"I hadn't worked it out yet," Thad said. "Someone somewhere else must've made a similar breakthrough."
"I don't think so. I think they came from the same place, but not the lab. The powers are already in the material. And that comes from..."
"What? How are the powers put into the material the suits get made from?"
Allison shook her head, then looked across the street for a moment before turning back to Thad. "There's something down there, something that must've been buried there for a very long time."
"That's what The Director was after?"
"That's what the man told me. Probably so."
"But we stopped him."
"True." Allison glanced down for a moment, then looked at Thad. "But one of his team still took something...someone, actually. A man. A man who'd been down in that cavern since they started building this place. They kept his existence a secret, even to some of the Board members. He's some sort of autist savant. Somehow, he can interface with whatever is down there holding all that power, the power that gets made into our suits."
"Who took him? Where? Did he tell you that?"
Allison nodded, looking at Thad like she had horrible news to share with him. "Thad...it was Mr. Awesome."
Thad's body crumpled into a slump as all the air went out of his chest and he lost the strength in his frame. He slowly shook his head. "Mr. Awesome? But..."
Allison put her hand on his shoulder. "I know. It's hard to believe, but it's true. He hasn't been on the moon this whole time. He went, but came back early. But he didn't come back here to work. He went back to The Director. He's been working with him all along. He's the one who took the Super Threads used to make The Director into who he is, and the rest of his group."
"He was...my hero."
"I know. I'm sorry. I really am." Allison gave him the time he needed to process what he'd just heard.
Thad felt sad, then angry and betrayed. He thought about all he'd been through, and how much he'd looked up to Mr. Awesome since the company's most powerful hero came onto the scene. He remembered how Mr. Awesome had been the inspiration for him, giving him the will to persevere all year working in the mail room, holding fast to the hope of one day becoming a superhero too.
"He's the reason I wanted to become a superhero," Thad said, looking up at Allison.
She stared into his eyes for a few moments, then said, "But he's not the reason you are one." She put her hand on his chest. "This is the reason. You were a hero long before you put on your suit."
Thad looked down at her hand on his chest, then smiled at her and let out a sigh. "Thanks. I...I just want to help people. I always have, ever since..."
"Since you were a kid in your old neighborhood?"
"Yeah, right."
"I remember. You told me how rough it was."
"It would've been nice to have had my powers then. I could've done something to stop the bad guys," Thad said.
"Yes." Allison squeezed his hand. "But you have them now. And me. And now we know who all the bad guys are."
Thad nodded, realizing she was right. He did have powers now. He couldn't change the past, but there were villains loose in the city. One of them might have been his hero once, but that didn't matter now. He was a super. He'd proven he could handle the role—to the company, to his friends, and to himself.
"Thad?"
He'd been staring into the distance. He took a deep breath and let it out, then turned to her. "They're not going to win. I won't let them. Not here. Not anywhere. We're the heroes. If The Director and Mr. Awesome want to team up, let 'em. Our team is more than ready for them. We've got powers too. And more than that, we're fighting for the people. I spent too many years growing up watching thugs and criminals hurt my neighbors, and the people close to me. No more. Supervillains or not. Let 'em come. We'll be waiting for them."
Allison put her arms around him, and curled one arm behind her and pulled her close. "We'll do it together."
She looked into his eyes. "Together forever.
He peered back into her eyes, and everything felt right. He hugged her a little closer as she nestled her chest against his, then winked at her and went in closer. Her lips met his, and they became lost to the world in a long, passionate, ignore-the-shocked-people-walking-by, superheroes-in-love kiss.
Note from Franklin
Thad,
I think I figured out why the anti-itch cream you got at the store isn't helping with your reaction to your super suit. I told you that with a fiber from your suit and some of your skin cells I could solve the problem.
The bottle this note is attached to has a pill in it. Yes, just one pill. Take it with a glass of water. You shouldn't need another one. It's not like a normal antihistamine. Within an hour of taking it, you shouldn't have the reaction to your suit anymore. The effect should be permanent.
Let me know if you have another problem for me to solve. I like a challenge.
-Frankin
P.S. Thanks for giving me an excuse to use the new electron microscope the lab got recently. I love that thing!
Supers Inc Building
PARTIAL DIRECTORY
FLOOR 1: LOBBY, BIOMETRIC SECURITY CHECKPOINTS, PUBLIC RELATIONS DESK
FLOOR 2: CLERICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE
FLOOR 3: GYM AND TRACK—FOR USE BY NON-SUPERS
FLOOR 4: TEAM-BUILDING MAZE
FLOOR 6: SUPER TECH (TM) SALES DISPLAY
FLOOR 7: IT DEPARTMENT
FLOOR 9: AUGMENTATION TECHNOLOGIES DEPARTMENT
FLOOR 10: AUGMENTATION TECHNOLOGIES DEPARTMENT
FLOOR 11: AUGMENTATION TECHNOLOGIES DEPARTMENT
FLOOR 14: SUPERS CHILDCARE FACILITY
FLOOR 15: CAFETERIA & FOOD COURT—FOR USE BY NON-SUPERS
FLOOR 19: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 20: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 21: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 22: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 23: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 24: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 25: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 26: DANGER ROOM
FLOOR 27: SUPERS MEDICAL CLINIC
FLOOR 28: OFFICES, GENERAL ADMIN, SUPERS OFFICES: ALLISON, MICRON, THE AUTHOR, SIREN
FLOOR 29: SUPERS OFFICES: HYDRO, VOLTBOLT, ALACRITY, PHANTOM, BULL, BULLFROG
FLOOR 30: SUPERS OFFICES: LADY DRUID, NYMPH, MIDNIGHT, MULTIPLICITY, CARRINGTON
FLOOR 31: SUPERS OFFICES: LORD SUAVE, TATIANA, ATMOSPHERE, LEPRECHAUN (RETIRED)
FLOOR 33: BALLROOMS, CONFERENCE ROOMS
FLOOR 34: SUPERS MOVIE THEATER
FLOOR 35: SUPERS RESTAURANT
FLOOR 36: SUPERS PRIVATE HOUSING
FLOOR 37: SUPERS PRIVATE HOUSING
FLOOR 38: SUPERS PRIVATE HOUSING
FLOOR 39:SUPERS PRIVATE HOUSING
FLOOR 40: SUPERS LOUNGE
FLOOR 41: SUPERS INCIDENTAL DESTRUCTION OFFICE
FLOOR 42: MISSION BRIEFINGS
FLOOR 43: MISSION CONTROL
FLOOR 46: PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING
FLOOR 47: PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING
FLOOR 48: PUBLIC RELATIONS, MARKETING
FLOOR 50: SUPERS / NON-SUPERS CAFETERIA
FLOOR 60: BANQUET ROOMS, STAFF KITCHEN & FOOD STORAGE
FLOOR 70: LEGAL—DOMESTIC
FLOOR 71: LEGAL—INTERNATIONAL & MARITIME
FLOOR 72: LEGAL—EXTRA-PLANETARY
FLOOR 90: AUXILIARY ARMORY
FLOOR 95: BOARD OF GOVERNORS
FLOOR 97: MR. AWESOME'S PRIVATE RESIDENCE (FORMER)
FLOOR 98: VIP RECEIVING AREA & GUEST RESIDENCES
FLOOR 99: CEO OFFICE & RESIDENCE
FLOOR 100: CEO OFFICE & RESIDENCE
FLOOR 101: HELICOPTER STORAGE—RETRACTABLE CEILING WITH LIFT
ROOF: HELICOPTER LANDING PAD, COMMUNICATIONS ANTENNAE, REPEATERS, SATELLITE DISHES
BASEMENT LEVELS, PARTIAL LIST:
LEVEL 1: MAIL ROOM
LEVEL 2: MAINTENANCE
LEVEL 3: AUGMENTATION TECHNOLOGIES DEPARTMENT TESTING FAC
ILITY
LEVEL 4: UNDERGROUND HANGAR—SURFACE ACCESS BEHIND BUILDING
LEVEL 5: MAIN ARMORY
LEVEL 6: POWER GENERATION
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If you like sci-fi
TANGLED PERIL (A Jake Mudd Tale)
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HEAT SEEKER
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About the Author
My innards were stitched together with Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, childhood dreams, unbound possibilities, and all of the great 80’s movies. I think Frank Frazetta’s art is tops, and Conan the Barbarian and Flash Gordon are good role models.
I’ve enjoyed stories all my life—some in books, some in movies… some in my head. What can I say? Life is great, but so is imagination.
I’ve worked as a bookseller, a research library assistant, a computer network expert, and in a dozen other jobs over the years—some down the street from my childhood home, others which took me across oceans.
If I’m not reading or writing, I’m probably enjoying time with my family or friends, or hiking or Netflix-ing.
I’ve stumbled just enough times to give me some perspective (and character to my stories), but never so badly as to keep me down—for too long.
I believe in being decent to people just because, and going for what you want even when it seems really hard or almost out of reach.
Readers, keep in touch.
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Supers Incorporated Page 13