Page 22 of Breathless Recruiter

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. “You’re home now.”

Spinning about, I searched the skies for fliers. Usually, this is when they finished their dinners and watched over Vanguard. I wanted to talk one-on-one and convince them to attend the launch party. If I could pack the lobby with superheroes, I’d helpmake Arthur’s project a success. This evening, not a single flier soared through the skies.

“That’s strange.” I pulled out the HeroApp™ to see if a global threat had come to Earth. With a quick scroll, I found a wizard from another dimension who had summoned heroes for a magical test of strength. If I had taken to the skies earlier, I might have joined. Team-ups were popular, but I had yet to participate.

“You missed the party, too?”

I turned to see a man in a white suit with gray stripes running down his sides. On his chest emblem, concentric circles continued until they covered most of his upper body. He skipped the cape, which was a shame. The small blue piece of fabric at my back might be my favorite part of my outfit.

After years of zipping about Vanguard, I recognized most of the heroes. Only a handful spent their time hovering above the city, looking for crime. The cowl covering the top of his head hid his eyes and only revealed his mouth and scruffy jaw. I wanted to hold up my phone and see if the HeroApp™ identified him. Instead, I gawked at the way his costume hugged his huskular body.

He thrust his hand out. “You’re Mr. Supreme?”

“I am!” I shoved my hand into his, testing his strength. With a firm up and down, my new friend had muscle, but not enough to compete with me. “I’m not sure I recognize you?”

He didn’t let go. “Discord. I’m new to this superhero thing.”

“Welcome, friend!”

He let go and drifted to my side. “Anything exciting happening?”

I checked the HeroApp™. “It’s fairly—” The phone vibrated. “I spoke too soon. It’s a…” I read through the citizen’s report. “A giant man-lizard is robbing Vanguard National Bank.” For onlybeing in beta, it seemed the citizens were taking to the app faster than expected.

He rested his hand on my shoulder. After my kiss with Dustin, my hormones were out of control. When I got home, as Janet put it, I’d need to take care ofbusiness. For now, I tried to think of anything other than the tight space in my pants.

“You want to go?” He gave me a pat. “It’d be fun teaming up with the famous Mr. Supreme.” Famous because I once saved the mayor… by accident. Since then, my superhero antics had been less than stellar. Though, I did once save a gaggle of teens from crossing the road into traffic while glued to their phones.

“Thanks, but I?—”

“Come on. Discord and Mr. Supreme save the day? I can see the looks on everybody’s faces now.” He gave me a gentle nudge. “I’d love to learn from a professional.”

He wanted to learn how to cower while other heroes put themselves in jeopardy? I wanted to say no thanks and call it an early night, but his expression bordered on childish zeal. I opened my mouth to make an excuse. “Sure, why not?” That’s not at all what I intended to say.

He threw his fists into the air and spun about. I had made his night. The smile stretched across his face, and I didn’t know how to let him down gently. This new hero needed guidance. I set my insecurities aside… more like thrust them into a box in the back of my head. If Discord needed a team-up, I’d be the second half of his duo.

“Ready to go?”

He spun about, surveying the city. I couldn’t put my thumb on it, but something about him struck me as familiar. Even if I figured out his alter ego, heroes considered it taboo to kick somebody out of the spandex closet. Our identities were sacred. I should have let it go, but it’d eat at me until I figured it out.

“To the streets?”

Instead of answering, I fell from the sky. The first time I tried the trick, I hadn’t learned to stop midair and crashed into the side of a mountain. After years of practice, I finally mastered the art of flight. Spinning around, I pushed off, plummeting toward the street faster.

To my side, I spotted Discord trying to keep up. I shot him a wink and, at the last minute, pulled up to avoid smashing into a car. Spinning onto my back, I watched Discord scrape along the street, tumbling before running and springing back into the air. I slowed so he could catch up.

“New to flying?”

“New to it all,” he said.

I didn’t have an inexperienced hero—I had a newbie. “It gets easier with practice.” We raced through the streets, weaving around vehicles as we went. People whipped out their phones, trying to catch photos. I’d have to check the HeroApp™ tonight to find a few to send to Earth Mom.

“Woohoo, my first mission!”

First? This changed things. Discord’s unbridled enthusiasm meant he’d likely run into the face of danger without thinking. I wouldn’t be able to step back and let him do the heavy lifting, not without putting him in jeopardy. Lizards, what were the chances that they’d be my weakness? As the insecurity set in, I glanced over my shoulder to Discord, psyched at the prospect of being a hero. I’d take my chances with the lizard.

“Be a hero,” I whispered.

As we rounded the corner into the financial district, people ran in terror. It meant we were close. I slowed my approach until I hovered in front of the steps leading to Vanguard National. The area had been cleared out, though it’d only be a matter of minutes before news crews arrived.

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