17. Interview-less hire

"At the very least, a hero needs a NAME, to join the team," I say to Point-zero.

"If you could wait outside please," Point-zero says to the name-less hero, who decided to come join us… not just any other nameless hero, but the person who went by 'Peak' in my mind world, Roach's created place.

"Not like that'll be helpful, he can still hear us."

Yes, for the situation details: I'm wearing a mask, to protect my identity currently, as is Point-zero and this… other guy here. My suit for some reason is of many colours of a palette currently. I feel like it is because of my confused feelings but… from when did my suit start doing this?

"Okay, clearly you do not want me here. It might've been a bad idea for me to try to come and join you, at a sudden occasion," ugh, what do we call him now, huh? Not Peak… Nameless? Yeah, let's roll with yet another tentative name. Hopefully this time around he doesn't kill me.

"No way… sir. We put out the news and article, about a probable threat. And you just came to join us regarding it. Which is honourable… the least we can do is accept to give him a position in our team, right… Omni?" Point-zero raises his eyebrow at me.

"That is NOT my name," I scoff.

"Well, rookie here is undecided on a name," Point-zero tells to Nameless.

"I'm not the only one without a name."

"Then would you accept him if he had one?"

"That would be unnecessary," Nameless says, and we both stare at him – in different ways. "Well, whatever name it is… may have a pattern. A pattern which can be recognised and traced back to the source if there is a notorious enough villain."

"That seems reasonable."

"Then why don't you just take him in?" I ask.

"I'm just asking around for votes."

"Why not ask the others then?"

"They all agreed."

"Then why even ask me?"

"Because… your's is an important vote."

"Then I simply have to reject him."

Point-zero comes closer, and me with the bed and the things connected to me, get teleported into a part of my room in Passage, alongside Point-zero.

"Okay, what is this about?"

"Hey… what if you missed… a component," I say, and he just glares at me. "It takes out too much energy from you, doesn't it? Why bother so much."

"Only if they resist. So a surprise teleportation always works. Now your answer."

"Well… he killed me. For knowing his name and weakness. In the dream. We fought against him in the TTT."

"But he isn't a tea-well, that was just… mind tricks, either way."

"Based on the knowledge I have. And I rely on staying true to my knowledge. He'd do it here too. Besides, he won last time, he can be considered as a freaking team – I got to give him that."

"Einya… but, if the threat already was something as big as Roach. Which, trust me, was big. Because if she had succeeded at you, then the amount of damage possible to the world… and it has a master? A master we are not sure of, then how big of threat would that be?"

"And what if that threat is him? Someone stronger than us… trust me, I know ALL your moves… but not enough of him. Yet the known Nameless could defeat all of us, do you not see how bad that is, George?"

"Even if he is the threat… this isn't the TTT, it isn't just the five of us… sure, we don't-you may be the person who knows…" Point-zero stops talking, while pondering upon something. "Can't we ask her? She'd know, don't you think? But… for that someone should know where she is."

"She occurred before I was born. I'd have no idea about where she is hiding."

Nameless was this way, nothing about him could be found out open… he was too sure on keeping it that way.

"For all we know, George… she is dead."

"Come on… you could be wrong about him."

"I wish I am… well, one contingency plan could be Mint… but I'm not sure how much it could help. Or we'd need Onor, Onon, and probably even Super-pack."

"How did we bear with him with just the five of us? How did we even go forward?"

"Not important… I just know his weakness. Yet we didn't succeed."

"Sure, she isn't an option?" Point-zero sighs.

She… the one and only person as strong as him.

I shake my head.

"We could possibly get on his bad side… if we disagree."

"Ugh, why must it be so hard? Just kill-"

"-kill who?" I almost choke out my heart, as I hear Nameless' voice. "Sorry, I was just worried cause half of the power cord was in the room. You could have died before anything."

Nameless changes the power cables and connects it to the supply, while me and Point-zero just stare at him in the same distressed way.

"How did you find us?" Point-zero coldly asks.

"Experience," Nameless says, looking into space. "Look, I was just worried and came. I'm sorry to cause distress. I think it is clear that you won't take me in n-"

"-wait," I say. "You really want to get into the team… you tell us what happened to her. No identity, nothing. Just the story."

Nameless tilts his head a bit and breaths out. As he moves one step… the rest of the Pack appear alongside Mint, Mango-blast, Onon, and Onor. Nameless looks at them with unfazed eyes.

"I suppose being the most secretive is all that is needed. Even when people call you the strongest or the most heroic…they are scared."

Glass on the window shatters and Nathaniel and his team appear here. Perfect timing.

"But is this like a test of if I fit-in or what?"

"You'd better reconsider those words, as this isn't the test you would want to write," the leader of Nathaniel's team, Rahma – yes a girl, says.

"Team UAE… pretty concerning that the team which loses in the first round is here to fight the winner."

A rookie would judge that way… but they sure were stronger than that.

"Yet you talk to strike fear. Why not just-" Nathaniel says.

"-but that is not what we are here for," Rahma says, putting her hand in front of Nathaniel.

"Yep," Nathaniel nods. No he thought they had to fight him.

"We are just as concerned for her, as we'd be for any other person," Rahma says, while gripping her weapon tightly.

"You always surprise me, Rahma… always. But SHE, is off limits. Everyone knows that."

"Yes, you made sure they know. Yet here we are."

"Also, you don't come into hero bases, uninvited," Nathaniel says.

"And we were invited, just to be clear," Glass, the person who had possibly teleported the whole team here, says.

"You missed the part where I came here to make sure that she doesn't die. Power cable, anyone?"

"Nobody will think of you as a hero," Onor says. "Even if they know the truth. But there is your only chance."

"I never wanted to be a hero," Nameless says, and removes his mask… but his overcoat armour was still there. "I just couldn't bear seeing her with bruises every night that she came in. And every night only thinking… what if I could change that? Why aren't the heroes changing that?"

Meet Varon Rihler, the Nameless hero. The huge bulky kid-like guy – with zero facial hair. The strongest hero was showing himself, given up in front of us.

Why?

He looks at my questioning face and parts his lips "Because… even if I was the one you think I could be… I myself could not defeat it. So I plead you… help me save this world that I love."

Shivers shudder down my spine. How could I have hated this guy? This very guy who… really had done no wrong… except in that Roach-world, and the part where… he just was one of the most secretive of them all. How could I blame him for that?

It could've been a joke… so cheesy… calling it the world that he loves. But it was him. It really was him and no one else. I-

My suit starts glowing, and my vision blurs, as he stares directly at me, and starts speaking.

I stare at a news article, an ad asking for a roommate. An ad posted by… Varon Rihler. I just stare at it with shock, but only show nothingness as an expression, upon my face.

My head moves, and I look at the glass window next to me, with vehicles… pretty older-ish vehicles passing by. And a little reflection of myself on the window… but it wasn't me.

I feel a kind of a chill and heat surrounding my body, and look at myself, without my face moving… my suit was of a silver colour now, as if some kind of stone protecting me, keeping me warm and cool. Yet in the mirror I was… this other person.

Who the fuck is she? And where the hell am I?

I look at the date on the paper she is looking at… September 18… 1979.

This must mean… it was HER. I was… HER.

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Yes, I'm back. I'm well and good... just didn't know what to write here, and how to. So we are back with another... "Issue" if you may, of (Speed) Pack. Will write progressively again now. I'm glad that nobody left here! Somehow... but thank you. Why-ever you like this... I'll continue writing this and make it piquing here. Though yes, the R-rated business from Roach-world was only a one time thing and won't repeat, probably even on demand. What can I say... Roach-world just didn't follow the rules I had set... but then again, this is the past... nah, don't get your hopes high though. Sawry.

-MrParadox_2020