A Hero Among Us (closed)

Shadow

Max was already eating before the man named Smith even left the room. She nearly melted at the taste of brown bread and butter. The eggs and bacon were making her salivate. It was glorious after so many years of doing without. If she was meant to be a prisoner in that beautiful town home with this food, she would gladly stay put.

Max glanced towards Alex as he looked at the food in frustration. She couldn't help the small laugh that left her lips as she buttered a piece of toast and stuck it into his mouth.

"You want something else, just let me know." She gave him a grin then, laughing slightly as they started to feast.

Swampfire

Good....oh so friggen...no belay that. SO. FUCKING. GOOD!!!

And that was just a piece of toasted bread with butter! He was salivating and he wasn't even self-concious about it. He managed to use the breadth of the slice to pich it (kinda) between thumb and forefinger. Enboldened by the success of actually finishing a slice of toast, he used both his hands to snare a piece of bacon. Of course more buttered toast and egg had to be provided by Max...but for some reason he didn't mind. Max was like him, family, a person to trust and who had his back...always.

Coffee! Real friggen coffee! He almost lost control when the pure deliciousness of the brew washed over his tongue. Never before had he tasted this, never before could he have imagined a taste so...overwhelmingly...awesome...OK so he wasn't making sense, not even to himself. But as he grew satiated, he realized that they had not spoken, in fact...they had cleared the trolley from all but he juice and coffee and that was dwindeling fast as well. He just had to chuckle, "In older times we would have been eating like street urchins. Now we are just Lower End people."

Gracie

The video screen droned on in front of her, ticking off the news that had happened overnight. There was a brief blurb that appeared about the apartment building that had been destroyed, killing seven and leaving hundreds homeless. She had done her best to find homes for those that had been put out and her workers were doing the same.

She glanced down at the breakfast on her plate, letting out a sigh. She never really had an appetite in the mornings. She ate like a bird most of the time, finding time for lunch and late dinners. The eggs were fluffy and appetizing, her bacon cooked perfectly to a crisp, and the tomato on her plate charred with just the right amount of cheese. After her morning work out, she should have been digging into it with relish, but it all tasted like sawdust in her mouth.

"In other news, Orion Industries announced today it's largest merger in decades." Gracie glanced up at the screen as the reporter droned on about a deal between her Uncle Edward and a technology firm.

What business did Edward have with a technology firm, she thought to herself as she turned off the screen and stood. Her black shirt and black pants were normal attire when she was at home with nothing to do. She moved from the dining room table, leaving her breakfast for the maid to pick up as she made herself to the wing that held her "prisoners".

Smith was dutifully standing outside the door again as she stepped inside, listening to the chatter of the two as they feasted like people starving on the food that had been brought. It must have been nice to cherish something so much. Stepping into the room, she paused as both sets of eyes looked at her as if she were intruding.

"I trust that you are both well." She said softly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because there are things that we need to discuss."

Swampfire

Just one last sip...

'Yup now I'm done'

And almost blasted the black-clad woman who stepped into the room when she spoke, he leaned back into the cushions. Only now realizing how sore he was, well OK a building collapsed on him, of course he would be hurting. "Oh look Max, I told you there'd be a price. We have to talk." He noticed just how Gracie moved, it told him that Smith was good, but Gracie was better. Practically the best.

"Morning ma'am, you most probably already know, but my name is Alex Murphy and I'd like to thank you for the medical treatment. Since you fed me real food I'd be more than willing to listen to you."

Shadow

Max stopped mid sip of her coffee when the woman in black appeared. She wasn't really sure what she was expecting Gracie Montgomery to be. She was wealthy beyond belief, but she also looked incredibly approachable. Dressed in simple black, she could see the easy way that she held herself yet the incredible power that was beneath her skin.

"I'm Max." She stammered, glancing towards Alex as he seemed more at ease with the entire situation. "You're not going to turn us into the cops, are you?"

Gracie

Looking between the two of them, she saw just how inexperienced they were. Max looked as if she would run from the room any moment. Alex was relaxed, but on guard. It was an interesting mixture, she thought to herself.

"Should I turn you into the cops?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at the two. "You know that vigilantes are illegal. They enjoy it when you play hero and do their job for them, but that good will runs out very quickly. You make them look bad. They don't take kindly to that."

Gracie surveyed them both, taking in every little thing about them. Alex seemed to possess a brute strength that would serve him well, but Max as a mystery. She was lithe, her hair long and pooled around her shoulders. Gracie had cut her hair after one night a man had gotten a hold of her locks and yanked out a good handful during a fight. They had absolutely no idea what they had gotten into.

"You know that you could have died yesterday. The fact that you risked your life tells me that there's not much that you have to live for." She commented. "You're not trained. You're too young. That's a dangerous combination."

Swampfire

He could see how she analyzed them, weighed them and when she spoke it wasn't the same person who he had seen on the holo-vision. There was a bit more steel in her voice, her shorter hair framed her face, making it stand out and the over-all effect was kind of scary. The arched eyebrow spelled out a lot more than the words said at first and then it came. He scoffed at her words, "I didn't see any cop in there trying to help those people. Hell I didn't see the firefighters even try to get in there to help. If we are so bad for the people, why don't the cops step up their game?"

He motioned to Max, "She went in there to help, look at her, does she look like somebody who can lift a beam off of somebody's leg, back or neck? She saved people. We're young yes, we know a little of dodging bullets and rolling with punches. We may be two kids compared to what is out there, but at least we don't sit back and watch people die."

Had he known that Gracie was Raven, he would have never said that last part, but he didn't know and he did say it. He could sense Max going slightly ridgid and he knew that his emotions was almost escaping him now, like the gas, like the fire, there's been some incidents in the past and he had learned the hard way to keep himself in check. He laid back again, realizing his hands burned, he had tried to clench them and now half the agony was trying to unclench them.

Gracie

"People did die. Seven, in fact. Because you aren't trained enough. Does that make you feel any better to hear?" Gracie asked him in a deadly quiet voice, her posture never changing save for a slight tightening of her fingers against her arm. "You think it's fun and cool and the right thing to do. There are a lot of people just like you out there. You will die one day. You will be exposed. Are you prepared for that?"

Swampfire

The news that seven people had died still hit him like a freight train, he knew that they could not save everybody, that some would die. But it still hurt. He took a steadying breath and met her eyes once more, "If I die, I know that at least I will have done something in this live. I have saved people. I have helped to catch murderers, rapists and terrorists, if I get exposed, I know that there is nobody to use to get to me." He motioned to Max, "We're not family, we don't even live in the same neighborhood, so nobody can use her to get me if they see behind the mask."

He shifted himself to get more comfy, "And it's not cool, it is not fun. Never was and never will be. I will tell you one thing, it feels like the right thing to do and deep inside I feel much better after helping somebody. So yeah I rushed into a dangerous situation, Max followed me and together we saved people in a situation that neither one of us is equipped for. Seven dead is too much, but it is a shade better than thirty two."

Seemed that Gracie had a way to get him talking, he didn't usually talk this much, "And just where do you expect us to train hmm? I don't see a flameproof dojo out there that caters to the metahuman crowd to improve themselves. The only way for us to learn is on the street. Lower Enders that is who and what we are."

Gracie

Cocking her head at the man that seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, she saw a spark of what greatness could be. He was too young and new to the entire situation that he didn't have a prayer of surviving long. The girl looked like a scared rabbit, her eyes wide as she tried to make herself smaller in her chair in the heat of the moment.

"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist." Gracie said, her eyes leveling on Alex. "You'll stay here and heal. When you're in the shape to be able to train, I'll give you the training of your life."

She didn't say another thing as she turned to leave the room, Smith opening the door for her as she left the wing that housed her new charges. She took it personally to make sure that these people were ready for anything that being a vigilante could throw at them.

Swampfire

Wait...what? He stared after the retreating form of Gracie Montgomery and then looked at Max, "Did she just say what I think she said?" He looked at the now-closed door, "That she can actually train us? Who is this woman? Clearly she isn't just a rich, corporate flunky, that is for certain."

Shadow

"You shouldn't push her like that." Max said quietly, looking at Alex with a slightly haunter look in her eyes.

She was fragile and she had troubles shielding herself from other people and their thoughts. Gracie was unlike anyone she had ever come in contact with. She was steely on the exterior, but with a hollow inside that might break when she least expected it. The feelings inside of her were tortuous and raw, almost like a wound had happened that had never healed. It frightened Max immensely.

Swampfire

"You know Max, we really need to work on your Poker face. You look like you have seen a ghost and I can figure that you picked up from the Montgomery woman." He managed to snag the jug of orange juice and pour himself a cup. He was still thirsty as hell and he guessed that it would take some time for him to feel better. "By the way." He gave her a small grin, "You did good in that fire. Makes me glad that you had my back in there."

He lapsed into silence as he slackened his thirst, he felt like there was just too many things happening at once. That explosion was no accident and ending up here without being arrested was not a coincedence either. "Who is Gracie Montgomery?"

Gracie

"Who is Gracie Montgomery? It's the thing that everyone in Twins City wants to know!"

Gracie was beating the hell out of a punching bag when those words reached her ears. She hated it when local reporters tried to delve into her life simply because it made an interesting story. She had little to tell them and had zero patience for a microphone shoved into her face. In most pictures that had been taken of her, she was scowling and her eyes looked a little too large for her face. It was her mother's patented 'bitch face', one that had been learned from years of not getting exactly what she wanted from life. Gracie had taken it, embraced it and made it her own.

She paused, grabbing the bag to steady it as she turned her attention to the telescreen that was airing a story on her charitable work. She never gave interviews. Ever. It was a rule that she had not because she was antisocial, but because she wanted the work to speak for itself. It was the complete antithesis of the rest of her family. Her uncle, Edward, had his face plastered over billboards all around the city, his perfect set of teeth showing that not only did he have money, but he was likable as well. She simply wanted to smash those teeth out of his mouth.

Shoving the bag away from her, she stalked across her gym and sat down on a bench, her arms resting against her thighs as she stared down at the floor beneath her shoes. She had no idea what to do with Alex and Max. She didn't care if they stayed, but it had been a long time since she had even set foot in the city as anything but an upstanding citizen. She wanted to rail against them that they were too young for this, but they were only a year few years younger than her at the most. It was frustrating that they didn't really see just how dangerous what they were doing was.

She let out a long sigh and stood, stalking from the gym. She needed to get out of the house and clear her head. Grabbing a leather jacket from her closet, she pulled it on before she made her way down to her garage. For a woman that had no worries about money, it was surprisingly empty. There was the black town car that Smith drove her around in most of the time. There was a green sports car that she very rarely rode. Then...there was her baby.

It was a sleek, black motorcycle, polished to gleaming. It was a little garish, completely out of character for her, but no one suspected that it was her behind the black visor of the helmet. It gave her the freedom that she hadn't had in so long. Soon enough, the engine was purring as she buckled the chin strap into place and pushed the visor down, bending down low over the engine as she took a ride to clear her mind.

Still coming

TWINS CITY​

450 MILES​

The next sign loomed up and then flashed by.

Swampfire

He knew that there was nothing more to do than rest and regain his energies. He rested against the pillows, there wasn't much to say to Max and he guessed that she had much to think about as well, "Tell you what, why don't you see if you can find something to do? That is if that Smith guy allows you to leave the rooms. I doubt that I could be that very interesting when I sleep." He gave her a smile, "But if you wish to stay, don't complain when I snore."

Shadow

"You know I never complain about your snoring." Max said, her voice still slightly haunted by the impressions that she had gotten from Gracie Montgomery. "I guess I'll go watch some TV and get my fill before we get kicked out on our asses."

She leaned across the hospital bed and kissed his cheek in a fond and sisterly kind of way before she stood to leave the room and let him rest. Lord knew that they both needed the time to rest and rebuild.

Swampfire

He watched the slight form of Max as she left, he knew that she had picked up something from Gracie. It was just after Gracie had left that Max went all gloomy. He studied his hands, we'll at least he wasn't reduced to having to clean them himself. Pity he couldn't just cauterize them. That would have helped a lot. Actually he didn't want to sleep, he wanted to think, to see if he could figure out Gracie and her sudden interest in them.

But he found himself back in the lab, getting tested over and over and over again.

"You got the genes."

"Come on show us."

"You are a waste of time and funds."

"Show us."

"Show us."

"Show us!"

"SHOW US!!!"

And even in his dreams he had nothing to show

Shadow

Max had always had a hard time controlling the way that other people made her feel. She discovered that she could take on strong emotions like a well worn coat when she was 3. Her parents had always been drunks who happened to stay married and raise her with little consideration to what their boozed fights were doing to her. She remembered the rage and the anger, the wish that someone would die. It had made her a very confused and sad little girl.

She had started running away from home the first chance she had gotten. Each time the cops in the old city would take her back and the next week she would run away again. Until she had quite literally run into Alex one day. There was something about him that felt safe. He was encouraging, patient with her, and willing to help. He had done more for her in the time that they had been together than he own parents ever had.

What she had felt from Gracie that day was...huge. Gracie Montgomery seemed to be a woman with a lot of hurt, a lot of secrets, and a brittle exterior. She didn't smile. She didn't laugh. She was always thinking. For someone as unshielded as Max, it was overwhelming.

She had promised Alex that she would get some sleep, but she couldn't keep that promise. With a long sigh, she sat in a plush seat overlooking the new city. It would be a struggle to process everything that had happened. She didn't even know where to begin.

Swampfire

The nightmare of the lab continued, he twisted in his bed, sweat starting to slick his hair. This was the part of him that Max had never seen, oh he was sure that she knew about it, but she had never seen it. Physical pain always brought the dreams and the dreams...they always brought out the worst in him.

The voices clamored, cajoled, belittled and prodded him, faces swam around his vision, he could feel needles pinch him, could feel his back burst into pain under lumbar punches and he did the only thing he knew he could do. He produced what they wanted to see.

He woke as the heat blasted from his hands, twisting himself, he aimed the streams of green fire at the window, practically blasting the window, window-sill and drapes out into the night air on a wave of fire. He struggled to steady his breathing, panting like a marathon runner as the backwash of head sprung sweat up over his body. It wouldn't stop, he couldn't...but eventually he could, he could feel the flames growing less-intense and soon enough the fire slowly ebbed away and withdrew into his hands, making his gasp at the shock as the heat leached through the wounds. He collapsed against the pillows, still struggling to calm his thudding heart.

Shadow

Max had dozed off at some point, her cheek resting against the plush armchair. It was nice to sleep somewhere warm and comfortable and safe. It was dangerous in the old city and most mornings she would wake to Alex sitting beside her pullout sofa bed, his eyes trained on the door as if someone had tried to get in the night before.

She woke suddenly, her brain disoriented in the dark room. Panic flooded through her. Hot panic. She scrambled out of the chair, hurrying into Alex's room. She saw the flame from his hands retreating, his heavy breath as he cringed in pain. He had been having another nightmare.

"Are you alright?" She murmured as she moved towards his bed and climbed in beside him whether he wanted her to or not. "I hate sleeping in new places." She lied as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Swampfire

He only noticed Max when she stood next to the bed, he was quite certain she knew. He nodded mutely at her question, still struggling to slow his rapid breathing and heart-rate. Then she climbed into bed with him, her lithe body not taking up a lot of space and for a moment he wasn't sure what to do. She seemed to need comfort, but with Max one could never say for sure.

So he shifted slightly and rested an arm around her, allowing her head to settle into a more comfortable position on his shoulder. For a moment he looked up at the ceiling, then at the door, "I wonder if Smith is asleep. He would probably have wanted to come in here and kick my behind for vandalizing the room." He gave a soft laugh and settled into the bed, strangely feeling more secure with Max next to him.

This time he did not dream

Shadow

"I don't think a man like Smith ever sleeps." Max murmured as Alex shifted in the bed and got more comfortable, his arm wrapping around her. "Or Gracie Montgomery either for that matter. There's something strange about her. No one should have as many secrets as she does."

She was quiet after she said that, letting her eyes close as she sank into the familiar warmth of Alex holding her. It was comforting. It was very much needed, especially after she had almost lost him just the day before.

Smith

In fact Smith did sleep, but it was very seldom and it wasn't purely due to training either. Gracie had given him a work and a sense of belonging after he ended up in the gutter. He did hear the whoosh of fire inside the wing, did hear the window and drapes get blasted out of the wall. Even now he was studying the CCTV feed and sent the recoding to Gracie's PDA, slipping his own back into his jacket. If they kept waking up this much during an evening it was no surprise that they both looked tired.

He could understand that Gracie brought them here, hell he could understand this Swampfire guy being there. But the girl...why was she here? Why was she a vigilante? She didn't seem the type even though she hid something from them. The CCTV proved to be invaluable, showing her posture and facial expressions. Was she an empath? A Telepath? Only time would tell and speakig of time, Gracie had been gone for some time. But he also knew better than to call her.

Gracie

High above the city, on top of the sleek Orion Tower, Gracie sat perched against the spire. She could see all of the new city and most of the old as well as the expanse beyond the rivers which created the outer boundary of Twins City. The wind whipped at her clothes and hair as she sat there, her legs stretched out in front of her.

Heights had never bothered her. She embraced them and they made her feel free. It hadn't been hard to scale her uncle's skyscraper. Once she had access to the maintenance hatch, she only had to climb a few stairs and ladders to reach her ultimate goal. Her own building gleamed in the distance, smaller and more compact than the ostentation one the she was currently on.

Something had bothered her all day. Why had her uncle partnered with a tech company? Orion Industries was a company about making money, not making new innovations. Her uncle had never been interested in being on the cutting edge of anything.

"Alyson." He would say as she was tucked into bed by the team of nannies that he employed. "One thing you'll learn is that there can never be enough money in your bank account."

He never called her Gracie. Grace was the name her father had chosen. Alyson was more suitable for an Orion. It had been her grandmother's name. It was stately, honorable, and certainly not as common as Gracie. Alyson Grace Montgomery...how she hated that person now.

Her thoughts were broken by the gentle chirp of her PDA. She pulled it from the inner pocket of her leather jacket, glancing down at the video that Smith had sent to her. The CCTV had captured the little secrets that her guests had been keeping from her. Alex had a skill that could cause damage and destruction. Max was scared of her own shadow but was hiding something of her own.

"Keep an eye on them. We start training at 0500." She wrote back to Smith, placing her phone back in her pocket as she looked back over the city around her.

Perhaps it was time to rethink retirement....