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James followed Sparrow as she led him through dark alleys and side streets on their way to her guild chapter. Piles of garbage and unknown substances coated the ground they walked on causing their steps to make a sloshing noise.
James covered his nose as they passed by a dumpster, "This HQ of yours is further than I was hoping."
Sparrow looked back at him as they hurried along, "Well, normally we would have been there by now but I don't think you could keep up with me if I moved any faster than this.
"What do you mean by that?" James asked playfully.
Sparrow made a face at him. It was one of disappointment, "Well, I was expecting you to do a little better against Black Octopus. It seems like your powers are not as refined as I was hoping.
She hopped on top of a dumpster and shared her feelings, "I doubt you would be able to match my speed if I just went off running."
James squinted his eyebrows in protest, "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out."
She grinned at his challenge, "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."
She took off in a blur and was down the street before James could process she had even left.
"Well, get after her!" Kazav barked out.
"Right!" James shouted as he burst into a sprint.
He was keeping up with her, barely. She leaped over cars, weaved between homes and buildings, and slid underneath trucks as they drove by in a display of obvious and confident ability. James didn't get fancy, he was just trying not to lose her.
In his mad quest to prove himself he ran into several trash cans, parked cars, and even a few pedestrians. He felt bad about that but he was determined not to fall behind.
After a few minutes of high-speed navigation, Sparrow slowed down and they reached the edge of the city. She came to a stop at a secluded, overgrown field that hardly had the makings of a superhero hideout.
Sparrow looked back at James who was covered in ally goo, "Not bad," she remarked.
He huffed a bit as he caught up to her, "Thanks, I think the old lady I almost ran over would disagree."
Looking around at the empty field, James asked, "Are you sure we are in the right place?"
Sparrow didn't answer him and instead began walking out into the swaying grass, waving her hands as she stepped further away. A shadow square appeared in the air above her and began spinning rapidly causing gusts of wind to sweep across the vegetation.
Then, out of the spinning shadow, a structure started to fade into view. Like a mirage in the desert, it shimmered until it became clear as day.
The winds died down and Sparrow signaled for James to follow.
"Wow," he remarked as they stepped up the stone stairs that lead to the entrance.
The building looked old, sort of like an ancient temple. Stone and wood made up the beams that supported the entrance. Huge oak doors guarded the way in and opening them seemed like it would require immense strength.
Sparrow grabbed one of the doors in her hand and flung it open like it was made of cardboard. James grabbed the other door and pulled but could barely make it budge.
"My hands are slippery," He said to Sparrow as he tried to save a shred of dignity. She let out a giggle and waved a finger for him to keep following.
The inside looked like a mix of modern and ancient decorating styles. Sconces lined the hallways and the structure was made of old stone with etchings and murals sprawled along the surface. At the same time, modern tech and equipment were set up in all the rooms with wires running the length of the ceiling.
"Hey Sparrow, why are you hidden away in a crypt? This seems like an odd place for a heroes guild. Aren't they usually high tech and fancy?"
His voice echoed off the walls. Sparrow waited for it to die down and replied, "This was an ancient heroes guildhall. When we discovered it we didn't have the heart to tear it apart or remove the original design. So we just worked around it."
Then, placing a hand against one of the old stone arches that made up a doorway she expressed sentimentally, "It's got a charm that I would never dare change."
"Yeah," Kazav muttered to James sarcastically, "A simple charm."
They passed a dining hall, armory, and several bunk rooms until they got to a large metallic door. James could tell this was not a standard feature of the guildhall and had been installed in much more recent times.
"You're about to meet the rest of the team," Sparrow informed him as she typed in the password, "let's just hope they like you."
The doors hissed and parted revealing a modern and high-tech room. Advanced-looking computers and gadgets rested across the solid metal tables along with 3d holograms displaying all kinds of graphs and images. A long table sat in the center of the room with a handful of heroes watching on as he approached.
"Team," Sparrow shouted out to the room, "meet James, our newest potential recruit."
The heroes began to clap after the introduction. James felt a bit awkward with all eyes on him and let out a small blush.
Sparrow walked him over to the table and motioned for him to have a seat, "Now for the introductions," she eagerly announced.
"You already met Falcon and Hawk back at your apartment."
Falcon threw up a peace sign and Hawk smacked him from behind.
"Hey what's that all about," He cried out, rubbing his head.
"It's cheesy," Hawk replied as he gave James a welcoming nod.
Sparrow rolled her eyes and kept going, "Next to them is Owl."
"Greetings," Owl remarked without looking up as he flipped through a magazine titled 'Bird Baths and Beyond'.
"And that little cutie is Super Static," Sparrow informed as she pointed over to a young woman who had her feet up on the table.
James raised an eyebrow, "That's, an interesting name. It doesn't really follow the bird theme you have going on."
Super Static leaned up in her chair and teased, "The irony behind that is of all the people here I'm the most likely to peck your eye out if you bug me."
James let out a nervous chuckle, "Well then, I'll try not to get on your bad side."
"That's everyone," Sparrow chirped.
Then, walking over to him she asked, "What are you thinking James? Are you ready to do something great with your life and join the guild?"
He looked around at everyone and then back at Sparrow, "What does it mean if I do join you? What would I have to do?"
Sparrow walked over to the monitor and pointed to a map of the city. "It means devoting your life to defending this city. It means giving up the mundane, pointless life you lived until now and answering to a higher calling. It's about being part of a unit, a team, and a family. We look out for each other and take care of one another. That's what it's all about."
James was a bit torn. Everything Sparrow was saying spoke directly to him. Was this the best way forward or should he blaze his own trail? He went back and forth with those questions until he realized he had another person's opinion to consider, Kazav's. It felt wrong for him to decide without getting his opinion first.
"Would it be ok if I went somewhere private to think things over?" James asked Sparrow.
"Falcon," She called out, "go ahead and take James to the empty room at the end of the hall."
Falcon nodded and jumped up to guide him. The sound of countless knives jingled and rattled as he moved about like he was one giant weapon.
He walked past James and whistled, "Follow me."
They both left and the steel doors to the main hall hissed shut. After passing by several other rooms they got to the end of the hall and Falcon motioned for James to enter.
"Meet us back in the main hall when you're done thinking things over," He kindly instructed.
James nodded and Falcon walked away only to circle back, "By the way, an opportunity like this, it doesn't come around very often. Sparrow thinks we can trust you, so I do, but don't join unless you really want this."
Then he left to let James contemplate the offer.
He sat on the old, rickety bed in the corner of the room. It was dusty and uncomfortable and the box spring creaked and squealed as he put his weight on it.
"What are we thinking kid?" Kazav inquired.
James put his hands on his knees, "I was about to ask you the same question."
He started looking around at the room and it became clear nobody had been in here for a long time. Old trophies and accolades littered the walls dated for over 50 years ago.
James put a trophy he had picked up back on the dusty table it came from, "It looks like whoever had this room last never came back to clean it out."
"Or," Kazav quipped, "he never made it back alive."
James shuttered, being a hero was dangerous and the possibility of an early death was all too real.
"What do you think I should do?" James asked, hoping Kazav could steer him in the right direction.
"Honestly kid, this is all up to you. I don't like organizations like this but I will support whatever choice you make."
With that, he sat there in the silent, dusty room and weighed the options in his hands. Memories of his childhood started flooding in, all the insecurities, all the pressures he faced. That's when James started thinking back to why he was who he was. This moment, like all the other major moments in his life, shaped him into who he is today, for better or for worse. He wondered if this would be a moment that makes him, or if it would be a moment that breaks him.
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