“Any idea when you’ll be back to work?” Asked Griffin.
I shrugged as I gulped down another cup of coffee. “I have to go in today to talk to the leadership team. It’s getting dangerous out there, and without the Centurions, it’s only a matter of time before aliens attack.”
“Or zombies,” Griffen added.
“Mirror dimension doppelgängers,” Alejandro said.
“Oh, I hate those people,” Xander said. “They make my commute hellish.”
“Yeah,” I said, “so we’ll see. Until we figure out what Eclipse stole, I think we’ll have to rely on the other superheroes.”
The room grew quiet to where my slurping of coffee filled the air. Everybody in the coffee shop had turned to the television hanging on the back wall. Chad kept it tuned to the Superhero News Network, and it appeared as if something big had occurred. I checked my phone, and the HeroApp™ hadn’t sounded. It couldn’t be a supervillain, or at least not one in Vanguard.
Xander patted my shoulder. “You’ll be back to work in no time.”
Chad turned up the television.
“… data leak has revealed the secret identities of the Centurions.”
I ignored Alejandro’s worried expression and stood. I knocked my coffee off the table, sending the cup to the floor.
“Looks like you’re going to be busy at work today,” Xander gave my back another pat. But he didn’t know just how devastating this information could be. Not only could it upset the balance of power in Vanguard, but it could destroy…
“Among the identities, Bernard Castle, also known as the Centurion’s founding member, Sentinel.”
Shit.
G: Finally! I can stop acting like I didn’t know.
X: You knew?
A: See, I can keep a secret.
X: You too?
G: Xander, always last to the party.
A: He wouldn’t know if he were a superhero.
X: Maybe I am!
A: jajaja
G: That’ll be the day!
I rolled my eyes as the three of them continued poking fun. They attempted to lighten the severity of the situation. I appreciated their efforts, but it didn’t help. I was seconds away from a nervous breakdown, and the anxiety had me ready to scream. The elevator took forever, my foot rapidly tapping against the floor. With my secret out in the open, I could have stepped outside and flown to the helipad on the roof. That’d make the Director of Operations cry.
No, I wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention to myself. There was no point in making a horrific situation any worse, right? With any luck, the other Centurions would already be there and we’d come up with a solution. Some of my teammates had families, and this meant villains would come out of the woodwork and threaten them just to get revenge.
We’d come up with a plan even if we had to enlist the Mystics and erase the memory of every person on the planet. But we’d still have to worry about the robots, or aliens immune to magic. People might think that being the Director of Public Relations served as my cover, but I worked my butt off for that title. The administration would need me to handle the world’s perception of this disaster.
A: Papi, if you need to talk, I’m here.
The elevator dinged while I stared at the message. Despite my determination to keep my personal and hero life separate, Alejandro saw through the facade. Society thought that superheroes had secret lives for privacy, but the truth was, we did it for the people around us. Alejandro, knowing my secret, made him a target, and I didn’t like the idea of some irate villain using him to get to me.
I squeezed through the door as it closed. The elevator didn’t have buttons for the top nine stories. That required pressing my palm just above the panel. Lights flashed as they scanned my biometrics, confirming my identity.
“Designation Sentinel. Welcome.”
“Morning, Gideon.”
“Are you in distress? Your heart rate is 112 beats per minute.”
“I’m fine.”
“I beg to differ, sir.”
The building had artificial intelligence, and I hated it. It would be one thing if it was just a computer reporting information, but Gideon came from alien technology. Not only could it learn at incredible speed, but it also had an attitude. Ever since I spilled coffee on an office keyboard, he made it his mission to rub me the wrong way.
“Are the other Centurions here?”
“Crimson, Iris, Lightyear, Valiant, and Synch have vacated the premise. Elixir is on the 99th floor with Director LaToya.”
Director LaToya served as the woman behind the Centurions. She single-handedly took a ragtag group of heroes and turned us into the greatest superheroes on Earth. Whether it was funding, technology, or raw talent, she had a knack for making it happen. I teased she had powers of her own. No single person could have that level of tenacity. I’m sure she had a plan already unfolding.
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. I expected to see a bustle of activity as the social media teams moved with purpose or the technicians prepared to reinforce the skyscraper for impending attacks. Apparently, I had missed a memo this morning as they reduced the lobby to a population of two.
“What do you mean there’s nothing you can do?”
“We don’t have the resources—”
“That’s my family we’re talking about.”
Elixir functioned as our healer, and without her, I’d be dead. She might have an edgy look with her shaved head and an abundance of tattoos, but she was the most level-headed member of the team. She had her hand on LaToya’s shoulders as if she might tear the tailored suit off the woman.
“What’s going on?”
Both women turned. Elixir let go of Director LaToya and started pacing, as if she was about to explode. It appeared as if I wasn’t the only one struggling with being outed. It was like high school all over again, except Billy Johns was a disgruntled supervillain.
“They know who we are,” Elixir said. She pointed at LaToya, wagging her finger. “And they’ve pulled the plug.”
“Wait. What? What does she mean, Director?”
“It’s over,” the director said, straightening her blazer. “The government has declared the team a risk.”
“They can’t shut us down,” I growled. “They need us. How many times have we saved this planet?”
“They claim your identities are compromised, and they need to seek other options. I’m sorry. I fought for all seven of you.”
“Other options? You mean other teams, don’t you?”
Director LaToya’s lowered eyes spoke volumes. It wouldn’t take more than twenty minutes to fly to D.C. and speak with the President. With minimal shouting, I’m sure I could convince him to reverse the order. Public identity or not, we were still the planet’s best line of defense.
“They know about us. Every villain out there knows. My family…” Elixir ran up to me, throwing her arms around my chest. Burying her face, she couldn’t hold back the tears. “I have two kids in elementary school. If villains don’t hurt them, then the fifth-grade bullies will.”
I wrapped an arm around her while shooting daggers at LaToya. “Lix, I want you to go home and get your kids. You’ve been talking about going to a cabin in Vermont for years. Tell the kids it’s an adventure. Stay out of town until the news outlets find a better story.”