Many more months had now gone by and James grew stronger still. Sparrow developed a fear that he intended to leave his posting at her guild and request a transfer to the inner city where the opportunities for advancement are more lucrative.
He was a topic she dwelt on lately, much to her concern. It was unlike her not to be able to separate her feelings from her work, but with each passing day; she found it harder to ignore.
She tried to figure out what it was about him that she felt so...drawn to. Was he handsome? Sure, but that was never her focus. What she really liked was his heart, his inner self. The more missions they went on together the more she got to see all the different sides of him.
James found himself getting drawn to Sparrow as well. She was, of course, very beautiful. But it was more than that for him too. She had a genuine sincerity about her that made him feel comfortable like he could tell her anything.
Kazav noticed all this and tried to keep James focused on hero business. It was this kind of thing he was hoping to avoid, a distraction that would keep James from realizing his full potential.
One day, after training, the team met up in the main hall for an urgent update. This message was rumored to have come straight from HQ and had everyone buzzing.
"Everyone please calm down," Sparrow shouted to the team. Her plea fell on deaf ears as Falcon and Hawk let the room devolve into a pointless debate.
"Water is wet!" Falcon announced confidently.
"Not true, not true!" Hawk disagreed.
"It is so!" Falcon sniped back. He then regaled the room with his explanation. "It's wet because it makes you feel wet! Therefore it is by its very nature, wet!"
Hawk slammed his hand on the table. "That's just faulty logic!" he cried out. "Does that mean that Lava is wet if it makes you feel wet?"
Falcon let out a condescending laugh. "Are you kidding me right now? The two things are completely different! Besides lava feels hot, not wet."
Super Static then chimed in with her opinion. "If it's all about how it makes you feel then water isn't wet because feeling is relative to the individual."
Hawk leaned over the table and high-fived her. "Tell it how it is Static!"
Owl fell from the ceiling where he was napping and gave his 2 cents. "Well seeing as how you all woke me up with your inane chatter I figure I should add some culture to this conversation."
Everyone waited for him to speak as he stood there motionless. Then, in a very anticlimactic manner, announced, "Water is wet."
The room erupted into chaos. Everyone talked among themselves as Sparrow sat in her chair, defeated.
Everyone's attention broke when James opened the doors to the hall. He walked in apprehensively as he looked around at everyone, then over at Sparrow who had her face buried in her hands. After an awkward shuffle to his chair, he stated, "There is a really weird energy in this room right now."
Taking advantage of the lapse in conversation, Sparrow shot up and began the briefing.
"Thank you all for assembling so...promptly. We have a lot to talk about. We also have a high-priority message from HQ that all the guildhalls should be getting any moment now. They are live streaming it to everyone so it must be big."
Super Static raised her hand, waiting to talk until called on. "What's the message about?"
Sparrow shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. Nobody has told me anything."
Everyone started to murmur among themselves about what kind of update to expect. Some thought it was good news, others bad.
"I heard they are telling us that we got 'em all." Falcon belted out, forcing all attention on himself.
Hawk let out a sarcastic laugh. "There's no way that's true."
Falcon's smile morphed into a scowl. "Why do you always have to disagree with me, Hawk?"
"Why are you always wrong?"
Sparrow slammed her hand down on the desk while shouting, "Enough!"
Composing herself, she lowered her voice and added, "There are a lot of rumors right now but none of them have any merit. Let's just wait for HQ and hope for the best. Okay?
Everyone nodded their heads as the room fell into silence. Sparrow looked over at James who silently mouthed, "Wow," causing her to smirk and shake her head. The group was acting more like a family every day which, unfortunately, included bickering.
The silence of the room was shattered by a notification. Everyone looked up at the blue screen which was now setting up a secure connection. Sparrow prodded everyone to pay attention and turned her chair to face the screen.
Moments later, Official Franklin's face popped up on the screen looking stressed and troubled. After a brief pause, he began to speak. "My friends, family, and fellow guildmates, I regret to inform you that the situation regarding the anti-hero organization has worsened dramatically."
Everyone looked back at one another with concern. Whispers again filled the air before Sparrow snapped her fingers to silence them.
Franklin dabbed his forehead with a cloth and continued. "As many of you know, our goal was to hit them hard and fast, to stunt their growth before they gained too much momentum. But it seems we underestimated just how organized and influential they are."
Several images flashed by on the screen of the group's handiwork. Acts of terrorism, secret meetings, monster conversions, the works. "We received a message from the leader of this organization. He refers to himself as the Purifier and warned that later today they will announce their presence to the world as well as leak sensitive information about the Heroes Guild, information that could compromise its integrity and erode peoples trust."
"Oh crap, that's bad!" Owl blurted out, causing everyone to stare at him in disbelief. Never, in all the years he has been a hero, had he ever voiced concern in such a manner.
Franklin continued to speak, pulling everyone's attention back to the TV. "We don't yet know what they will announce or if they are even truly able to do what they claim they can do. Nevertheless, we need all guild and law enforcement officials to be ready to handle the possible panic that this could have on the public."
He took a very deep breath, held it for a moment, then exhaled. "All of you are to be commended for your dedication to protecting the people of this city. All guild leaders will be getting specified information on what to do for their particular districts if this threat materializes. This is Official Franklin saying thank you, and good luck to us all."
The message cut out and left the room in stunned silence. Static spoke first by asking, "So, what do we do now?"
Sparrow looked over to her with an unhidden panic. "We um, we do what we were instructed. Or rather what we will be instructed in the next message we get."
"So what do we do until we get it?" Falcon asked as he tapped his fingers against the table.
James and Sparrow looked over at one another. Unconsciously, they looked to the other for support.
"Just, stay at the ready, uh, make sure all your gear is up to code and stuff..." Sparrow was mumbling. It was a habit she rarely displayed and only added to the uncertainty everyone was expeireicnign. Nobody moved from their chair, her reply felt more like a floundering suggestion than it did an order.
"Well," James began to announce, "you heard her. Let's be on standby and be ready for our next move!"
He was rallying everyone in hopes of taking some of the pressure off her. As the leader, everyone looked to her for direction but Sparrow was as afraid as they were.
James waited for everyone else to file out of the room and then walked over to Sparrow who was slumped over in her chair. "Can I do anything for you?" He asked empathetically.
She shook her head and sighed. "No, there really isn't anything you could do. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you for asking though."
He smiled back and warmly replied, "Anytime."
He sat on the table next to her and gave her shoulder a playful squeeze. "I know you're uncertain about what to do right now but try not to worry! We will deal with it as it comes, just like you said."
She nodded her head and sniffled. "I know that but I still can't help but feel anxious. I hate when I don't have an answer for the people I care about." A tear began to form and slide down her cheek.
"Hey it's okay," James tenderly assured. "You won't always know exactly what to say or do but we all love and support you. We all know what an amazing guild leader you are. All anyone ever says about you is how you really show you care about us, about how you inspire confidence, and how you always have our backs ."
Her face began to soften again as his words restored her self-esteem. James placed his hand on top of hers as it rested on the table. "Really," he replied tenderly.
The next thing they knew they were staring into one another's eyes, fixated on their beauty. Slowly, their faces began to inch closer together, their cheeks blushing as their nose brushed up against the others. Just before their lips could meet, another notification appeared on the computer screen, letting out a ding and snapping them back to reality.
Realizing what almost happened, they jerked back and tried to save face. James cleared his throat and started walking back to his chair. "So I uh, should probably go get the others or something right?"
Sparrow hid her face behind one of her hands. "Yeah, uh-huh, that sounds like a good plan, go do that, thanks!"
James scurried out of the room with a beat red face and a tingling stomach. Once he was gone, Sparrow lowered her head down on the desk and let out an embarrassed sigh.
Later that day, the foretold threat materialized. All the broadcasting systems, all the radio stations, every possible means of communication were hijacked by the cultists.
As promised, the leader of the organization, the Purifier, sent out a grim warning. "The world is sick," he stated in a low, guttural voice. "The heroes you worship are nothing more than liars, empty vessels soaking up your adoration. They secretly align themselves with the criminals of the world while claiming to fight for your safety. This is folly and deception. Rather than give your efforts to them, join our ranks and aid us in the rebirthing of this doomed, dying planet. We are called the Cleansers, and if you join us in our struggle you will be guaranteed safety. If you resist us, then you will be left behind. Like the old ways of the world, you will be eliminated."
The transmission cut out, letting all normal broadcasts continue. With the police out in droves and heroes on every corner, most of the panic was kept to a minimum. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Dread and fear took hold of the populous and people began to splinter in their loyalties. If the Cleansers were hoping to spread panic, then they accomplished their goal.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ689sdrA2dU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDcsJ0AnBm6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3Z3ecS4Wq
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYsCLDwoUw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltWjsIgcGs
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXzzFR5Hh0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Af9fXszxF
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1gvA7Ar6N
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4HIUhp981
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4p0egMB1MQ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhMPzIICiu
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaVH9NNwcn
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiFSCj4VS3
