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Jote didn’t know whether to laugh or to feel sorry for Joshua for getting the short end of the proverbial stick at such an important time, but being the diplomatic soul he’d always been for the whole of Hero Bootcamp, he’d taken this development pretty well, all things considered.
She nodded grudgingly as she gestured her partner towards the newly-tailored costumes, ready for fitting. The spandex bodysuit was a hideous red with splotches of black at awkward places, paired with a flashy fiery cape that flared out like a dying sunburst. The large bulldog-shaped half-mask badly threw the whole look off and looked even more out of place, but R&D assured that it had its uses and they’d see for themselves soon enough.
Above all else, it was the embarrassing-as-hell name they gave Joshua that made the whole affair damn unbearable. Blazin’ Bulldog? Of all the possible superhero names out there, this was what management had decided on? Despite the whole gallant Phoenix motif they had pushed on him in earlier discussions? Flashy as it was, that had suited him way more than this farce of a persona.
“Bear with it, Jote.” Cyril, too, gritted his teeth as he apologized to them on behalf of the League. “The CEO’s daughter got a new pet and is now crazy over all things bulldog.” Surprisingly, that explained so much, and Jote absolutely hated it.
If Joshua had noticed how Jote’s simmering outrage threatened to burn the wardrobe staff alive, he didn’t show it at all, instead dutifully checking over his gear and gizmos one more time before putting on the hideous bulldog mask. He still smiled at her earnestly before twirling around, his fluttering cape resembling a trail of flickering flames. “This looks nice, don’t you think?”
Founder bless his most generous soul, Jote thought, suppressing the blush creeping onto her face. Joshua always shined like the sun no matter what and enjoyed the best things about the worst moments. It’s what made her follow him as his sidekick.
She grinned at him, her earlier foul mood completely gone. “You look great, Sir.”
Joshua beamed at her in return, before speaking with one of the whitecoats again regarding his new superhero mask. Another labbie approached Jote then. “We have a matching costume for you, too, Miss Shakin’ Sheepdog. Would you like to try it on?”
“No, thank you.”
Turned out R&D really went above and beyond to make up for such a hideous mask design, hard as it was to admit it.
It greatly heightened its wearer’s sense of smell, for one. The scent overload took a while to get used to, but once that was under control, it became much easier to track even the faintest of trails left behind even after weeks have passed. The radar and wiretap functions for super sight and super hearing were also markedly enhanced, allowing for improved reconnaissance missions. The invisibility function was the most surprising unexpected addition; one would have expected it to be part of the cape’s features, but “the clothing’s nothing special,” they had said.
In any case, the new costumes helped the hero pair track and finally nab the most wanted villain in Tabor City, in their debut mission to boot.
Bulldog leapt away from the villain mook and launched himself into the air. The supersonic vision activated at once, identifying other hidden targets among the building rubble. With a loud roar, he charged his fireball and launched his counterattack, hitting all the remaining mooks in one fell swoop.
When the mission was over, Sheepdog went to meet her partner in the Hero Van at once. “We’ve already taken Twinklin’ Tomcat into custody. Great job, Sir.”
“Thank you, Jote. Let’s do the paperwork when we return.” Sheepdog’s breath hitched at the mention of her civilian name, and she scanned the vicinity frantically to check for any eavesdroppers. “It’s Sheepdog, Sir,” she half-whispered. “We’re still outside.”
Bulldog visibly deflated at the reminder, his mask augmenting the frown on his face. “Right. Sorry, Sheepdog . I got carried away.”
Sheepdog smiled; he always got carried away when it came to her. Bulldog never had that problem with his fellow superheroes. “It’s all right, Sir. I’ll call the driver now.”
“Yes, please.”
The secret exit was unnervingly long and dark, but Jote appreciated it for the quiet and for the time it gave her to think. She’s learned a lot of things since she began working with the League of Superheroes, but she still found herself uncomfortable with how… commercial everything was.
“Quite cold, isn’t it?” Joshua walked beside her today, one of the rare times he clocked off the same time she did; he always sent her home ahead of him to “take care of some things.” Jote knew it was probably additional work the League foisted off on him just because he was too kind and forgiving a soul without the heart to refuse. It was why the higher-ups decided to go with the image of the benevolent Phoenix for his superhero concept at first, before they went and ruined it.
Joshua’s lilting tone was bright as ever when he said that, but Jote caught a sense of discontent hidden within. She thought she had only imagined the double meaning of his words just now. It felt sad to be proven right, as always.
Jote stopped in her tracks, letting out a quiet exhale. Joshua looked back at her from a few steps ahead, his blue eyes seemingly glowing in the dark of the tunnel. “It’s been chilly recently. I miss the warmer days.”
Her answer elicited a sympathetic chuckle from Joshua. He understood, too, but remained optimistic still, despite the disillusioning path their job is leading them down on. At once, Jote felt ashamed of herself for sullying her partner’s good and noble intentions—quite unbecoming for the reliable and supportive sidekick she envisioned herself to be, but she was human, too, after all.
Jote was still stewing in her thoughts when Joshua placed a comforting arm around her, bringing her body close to his. She hesitantly lifted her hands and lightly gripped at his loose shirt. “Doesn’t it tire you? All this… shallowness.”
“It does.” Joshua is honest for once, and she feels his discontent in earnest, in the way he shuddered when he sighed and the crushing tightness with which he held her to his chest. Jote tensed, too; she won’t allow herself to cry. “But it means little in the bigger scheme of things, Jote. The reason for which we became heroes.”
To bring light to the world in darkness. It was the vision all superheroes ascribed to, the ultimate mission they needed to fulfill for the sake of humanity. And if putting up with this corporate farce was needed in order to do so, they were more than willing to go through it.
And go through it they will, tomorrow and the day after and beyond, Jote resolved as she returned Joshua’s embrace to comfort him, one of the few days she let herself bask in the depth of the fountain of his warm soul. “I know, Joshua. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”