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The door to the break room flew open and there was Rob, face too thin, eyes sunken from lack of sleep, hair greasy and unkempt. It was getting bad again, Herm thought.
"Team meeting in ten,” he said flatly, and then he was gone.
Herm met Chad’s eye across the lunch table. Team meeting. That could only mean one thing.
Visi and Mal were back.
The team all gathered in the conference room, their usual banter deflated with the anxiety and anticipation of what this meeting would bring.
The SDN data breach had made dozens, if not hundreds, of heroes vulnerable, at risk, their secret identities revealed, their weaknesses exposed. The small spur of the Red Ring, known as Bullseye, had been working quietly in the shadows for years, targeting them, determined to take down not only Mecha Man, but anyone who had helped defeat Shroud.
Robert walked into the room looking like hell, which was not unusual, but held more weight in light of what was sure to be bad news.
Beef came tiptoeing in behind him, surveying the available laps and going for Herm. It was always nice to be picked and he needed the emotional support the chubby dog offered.
"Hey Beefy, come here."
"I'm right here," Chad joked. Herm reached over and patted his leg.
Robert pulled down a projection screen and hit the lights.
"I could tell you what they found, but I thought it was better if I just show you."
And so they watched the footage from Mal and Visi's cameras as they opened a box of file folders and spread them out across a table.
Herm gripped Chad’s leg with one hand and clutched Beef in his lap with the other as he took in the names on the folders.
Chahid/Chad "Flambae" Anwaar
Janelle “Coupé” Baudelaire
Herman "Waterboy" Fischer
Courtney "Invisigal" Flores
Malevola Gibb
Robert "Mecha Man" Robertson III
That was it. No Sonar, no Prism, no Golem, no Punch Up.
But it was enough. They had them.
They watched through Visi's camera as she opened the folders and recorded the information within.
They had nothing for Malevola except some regularly frequented bars and an ex-girlfriend.
Janelle’s folder held her address and a photo of Colm, a post-it on the front noted him as Punch Up??? Husband? She let out a primal growl.
Herm tensed as they opened his folder.
There it was, his old address, and a photo of his grandmother clearly labelled with the address of her care home. He was going to throw up. He felt Chad’s hand cover his own, squeezing tightly. But warm, too warm.
Robert’s folder contained photos of the entire Z-Team, Chase, Royd, Blonde Blazer and of course, Beef. But no address.
He felt Chad’s temperature raise further as Visi reached his folder. Herm already knew what it would contain. They were good, Bullseye.
A photo of his sister and a photo of Herm in civilian clothes labelled Waterboy – Roommate? Boyfriend were on top of a list of addresses, all striked through. No address. Thank god.
Herm let out a small exhale but then pulled his hand away as Chad burst ever-so-slightly into flames when a small school photo of Dahlia dropped from the folder.
"Flambae," Robert urged, but no, he was up, he was at the door, and he was gone.
Robert sighed. He switched off the video and put on the lights.
"We are working to put together some kind of safe house, both for your loved ones and yourselves. Obviously you are always at risk, as heroes. But this kind of information, especially in these hands, it’s...not ideal."
"Well ain't that the understatement of the fucking year, Bob-Bob," Alice complained.
Everyone began muttering to themselves, coming up with their own plans, their own ideas. Beef whined and Herm scratched his butt before placing him on the ground.
He gave Robert what he hoped was a reassuring smile and then left the room.
The sun was still setting over Los Angeles, and Herm was momentarily stopped in his tracks as he walked across the roof of SDN. Reds and oranges lit the sky on fire, while cool pinks and purples settled over the distant sea.
Herm sat next to Chad, watching as he held his hand in an open fist, a small ball of fire twisting and turning within.
"I'm going to kill them," Chad said, his voice devoid of any performance. It was simply a fact.
"I know," Herm said.
"No, you don't. You don't know. I'm going to kill them all. And I'm going to enjoy it."
Herm said nothing.
"You won't look at me the same, after this," Chad said. "You won't want me, a murderer."
"Chad..."
"I'm—" His voice broke, the fire in his hand consuming his arm. Herm scooted a little further away, his body steaming slightly. "I'm a villain, Herman. I'm bad. I want to kill them. And I want to make it hurt."
"That doesn't make you a villain," Herm urged. "It makes you human. You want to protect the people you love."
Chad stood suddenly. "You don't understand."
He made to walk away but Herm grabbed his hand, wincing at the sizzling sound from their combined powers.
"Don't leave me," he begged. "Please? Please don't leave."
Chad stopped.
"My photo was in there. In your folder. I know they need you right now. But I need you too."
The flames engulfing his boyfriend subsided and Chad turned to face him. "What am I going to do?"
Herm stood up. "You're asking the wrong question."
Chad just blinked at him, confused.
Herm smiled. "What are we going to do?"
Chad choked back a sob, pulling Herm against him, the steam rising and catching the red and oranges of the setting sun.
"What the fuck are we going to do?" Chad sobbed, his heat making Herm’s shoulder tingle.
"We’ll protect them," Herm assured him, pressing sizzling kisses to his forehead and hair. "We’ll protect them. And we’ll protect each other. It will be okay."