Ch 15: Masked Heroes
Midtown District Arc
Chapter 15: Masked Heroes
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"Justice doesn't wait for the perfect moment. It shows up—even when you're scared."
—Amelia.
---
Central Square—Midtown District
A blur streaked through the skyline. Not many saw it. Even fewer could follow it.
Amelia and Chad moved in sync across rooftops, dressed in tight, dark suits designed for mobility. Chad was breathlessly trying to keep up since he was a normal human. Their faces were hidden behind sleek, minimalistic masks—smooth on the surface with glowing accents along the sides. Heroes in the Garden weren't just trained in combat. They were ghosts.
Amelia:
"You nervous?"
Chad(out of breath):
"Of course I'm nervous. It's a bank robbery."
Amelia:
"Good. That means you'll actually pay attention."
Chad let out a breathless chuckle, jumping to the next building. They landed hard and ducked behind a billboard. Below, across the street, chaos had erupted. Civilians fled in all directions. Sirens echoed from a distance.
A nearby bank had its doors shattered inwards. Two Superhumans were inside, holding down terrified hostages. One was short and bulky, with stone-like skin that made his punches feel like cannon blasts. The other was lanky, fast, with flickering yellow sparks trailing behind him every time he moved.
Chad:
"You take Boulder Boy, I'll handle the runner?"
Amelia:
"Nah. You've got the tank."
Chad (groaning):
"Seriously?"
Amelia (smirking):
"You said you wanted to be strong like Sarah. Start here."
They launched themselves downwards. A gust of wind trailed behind them.
---
Inside the bank…
The short one, called Crusher, barked at the hostages while cracking the marble floor with a single stomp.
Crusher:
"Ten more seconds! Where's the vault override!"
Sparkwire—the faster one—blurred past a security guard and shoved him into the wall.
Sparkwire:
"Tsk. Useless. I'm about to blow this place open myself—"
CRASH!
Amelia shattered through a glass panel from above and landed hard, crouched, fists glowing with kinetic aura. Chad dropped behind her, rolling to absorb the impact.
Amelia (standing slowly):
"Heroes. Last chance to surrender."
Sparkwire blinked.
Sparkwire:
"Who the hell are you?"
Amelia:
"Your worst day."
Chad:
"...That line was kinda cheesy."
Amelia (ignoring him):
"Mask protocol. Keep comms on."
She sprinted at Sparkwire, and the battle exploded.
---
The Fight
Chad ducked just as Crusher charged, swinging his stone-encrusted fist. The impact shattered a concrete pillar behind him.
Chad (nervously to himself):
"Okay. Let's not get hit by that."
He lunged forward, sweeping Crusher's legs—only for them to bounce off like metal. Crusher tried to stomp him, but Chad rolled sideways and jabbed his ribs. It hurt his hand more than it hurt Crusher.
Chad:
"Ow—seriously! What is this guy made of?!"
Meanwhile—
Sparkwire zipped from place to place, fast enough to leave afterimages. Amelia dodged narrowly, calculating his pattern. She ducked as he blurred past her again, sparks searing the air.
Amelia (thinking):
He's fast. But he telegraphs. Left knee dips slightly—right turn. Backstep is the opening.
She waited. Waited—
Sparkwire zipped forward again. She pivoted to the side just in time and slammed her fist into his gut. Kinetic energy exploded outwards—he crashed into the side wall, taking out a desk and two chairs.
Sparkwire groaned, twitching slightly.
Amelia:
"Speed's nothing without control."
Behind her, Crusher lifted an entire teller desk and flung it toward Chad.
Chad leapt out of the way just in time. He needed to end this. He drew from his combat drills with the Thorn Eleven. Memory sharpened his instincts.
He charged in again, baited Crusher's punch, and slid beneath it. He spun behind him and jabbed a pressure point in the back of his knee. Crusher grunted and stumbled.
Chad didn't stop. He wrapped his arms around Crusher's neck and used the momentum to drag him off-balance. With a grunt, he flipped him over and slammed him down hard.
Crusher growled, trying to stand—
But Amelia had arrived.
She slammed her glowing fist into his chest.
Boom.
The floor cracked beneath him as he passed out cold.
Chad:
"Damn girl."
---
Sparkwire had just gotten up when Amelia appeared in front of him.
Sparkwire (backing away):
"Okay—look. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot."
Amelia:
"You're gonna get off with a broken jaw if you don't lie down."
He charged. She ducked.
Her elbow connected with his side.
She spun, grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and slammed him against the wall.
Sparkwire:
"Okay! Okay! I'm down!"
Chad (panting):
"Nice work…"
Amelia (straight-faced):
"Not bad for your first time, too."
They looked around. Civilians were still frozen in fear.
Amelia clicked her earpiece.
Amelia:
"Mission complete. Both targets neutralized. Civilians safe. No fatalities."
Chad:
"Police are three minutes out. Let's go."
They disappeared into the smoke, gone before the flashing red and blue lights ever arrived.
---
Meanwhile — SSS Headquarters
Classified Briefing Room
Lead Investigator Kane Morrell stood in front of a holographic display. A scorched map of Stonebridge was projected beside him, the charred remains of the school highlighted in red.
Kane:
"We've spent the last month combing through evidence. Eyewitness accounts, security footage, seismic readings—anything that can give us an idea of what happened."
His assistant, Agent Nera, nodded.
Nera:
"And?"
Kane tapped a remote.
Kane:
"All signs point to one conclusion. The Villain League wasn't there for chaos. They weren't just making a scene. They were trying to retrieve something—or rather, someone."
Nera:
"The Genesis."
Kane:
"Yes. It's a theory, but a strong one. Stonebridge High wasn't random. A large pulse was recorded weeks before the attack. It lines up with what we know about the Genesis reincarnation cycle."
Nera:
"Then the Genesis is a student at Stonebridge high?"
Kane:
"That's what the villains thought."
He zoomed in on a grainy image—partially corrupted. A glowing outline of Iron Maw was visible.
"But here's the problem. If they were after the Genesis, then why destroy the whole school? Why kill so many innocents? They didn't need to. Not unless they were covering something up… or someone got in their way."
Nera:
"You think someone protected the Genesis?"
Kane:
"More than think."
He played a short clip—unreleased footage from a shattered drone cam. A masked hero leaping between debris. Another fighting in smoke. Both moving with trained precision.
Kane:
"We believe the Hero League was there. Secret operatives. Possibly the Eleven themselves."
He turned toward the window.
Kane:
"Something happened that day… and it was bigger than anyone's telling us."
He clenched his jaw.
Kane:
"And I won't stop until I find out what."
---
Back in Midtown
On a rooftop not far from the now-cleared-out bank, Amelia and Chad stood in silence, watching the city breathe.
Chad:
"Do we get, like… badges or something?"
Amelia (deadpan):
"You want a sticker?"
Chad:
"Nooo... but i mean, a trophy wouldn't hurt."
She chuckled slightly.
Amelia:
"For taking down untrained criminals, not even villains."
Chad goes quiet
"You did good today."
Chad (quietly):
"Thanks."
They looked out over the city.
Chad:
"It's kinda crazy, right? We're officially heroes now."
Amelia (thinking of Sarah, Martin, her mother and brother):
"We're just getting started."
The wind blew gently. The stars above sparkled against the distant buzz of sirens.
And beneath their masks… two broken kids would carry the world on their shoulders.
---
To be continued…
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Chapter 16 Preview:
Chad resumes his intense training with the Thorn Eleven, pushing his limits further. Meanwhile, Amelia returns home for the first time in a month—since the attack on her high school and Sarah's tragic death. She reunites with her grieving mother… and later visits Martin. But she isn't the only one who came to see him.
Tomorrow: I'll Be Your Guardian Angel