each intersection.

Bursting through the final doors, they found Tank throwing an enormous man into a wall. Then spinning around to meet a flying table with her bare hands. The piece of furniture falling apart as Tank tore into it.

It took Tank mere seconds to finish her fight. The unconscious bodies forming a piece of modern art of Tank’s own design. As the last Cowl fell, the world around them turned black. The simulation coming to an end.

...

“Good work, everyone,” Nudge called. “Everyday I’m seeing improvements. We aren’t there yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

As Liam walked away from the group, he reflected on the debriefing. It’d gone better than the first simulation, but was still a work in progress. Each fight showed a series of things he could improve on. That, in and of itself wasn’t a bad thing, but there was a limit to how many times you could be told you were doing things wrong before it started to drag down on your psyche.

Walking down the hallway, Liam headed towards his own room. The complex they were in was massive. Big enough to support over a hundred people with room to spare. However, their group stayed in a small portion of the base. Leaving the rest unexplored darkness. It was only three turns until he was back in his room.

Liam’s room was plain, almost spartan in its lack of decor. There was a bed, little more than a box spring with a mattress on top. A simple blanket, it’s only cover.

On the other side of the room was a workbench. The new grenade he was working on lay in the center. This one was a special present against a certain someone. Next time they faced each other, he’d use it and there’d be no running away for his opponent.

Unlike when he was with The Hunt, Liam kept everything he owned on his person as often as possible. He still had equipment in a workshop, but he didn’t leave any of his new tech down there. Even if it meant little against Wire and her powers, it helped with his peace of mind.

Once situated in the room, Liam dialed his sister. It’d been something he needed to do and had been putting off for days. With his down time now, it couldn’t be avoided any longer. The phone rang once before she answered.

“Hey Mel,” Liam said.

“How are you? How’s the new team?” Mel’s voice came from the other side. Each syllable bringing with it an almost childlike energy. “By the way, you’re mister popular today. We had Five reporters asking for interviews with you. It won’t be long until I’ll need you to invent something to hold them back.”

“We’re not a team,” Liam said. Choosing to address only part of what his sister said.

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.”

“No, really we aren’t. We are a group fighting to stop one Cowl,” Liam said as he grabbed a rubber ball from the ground.

“You’re training with them, but you’re not a team. You know I don’t believe that,” his sister replied.

“It’s… we just aren’t,” Liam said. Finding it hard to express what he was feeling with this group.

“When will that change?” Mel asked. Her own voice quieted as she realized Liam was troubled.

When would it indeed? Or would it ever, Liam wondered? His hand clenched down on the ball.

“Enough about the group. How are you? How is the family?” Liam asked. Doing his best to change where the conversation was going.

“Everyone is doing good,” Mel replied after a momentary pause. Letting Liam steer the conversation away from touchy topics. “Still getting used to the changes.”

It was a momentary victory for Liam. One he would have to fight for again tomorrow when Mel asked the same thing again. He knew she was asking because she wanted what was best for him, yet it was still hard. Every day facing the same inquiry. And every day redirecting the conversation.

“Sorry about that. I didn’t want this to happen to you,” Liam said. His own voice slowing from its earlier excitement.

“You never have to be sorry. I was the one who stopped believing in you. And even then you proved just how much of a Hero you are.”

“Mel, that’s not-” Liam started. The ball fell from his grasp as Mel cut him off.

“We’re fine. We all made it through that, we can make it through anything.”

Liam was tempted to leave the conversation there, but something pushed him forward, and he obliged.

“But really, how are you? Are you being harassed?” Liam asked as he sat down on the bed. The metal frame squeaking in protest to his weight.

“The Heroes assigned to protect me put a stop to that.”

“That’s good,” Liam said. He was glad someone was sticking up for her, but didn’t like the notion they had to. “How are the guards?”

Liam remembered meeting the three former Heroes. Each one volunteering to help protect his sister until a proper, long term solution could be achieved.

Their records were clean, spotless even. Little that that mattered given what he’d been through. However, it was nice having someone there to protect her. Even if it’d never be able to compare to Liam himself.

“I like them. They have some grand stories.”

“Like what?” Liam asked.

“I could never tell you. That would be stealing their legacy, I don’t want to do that.”

“I’m sure they won’t mind.”

There was a slight pause on the phone as Mel debated what to say

“It’s the principle of the thing that matters. Next time you’re here, I’ll have them share my favorites.”

“Fine. Next time I’m there,” Liam conceded. He knew when his sister was digging in. He was beat on this topic. Changing the subject, he asked. “Do you still have what I gave you?”

“Yes.”

“And it’s with you?”

“I never take it off.”

“Good, make sure you don’t. Now tell me about your job search.”

“It is what it is,” Mel mumbled.

“Is that a good or bad thing?”

It was hours before the call ended. The two talking until everyone else was long asleep.