Page 40 of Breathless Recruiter

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Drew:Front page of every paper.

Wyatt: That’s good, right?

Orion: Highly suspicious.

Drew: Ignore him. It’s amazing.

Drew: Btw, can I see your workout routine?

Orion: It’s the growth hormones in the drinking water.

Wyatt: Alien. Sorry, can’t help.

I stood in the lobby, or what was left of it. They had removed the stage and chairs, but the custodians were still sweeping glass. Seeing the aftermath of a superhero showdown, I understood the importance of Arthur’s vision. It gave people a chance to flee, or at least those smart enough to do so. At the same time, somebody had used it to lure away the other heroes. The rest of our good guys needed to wrap up their off-world adventure and get back.

“Penny for your thought?”

“You don’t need to pay me.”

Dustin snuck up behind me without making a sound. I had been impressed before, but knowing his identity, I suspected heused his abilities. Had he figured out I kept staying late at the office as an excuse to bump into him? Seeing him during the sunset had become the best part of my day.

“It’s crazy what happened.”

“Too bad we weren’t here. I bet we could have taken him.”

“I don’t know. That Discord fellow is pretty impressive.”

“Yes, he is.”

“And that Mr. Supreme, he’s downright delicious.”

I coughed, hiding my gulp. I wanted to confess that I knew his identity. It ate me up inside that I had a secret… ironically,hissecret, and I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t want to break a cardinal rule of heroing and have the community judge me. I bit my lip, fighting the urge.

“Can I walk you home?” His voice was soft, which was hard to believe after his screaming broke the remaining windows in the lobby. I suppressed the giggle.

“Don’t let me take you away from work.”

“I got off an hour ago. I was waiting for you to come down.”

“Really?”

He puffed out his chest, arms wider than necessary as he stopped in front of me. “Sir, I can’t let you walk home alone. There are dangerous people out there.”

By myself, I might agree. With Dustin at my side, the dangerous people didn’t seem all that worrisome. I didn’t say that, of course. I’d take any excuse to go for a stroll with him. If I got lucky, maybe it’d end with more kissing.

When we got to the exit, he held the door open despite there being no glass. We walked down the path past the water fountain and reached the sidewalk. With each step, he grew closer until our hands touched. At this point, I didn’t care who caught us. I gripped his hand, lacing my fingers through his. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught that infamous smirk.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I glanced upward, not sure why he expected my height to increase.

“You’re a goof. I mean, when you were a kid, what did you see yourself doing?”

“Oh, I get it.” His laughter didn’t have the same condescending tone as others. He corrected me without making me feel out of place. I wish I could have put into words how much I appreciated it. I didn’t have an answer, at least not one that felt entirely my own. Having your entire species decide your role in life made the answer complicated.

“At first, I wanted to be a doctor. Then, I realized I wasn’t very good at chemistry. I thought about a fireman, but I complain when the temperature gets above seventy. Then, of course, I went through a phase where I wanted to be a back-up dancer.”

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