A Date With A Nemesis

"And if you refuse…wait…what did you say?" Manderand asked from the ledge of the building in order to stand taller than her. His black trenchcoat stopped flapping in the wind, as if it too was shocked by his nemesis's words.

"I said I would love to go on a date with you," Captain Hearts said in a cheery, high pitched voice. Her signature heart shaped red cape waved in the wind.

Manderand blinked several times. He thought it would be a punishment for her, but she seemed enthusiastic. There must be an angle she was playing. 

"You're screwing with me, right?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

Manderand framed his face with his hands, bringing attention to his marred face from several battles with the deep fryer. Co-workers can be cruel like that. "Have you not seen my face?" They don't call me, The Burn Victim, for nothing."

"I like a man with scars. It tells a story I haven't heard yet. And you have a lot," she said and licked her lips.

He had no idea what to say to that. She was the first woman to not find his face hideous. Hell, even his own mother thought he was gross. Yet standing below him was a petite young woman, who looked ready to devour him instead of fight him. 

"Don't you even want to hear what I am planning?"

"I do! Where are you taking me? I love seafood, but I am up for anything!"

Manderand stepped down from the ledge, partially in defeat. "I meant about my diabolical plan for the city…"

"You can tell me all about it at dinner. So, where and when?"

"Um… tonight?"

"Then I better get dressed. Pick me up at seven. 505 Squirrel Avenue North." Captain Hearts blew him a kiss and skipped away to the rooftop door.

"Captain Hearts," Manderand called to her before she left. 

"Call me April," she said, sending back a flirty smile. "I'll see you later."

She left him on the top of the building with his thoughts, which were all upside down. He expected this to be a tooth pulling experience, yet she was more than willing. A part of him wanted to believe she was genuinely interested, but the realistic part of his brain screamed it was a trap. She is leading me into a trap at her place, if it even is her place. What kind of superhero would give their address to their nemesis?

"Oh, I'm not letting you get out of this date that easily."

***

Manderand arrived at the place. 505 Squirrel Avenue North. It was five thirty and he was sure he beat her there, since he took his quadcopter. No better way to travel around the city, including the suburbs. He parked it out of sight, so his position wouldn't be given away and went up to the simple, one floor brown house. The roof and siding was brand new and lawn gnomes littered her freshly cut lawn. He walked up the cobblestone path to her front door, the whole time feeling he was being watched. Little did he know, the gnomes indeed turned in place, facing him at all times. 

He tried the handle and the door opened. It creaked as he watched the door slowly open to reveal an empty hall with a hardwood floor.

"I bet there is a trip wire somewhere," he said to himself, but after his search came up empty, he went inside. 

To his right, there was a small living room with a love cushion in the shape of a heart. The cushion faced a small TV on a wooden TV stand. All the Muppet DVDs were on display below the TV and a few romantic comedies. He had to admit, puppets were pretty awesome, even if he was more of an Elmo fan. Continuing on, the kitchen was to the left with chinese takeout boxes filling the sink. Otherwise, it was all clean and average looking. 

"How does a tiny thing like her put away all that food?" Manderand said and noticed something skit across the hall into the open door ahead. "I saw you. Come on out."

There was no response. His heart thumped in his chest, moving closer to the partially opened door. He fumbled for his lighter, which was his main weapon of choice. Flame always listened to him as long as it got started first. He clicked his lighter on and the flame followed the motion of his other hand. He pointed his hand like a blade and the flame followed suit, bending in the same direction.

Manderand got to the door and took a deep breath. I'm going to get you.

He jumped into the room and an orange tabby cat sprung off the pink and white bed. Its meows showed frustration with his interruption. Those same meows also startled him, causing him to shoot fire at her lamp. It came in like a dart, turning the lamp shade ablaze immediately.

"Oh, shit!" Manderand rushed over to put out the fire. He blew on and swatted at it, but it still kept spreading. He ripped it from the outlet and lifted it away from the rest of her bedroom. His eyes scanned her room, trying to find a way to put out the fire. His house never had this problem. Almost nothing was easily flammable and he made sure to have plenty of water around. Here though, it was a fire paradise. Everything was flammable. Then he spotted the bathroom. "Perfect!"

He hucked the lamp into the toilet and it shattered into pieces, mostly all collecting in the bowl. The crash echoed out of the room, but he was relieved the fire was out. Nothing screamed "I was in your house" more than a house burned to the ground. Manderand made short work of the extra pieces and flushed down the evidence of his presence. He washed his hands, when he heard the outside door close. 

"Muffin, I'm home," Captain Hearts announced to her cat. 

Manderand shut off the sink. She was home sooner than he thought and he hadn't found her trap yet. He needed to hide. His head turned to the shower. No, she will get cleaned up here. He tip toed out of the bathroom room and heard her footsteps in the hall. There was no time to waste, so he sprinted as quietly as he could to the open closet and closed it. The light shined through the narrow slats in the closet door. It made him feel exposed, but he was confident his hiding spot would hold up. He turned one of the slats up so he could time his escape. 

On the bed, he saw Captain Hearts hugging her cat, oblivious to his presence.

"Oh, Muffin. I am having the best day today! You won't believe what happened!" Captain Hearts said. 

"Meow," Muffin said.

"He asked me out. Can you believe it? Me! It took all my strength not to kiss him," she said and laid back on the bed. "I promise I played it cool. You should've seen me."

"Meow."

"You're right. I need to get dressed. But what should I wear?" she asked her cat and sat up. "I can't wear this. I don't want him thinking of work. What do you think he finds desirable?"

"Meow."

"Something different. Okay… maybe purple! Yeah, purple will work." She sprung up from the bed and skipped to the closet. 

Manderand didn't know what to do. There was nowhere to go and he couldn't fight his way out. All this time, there was a woman out there interested in him, but he was about to torpedo it by being found in her closet. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see her reaction. 

The left closet door opened and she snatched a purple evening gown from her wardrobe, completely unaware that a few inches away was her date for the evening. If Manderand could let out a sigh of relief, he would have. Too bad she was still within ear shot as she slipped out of her hero outfit. Manderand didn't dare look. He already violated her privacy once today.

Captain Hearts's little feet slapped against the floor of her bathroom and the sound of running water leaked into the bedroom. It was his cue to get out while he still could. Manderand did a quick once over of the room and scrambled to leave before he was spotted.

"Meow!" Muffin screeched as Manderand accidentally stepped on its tail. 

"Muffin, what's wrong?"

Manderand's eyes got big and he sprinted out of the room. His desperation made him clumsy, causing him fall. He crawled back to his feet and got to the door when her voice sailed through the air once again.

"Manderand?" Captain Hearts said, standing in the hallway with only a long white towel around her chest. Water dropped from her wet hair onto the floor. "You're early."

Manderand turned to face her, thinking she must not have noticed him running to the door, given his response. "I… hope that is okay. I noticed your door was open and–"

"Of course. I was just getting ready. Make yourself comfortable."

Manderand pretended to close the door and sat down on the loveseat. The little beads made a waterfall sound of comfort he had never heard before. His eyebrows raised at the pleasant surprise, but he fell out of his seat when he heard her voice next to him. 

"I'm ready!" Captain Hearts said, smiling ear to ear. 

He gazed upon her and time stopped in her presence. The dazzling purple gown commanded his attention, pairing nicely with her white flats. Her jet black hair shined from still being wet. 

"Woah, you look… great," he said, wondering how she got dressed so quickly.

"Thanks!"

"I feel a bit underdressed…"

"I didn't realize you wore anything other than trenchcoats," she said more as a matter of fact. 

Well, shit. I guess I don't. How have I never noticed that? "Still, you look so nice and I–"

She put her finger over his lips. Her smile and eyes were gentle as she looked into his eyes. "You look great. I wouldn't have you any other way."

It was the first time he had been touched in years, let alone by hands as soft as hers. People always gave him a wide berth, but she was face to face with him. His grotesque face didn't cause her to vomit or rush to the bathroom to rub off whatever she touched. Instead, she almost seemed to struggle to take her finger away, lingering for a few seconds. 

Manderand's heart fluttered, fully believing she was interested in him. He had to make this date one they would never forget. Lucky for him, he actually planned a good one. 

"Do you like to fly?"

***

"Woohoo!" Captain Hearts screamed with her fists in the air. She sat behind Manderand with her bare legs tangled around his waist as a makeshift seatbelt. They were flying well above the tallest building in the city. "Can you do a barrel roll in this thing?"

Manderand smirked. "Can I? You better hold on tight."

She put her arms around his chest and rested her chin on his shoulder. Her breath smelt like cherry candies and she whispered into his ear. "I'm ready when you are."

He turned the joysticks and the entire vehicle flipped over. Her hair fell straight down for a second or two as she looked in awe of the city lights below. It was a sight she had never seen before. Then gravity started to take hold. They descended fast as the props began to fail one by one.

"Uh oh," Manderand said, moving the sticks and tapping on several buttons on the front console.

Captain Hearts didn't respond, clinging tighter as they began accelerating toward the lights. Manderand ignored the constriction of his muscles, frantically trying to get his flying machine going the proper direction. The props spun again, but it only accelerated their descent. Manderand had exhausted his flying options and with the buildings getting closer, he had only one option left. He slapped the big red button off to the right and a parachute came shooting out the back. Captain Hearts screamed from the sudden loud ejection, but their worries were about to end.

The parachute caught the air and jerked them up, turning their dramatic fall into a glide reminiscent of floating from a cloud. Captain Hearts was still tightly clung to Manderand, burrowing her face into his neck, shaking uncontrollably.

"April, it's okay. The parachute deployed."

"Parachute?" she asked, opening one of her eyes. Once she realized they weren't going to suffer a grizzly death, her body relaxed and lifted her head up. "Heh… would you look at that?"

Manderand didn't know what to say or do next. His little stunt stranded them in the air for the next few minutes. It was easier when he was flying. He didn't have to talk if he didn't want to. And at the restaurant, there would be food in his mouth to buy him time to think. Here, there was nothing but gusts of wind. Thankfully, Captain Hearts made it easier for him.

"It is beautiful up here."

"Yeah… it is…"

Captain Hearts let out a relaxing sigh. "Thanks for taking me up here. I always wanted to see the city from the clouds."

"Really?"

"Yep. If I could, I would always be up here," she said and rested her head against him.

"You know, you didn't have to be a superhero. You could've been a pilot."

"And crash land inside one of these lovely buildings. I don't think so." Captain Hearts laughed along with Manderand, both imagining her flying through the Hero's Inc building. "Besides, who would stop you from destroying the city?"

"I think you have already done that."

Captain Hearts turned to face him, grazing his skin with her nose. Manderand thought for sure she would recoil away from him, but she didn't.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

He shrugged. "Sure."

"Why did you become a villain?"

He looked down at the ground. "I guess ever since… this." He gestured to his face, ashamed of his appearance.

"What happened?"

"I was working at Delano's Hamburgers."

"The one on fifth and grand?"

"Yeah. There were some coworkers who thought it would be funny to dunk me in the deep fryer."

Captain Hearts squeezed him. "No. Are you serious?"

"I wish I wasn't." Manderand could feel her concern. His mother was like that initially… until the bandages came off. "After that, I tried to get justice through the system, but none of them served a second in jail. The worst thing that happened to them was they got fired, but so did I. Delano couldn't afford to have his burger reputation ruined by a freak like me. I guess my mom had the same idea. Left me soon after as well."

She moved her left hand to turn his face toward her, ensuring they made eye contact. "You didn't deserve that."

"And you don't deserve this."

"What do you mean?"

"I forced you on a date. Threatened to burn the whole city to the ground if you didn't. You deserve someone more kind and attractive..."

"First off, you didn't force anything. I never even knew about your plan until just now. I wanted to go out with you. And second, you are attractive. Maybe not to everyone, but to me you are."

"You're just saying–"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before she laid a passionate kiss on his mangled lips. Manderand didn't know what to do as he felt her tongue creep into his mouth. It was enchanting to him. A simple touch was already more than enough, but a kiss turned his mind to mush. He wanted to stay in that moment forever, but gravity had other ideas. Their bodies jostled as their vehicle landed on top of one of the taller buildings. Their tender kiss was over, but not how they felt about each other.

She smiled at him and caressed his cheek. "I hope I wasn't too forward. I've been waiting to do that for a long time."

"No… it was nice."

"Just nice?" she teased.

"No! Better than nice. It was–it was–"

He was interrupted once again by her laughter. "You know, you're cute when you're flustered."

Manderand did a quick glance around the top of the building. "Well, what do you say we get out of here and I take you out for dessert?"

"Or maybe we make out up here for a few more minutes and then go pay those burger flipping bastards a visit?" she asked and spun around his waist to face him.

"Woah, I thought you were a hero?" Manderand asked, smiling at the idea of spending more time on her lips.

"I think it would be a pretty heroic act to get justice for my boyfriend."

"I'm your boyfriend now? Wow, you certainly move fast."

"Moving slow is overrated," Captain Hearts said and began sucking on his neck.

"Can't argue with that."

And thus began their passionate make out session. She ended up rolling them out of the vehicle and on to the rock laden floor. Neither cared about what lied beneath them or who was watching them from an adjacent building. A woman in a yellow jumpsuit had her binoculars trained on the new couple and tapped the earpiece in her ear.

"Boss, I have a recording you're gonna want to see."

***

Consequences of Begging

"Please don't kill me. I slept with your wife!" Kahleed cried in desperation.

Anchor Face lowered his pistol, taken aback by such a strange claim. Especially for being what would have been his last words.

"Come again?"

"I slept with your wife. Don't kill me!"

Anchor Face shook his anvil shaped head. "Wait. You think I would spare you for sleeping with my wife?"

Kahleed nodded. Tears ran down his bloody cheeks onto the asphalt under him while he watched Anchor Face scratch the flat top of his head.

"What is wrong with you? I would have shot you by now if that were true," Anchor Face said.

"But I did."

"No, you didn't."

"I can assure you I did."

"Well, I'm telling you, you didn't," Anchor Face said, putting his hands on his hip. 

"Call her up."

"I can't do that."

"Why? Because you don't want to hear the truth?"

"Because I don't have a wife, dipshit."

Kahleed's eyes got big, realizing that not only was he telling the truth, but the woman he slept with was another villain's wife.

"Oh god...I didn't…"

"Whose wife did you sleep with? Now I'm genuinely curious," Anchor Face said with a smirk.

Kahleed inched forward and grabbed onto Anchor Face's jeans, tugging on him like a child. "Please kill me!"

"What?"

"Please kill me!" Kahleed said, reaching for the pistol.

Anchor Face lifted the pistol above his own head so Kahleed couldn't get to it. Kahleed clawed at him, but was swiftly kicked back onto the ground. Anchor Face stood above him laughing at the newfound desperation Kahleed had. 

"First, you want me to spare you, now you want me to kill you. You are a strange one, you know that?"

"Kill me. Before he finds outs!" Kahleed begged.

"Who is he?"

"Please!"

"You tell me who and I'll kill you. Fair?"

"It was Pharaoh's wife."

Anchor Face laughed. "Which one?"

"Talib."

"Ah, you like them on the curvy side I see."

"I told you, now please. Do it!"

Anchor Face holstered his weapon and took out his phone. He pointed the phone camera at Kahleed and snapped a picture. The flash of light caused Kahleed to blink. 

"What are you doing? We had a deal!" Kahleed said. 

"I will let Pharaoh decide your fate."

"No! Don't!" Kahleed yelled as Anchor Face's phone chimed.

"Well look at that. He is a really fast texter. He says he wants to meet the man who defiled his—" Anchor Face said, before snorting.

"What's so funny?"

"That wasn't his wife. That was his daughter. I'll say that one surprised me too."

"I beg of you. Don't take me back there. My fate will be worse than death."

"Don't worry I would never actually take you back there."

Kahleed sighed. "Thank you."

"He is coming here to pick you up. Personally."

Kahleed sprung up from his knees, lunging at Anchor Face. This was his last opportunity if he was going to avoid the torture Pharaoh had in store for him. Unfortunately, Anchor Face was faster, slamming his head into Kahleed's. Kahleed learned firsthand how he got that moniker, even though Anvil Face would have been a more accurate name given the shape of his head. Kahleed's head was spinning as he laid on the asphalt face first. 

Kahleed's vision was blurred and a white limousine came screeching around the corner. He had no more fight left in him, but it didn't help that Anchor Face stepped on him and struck a pose worthy of Supervillain Quarterly Magazine. The limousine stopped next to him and three men came rushing out in tactical gear, lifting him into the vehicle. 

"Best of luck, Kahleed! You're going to need it!" Anchor Face said, waving to him before the doors closed and the vehicle sped away. 

Inside the spacious, yet smokey cab, were three long white seats. Two along the sides and one at the end. The men threw him on the right side and sat down on the one across from him, with their rifles at the ready. Sitting at the end was a large man in a white and gold suit smoking a cigar.

"Please...I beg your mercy," Kahleed said weakly.

"So, you're the spineless man who lied with my daughter?" Pharaoh said.

"I—didn't know."

"If you did, you wouldn't have?"

Kahleed closed his eyes. This conversation was getting more tiring by the second. His energy was leaving him fast. A sharp pain went through his ribs, jolting him back to the conversation. 

"My men will keep beating you if you can't stay awake Kahleed."

Kahleed nodded. "Alright. What is my punishment? Just get it over with."

"To marry my daughter," Pharaoh said, puffing on his cigar.

Kahleed blinked a few times and tried to sit up in his seat. "You're not going to torture me?"

"You can thank Talib for that. If I had it my way, I would cut off everything attached to your torso. One by one until you were nothing more than the black knight in that Month Python film."

Kahleed righted himself in his seat and wore a weak smile. "So, when is the wedding?"

"One week. And now that you are joining the family. That also means the family business."

"Are you giving me a job offer?"

"Not an offer. You work for me now. Your connections with Hero's Inc. will be useful."

"I can't betray my fellow heroes."

"I'm not asking you to kill them. I need a spy. Someone to help me find safe routes to run my product. If it makes you feel better, you would be like my personal fuzzbuster. And last I checked, fuzzbusters aren't illegal."

Kahleed pondered his options. He knew what awaited him if he were to refuse. And what he was offering was generous. Talib was a special woman and the fact that she cared about him enough to spare his life confirmed his suspicions about their relationship. It was some light spying. No one would get hurt.

"I'll give you routes of safe passage, but I will not give away the heroes' exact locations."

"That is all I ask. Besides, the last thing I want is my son-in-law in the prison system." Pharaoh smirked.

The vehicle sped down the street to a bridge that left the city. They went out to the countryside where one of Pharaoh's mansions was. Static took over the earpiece of a man in a yellow jumpsuit that was perched on top of a building overlooking the bridge. His phone was on speaker laying on the ground next to him. He was prone, watching through his rifle scope as the limousine drove away.

"What is the status?" a voice said on the phone.

"Kahleed is working for Pharaoh. Kahleed is marrying Pharaoh's daughter and in exchange he will spy on Hero's Inc. Do you want me to take them out?" the man asked, flicking off the safety.

"No need. Let me know when Kahleed has his first kid. That will be a more appropriate time to leverage him. For now, monitor Pharaoh's movements for the next few months. No reason we can't both benefit from that information."

***

The limousine doors opened to a courtyard lit by tiki torches. Kahleed was carried out by the three men in tactical gear. His feet dragged, creating shallow rows in the gravel below. Rushing to him was a plumpish woman wearing a seafoam green dress with white trim. Her brown hair was tied back in a bun and wore a worried expression on her face.

"Kahleed! What happened?" Talib asked Kahleed, putting her hands on his damaged face. At the same time, Pharaoh disembarked from the limousine, drawing her ire. "What did you do to him!"

"This wasn't me sweetheart. I can promise you that," Pharaoh responded.

"Sure, it wasn't you. Just one of your lackeys!" Talib barked at him.

"Anchor Face is not one of my men. I have no control over what he does."

"Typical excuse father. Always blaming everything on Jaster."

"You don't know what you're talking about. As always."

Kahleed tried to speak, but only let out a hoarse cough. Talib ignored her father's insult, inspecting her poor man. His dark hair was frazzled and the glow from his blue eyes were weary. Her heart broke seeing him this way. 

"Don't worry Kahleed. I'm here. You're safe now," Talib said and looked over to one of the men holding him up. "Get him up to my room at once!"

Without hesitation, the men took him away into the large mansion that overlooked the courtyard like a judging god. Talib turned her attention back to her father, who was smothering his cigar with his heel. 

"He will not be staying in your room," Pharaoh stated as a matter of fact. 

"He will stay wherever I say he does."

"I will not have my daughter laying with someone who is not her husband."

"Too late. Or did you already forget he fucked me good? And not just once, might I add," Talib said, recalling a particularly steamy time.

Pharaoh's heel dug deeper into the gravel, crushing the discarded cigar into paste. His eyes burned with fury and knuckles cracked. At first he was satisfied with his arrangement, but hearing how his daughter casually described losing her virginity to Kahleed made him want to run up the stairs and finish what Anchor Face started. 

"I may not have beaten Kahleed to a pulp, but I sure as hell spared his life! He will not be sharing your bed until you're married. Do I make myself clear?"

Talib stood her ground. "What does it matter if we are getting married anyhow?"

"It matters to me. Not in my house."

"Fine. But he is staying in my bed. He is in no condition to get frisky anyways," Talib said, turning her heel in the gravel to walk away.

Pharaoh watched his daughter leave his presence. His fury had subsided, even with her last little comment. Searching his pockets, he retrieved another cigar and lit it. The smoke swirled in the air, seemingly dancing with the clouds above. 

"This is the thanks I get," he said to himself. "Maybe I'll be more popular with the grandkids."

***

Talib knocked on the door before she entered her room. "Kahleed, it's me."

Kahleed was tucked into her bed and the moon was watching over him through the window. He blinked open his eyes and flashed her a weak smile. His face stung when his cheeks rose, but it was worth it to see her smile back.

"Talib," Kahleed said.

She glided over to him, sitting down on her plain red sheets. "Kahleed, how are you feeling?"

"Better now that you are here," he said, pulling his arm out of the comfort of the sheets to touch her smooth face.

"What happened?"

"Anchor Face caught me by surprise."

Talib frowned. "No one catches you by surprise."

"You did. That night. At the party," he said, caressing her thighs.

"Your flattery isn't getting you out of this. You need to be honest with me."

"Okay fine. I thought you were married."

"Not about that. About what happened...wait. You thought I was married?"

"I thought so. All that sneaking around. Not wanting to get caught. I figured a husband was in the picture."

"And you still did it anyway?"

"I love who I love. I won't apologize for that."

Talib beamed with pride. A man who knew what he wanted and wasn't ashamed of her. He was all her's. She kissed him on the forehead and her fingers danced along his covered legs.

"Are you going to tell me what happened to you? Or do I have to extract that information another way?" Talib said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I wish, but I'm too sore for that. I was following Anchor Face to his hideout, but he knew I was following him somehow. Apparently, I was not careful enough."

"Do you think someone tipped him off?" Talib asked, hinting at the obvious villain smoking away outside.

"No, it wasn't him. He has more to gain by me living."

"What do you mean?"

"He asked me to spy on Hero's Inc."

"You can't! They will send you to prison if you get caught."

"I have no choice. Your dad made it clear I owed him."

Talib shook her head and tears ran down her cheeks. Kahleed wiped the tears from her warm face. "It's not all bad. At least I get to marry you."

"Don't spy for him. Please." Talib begged.

"It will be fine."

"I have seen what he does to his men. He will do the same to you. Leave them when they need him the most. And I don't want to be a single mother."

Kahleed sprung to life upon her revelation, sitting up despite the pain. "You're pregnant?"

She sniffled. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but—"

Kahleed kissed her on the lips, fighting the pain that shot through his whole body. He always wanted to be a father and her news brought him joy he thought he would never experience. Her sweet lips made him forget about the pain and he took in the moment. A fiance who loved him and a child on the way. Despite the savage beating he sustained earlier, this was the best day he had in a long time. He released her from his wet grip, smiling ear to ear.

"You will be an amazing mother. I vow right now to not let you go through it alone," Kahleed said, with newfound energy.

"Oh Kahleed. Oh Kahleed!" she said looking toward the tent that was pitched in her bed.

"What?" he said, realizing he was not in control of his own arousal.

"I didn't think you…"

"No no no. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited...but not like that," he said, lifting the covers to make sure it was actually him. 

"I'll get the doctor," she said, going to the door.

Kahleed's vision blurred again and it became difficult to keep his head still. The next thing he knew, the pillow welcomed his return and his eyes started to close. His last words before he went unconscious, "Don't tell your da…"

***

No One is Bulletproof

"What do you mean you don't want to be a superhero?" Bill said.

"I mean I don't want to be a superhero. What is so hard to understand?" Lilly said, putting on her duty belt.

"You're bulletproof. You could do so much more with those talents than patrolling this beat. Not to mention a pay increase."

"I worked my whole life to become a cop. I don't see how having a superpower changes anything."

"But it does...babe...listen," he said, setting her down on the old bed. "Everyday you go to work and file reports about stuff that has already happened. Wouldn't it be nice to be proactive for a change?"

"We are proactive. Those superheroes make our job more difficult. They take down small time players that we spent months gaining trust, so we can't go after bigger fish. How I see it, if they cared about the city, they would at least coordinate with us."

"You could be that person. Think about it. A liaison to Precinct 12."

"We already have one of those, Captain Marsh."

"Captain Marsh is worthless. There is a reason he doesn't leave his office. I've seen him at the department parties you bring me to," Bill said, pretending to chug a beer.

"But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I won't be around as much. And let's be honest, I won't be able to patrol this beat if I become a superhero. Not like I do now."

"But I can't hog you all to myself. Not when you have such extraordinary gifts. You always said you wanted to help people. To make a difference."

"And I am in my current job. I don't need to be more than that."

Bill brushed her brown hair aside, looking deep into her dark brown eyes. "But you already are more than that. I always could see that."

Lilly smiled at Bill like when she did at their wedding. Sadly their wedding reception was rundown much like their bedroom was now. Clothes were scattered everywhere, stains on the carpet, and a constant locker room smell that never quite went away. Even their bedroom mirror had a crack in it and the pipes above their ceiling rattled when the neighbors upstairs ran any water. All this made made her fond memories grow stronger. She wanted to say yes. To become a hero and do more than her normal patrol down the same crime ridden beat. But the risk was too great.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and sat up from the bed. "I will see you when I get back."

"And I will have spaghetti waiting," Bill said, pushing off the bed. Something crunched under his left hand. "Hey, honey. What is this?" 

Lilly's eyes got big, seeing Bill hold a folded white note in his hand. She snatched the note from his loose grip before he could contemplate opening it.

"That is classified—for a case," Lilly said, trying to think of something realistic.

"What did we say about bringing your work home with you?"

"Not to. It must have fell out of my pocket. I better go before I'm late."

Bill waved goodbye, unsure why she was so weird about the note. His concern went away quick after Scruffles dashed past Lilly and jumped on Bill. 

"Hello there Scruffles. Not going to say goodbye to mommy," Bill said, rubbing his nose against her whiskers.

Lilly was glad Bill was preoccupied with their cat and opened the note while she opened the door outside.

'You have superpowers. Good for you. Think about joining Hero's Inc. and consider your husband dead. Destroy after reading or we will test how bulletproof you are.'

Lilly's head was still firmly in the note walking down the sidewalk, unaware of a man wearing drab clothes with holes in everything coming toward her. He bumped into her and ripped the note from her hand, crushing it in his fist.

"Give that back!" Lilly ordered, loud and clear.

"When Jaster says destroy something, you do it, lady," the man said, starting the paper on fire with his yellow Bic lighter. 

The man clutched the paper in his hand the entire time while it burned up to his fist before he let go, letting what was left drift in the wind. Lilly stared at this man while the paper flew away. Her hand was on her gun, but she was frozen in fear. Not of the man who had little regard for authority, but of Jaster. He knew where she lived. How long before he came asking for her to do something for him?

***