Page 59 of Infamous Heart

I shook my head. “Not my secret to tell.”

Sentinel patted me on the shoulder, giving me a quick nod. He rose into the air, his cape catching in the wind.

“Go find him,” he said, “I’ll see what I can find from above.”

Bernard launched himself upward into the sky. Seconds later he was flying deeper into the Ward, scouting for any signs of Sebastian. Before I could take another step, two news crews surrounded me.

A woman in a crisp blazer already had a microphone in hand. The male reporter didn’t stand a chance as he hurried to button his jacket and snatch a mic from his assistant.

“Do you know Sentinel? Are there other Centurions in the area?” She didn’t care about me, or even the battle that had transpired. She wanted footage of the heavy hitters. That type of footage could make a reporter’s career.

“Is he going for reinforcements?” The man asked a question before he had his microphone ready. Neither of them were asking the right questions, and I let out a low growl. The vultures didn’t take the hint and spewed another round of questions about Bernard’s alter-ego.

I moved to my tiptoes, scanning about the flipped vehicles. Everywhere I turned, there was destruction, a barrage of smashed buildings, indents in the pavement, and screeching alarms the length of the block. Xander would bitch about the collateral damage, the unnecessary injuries, and the general danger of superheroes existing. This was the price we paid to be saved. Today in the Ward, it was a costly victory.

Behind their camera crews, a lone woman holding a pad of paper cleared her throat. When that didn’t stop her television counterparts from speaking over one another, she shouted. “Who is the new hero?”

Both reporters quieted. She nudged her way through, getting awkwardly close. “Misty with the Beacon,” she stated her credentials, despite the t-shirt proudly displaying the magazine’s logo, a logoImade. “Wraith has been terrorizing the Ward for weeks. Who is the new hero that defeated her?”

“I—uh—his name is,” I gulped. There are so many things that go into a name. This wasn’t naming a newborn whom you hoped would grow into the moniker. His name would serve as his legacy, a tiny blip in the grand scheme of superheroes. It needed to embody his strength, determination, and, at the end… I suppressed the sob.

I cycled through the possible names as I met her stare. Waiting patiently, her eyes lit up, literally. A soft light spread across her face, and for a moment, I thought she might be like Sebastian.

“Hyperion.”

The titan, father of Helios, the sun. Misty’s eyes no longer focused on me, instead looking past me to something far more impressive. She squinted, and even then, I could see the reflection in her eyes. I didn’t dare turn around, convinced the moment I laid eyes on him I’d begin weeping.

“I apologize for vanishing. But I personally needed to make sure Wraith was locked up in the station.” Carefully selected words spoken for the benefit of me. “I’m told it’s what heroes are supposed to do.”

My heart swelled.

“You’re new to the Ward. Where did you come from?” Misty didn’t waste time directing the story.

“I’ve been here for quite some time.”

“Why step into the role of hero now?”

“I,” he paused. Turning slowly, I shielded my eyes. Hovering a few feet off the ground, he had limited his light, using it to skillfully hide his identity. I wanted to reach out, to run my hands along his chest, holding him tightly, confirming that he was, in-fact still alive.

“It took losing somebody important for me to get my head out of my ass.” It wasn’t fair. Sebastian could hide his apology in the answer to Misty’s questions, but I couldn’t speak without revealing my connection to him. Being on the receiving end of an apology which you can’t return required more willpower than I expected.

“Hyperion, will you be the Ward’s newest hero?”

“You might see me from time to time,” he admitted, “but the Ward has protectors. My origin story is in Southland. I think it’s time I return. There are a few bad guys there that need the shit beaten out of them.”

Until that last line, I thought he had done a complete one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn. I would have called him out for telling me what I wanted to hear or changing himself for my sake. He might have assumed the mantle of a hero, but he wasn’t going to don the heroic rhetoric. Somewhere between good and bad, Sebastian found his footing. Thankfully, his heart held good intent, a new layer of heroing I’d have to learn to accept.

“I have business to attend to.” I hadn’t noticed that his right arm remained tight across his torso. Through the shimmering light, it was impossible to see the damage, but the puddle of red forming on the cement disclosed the grave injuries.

“But if you want to know more, speak with Griffin Smith. I can’t take the credit for defeating Wraith. It was his bravery that saved me and the city. Remember, not all heroes wear capes.”

With that, he flew straight up before changing direction out of the city. Was he going to get medical attention? Was there a superhero medic waiting for him? My questions were answered as I caught a sign of Sentinel speeding to catch up. Did that mean Sebastian and Bernard would know one another’s secrets? Juggling identities was going to get tough, but I was glad to know that the alter egos of the surrounding men were heroes destined for greatness.

“Griffin.” Misty shoved one of the reporters, trying to block her. She had no problem asserting her dominance. “First you stand up to Vincent, the scourge of the Beacon, and now a supervillain, what’s next?” I wasn’t surprised that the reporters at the magazine heard about my explosive departure.

I had a job waiting for me at Revelations. With Wraith being locked up, I believed the atmosphere might be less hostile. But, unfortunately, with Damien Vex in charge, pushing his anti-hero agenda, I’d be fueling a propaganda machine aimed to take down heroes like Sebastian.

“My arch nemesis hasn’t been defeated, not yet.”

---