Page 36 of Breathless Recruiter

Drew: Don’t ask, Wyatt. I’ll explain it at work tomorrow.

I hovered over the building. They had rolled out a thick red carpet leading to the front doors. Spotlights moved back and forth, highlighting the glass exterior. There were hundreds of people outside, and cameras flashed as limos dropped off guests. I hoped for a fancy party, but I didn’t expect an event of this caliber.

“Don’t forget to talk about the HeroApp™,” I repeated Arthur’s statement. All the attending heroes had signed on, ready to use it to help stop crime. He needed me to hype up its launch. I wouldn’t let the boss down.

“Here we go.” I flexed, throwing a few punches. Arthur needed the Mr. Supreme known for saving innocents. I might avoid confrontation, but tonight, I wanted to be the hero Arthur needed.

I fell from the sky. At the end of the red carpet, I landed, dipping down to one knee with my head lowered. I held the pose as the crowd whooped and hollered. Cameras flashed, and I rose. Slow. Deliberate. When I stood upright, I raised my shoulders and puffed out my chest.

“It’s Mr. Supreme,” yelled a reporter.

I held the pose until a lady with a microphone approached. “Mr. Supreme, are you here to support the release of the HeroApp™?” Only coming up to my chest, she held the microphone near my face.

“I am indeed. Secret Identities Incorporated has created something that will help protect the citizens of Vanguard. As a hero, I support anything that saves the lives of innocents. Tonight, Arthur Coven and his team are the real heroes.”

“Will you be using it?”

Reaching behind my back, I pulled my phone from a small pouch on my utility belt. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in their work.” Holding up the phone, the HeroApp™ logo flashed. “I’ll sleep tonight knowing Vanguard is safe.”

She turned to the camera to wrap up her report. I gave a salute before continuing down the red carpet. Every few feet, somebody held up their camera, a silent request for my photograph. I worked my way through every heroic pose I could imagine. The newsstands would be filled with papers sporting my photograph. I’d need to be sure to buy copies to send to Earth Mom. In my old bedroom, she framed every article written about her special boy.

I entered the building, and my jaw dropped. While I had focused on the heroes, Arthur had been inviting importantpeople from Vanguard. I waved at the mayor while he talked to the District Attorney. The chief of police wore his dress uniform, stealing cheeses from a server holding a silver tray.

“Wow,” I whispered.

Scattered about the crowd, I spotted Leopard in his signature white and yellow costume. He mingled with Roughhouse, a well-known, though often brutal, vigilante. Hovering in the air, Skyline and Avian laughed between sips of champagne. There were plenty of heroes bumping elbows with city officials. Even with the A-List heroes off-world, I didn’t need to ask Arthur for confirmation. We achieved our goal.

There were rows of chairs leading up to a stage with a giant screen behind it. I wondered how long the chitchat would go before Arthur invited everybody to have a seat. He had given strict orders to keep my distance so nobody would insinuate Mr. Supreme and Wyatt Supreme were one and the same. Brushing back my hair, I made sure the single wisp from my alter ego stayed hidden.

“I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.” Discord descended from his perch on the first-story balcony. There was no point in hiding my smile. He needed to see the joy on my face. “I hoped you’d show.”

I was worried I wouldn’t be able to spend time with my hunky security guard. As Discord? That meant I could canoodle all night without drawing curious eyes. I wanted so badly to confess I knew his secret identity.

“The HeroApp™ is going to do great things for the superhero community.”

“I’m sure it is.” He landed close enough that it should be awkward. I inched forward, closing the distance. I threw caution to the wind and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, giving him a friendly hug.

“Mr. Supreme, who’s your friend?”

A gentleman with a tape recorder held it in our direction. I let go, gesturing to my companion. “This is Discord. He helped me take down Lizard Lad at Vanguard National. His help proved invaluable in putting the scaly villain behind bars.”

“Mr. Supreme did the hard work,” he said. Despite covering his face with his hands, I could see the red cheeks.

“Is he your new sidekick?”

I shook my head. “Discord is his own hero, and an impressive one at that. He’s going to teach me a thing or two about bravery.” It wasn’t a lie. “Vanguard is safer with him patrolling the skies.”

The reporter gave us the thumbs-up before chasing after Avian. The reporters were going to have enough material for weeks. When I turned to Discord, his head hung to the side, staring at me.

“You didn’t have to say that. You deserve the credit.”

“I meant every word.” The image of the man behind the mask wearing a pink princess dress came to mind. I wanted him to know I envied and respected him, and not just as a hero. Being an alien with superpowers, I had plenty of secrets, but only one I guarded from the rest of the world.

“I was terrified,” I mumbled. Saying it out loud didn’t make it any better. “I’m always terrified.”

Even with the white covering his eyes, I could see the rise of the brow. “I’m not sure I follow. You stopped Liz?—”

“The whole time… I was scared.” The words came out in a whisper. I didn’t want them making the headlines in tomorrow’s newspaper. “I have a weakness.”

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