Chapter 236 – Floor 42: Part 3

  “Why are we wasting our time on a new ‘B’ Class? The file says he was just promoted yesterday; I don’t want anyone slowing me down.” Blitz commented as the trio of Heroes walked down the street from the League HQ toward the apartment complex where some of the Heroes without their own accommodations were staying.

  Blitz, a high-ranking Class ‘B’ Hero, was known for his incredible speed and agility. His sleek, electric blue suit was eye-catching as they walked down the street. The young hero was full of pride at having been chosen to join Lumina’s team.

  Everyone knew that Lumina was on track to be at the top of Class ‘A,’ and, with her recent results, possibly Class ‘S.’

  “It also said that he has been promoted to Class ‘B’ after only joining the League for a week. He must be talented; the League rarely fast-track people through the ranks like that.” Gale replied.

  Another Class ‘B’ hero, she was in the middle Ranks, well below Blitz, but had still been singled out by the League as an ‘up and coming’ talent. Her costume was green, with plenty of flowing fabric that caught the wind, giving everyone an idea of her powers.

  Her ability to control the air around her even let her fly, although only briefly. She still lacked the control for more intense flight.

  “Isn’t it obvious why? Lumina is his mentor.” Blitz explained, lowering his voice a bit but not enough to hide it from Lumina.

  “That has nothing to do with it. Mathew has enough talent to climb the ranks on his own. I just happened to run into him and thought he could use some guidance. There’s no favouritism going on. And I would suggest you both watch yourselves when you talk to him; he can be a bit…moody.” Lumina warned.

  She honestly didn’t think the pair would cause Mathew to get angry; she hadn’t seen him lose control before. But she was sick of their talking and wanted them to shut up for a minute.

  Entering the building, the elevator rode to a higher floor than Mathew’s old room had been on in awkward silence. The pair shot each other glances, silently asking if the other knew what the deal was between Lumina and this newly recruited hero, but both were unwilling to ask her.

  Thankfully, the elevator arrived at the correct floor, and the trio reached Mathew’s door before one of them could muster the nerve to ask. Lumina gave a single knock before trying the handle. Finding it unlocked, she pushed open the door to Mathew’s room to find that he wasn’t alone.

  Mathew was sitting on a couch in his living room, his arms crossed and his face showing an expression Lumina hadn’t seen before. It was grim.

  Mathew almost always had a nearly indifferent attitude, as if nothing in this world could bother him. She had seen that change slightly when he faced Obsidian and the other Villains, but even then, he looked confident and unafraid.

  Now, he looked as if he had been delivered unwelcome news and was unsure of how to process it.

  But, if Mathew’s expression gave her a moment’s pause, the other person in the room made her stop motionless in surprise and shock.

  Standing in front of him was one of the most beautiful women that Lumina or the other two heroes had ever seen. She was a vision of exquisiteness, captivating everyone who looked at her. Her long, flowing hair was long enough that it fell down her back like a waterfall, shimmering blond of deep gold and amber.

  Her eyes were bright blue, sparkling with intelligence but lacking any warmth. They were like frozen pools of water as they turned to look at the trio of heroes who had entered the room unannounced with contempt and disdain.

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  The mysterious woman’s skin was flawless, her features perfect. Lumina felt inadequate in her presence and couldn’t help but compare herself to her and found she was lacking.

  Lumina couldn’t speak; her mind was blank as this perfect lady stared at her for a moment, weighing and judging her, before turning her head to look back at Mathew.

  “We will continue this discussion at another time.” She said. When the woman spoke, her voice was as flawless as her features, with an accent that Lumina couldn’t place.

  Mathew, seemingly unaffected by the woman’s appearance or charms, raised an eyebrow in a questioning expression before nodding.

  “Of course, Mentor.”

  The exquisite beauty didn’t respond, but instead, she began to fade away like mist disappearing with the rising sun. She turned ethereal and transparent before she was gone. Ignoring the strange manner in which the women vanished, Mathew stood up from the couch and collected his jacket from where it was slung across a chair.

  “You know, it’s rude to just walk into someone’s apartment without knocking. I could have been naked.” Mathew joked, his grim expression shifting in an instant to his normal, slightly cocky look that Lumina was used to.

  “I did knock…Who was that!?” Lumina managed to say, suddenly finding that she could speak again now that the woman was gone. Mathew tugged on his coat and was in the process of zipping it up when he replied.

  “My Mentor. She taught me how to use my….superpowers.” Mathew responded, chuckling a little as he said, ‘superpowers,’ as if he were making a joke that only he understood.

  “Mentor? She has to be younger than you!” Lumina protested. The woman who had just vanished looked to be about eighteen or nineteen; how could she mentor someone like Mathew?

  “Don’t let her appearance fool you; she looks young for her age. Besides, she doesn’t normally appear like that; she disguised herself when you barged in. My Mentor doesn’t like strangers, especially rude ones.” Mathew explained.

  “Who are these two?”

  Page Break

  Mathew and the others had just left the apartment building when Lumina received a phone call from Elena with information. Ending the call and placing her cell phone back in her pocket, she turned to the others to explain.

  “The League just got a tip: a Villain has been spotted entering a construction site on the west side. Elena texted me the address and is sending a car to take us there. They want us to scout the area and subdue if required.” Lumina explained as she told them the address.

  “Got it. You guys take the car, I’ll meet you there!” Blitz said, rushing off in a blur of speed before anyone could stop him. Letting out an annoyed huff, Gale gathered the wind around her and shot into the sky.

  “I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid before you get there!” Gale promised as she hovered in the air above them for a moment before flying off. Mathew laughed at the pair’s actions and the look of anger on Lumina’s face.

  “Great teamwork. They seem eager.” Mathew said as he led the way to the HQ building where the car would be waiting for them.

  “Ugh, I didn’t choose them. Idiots! We don’t know even know what’s waiting for us there!” Lumina exclaimed. Mathew shrugged his shoulder, not responding. They soon arrived at the League Headquarters, where Elena was standing on the sidewalk in front of a black sedan.

  “Where are the others?” Elena asked. She had seen the patrol schedule and knew that Lumina should have had two other Heroes aside from Mathew with her.

  “They went ahead. Who knows, maybe they’ll have this all taken care of before we get there.” Mathew replied. Opening the door, he slid into the backseat. Elena looked at Lumina for an explanation, but the Hero just gave a disgruntled grunt before joining Mathew in the car.

  The construction site was about twenty minutes away; the location was fenced in to prevent any of the public from entering the dangerous work area. Towering cranes and scaffolding loomed overhead, where workers had been busy constructing a new high-rise.

  The site, normally buzzing with activity, was eerily deserted. Most of the city was still recovering from the Villain attacks the day before, leaving the construction area quiet, except for the distant sounds of machinery that seemed almost out of place.

  As the car pulled up to the entrance, Lumina’s heart sank. She stepped out of the vehicle and heard it immediately. Sounds of fighting were coming from within the site. The clash of metal, shouts, and bursts of energy echoed through the empty space.

  “They’re in trouble!” Lumina said to Mathew.

  She rushed inside without thinking while Mathew stood on the sidewalk next to the car. That grim expression had returned to Mathew’s face, and this time, there was nothing ‘indifferent’ about him. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and he was intensely staring at the construction site.

  The ‘Buzz’ was pounding away in his head with an intensity he hadn’t experienced before. Everything inside him was warning him to run away, not to go anywhere near this place, or not have anything to do with the people inside of it.

  But there was something else as well, a familiar feeling that he couldn’t quite place. He was concentrating on it, trying to remember where he had felt it before when he was interrupted by Lumina’s scream.

  Putting his thoughts aside, Mathew entered the construction site.