receptionist whose mouth was hanging open. “Karen. Hashimoto. I have an appointment.”
She nodded and snatched up one of the phones. “Yes, Miss Hashimoto. I’ll let Mister Manpower know that you’re here.”
“Thanks so much.” I smiled pleasantly, as if I hadn’t just punched a superhero across the room like a volleyball.
I walked over to a mostly-deserted spot near the elevators and sat down on the floor. I kept my eyes away from everyone else’s and tried to act as relaxed as I could, despite the stares I could feel and the buzzing whispers I could hear. I refused to give them obvious notice. I’m sure it was a big mystery as to why a criminal such as myself was in attendance.
The ding of the elevator caught my attention and when the doors slid open, Mister Manpower emerged. The Good Guys’ co-leader was wearing a pair of khakis and a polo, making me feel a little better about showing up in casual attire. Of course, the t-shirt was destroyed and only the black sports bra underneath kept me from rampant indecency.
He glanced around and spotted me on the floor. His brow furrowed and he looked me up and down before asking, “Are you all right?”
I quickly smoothed my hair. “I’m fine. Just a little misunderstanding with Mechanix.” I put on my most innocent smile. “Old business. Nothing to worry about.”
His eyes shifted over to the large dent in the far wall–and the unconscious hero on the floor beneath it–and back.
“Well, okay then,” Manpower said and shook his head. “You seem to be hell on your wardrobe, Karen.”
I shrugged and pulled the remaining pieces of my tee off and balled them up in my hand. Thankfully I’d had the foresight to wear a sports bra today. “Wasn’t tight enough.” I glanced over at a nearby hero who was alternating between snickering at my ruined shirt and ogling my near-nakedness. I clenched my jaw and took a step towards the pudgy, green and gold clad fellow, wondering how funny he would find a shattered femur or two.
Manpower, put his hand on my arm, drawing my attention away from wondering if the comedian needed a punch in the nose back to him. “Come on, Karen. Everyone’s waiting upstairs.” He leaned over to the receptionist. “Joelle,” he said in a far less upset voice than I would have expected. “Please cancel Mechanix’s three o’clock.” The hero nodded to the man in the damaged armor across the room. A pair of other heroes were assisting him with standing upright. “I don’t think he’s going to be up for it.”
“Yes, sir,” the six-armed girl said, mouth stretching into a huge smile. “Should I see if he wants to reschedule?”
Manpower shook his head. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
We stepped into the elevator and when the doors had closed, Manpower turned to me. “Just to prevent any misunderstandings, heroes don’t usually make it a habit to beat on other heroes.”
I held up a hand. “Whoa. Mechanix came after me. I was just checking in with the … Joelle girl. Then he’s all up in my face in full-on ‘Crushette must be stopped’ mode and then he opened fire on me.”
Manpower nodded. “Yes, I saw the security feed. I’m merely suggesting that if you run into any other heroes you might have had previous dealings with, that you inform them that you aren’t a villain anymore.”
“What about when they don’t give me a chance to explain? Mechanix sure didn’t.”
“Then maybe you could dodge or something? Or at least give a little pause before you inflict internal damage.”
I crossed my arms over my chest again and watched the numbers on the panel continue to climb as we slid smoothly upwards. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” He smiled and the car stopped and the doors opened, he gestured for me to go first.
The room I stepped into was devoid of features; smooth white walls, floor, and ceiling. The doorway opposite the elevator was easily ten feet across and ringed by metal
She nodded and snatched up one of the phones. “Yes, Miss Hashimoto. I’ll let Mister Manpower know that you’re here.”
“Thanks so much.” I smiled pleasantly, as if I hadn’t just punched a superhero across the room like a volleyball.
I walked over to a mostly-deserted spot near the elevators and sat down on the floor. I kept my eyes away from everyone else’s and tried to act as relaxed as I could, despite the stares I could feel and the buzzing whispers I could hear. I refused to give them obvious notice. I’m sure it was a big mystery as to why a criminal such as myself was in attendance.
The ding of the elevator caught my attention and when the doors slid open, Mister Manpower emerged. The Good Guys’ co-leader was wearing a pair of khakis and a polo, making me feel a little better about showing up in casual attire. Of course, the t-shirt was destroyed and only the black sports bra underneath kept me from rampant indecency.
He glanced around and spotted me on the floor. His brow furrowed and he looked me up and down before asking, “Are you all right?”
I quickly smoothed my hair. “I’m fine. Just a little misunderstanding with Mechanix.” I put on my most innocent smile. “Old business. Nothing to worry about.”
His eyes shifted over to the large dent in the far wall–and the unconscious hero on the floor beneath it–and back.
“Well, okay then,” Manpower said and shook his head. “You seem to be hell on your wardrobe, Karen.”
I shrugged and pulled the remaining pieces of my tee off and balled them up in my hand. Thankfully I’d had the foresight to wear a sports bra today. “Wasn’t tight enough.” I glanced over at a nearby hero who was alternating between snickering at my ruined shirt and ogling my near-nakedness. I clenched my jaw and took a step towards the pudgy, green and gold clad fellow, wondering how funny he would find a shattered femur or two.
Manpower, put his hand on my arm, drawing my attention away from wondering if the comedian needed a punch in the nose back to him. “Come on, Karen. Everyone’s waiting upstairs.” He leaned over to the receptionist. “Joelle,” he said in a far less upset voice than I would have expected. “Please cancel Mechanix’s three o’clock.” The hero nodded to the man in the damaged armor across the room. A pair of other heroes were assisting him with standing upright. “I don’t think he’s going to be up for it.”
“Yes, sir,” the six-armed girl said, mouth stretching into a huge smile. “Should I see if he wants to reschedule?”
Manpower shook his head. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
We stepped into the elevator and when the doors had closed, Manpower turned to me. “Just to prevent any misunderstandings, heroes don’t usually make it a habit to beat on other heroes.”
I held up a hand. “Whoa. Mechanix came after me. I was just checking in with the … Joelle girl. Then he’s all up in my face in full-on ‘Crushette must be stopped’ mode and then he opened fire on me.”
Manpower nodded. “Yes, I saw the security feed. I’m merely suggesting that if you run into any other heroes you might have had previous dealings with, that you inform them that you aren’t a villain anymore.”
“What about when they don’t give me a chance to explain? Mechanix sure didn’t.”
“Then maybe you could dodge or something? Or at least give a little pause before you inflict internal damage.”
I crossed my arms over my chest again and watched the numbers on the panel continue to climb as we slid smoothly upwards. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” He smiled and the car stopped and the doors opened, he gestured for me to go first.
The room I stepped into was devoid of features; smooth white walls, floor, and ceiling. The doorway opposite the elevator was easily ten feet across and ringed by metal
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