Scrolling through the page on his laptop, Kevin sat legged in the sofa with his feet brought up to the cushion. With a soft sigh, he rubbed his forehead and leaned back, there had to be something he could do. This was important. “What’s wrong?” Ada, Kevin’s closest friend and knower of secret came into the living room and placed a cup of hot chocolate on the table. 

“I can’t figure this out.” He sighed, reaching for the cup but ultimately confirmed that his arm couldn’t stretch the whole way. Another problem had risen. 

“Can’t figure what out?” Ada raised an eyebrow, handing him the cup before she dropped down on the couch herself and looked at the screen. “Armour?” 

“Yes, I am looking for a better design for my outfit.” He sipped from the hot liquid and took a deep breath. 

“What’s wrong with your coat?” She had known Kevin’s secret for nearly two years and got to know him soon after he entered the country five years prior. Egypt had given him everything he needed, and if he could have his way, Egypt wouldn’t come looking for him. That was however wishful thinking. She would never give up, she wanted her son back. 

“Nothing, but I need to be protected. People seem to enjoy using guns.” Kevin wasn’t a fool. Super human prowess was handy but it wouldn’t protect him against bullets, even if his reflexes were enough to dodge one shot. His enemies rarely squeezed the trigger only once. “If I could find a smith to make me a breastplate, leg armour and plate for my arms, we’re set.”

“You do know it’s 2014, right? We have something called a riot gear today.” Ada added, crossing her arms.

Closing the laptop, Kevin jumped up to his feet and slipped the laptop in his backpack. “I can carry heavy plate as if it was cloth. If I can get my hands on that, my job will be much easier. Besides, I’m called Paladin for a reason, you know.” He winked, allowing a slight grin to stretch across his lips. “But for now, I have a meeting.” 

“Going to play hero with the rest?” Ada crossed her legs and removed some bangs from her eyes. 

“The less you know, the better. I don’t want anyone to use you to get to me.” It was a fear constantly present but the whole ‘lie to your loved ones to protect them’ bullshit wasn’t anything Kevin bought. She would figure it out eventually, and if the bad guys knew they were friends, they’d use her anyway. There was no reason of keeping her in the dark.

The other heroes identities wasn’t anything she wanted to know and Kevin wasn’t about to tell her. That was of course if he got to know them in the first place. Heroes are often two different people, just like Kevin. The careless, kind hearted and fun loving little guy wasn’t present once Paladin took over. A battle hardened knight fit better into the field of battle. “See you, Ada. Be safe.” He smiled at the young woman, offering a gentle wave and grabbed a large guitar case before he’d head down the stairwell and out the front door. 

This offer was something he had jumped at. As a team the heroes could do so much more, and with a network things would go smoother. He hadn’t gone at it alone through every mission, but solo flight was the usual deal. Kevin, or rather Paladin, worked well in a team and valued his allies highly. He was sure that this was going to go well, at the very least he hoped that it would. Throwing the case over his shoulder, Kevin straddled his motorcycle and drove off. There had been only vague information about the team he’d be part of, making it rather exciting to figure out how things were going to go down. It took a while, longer than he had expected, but eventually he'd reach the base of operation. After parking the black bike he moved closer to the entrance, a little nervous. It felt like the first day of school.