Mike followed the retired superhero across the room to the one office with its lights on. Strong closed the door but left the blinds on the big window facing the main area open. The older man gestured at one of the two chairs in front of his desk.
“Have a seat.” He went around to sit in his own chair once Mike sat down. “I’m glad you came in.”
This was their first time meeting face to face. They’d been put in contact through a mutual acquaintance in the military. After a couple of phone conversations, Mike had agreed to come in for an in-person discussion. Lieutenant Strong’s appearance fit what Mike had expected. Other than the slight bit of salt to his dark, low-cut hair, the lieutenant barely looked old enough to have retired. He was handsome, with an unlined, medium-brown complexion, dark eyes that were clear and direct, and a solid build with upright military posture. The former superhero turned director gave off an aura of calm competence, the type of demeanor that would have instilled unfailing loyalty among his soldiers. Mike liked him on sight.
“I’ll be upfront with you, Lieutenant. I didn’t have any plans to become a superhero. Receiving my powers was unplanned and unexpected. I’m still getting used to the fact that I’m an enhanced human.”
“That’s understandable. There are many people with powers who are at first reluctant to become a superhero. And not everyone who has special powers chooses to become a superhero. But there are many others who are unable to ignore the chance to do good with the powers they have and eventually overcome their initial reluctance.”
Mike acknowledged Strong with a brief nod. He did have power. Only recently acquired, and one he hadn’t asked for. Honestly, he’d give it back if he could. But according to the top secret doctors he’d seen, the change was irreversible. And since he couldn’t give it back, he might as well do some good with it, as the lieutenant said. “I didn’t plan for it but now that the opportunity has presented itself, I’m willing to put in the work.”
Strong leaned forward in his chair, hands folded together on his desk top. “Perfect. We’ve only been a team for about two months but we’re coming together well and doing good work. I believe you’d be an amazing asset to add. Your military training will help our missions run more smoothly out in the field. Especially on ops where our more experienced members are otherwise occupied.”
“And you’d have an in-house medic.”
Strong smiled. “That too.”
“What about privacy?”
“Identities are as secret as you choose to have them. You’ll be assigned a code name of course. Some of the team are open to the public with their alter egos. While others are private with the public but open among the group. It’s completely your choice which way you go. In addition, Caleb has implemented various protocols to keep the team and those closest to us safe.”
“That’s good to know.” Itwasgood that they were protecting the members and their families, but that wasn’t a concern for Mike. He didn’t have anyone close enough to be concerned with keeping safe. Orphaned at nine, the Army was the only family he’d had for most of his life. Strong must have recalled that piece of information from his file because he leaned back in his chair, his voice taking on a more personal tone.
“I think it would be good for you to belong to a group again.”
It was true that Mike missed the camaraderie of being part of a team after being reassigned from his original Army unit. He would like it if he could find another team to bond with. But he had a few more questions before he made his decision.
“Why did you form this group?”
“In general, because I’ve had a sense for some time that things are changing in St. Louis. More specifically, we had an incident two months ago, where one of the local superheroes almost lost his partner in a villain attack. I’d already decided that the heroes could serve the city more efficiently if we worked together, but that situation pushed me into getting the ball rolling.”
“That makes sense,” Mike agreed with a nod. “A team can always accomplish more and achieve better results than individuals working on their own.”
“Exactly.”
“Who is your team leader?”
“We don’t have one yet. I’ve been watching to see who is a good fit for leadership roles, but ultimately it will be up to the team to choose. I’ve also been feeling things out, rotating partners to see who works best with who. We have a meeting coming up where we’ll solidify roles and address a few more housekeeping items.”
“And does your team have any official government sponsored backing?”
“Officially? No. Especially not in St. Louis proper, where other parties have tightened their influence on local government.”
“You don’t take orders from any government arm?”
“No, we do not. We serve the people directly and that will always be our mission. Does that work for you?”
Mike nodded. “Yes, that works for me.”
Strong smiled. “Another reason you’ll be a good fit with us.”
Mike thought so too. In fact, he was eager to join up but wanted to take some time to consider all the angles before giving Strong his answer. “I’ll think about all of this and get back to you.”
Strong rose and extended his hand and Mike followed suit. They shook hands, concluding their meeting.
Out in the main area, the room had cleared except for Caleb typing away at one of his computers, and the elegant tiger, who was still lounging in his chair. The man barely moved at Mike’s appearance, other than a slight tilting of his head towards the now open office door. Still, Mike had the feeling that the other man had been waiting for him.
“It was nice to meet you both,” he said in their direction.
Caleb looked up from his computer with a distracted smile. “I hope we see you back soon.”
The tiger gave him a quick two fingered salute. “Bye, Beefcake.”
Again, Mike ignored the beefcake comment. “You have a nice night.”
