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Malik sat in the lobby, looking up at the ceiling lights as he wait for his companions to get changed.

Now that Brickhouse has been restrained, the soldiers are probably helping the civilians return... Thankfully Brickhouse was relatively "calm" this time around, the destruction it caused is manageable, if everything goes smoothly in two weeks everything should be fixed... Malik reflected as he stretched.

At that moment the sliding doors opened, someone entered the building.

The soldiers?

Malik wondered as he turned to look at who has arrived.

Three people had walked in, two men dressed in rather casual clothes and a woman dressed in a stylized suit that clung to her skin.

Ugh I'd rather deal with Roger than them... Malik couldn't help but click his tongue upon laying eyes on the trio that had walked in.

The man who walked ahead of his two companions scanned the lobby room, his hazel eyes meeting Malik's dark blue ones. He waved at him before inquiring:

"Oh? You're already here? I thought you'd be helping the soldiers."

This was Yamato, a young man with brown hair and beautiful features, he had a rather fit frame and was taller than Malik, similar to him, Yamato had no special powers but he still became a hero under AEGIS. Unlike Malik however, he hadn't gone through standard military training, at least not to the same extent as Malik.

"The boss lady may have given me authority over them, but I'm not truly their superior and besides, I ain't a soldier anymore."

Malik waved his hand dismissively. Normally, the heroes had no authority to order around AEGIS soldiers, unless they had come under some kind if agreement with the director of military section of AEGIS, but Malik's case was a little different, not only was he given the "job" of being a hero, despite being completly ordinary, but Madam Alma, the AEGIS overseer of 8th Sector (of which Typhoon City is the biggest city in the 8th Sector), also had given him authority over the military personnel under her and had him attend mandatory classes on military strategy.

"Figures, you do the bare minimum and leave the actual hard work for others."

At that scaving remark, Malik glared at the woman who said it, her grey eyes glared back at him, this was Sara, a beautiful woman with cyan hair that reached her shoulders, blue crystals adorned her suit, emblematic of her powers.

Before Malik could spit out a venemous response back at her, the man behind her stepped up trying to defuse the situation before things got even more uncomfortable.

"C'mon Sara, Malik and the girls took care of Brickhouse! You remember how much trouble he was when we tried fighting the big guy head on?"

Unlike Yamato, he had ordinary features, short chestnut colored hair and brown eyes, Fujimaru was the glue of the trio, or at least that was the impression Malik had. Whenever they met, Malik had to witness him change the subject or crack some jokes so that whenever Sara, or sometimes Yamato, said something that could be taken the wrong way he could lighten the mood or divert the subject.

If I remember right you three were beaten up badly and we had to clean up after you and get the job done. Malik mocked them internally, he didn't like any of them, but he especially didn't like Yamato.

"Man, I wish I could have been there to see it. We should train harder to be able to deal with mutants and villains like Brickhouse as easily as Malik, Hana and Karen do."

Yamato had a determined and earnest look on his face as he looked down at Malik.

He really pisses me off...

Malik and Yamato as well as the others in their respective teams had went to school together, while Malik was a quiet and shy outcast, who only really hanged around Karen and Hana, as they were his childhood friends, Yamato and his friends were quite popular and got along with almost most everybody.

Not once did any of them look Malik's way, and if they did, it was to get close to Karen and Hana. Malik didn't mind, he understood he wasn't special and so long as he had those two he could be happy. There was no reason to resent kids that just happened to be better off than he was.

So imagine his surprise as less than a year ago, when he first made a public appearance as a hero that Yamato, of all people, approached him, claiming to be his fan and then a few months later Yamato, Sara and Fujimaru were enlisted as heroes under AEGIS.

Malik wasn't surprised about Sara or Fujimaru becoming heroes, they had powers of their own after all, in fact he was surprised that only now did they show interest in becoming heroes. But ahead of them was Yamato, unlike Malik who went through standard military training, Yamato was just given the job seemingly at the same time as his superpowered companions.

Yamato's family was nothing special, they'd have no influence on AEGIS, in fact taking what Malik knew about Yamato's family into account, they were more likely to be against him pursuing such a carrier, there was no reason to allow him, as he was, to become a hero, and yet there he was shaking the stunned Malik's hand like they were old friends.

And then he said it, he said something that caused Malik to truly dislike him ever since.

"It's thanks to you I became a hero, you're the who inspired me, you showed me that even people like us can become heroes."

Those words were like a slap to the face, instantly snapping Malik out of his confused state, as his confusion was replaced with rancor.

People like "us"? What have you done? You look exactly like you were when I met you a few months ago. Did you go through any kind of training? Do have any kind of power or technology that can save you when things go wrong? You have everything to lose and you put yourself in this position, and for what? Fame? Recognition? To do good? Your friends who clearly followed your lead, the family who loves you, the peaceful future that was almost guaranteed, if you didn't follow this path. All of that to lose, for what?

Such thoughts filled Malik's head at the time, and though he hasn't spoke them outloud, whenever he'd meet his "fan" he couldn't help the but be dismissive, and sometimes being somewhat hostile towards him. Yamato never seemed to take it personally, neither did Fujimaru, but Sara... Her obvious disdain towards Malik only grew from the day she had been rescued by him, Hana and Karen. And it only grew every time Malik was rude to Yamato.

Though she destested Malik, she had an open admiration of Hana and Karen. She'd frequently invite them to go hang out with her. You could say she's a fan of theirs.

"Look who it is, trying to snatch him away from us are you, B team?"

Malik immediatly relaxed upon hearing Karen's voice, he turned his head to face her properly. Despite her wealthy upbringing and the strict etiquette she was taught growing up, Karen favored a rather boyish style over something more "ladylike" it's just how she is, how she's always been.

She was wearing a loose fitting black shirt with the logo of a band she liked, "Radioactive Head", along with the shirt she had matching black baggy pants. Her golden hair, that was still somewhat wet, had been tied up in a ponytail.

She approached us with a confident gait, despite being the shortest out of everyone present.

Sara's comteptous gaze had vanished as soon as she laid eyes on Karen, she was even smiling. Yamato's group exchanged greetings with Karen, before she put her hand on Malik's shoulder and playfully said:

"You'll need more than some sweet words to get this guy away from us, not like you have what it takes to do that anyway."

Malik couldn't help but turn back to them with a smug expression. Purposely making eye contact with Sara before saying:

"Damn right, not like I'd ever want to ditch my team for yours anyway."

Fujimaru laughed boisterously while Yamato and Sara's laugh came out sounding rather forced.

"Good afternoon everyone."

Hana's soft voice sounded from behind me and Karen. Hana was wearing a plain white shirt and a violet skirt that went down past her knees. Her black hair was completly dry and straight.

As Hana approached, Malik completly relaxed as he turned to Yamato, Sara and Fujimaru. His voice was calm and sincere, as he teased them.

"Sorry guys, you missed the chance to ask for my authograph. After such a successful mission, I gotta treat these two to some gelato."

"I'm sure they could come along, right?"

Hana asked innocently, and Malik's eyes were filled with worry, while Sara's were filled with expectation. That was until Yamato spoke.

"Thank you but... I feel like our performance has been kind of lacking these days, I'd love to take your offer some other time though."

Sara's mouth was left silently open, while Fujimaru tried to negotiate with Yamato to change his decision.

"Welp, guess that's that, break a leg you three."

Karen shrugged as she said that, before pulling Malik off his seat by the hand, and practically dragging him out of the building. Hana on the other hand, quietly followed her teammates while waving goodbye at the other group.

For the first time in his life Malik was feeling grateful for Yamato, as the two trios went off in opposite directions.