[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/200714/cd9c50cc6e6d06543510ad8c4dfdabf4.png[/img][/center] [center][/center] [hr] Lucky for Chad, neither Starbright nor the guard he was with noticed the inexperienced Hero's presence. They moved through the halls of the complex, Chad following as silently as possible for someone who could only hobble. It wasn't a long struggle for Chad, however - before long, the pair he had been tailing arrived at a dead end. Chad was initially confused, before seeing the guard level his gun at Starbright's head. Chad's mind took a few seconds to process what was happening, and he was too far away to hear anything very well. But if Chad was able to do anything well, it was move fast. Chad ran towards the guard as fast as he could with his injury, vision and hearing dimming as his power intensified. Chad probably could have run a bit slower - but the situation really didn't let that thought cross his mind. As he ran, he misstepped, losing his grip on the wall - his injured foot landed on the ground, and the broken ankle once again reminded Chad it was there. Chad was able to react in time, however - while the misstep took him off his course towards the guard, Chad managed to throw his arm out in time, catching the guard in the skull as he fell. The blow on the guard made a disturbing whacking sound, similar to a baton. Chad didn't have time to worry too much, as he crashed into the floor from his run. Chad pulled himself towards the wall, and located Starbright quickly - he appeared unharmed, so Chad must have not accidentally hit him while trying to save him. Totally intentional. Chad managed to stand by using the wall. [color=fff200]"You had to go and beat the guard up. I obviously had it under control. Honestly, it..."[/color] Chad felt nervous as he looked at the guard - Chad didn't like using his power on normal people, and the guard effectively got hit by a high-speed Clothesline. He was still breathing, even if he was unconscious, but Chad was a recent high school dropout - he had no clue if the guard was internally bleeding or had any other injuries. If the situation was different, Chad probably wouldn't have hit as hard as he did... [color=a36209]"S-sorry Starbright, I was worried-"[/color] Chad was cut off as Starbright pulled him in for a hug. Chad bit his lip slightly, being reminded of the burn on his back - he'd have to talk to ask the Shocker to apologize for that when this was all over. [color=fff200]"I'm just glad you're alive."[/color] Chad returned the hug, cautious at first. It was a little weird, being so close to someone that you idolized from behind a screen for so long. It was nice though - Chad had been in more danger today than any other day in his life. Hell, he [i]fell off a buidling[/i]. And despite the threat of death, Chad didn't really know if many people would care. Percy would, maybe Powers after he was found? Chad didn't really know most of the other heroes that well (or at all), and Pandora... Well, She didn't really seem like she'd lose any sleep if Chad died. And as for his parents... It felt nice knowing that someone was happy Chad survived. Eventually, Starbright broke the hug, turning to look over at Sea Serpent as he spoke. [color=fff200]"Oh, right, I probably shouldn't let her drop like that huh?"[/color] He picked her up again and turned back to face Chad as he continued speaking. [color=fff200]"We have one more to take down, Seraph. He's at the top of this tower, we take him down and it will all start crumbling. If it isn't going down already, we need to hurry."[/color] Chad nodded in agreement. Chad had seen some of the collateral damage that Heroes could cause, and while this building was fortified, Chad had no doubt that someone like Quake could bring it down if she wanted to. The sooner they found Powers and escaped, the better... [color=fff200]"You smashed it pretty hard in the fall then? Not to worry, I have three words for you, privatized HERO healthcare. I have the best medic in HERO on speed dial, he can patch that up good as new. We just... have to finish this first."[/color] Chad looked down at his ankle as he continued after Starbright. Even with a boot and legging covering it, the damage was easy to see. Chad smile behind his mask - getting his leg healed would mean he wouldn't have to stop his training. Depending on how good Starbright's Healer was, maybe Chad would be able to get back to HERO work in a matter of days! [color=a36209]"I'm glad to hear that... Thanks, Starbright."[/color] Chad's mind began to wander towards the others - Chad had gotten lucky being in the same minijet as Starbright since he was such a good pilot and took them to the top of the complex immediately. But the others might not have been so lucky - The minijet that saved Chad's life when he fell was abandoned other than a single guard, and the rumbling and shaking the building experienced was concerning, to say the least... Chad tried to stop worrying about them. Grace could teleport, Pandora could just swim through the ground, and Quake was an [i]S tier Hero[/i]. If things got bad, they would probably be fine. Besides, Chad had enough on his own plate right now - he glanced at the unconscious Sea Serpent, hoping she remained knocked out until they could reasonably restrain her. Chad had dropped Starbright's belt during the fall, otherwise he would have used that to at least bind her legs. Not like that would have done much to stop her powers though. Chad was still soaking wet, so she wouldn't even need to look far for a water- [color=fff200]"Bullet, I'm not going to force you into this. I'm going up these stairs to confront Seraph and it may not turn out well. I'm giving you an out here, you can take it or you can stay. But that decision rests only on your shoulders alone."[/color] Starbright broke Chad's train of thought - they were in front of the stairway to the next floor. Chad did his best to not be surprised at what Starbright had just said - Chad was being given a way out of the fight against Seraph. Normally, he'd probably leap on that opportunity - Chad didn't feel like he'd win against Seraph even if he wasn't injured. Seraph can freaking [i]fly[/i] for God's sake. That alone pretty much made Chad worthless against him. Chad followed close behind Starbright as they ascended the stairs, not bothering to respond to his statement. Running away wasn't an option this time around. Seraph killed dozens of people in Club 27, kidnapped Powers, framed Aria, and who knows what else. Even if Chad couldn't do anything to help, leaving just wasn't something he would do. Besides - it wasn't like they were going to lose the fight. Starbright was here, he had Sea Serpent as a bargaining chip, and they were indoors - Seraph wouldn't be able to make much use of his flight because of that. But Chad didn't think they were going to win for any of those reasons - no, the reason he thought they would win was that he didn't want to consider failing. Thinking about what you didn't want to happen meant it might be an option - so as long as Chad felt he and Starbright could win, they would! Chad did his best to cling to this delusional belief as he limped up the stairs. [hr] Seraph was drinking heavily from a dark bottle as they opened the door to confront him. Chad's eyes darted around the room as Starbright spoke, searching for anything that might give them an advantage - a weapon, or something to stop Seraph's wings. The opulent golden desk that Seraph stood at was too large and most likely too heavy to serve as a weapon, but maybe it could serve as cover from Seraph's feathers. Various paintings covered the walls, and while most of them were too large to make use of, there were a few plaques that Chad could throw. Potted plants? Too cumbersome. Chad slowly lowered himself, kneeling down to pick up a sharp glass shard next to the door. Chad recognized it as soon as he saw it - broken wine glass. Nothing compared to Seraph's feathers, but it was sharp and might cause Seraph to start bleeding. That was a lot better than punching Seraph. If Chad hit him too hard, Seraph might die from internal bleeding or something Chad couldn't recognize. At least with this, Chad could try and staunch Seraph's wounds when he was knocked unconscious- "Yes...yes...yes....the POWER! I can feel it! The limitless power! It's...it's overwhelming! Yes! Yes! ARRRGH!” Seraph was changing, dropping the bottle that he was drinking from as his flesh warped and bulged. His legs and torso seemed to elongate and pull themselves apart, and muscles began ballooning to monstrous proportions all across Seraph's body. His shirt burst as additional wings sprouted fully formed from his back, and his head almost seemed to warp and cave in on itself. His eyes bulged in their sockets from the pressure, and Chad feared that they might pop out of Seraph's skull and hang down near his cheek. Chad immediately began questioning what the hell was happening - years of seeing Seraph on reality TV and other media have never prepared him for this. He had no reasonable explanation for this sudden change... Suddenly, he remembered! Supernova! That was a drug that Supers could take to boost their powers! Chad shuddered as Seraph completed his transformation - it was no wonder his school told his Superpowered classmates to avoid the stuff, if this is what it caused. ”Now, let me unleash the power upon my enemies!” Chad tightened his grip on the shard of glass, his mind racing to figure out what the hell he could do to stop this monster. Seraph threw his arms and wings out seemingly at random, swiping chairs and other pieces of furniture around the room with the same ease a toddler might throw a wooden block. But he was also clutching at his head and screaming... As Seraph flailed around, he accidentally did something Chad had been fearing his entire time in this tower - he broke through a window. And while Seraph could usually fly, this monstrous form seemed too heavy for his wings to support himself. ”NOOO!” Chad stared as Seraph fall into the ocean waves, water shooting up dozens of feet from where he crashed. Chad's grip on the glass shard loosened, and he let it fall limply to the floor - thanks to the window Seraph just broke, it joined the many other shards with a clinking sound. Was... Was that an Overdose? Things turned out just like Chad expected - somehow, Seraph was even less difficult to fight than Sea Serpent. But despite winning against an A tier villain, Chad didn't feel very happy. If he had only been a little bit less lucky, if there wasn't something to break his fall only a few dozen minutes ago, Chad would be in the ocean alongside Seraph right now. Luckily, they didn't need to kill Seraph directly. If Chad had to look directly at Seraph's body rather than the ocean, he probably would have been a bit more shaken than he already was. [color=fff200]"Oh... right, yes. I knew that was going to happen."[/color] [color=a36209]"Th... That's not a common thing... is it?"[/color] If that was how most villains were taken care of, Chad felt it'd take a bit longer than expected to get used to the job. Starbright placed Sea Serpent down on an area of the floor that was relatively free of debris and glass from the short fight, before moving alongside Chad. [color=fff200]"This though, this just won't do. We can't have Seraph just die from going ghoul. Wheres the drama in that? Wheres the pizazz? There is no value in any of this."[/color] [color=fff200]"Lesson 2 Bullet, this ones important. Do you know the value of a story? What happened today will be remembered in history. We can't have it ruined by, well this."[/color] He gestured over to the hole. [color=fff200]"Looking like a hero can be just as important as being one. Think about this, what criminal is going to want to fight the two who destroyed that monster in seconds? No conflict, no casualties, no collateral damage."[/color] [color=fff200]"You and I are the only ones who saw what happened here. We did this. We pulled out and new, never before seen, combo that finished Seraph in seconds. Who in their right mind would go up against something like that? ...I won't go through with saying that if you aren't on board with it. But if you do, I think there's going to be a big future for you coming up."[/color] Chad turned away from Starbright when he finished speaking, gazing back at the large hole that Seraph had left in the wake of his rampage. Lying wasn't really a good thing to do - especially not for something this big and important. And not just that, but something really messed up happened with Seraph - his fans deserved to know what really happened to him, right? Chad pushed down these bad feelings. Starbright was right, like usual - If villains thought that HERO had people who could take out someone like Seraph in seconds, than they would surrender the second a Hero showed up to fight them. Or even better, they just wouldn't commit crimes in the first place. People could sleep easier, knowing that there were heroes that could stop villains with a single blow. And THE BULLET could be one of those Heroes. [color=a36209]"No, you're right... I-I think I can do this. I trust you, Starbright..."[/color] Chad really hoped he was making the right decision. Even if it was for the right reasons, he could feel a stab of anxiety at the thought of lying to all of Castleburg. The pair began moving, ready to meet up with the other heroes and bring Sea Serpent to Coldwater. Chad lingered a little bit longer than Starbright did, however. On the ground, was a beautifully ornate bottle - somehow, the bottle that Seraph had drunk from survived his death throes, while his desk and many other pieces of furniture were reduced to splinters. A single crack marked the area near its ornamental leaf, and at the bottom of the otherwise untouched glass, were the stains left from Seraph's last drink. Chad took the bottle without even stopping to consider it, the last dregs of liquid dripping from the crack as he did so. After all - what would make a better souvenir for your first mission? [hr] [i]3 days later...[/i] "Damn, wish I was on Starbright's payroll - the report said your injury would require an internal fixator and at least 2 months of rest, but you're walking as if nothing happened. The healer must have been something, huh?" Chad scratched the back of his head, nervous about how to respond to the light conversation. He was in the office of Dr. Illin, the chief proctor of Chad's Aptitude Tests. Thankfully, it seemed like she was unphased by the recent events that had occurred - she was the same as always, even after EAGLES. Things had been hectic the last few days, and they only seemed to get more intense by the day. Everyone bought Starbright's lie at face value, and HERO did little to fight against his telling of the events. Chad was lucky his costume concealed his identity fairly well - defeating Seraph and Starbright's praise had catapulted The Bullet to popularity that few new heroes ever experience, and if they knew his identity, Chad was worried they might actually find where he lived. Several of the heroes that had raided Elmore Island were injured in some way, with Firebird apparently having gone crazy for a bit, and Quake being shot by Winterfall. Chad dropped off flowers he bought from Pandora, but he didn't stick around to talk with them... It would kind of be awkward to officially meet a coworker while they were in the hospital, wouldn't it? "Anyways, here's the file - just be sure to hand it back before you leave, I'm already breaking rules just showing it to a greenhorn like you." Chad was thankful to be here - it was like a small break from everything. He took the manilla folder that Dr. Illin had given him, opening the contents quickly. Dozens of pictures, all in various positions and focusing on different body parts. Seraph's corpse had been in the water for an hour or two before they managed to find and dredge it up - not that Chad could really tell how waterlogged the body was. His vision swam slightly as he tried to read the text, moving the pictures out of his view. [i]'Extreme mutations across the body - muscle tears in several locations indicate high-speed growth.'[/i] "Fall didn't kill him - that stuff he drank was good shit. He didn't have enough control over his body to tread water, so he drowned." [i]'Autopsy shows presence of Mutagenic Compound, presumed to be Leftover blood. Testing to determine the origin of the blood is still underway.'[/i] Chad's eyes nearly glazed over as he continued reading the Forensic Report on Seraph. Apparently, his file was a bit larger than most heroes who die on the line of duty - most likely a result of his massively altered body. [i]'Blood adopted darker coloration and is highly viscous - possible clotting from substance?'[/i] Chad closed the folder and held his hand to his mouth. He'd been relatively unscathed mentally the last few days - he didn't directly cause Seraph's death, and Chad didn't see him die. But looking at someone you always looked up to on TV, deformed and cut open and [i]dead[/i], made Chad feel like- "If you're going to puke, you're going to be taking my trash out." Dr. Illin was holding a small wastebasket towards Chad, who took it and breathed slowly. He didn't end up puking - Chad knew how to stop himself when he was feeling terrible. He kept breathing and closed his eyes till the nausea left him. "Bullet? I know you're dressed and everything, but maybe you should take the chance to relax for a bit. You seem pretty out of it. Plus if you get injured again, I have to write it up, and I hate the paperwork." [color=a36209]"It's THE Bul... Nevermind. Sure thing, Dr. Illin, I'll take a few days off. Have a good day."[/color] [hr] Chad came down from the sixth floor of HERO One after completing the Monkey Run for the second time - even after intense training in the gym, he was able to complete the course in just over a minute. Not too impressive for a Speedster considering his lack of dexterity, but Chad's time was much faster than most of the Heroes who had attempted the obstacle course. Of course, he still failed the course most of the time he tried it, but Chad decided to blame that on leftover nausea. As the elevator opened to the third floor, Chad came face to face with The Shocker, the massive electric superhero. His popularity, while hardly exceptional before, was outright detrimental after his 'killing' of Starbright. Many fans of the more popular hero were demanding The Shocker to be fired immediately or to even be imprisoned. He walked into the elevator, bumping Chad into the wall as he did so. Chad frowned from behind his damaged helmet - it was probably because he had been healed from his back wound and he got a new phone, but Chad felt bad for The Shocker's predicament. Even if he was misguided and attacked them before, he was still a Hero. Chad decided to forgive The Shocker for injuring him earlier and planned to be nicer to him in the future. He could probably use a friend right now - maybe they'd go out to eat sometime! Starbright could come to, then their fight would just be a funny bonding story! Chad moved over to the nearest silver booth, entering it casually. Apparently, it was possible to use an app to create patrols or apply for assignments, but Chad wasn't exactly a very tech-savvy individual. Chad planned on asking someone how to download and sign up for that later - Starbright had replaced the phone Chad lost a few days prior. [color=a36209]"Okay... What have we got today?"[/color] Talking to himself, Chad went through the various job listings available to pick from. As usual, Chad pretty much signed up for everything below a certain level of difficulty - finding lost animals, a few Slime Cleanups, and busting drug dealers in Brookside. Y'know, things that the police usually do. Or at most, something a Hero may do for the publicity. Chad, obsessive about cheesy heroic fiction and cartoons, found these to be the perfect tasks for him. He didn't cause much property damage, and it allowed him to interact more closely with the people he was helping. Not to mention, the risk of ending up in a fight was pretty low - and while the Seraph Situation made Chad pretty confident most criminals wouldn't want to fight The Bullet, he didn't want to push his luck that much. Especially not today, after seeing those photos. Of course, Chad wasn't going to be paid much for these lower-grade missions. That's why he took up a Patrol as well! He got to run around Watervale and Brookside, looking for crime as it happened - the old fashioned way of heroics! Not to mention, patrolling those areas paid a bit more than the other boroughs. Chad didn't realize it yet, but there was a reason Brookside and Watervale were patrolled by very few heroes. They were hives of villainy, with the vast majority of gangs within Castleburg being based in one of the two Boroughs. Not to mention, with the recent EAGLES fiasco, even some of the normal citizens were becoming upset with heroes. Finishing up, Chad decided to get to work fast - the sooner he finished up his jobs for the day, the sooner he could start his patrol. His first mission: A Derek Jackson reported a lost Climber Cat somewhere in the East Flank. [color=a36209]"Shouldn't be too hard - those things are Leftovers. Can't be too many of them to look for..."[/color] [hr] [i]1 Week Later...[/i] "You Nervous?" Chad moved over slightly seeing his boss, Percy, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. Chad was nearly done dyeing his hair, and sitting on the edge of his bathtub. [color=a36209]"I guess. Yeah, I'm super nervous... I'm going to be on live television - that's pretty cool!"[/color] Chad was ecstatic to see his name in The Castleburg Times, even if newspaper was kind of dead. Sometime in the last few days, however, Castleburg Today, one of the biggest talk shows on the East Coast, wanted to have him come in for an interview. Chad wasn't sure if this was purely from his role in the defeat of Seraph, or if Starbright had pulled any strings. Whatever the reason, Chad was still thrilled at the opportunity. "I'm sure you'll do fine Chad. Just try and be yourself, that's all they can ask of you." Chad nodded. He had already prepped some things to talk about during the interview! The correct pronunciation of his alias, the people he's met with the last week during his missions and patrols, the Climber Cat that took him 13 hours to find (WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THESE THINGS!?), and some of his hobbies. Yesterday The Shocker denied going out for lunch with Chad (and said some pretty mean words...), so Chad also wanted to try and mention him to help boost his popularity. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to recommend his blog to people currently - when he updated it a few days ago, it was taken down. Apparently, the web host thought that it was someone trying to bash on The Bullet, rather than Chad posting it himself! If it wasn't for his Hero work taking up so much time, it probably would have been back up by now... Oh well! No sense in being upset about something else when there was good news to celebrate! Percy left a few moments later - it was still business hours, and he needed to cover for Chad's absence. It didn't take long for Chad to finish his hair and shave (and he didn't even cut himself!), and looking at the mirror, he felt pretty happy with his appearance. It didn't fit Chad's personality whatsoever, but his ex was a big fan of the look, and it grew on him as time passed on. He especially liked the tattoo - while others called it lame, he thought it made him look super cool! Chad's phone began to buzz beside him, displaying the cover of Starbright's newest album. Chad quickly answered it - Chad didn't want to assume things, especially since famous people don't seem to like clingy fans, but he was starting to think that Starbright and him were friends now! [color=fff200]"Bullet, how are you doing? Look remember you got that Castleburg Today interview coming up today. This will be the first time people get to hear from the man himself, no pressure. Anyway, I got some clothes for you to wear, just to help establish your image some more."[/color] [color=fff200]"Uh, scratch that actually, you can buy your own clothes. I'm sending you over some money for them. 5 grand should be enough right? Nah we will make it 10 grand to be safe. Anyway, yeah, knock yourself out. All I want to see when I look at you on that show is something that screams 'THIS IS THE BULLET'. I think you best know what that looks like. Oh and no Gucci stuff, thats all bargain bin trash anyway. Again no pressure, just a few million watching."[/color] Chad could see himself pale in the mirror, blood rushing from his head as he heard the ridiculous amount that Starbright was giving him. He'd already bought Chad one of the most expensive phones on the market, but 10 grand was more than Chad had ever held in his life. [color=a36209]"A... Are you sure about giving me that much money? I don't think I'd be able to pay you back for a few months..."[/color] More than a few months - Chad accidentally crashed through a building while running from a pack of M.W.E.s his last patrol, and his pay this week was cut pretty drastically as a result. Chad felt justified in his dislike of animals after that. [color=a36209]"Not that I don't appreciate it! I don't own many outfits, haha..."[/color] The call ended shortly after, and Chad struggled to cope with his sudden influx of cash. People online talked about Heroes making a ton of money, but Starbright was able to throw around what most people made in months like it was nothing. Of course, Chad didn't consider that Starbright's money was supplemented by his massively famous singing career. Chad went to his room, and quickly started rummaging through his closet for something to wear - eventually, he decided on polo shirt and khakis, one of his more common outfits. As he reached around, however, he accidentally dropped a shirt from its hanger. Behind it was a partially filled Helium tank, very out of place for the otherwise comfy bedroom Chad had made for himself. Chad quickly covered it again, heart racing as he closed the closet door. No time to think about that kind of stuff - Chad had a busy day ahead of him! [hr] Chad knew exactly what to wear to an interview that would be seen by millions - a brand new costume! It'd have an air of mystique since his identity hadn't been revealed to the public yet, and superhero costumes were way cooler looking than a suit or something. And since Starbright had given him such a windfall, it was the perfect time to replace his damaged costume! Of course, buying a complete costume was pretty difficult within such a short time frame. As a result, Chad had to rely on the same strategy he used to make his last suit - taking random pieces he found that looked cool, and slapping them together. This time though, instead of barely having a hundred or so dollars, he had 10 thousand... Chad originally wanted to buy Riot gear and possibly avoid hurting as much from collisions or getting stabbed, but the nice officer he asked said that he needed government identification to purchase that. Chad wasn't sure if being a Hero counted, but he could always worry about it when he didn't have a deadline - his interview was only a few hours away. Instead, he bought an armored one-piece suit, like the motorcyclists and daredevils wore - that was still pretty cool! Chad's purchases were fairly nonsensical and sporadic after that - a cool looking helmet from the same bike shop, ballistic plates from some shady guy Chad found in a gun shop, a bunch of zip-ties to capture bad guys, and some white steel-toed boots. Chad paused as he continued his shopping, however. While buying all of these things was cool, Chad's mind flashed back to his fall and the broken leg he earned from it. He really lucked out - He could have died so easily if he missed the minijet, and even if he didn't miss it, he could have cut an artery or something and bled out. The first aid kit that Chad bought was pretty expensive for Chad's taste, but it was compact and could save a life in an emergency. Not to mention it was [s]less expensive[/s] more useful than a parachute. Next time he breaks his leg, Chad will have a splint! Chad really hoped he wouldn't need to break his leg again... After all of that, Chad hadn't made much of a dent in the funds that Starbright had given him - at least, not until he got to his final purchase. Chad could almost feel the looks of reproach as he arrived at one of the most high-end fashion store in Kingsdale. Chad was dressed in one of his better outfits, but considering he was a pizza delivery guy, he wasn't exactly blending in. Chad kept his head down and tried to avoid making eye contact with others as he started looking for the belts. Starbright was the person that had helped Chad the most so far - heck, even over the last week, his interactions with the other heroes have been limited. Chad didn't think most of them even knew his name - not that it was their fault. He'd been pretty busy the last few days, but Chad probably should have tried a little harder to get to know his coworkers. The one that Starbright wore obviously wasn't available - Starbright must have bought his belt from abroad, or maybe it was custom-made. But Chad picked the one that seemed most similar, and they looked close enough, right? Chad paused - after making sure it wasn't Gucci as per Starbright's request, Chad quickly made his purchase, questioning why a belt was worth more than the rest of his costume combined. Chad shook the thought from his mind as he walked home. He didn't have a right to complain - after all, it wasn't his money. He'd pay Starbright back later For only having a few hours to get ready, Chad had managed to fix up a pretty good looking costume. Sewing was one of the few things Chad felt confident in, and while he wasn't an expert, it was the best he could do with what he had available. He even managed to sew the plates into the suit! And the cape didn't turn out as bad as he thought it might have. Of course, functionally, the thing was pretty pathetic. Chad effectively just threw together what he thought would look cool, not taking into account if it would actually help protect him in a fight or if it would fall apart the second he took a hit. Chad mostly just wanted it to look nice before being gawked at by millions - he could make it work well after he was done his interview. Chad felt pretty confident as he left his home - this interview was going to be great! [hr] Somehow Chad hadn't screwed himself over by thinking that. The interview actually did go pretty well. Surprisingly, Chad's decision to wear his new costume had actually worked out - his desire to maintain a 'Secret Identity' wasn't common among most of HERO, at least not for the last few decades. That, combined with his loud and boisterous personality, had managed to make him stand out more than he expected. "Let's get this out of the way right off the bat - how did you and Starbright manage to take down Seraph so fast? Starbright and some HERO officials said the confrontation was over in seconds!" [color=a36209]"W-well, Starbright is really strong and cool and powerful and awesome, so it wasn't too bad... A-and I'm pretty fast, y'know? Haha..."[/color] "How is HERO handling the loss of three A tier heroes? Seraph was a major face for HERO as an organization, and they haven't commented on his current situation. Could you tell us - is Seraph dead?" Chad's mind flashed to the pictures of Seraph's bloated and deformed corpse, and he was suddenly glad he was wearing a helmet - it meant no one could see the color drain from his face. [color=a36209]"I don't think I can talk about that, sorry..."[/color] Eventually, the interviewer grew frustrated and started asking about other topics, and Chad visibly relaxed. The interview went much more smoothly when Chad began talking about how he was acclimating to HERO, and his actions in costume after EAGLES was disbanded. The interviewer looked a little disturbed when Chad described smashing in one of the heads of a MWE, only to be bitten by another. And no one ever wanted to listen to a Slime Cleaning. But Chad's patrol route was what caused the most interest. "I'm sorry, your patrol goes through Brookside?" [color=a36209]"And Watervale! I think I do a pretty good job too, I arrested some drug dealers already and the officer that came to get them let me use his Siren-"[/color] Chad was incredibly lucky to not have faced any problems yet - few heroes interact with Brookside or Watervale in any capacity and both boroughs were filled with gangs and criminals, but the only injury Chad received so far was a bite from a Leftover. Then again, Chad was probably one of the people in HERO who could avoid trouble on a patrol in Brookside. Even from a fairly short distance, his all-black costume looked just like a villain - along with the fact that Chad's patrols were done at relatively high speeds, he probably hadn't been attacked simply because he wasn't noticed fast enough. After making his patrol common knowledge during this interview, Chad had probably made things much more difficult for himself. Not that Chad knew that of course - he was just answering questions as they came to him, ignorant of what consequences they would have. As the interview came to a close, Chad made sure to give out his message to 'Stop bullying The Shocker' (Which was met with many confused looks from people who had no idea who that was), and he left the building, eager to tell Starbright how the interview had gone. Who knows - maybe some of the other Heroes had watched it, and Chad could talk with them about it. [hr] Chad shakily stepped out of the plane, doing his best to keep his three bags of luggage from falling into the water. He wasn't wearing his new costume - a benefit to this being a Superhero-only resort. Instead, Chad was wearing a button-down dress shirt, khakis, the belt he bought recently, and a pair of Oxfords that his father had gotten him for a school dance a year or two ago. In short, not something you should wear to a resort. Chad felt a bit anxious as he saw that most of the others who had also come were dressed in far more casual clothing. He hadn't brought a swimsuit since he [s]couldn't swim[/s] didn't like hanging out in the water, but he probably should have dressed down a bit more than he usually did... No sense in being upset though! Chad was lucky to have come on the resort trip since he was so new, so being upset just cause he wasn't dressed properly was dumb. Chad had been working every day since the EAGLE incident, so he should try and get the most out of this vacation time. As they arrived at the resort itself and were handed their brochures and villa keys, Chad smiled brightly. He'd never been on a vacation before, so this was all very exciting and new! He could go build a sandcastle on the beach, check out the gym they had here - maybe he could even ask some of the staff to teach him how to swim! [color=lightslategray]"Before you all go, I have reserved a late dinner at the Solaris, which is the resort's five-star restaurant. If you could join me there at 8:00 PM, that would be excellent. Until then, make sure you enjoy yourselves.”[/color] Chad grinned, making an alarm on his phone (He learned how to put alarms on his phone! How cool was that!!!). Chad had never really eaten at a five-star restaurant, to so that sounded like something he wouldn't want to miss! Chad quickly made his way to his villa, and after oohing and ahhing at his temporary accommodations, he unloaded his luggage and changed into his workout clothes. Chad nodded his head to himself. First things first - [i]'Operation: Make Friends'[/i] was a go! A vacation was the perfect time to get to know your coworkers better, right? So he just needed to look around for people to hang out with! Unfortunately, Starbright hadn't won the drawing on who got to come on the vacation - if he had, Chad could have asked to been introduced to some of the others. Starbright was probably beloved by the other heroes, right? Nodding to himself, Chad left his villa and started to look around the resort for the gym or someone to hang out with, whichever he found first. That's when he realized... He probably should have asked to hang out with someone before he left for his villa in the first place, huh? Chad groaned - stupid move. Oh well, he had 7 hours to find someone to hang out with. Worst case scenario, he could always make plans with someone over dinner tonight.