The Defenders Alliance

Great start. Valentine wondered if it was too late to pick a new hero name. Sticking with the fake last name he’d used as an assassin was…not his first choice. But no one asked him what he wanted when he’d agreed to join the Defenders.

With a heavy sigh, he continued reading.

It was lovely finally seeing your place after so many failed attempts to catch me. But let’s arrange the next date somewhere that isn’t falling apart.

The jab at the West branch made Valentine roll his eyes. Flickering lights and strange puddles, sure. But ‘falling apart’ was a stretch.

An art museum could be fun. I think we have different ideas about what “enjoying a museum” entails, though. I am looking forward to adding to my collection this weekend. And now that I’ve said that, I’m looking forward to imagining you on the streets all night in hopes of running into me. Weather says it’s supposed to rain, and I for one would love to see you drenched and miserable.

With Valentine’s luck, that was exactly how he’d be spending his weekend.

Since I’ll be giving myself the gift of stolen art, I thought I’d give you a gift as well. These seeds are so easy to grow that an amateur like yourself should be able to manage. And before long, you’ll have tomatoes! Or pumpkins. I forgot what I put in the envelope.

Valentine, with the utmost caution, tipped the envelope over his desk. A few small seeds rained onto his paperwork stack. Unlike last time, they didn’t explode into vines or venus flytraps.

Sundew, apparently, anticipated his concerns. And relax. They are ordinary seeds. Not my creations. I grow normal plants, too, in my garden. And I make a pretty good grape wine I’d be happy to share sometime.

Despite the promise that the grapes were grown from the ground, Valentine figured he’d have to pass, given the risk. Sundew’s powers also let him generate plants laced with deadly poison. Or, worse, put people in a hypnotic trance.

Though, Valentine suspected he had a different idea of ‘worse’ than most people.

I’m sure you’ve got work to get back to. I do too. I haven’t forgotten my promise that I’d find your real name, Val. 

Catch me again, and I might grant you the privilege of calling me your rival.

Valentine tossed the letter back on the desk with a huff of annoyance. Why couldn’t his first job as a hero have been a villain with a little less…personality?

He eyed the seeds. They hadn’t been the only thing to fall from the envelope. A fine layer of dirt had scattered on his papers as well. And he’d had enough brushes with forensics to know the value of dirt. Intentionally or not, Sundew had just given Valentine a clue to the location of whatever mountain cottage he was shacking up in.

Weather says it’s supposed to rain, and I for one would love to see you drenched and miserable.

OMG! Brontide was so right, Sundew is more annoying in letter 😂😂😂

Why couldn’t his first job as a hero have been a villain with a little less…personality?

Oh, to have a villain/hero rival with such a fun personality, sighhh... But I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea 😅

“Why are you out here?” Noctule growled. “Are you trying to get killed?”

“I was looking for you.”

“Why?” 

“I—I know it’s a longshot. I need your DNA. With the lab destroyed, you’re my only shot at getting a sample of our work.”

“Why should I give you anything?” Noctule risked a step forward, risked bringing his face close to Melanie’s. “Your work ruined my life.”

She flinched, but didn’t move away.

“Do you have any idea how difficult it is to need ear plugs to so much as step outside during the day?” Noctule asked. “And finding plugs that work in my ears isn’t easy, either.” He nearly reached up to rip off the hat and prove his point, but decided against it. It wasn’t worth sacrificing a barrier between his ears and the outside world, even momentarily.

“I think you might be able to avoid some noise if you stopped attacking superheroes,” Melanie said quietly. 

Noctule snorted. He did spend a lot of his time with blood on his claws. And a painful ringing in his ears. “Don’t you think I’d avoid those fights if I could?”

“Listen, I’m not here to lecture you on morality. I just need a blood sample.”

“What. For.” Noctule hissed the words through gritted teeth.

“To find a cure. A way to reverse the mutations.” Melanie swallowed. “You weren’t the lab's only experiment. And my sister…” She trailed off.

“Is there a cure in it for me, too?” Noctule asked.

Melanie nodded quickly. “Yes. Of course. If that’s what you want.”

Noctule finally dared to touch her. But instead of grabbing her arm, he rested his hand on the side of her face. “Getting mixed up with villains rarely ends well for people like you, you know.”

She held his gaze. “I’ve accepted the risks.”

Noctule hadn’t been this close to another person in years. Not unless he was tearing into them. 

“Lead the way, then,” he muttered. He lowered his hand. Hated the way it trembled as it dropped to his side.

Melanie stepped away from him and started toward the alleyway’s entrance. As she neared the sidewalk, she glanced back at him. “What’s your name? Your real name?”

Noctule was quiet for a long moment before answering. “It was Owen.”

“Owen,” Melanie repeated.

It was strange to hear his name again on someone else’s lips.

“At least my abilities aren’t tied to one specific mountain.”

“You know I’m basically a deity, right? And my trees did way more work than you did.”

“Yeah, sentient trees, so amazing.” Retrograde turned the wheel with more force than necessary. The sharp turn sent Alpine sliding into the door.

“Watch it!” Alpine yelped.

Ignoring the cry of pain, Retrograde flung a hand in the air. “You could have frozen the monster with one of your blizzards.”

“It! Breathes! Fire!”

“Well, I know that now.”

“Now that you need treatment for third-degree burns, you mean?” Alpine managed a weak smirk through his pain.

“I’m just saying, I don’t think you were making the most of your abilities.” The hospital finally appeared up ahead. Retrograde brought them into the parking lot with another painfully sharp turn. “What would the Alliance have given you for completing the assignment, anyway? A juice box and a high five?”

Now Alpine was the one rolling his eyes. “We don’t do the job for a comfy office and benefits, we do it because it’s the right thing.”

“I think stealing a better office would be a fair price for saving people’s lives.” Retrograde eased into a spot by the front doors. “I wouldn’t be caught dead doing such a thankless job. Some of us have self-respect.”

Alpine braced himself for the walk inside while Retrograde climbed out of the car. The door to his left swung open.

“You sure this is the hospital you want?” Retrograde asked as Alpine dragged himself out of the vehicle.

“Yes. They’re partnered with the Alliance.” Alpine looked Retrograde up and down. “And they won’t ask questions if you come in with me.”

Retrograde snorted. His arms folded. “Thanks, but I have my own doctor.” 

“Suit yourself.” Alpine took a step toward the building.

He staggered. 

Retrograde grabbed him before he could collapse. “Careful, dumbass—where did all this blood come from?”

“Me.”

“My car is ruined, isn’t it?” Retrograde muttered. With a heavy sigh, he lifted Alpine’s closest arm over his shoulder. Alpine’s other hand hung at his side, still clutching bloody fabric. “For the record, as soon as that monster’s dead and we’re enemies again, I’m running you over.”

“Can’t wait.” Alpine pressed a hand against the wound. Getting run over might actually be less painful than that monster’s claws.

They miraculously made it to the doors without Alpine collapsing, and workers inside swarmed him within seconds. Retrograde eagerly handed the hero over and took a step back, a disgusted expression on his face as he wiped his hands on his pants.

While a wheelchair was brought over, Alpine glanced back at Retrograde. “I’ll meet you at the cafe tomorrow morning.” He flashed the villain a grin that was undoubtedly bloody. “I have some new ideas on how to kill that thing when it pops up again.”