Violet hasn't spoken much since she got back from her shopping date with Eryk. She just rushed back to our dorm room, upset, and hasn't said a word since. Their first date being interrupted by the Villains' Syndicate was certainly not on my bingo sheet. Those freakshow fucks are irredeemable psychos. Of all the Cowls in Quinstin, that group is the only one that needs to be completely eradicated. I want to ask her about what exactly happened, but she clearly wants to be left alone. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough, especially when we've been told to attend an official Heroes' Union meeting. I've never been to one of those, so I'm filled with nervous excitement.

I roll over to look at Violet's side of the room and see she's still under the covers. She's seriously bummed. I feel bad because I want her to succeed in her quest. Eryk and she would make such a cute power couple. And the two of them both need to get laid—two of the most uptight people to ever exist. A not-so-great part of me is jealous that she got to meet Havok and fight alongside him. He's one of the strongest Shifter Capes in the world, and one of only a handful that have a second form. I can't even imagine what it would be like to see his dragon form in the flesh. Knocking at our door signals that the others have arrived.

"COME IN," I yelled out.

"I don't see why we all have to go to the meeting. Only Violet is involved," Sydney complained as she walked through the door.

"Because Phoenix said we had to. Listen, I was supposed to go on a date with this girl from my physics class, but I cancelled so I could go to this. Stop complaining, it's part of the job," Dappur answered.

Like cats and dogs. Sydney and Dappur are friends, but they argue like siblings about everything. There's a constant tension there, probably due to their extremely different personalities. Sydney is as introverted as you can get. She'll go to lunch with a book and over-the-ear headphones just to not have a single interaction with anyone. Dappur's the opposite; rogueish charm, goes with the flow, and makes friends everywhere he goes. No one dislikes him; it's hard to hate a cute boy who's a bit of a troublemaker.

"I think all the team leaders are going to be there," Raf added, emerging from behind the two.

Speaking of cute boys. His black curls cover his eyes, and that's a shame because Raf has beautiful eyes. Hazel with specks of burgundy that are unnoticeable unless you know they're there. They turn fully burgundy when he uses his power. It's a mesmerizing sight. Wait, what did he say?

"Did you say all the team leaders? So Titania, Arbiter, KnickKnack, and Sequence?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Phoenix said that we're sitting in on their meeting to get a feel for how Union meetings go, and Violet has to do a debrief," Raf answered.

OHMYGOD. OHMYGOD. OHMYGOD. TITANIA? Aka the whole reason I fell in love with Capes in the first place. I'm like her biggest fan. Would it be weird to ask for a photo? Should I bring something for her to sign? Is that weird to do? She probably hates that stuff, and it coming from a fellow Cape would be cringe. I'm worrying about things I don't need to, not when I have someone I can ask about it. Or not. Violet hasn't stirred, even as the others loudly came in.

"Hey, Violet, wake up, sleepyhead. We gotta go soon," Sydney said, sitting down on the end of Violet's bed.

"I'm not sleeping," Violet mumbled.

"Listen, I know your date didn't go well, but hey, first dates aren't always perfect. I mean, mine are, but you can just reschedule; I'm sure he won't mind," Dappur said.

"Wow, that might be the best pep talk ever given. What would we do without you, Douglas?" Sydney asked sarcastically.

"I don't know, drastically reduce the fuckability of our Cape team? I'm just fucking around to try make mopey get out of bed," Dappur said.

"We can leave if you aren't feeling well," Raf offered.

"No, we can't. She needs to be there for the debrief," Dappur countered.

"If she doesn't have to go, then I'm not going either," Sydney said.

"We're all going," I said, louder than I intended. "I mean, we have to."

I am not missing my opportunity to meet freakin Titania just because Violet is sad her first date didn't go well. This is the chance of a lifetime for me. Violet is destined to rise through the ranks, and there is no doubt she'll make it into the Heroes' Union. But I don't have famous Cape parents who will guarantee my spot or a powerset that makes me a top pick for any team. I need this. This is my first real inroad into forming relationships that could help my chances at actually joining the Union. I don't remember the exact statistic for how many probationary members actually make it, but I know it's less than thirty percent.

"Aubrey's right. We can't just skip this. Vye, are you okay?" Raf asked gently.

He's so sweet. Violet says something, but none of us hears it. She throws the covers off herself and sits up in her bed. She doesn't look good; her eyes are red and puffy. I didn't know she was taking this so hard. I feel like such an ass for not being more considerate. She's my roommate, my friend, and our team's leader. I should be more supportive.

"I'm sorry your date went so badly. If you don't feel up to going to the meeting, we can cover for you with Phoenix. And when we get back, you, me, and Sydney will have a girls' night together," I offered.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Violet breathes deeply, smacking her cheeks with her hands. "I'm not upset about the fucking Villains' Syndicate and Havok interrupting our date. Well, I am, but it's not just that. This Cowl named Smolder showed up, killed two of the Villains' Syndicate members, and attacked me. His powers reminded me of someone else, someone who is definitely dead. And when he attacked, he said something to me," she said quietly.

"What did he say?" Raf asked.

"The man in the mask says 'hello'," Violet whispered.

"WHAT?" I shouted.

"Oh shit," Dappur exclaimed.

"So he's back then? I wonder what he's been up to since you last saw him," Raf said.

"The two of you ready to admit you were wrong now?" Sydney said to me and Dappur.

What the fuck. He's not real, or he's not supposed to be. It's no wonder she's so upset. The last time she ran into him was the night those Cowls almost killed her. And that crazy woman made her hallucinate into attacking us. Raf is understating how bad this is. The guy has had plenty of time to recruit more Cowls, plan, scheme, and set up. No one has been looking for this guy. Dappur looks deep in thought, probably also understanding the severity of the situation like I am.

"I'm so sorry, Violet. So is Smolder the guy you fought at the bar?" I asked.

"He said it was payback, and the voice sounded similar, but he had powers he didn't have last time. And he was stronger. He also quoted something I said to him back to me. We were fighting inside a smoke cloud, and he was wearing a mask, but I'm almost positive it's him," Violet said.

Raf and Sydney sit on either side of her, giving her a group hug. They believed her. Dappur and I didn't. We don't deserve to comfort her because we helped cause this. It sucks, but I still don't think we made the wrong decision in the moment. Chasing a boogieman that no one else believed in would only hurt our team's reputation and be a waste of time.

"Listen we fucked up by not believing you, but we're backing you now. Whatever you need," Dappur proclaimed.

"Yeah, what this guy said," I said, shoving Dappur playfully.

"Thanks, guys. It means a lot," Violet said, wiping her face with her sleeve. "Suit up, we're going. Let's meet up on the roof of the science center in thirty minutes. Then we'll fly over to the Heroes' Union Headquarters together."

"I'm going to have to carry everyone again, aren't I?" Sydney asked, pretending to be annoyed.

"I could princess carry one of you," Violet offered.

"You know what, sure," I laughed.

Dappur, Raf, and Sydney exit our dorm, leaving Violet and me alone. She's doing better, which is good, but I still want to ask about Titania. How should I bring it up? I don't want to seem heartless. I'll have to think of a natural way to bring it up while we get ready. Rolling off my bed, I pull the chest out from underneath my bed. Opening it reveals my costume and helmet. The black and yellow striped leggings, yellow shin guards, and leather jacket are the only remaining pieces of my original costume. I swapped out the yellow crop top for a sleeveless black turtleneck, and I swapped my old shoes for heeled boots I painted to match the bee theme.

My helmet's design hasn't changed, but the internals and features are completely different. Combat prediction programs, behavioral analysis, constant situational scanning, and highlighted escape routes are just a few of the new features I've added. Anything to close the gap just a little bit. I turn my back on Violet to start changing; she hasn't seen the ugly scarring that covers my chest and torso. No one has, and no one will. A hideous reminder of why I have to fight so hard. I quickly put the turtleneck on and turn around to face my roommate. Standing in nothing but a bra and panties, her incredible body is on display. No scars, blemishes, or imperfections anywhere; she's perfect.

"Hey, umm, this is a bit of an odd question. Do you think it would be poor taste to ask Titania for an autograph? She's like my Cape idol, and I'm a huge fangirl," I said, laughing awkwardly.

"I would say don't do it. We're going there to watch and learn, not to socialize. Also, you're going to end up working with her eventually, so asking for her autograph would be kinda weird. Sorry," Violet answered.

Damn it. It's so easy for her to say things like that.

"So besides Smolder and the Villains' Syndicate, how was your date?" I asked.

"It was going well, but I fucked up. I kind of revealed I had powers, and he was understandably shocked. Now he's not replying to my messages. I was afraid this would happen; I scared him away," Violey said dejectedly.

"He was shocked?" I asked.

"Yeah, I stopped a truck from hitting us with my hand. The look on Eryk's face made it clear I probably wouldn't be getting another date. After what happened to you guys with that party, I'm not surprised he isn't interested in dating Neuvohumans. I don't even know if he's going to talk to me in class tomorrow. I just want to take a long nap," she said.

"Let's pick up some ice cream and watch a movie together when we get back," I said.

"Thanks, Aubrey," she said, pulling me into a hug.

Wait, why would Eryk act surprised that she has powers? I can't think of a reason for him to do that.

The five of us stand atop the science center in our costumes. Violet is the only one with a hyperweave suit, a gift from her parents. Bulletproof, strong enough not to rip apart due to her speed or strength, and it fits her like a second skin. Ward's costume looks good, the heavy-duty dark orange construction overalls contrasting nicely with the red hoodie, the same color as his eyes. The back and front of the hoodie have a six-sided star within a circle on them, along with a bunch of weird symbols, and the word praesidium underneath it in cursive. Protection in Latin, and it goes with his magical theme. His curls are tied up off his face, and he has a half-face orange mask that leaves his mouth exposed.

Zephyr's costume also has a magical theme to it, but it's a complete accident that she and Ward match. A white collared blouse with a thin string holding the neck closed, and a plaid black dress that goes down to her ankles. She has on a pair of brown heeled boots that click when she walks, a lace scarf that covers everything from her nose to her chest, and an oversized black witch's hat. It's seriously impressive that the two of them somehow both decided to go down the magic route for the Cape personas. Adversary's costume is simpler. It's a silver and purple dirt bike outfit with metal plating added on the chest, back, shoulders, knees, elbows, wrists, and ankles. He has purple boots, gloves, and a 3d printed mask that leaves his mouth uncovered so he can still show off his chiseled jaw.

"Please keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. We will not be making any stops or layovers, and we expect this to be a nice, easy ride. We want to thank you once again for choosing Zephyr Airlines for your travels," Zephyr said.

A gust of wind swirls around her as she begins to float. Similar gusts form around Dappur and Raf, lifting them off the roof as well. Soon, a visible orb of quick moving wind surrounds all three of them. Virtue looks at me and holds her arms out. I run toward her, laughing, and jump into her arms. She spins me around easily, transitioning into a princess carry. Then she crouches down and jumps, shooting us into the sky. The five of us fly through the Quinstin skyline, heading to our first Heroes' Union meeting. I can't wait to meet Titania.

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