“Care to fill me in?” She shared a sceptical look in his direction. What was he seeing that she couldn’t?

The mouse-like individual jumped off Scarlett’s shoulders and landed softly on the ground. “Well, before we left, I asked the young boy if he knew the Villain’s exact location, and he replied saying he was hiding in the clock tower. And judging by how fast we got here, it would be simple to assume that he’s still inside.” Unconvinced by his own words, the small chimaera shook his head. “But just to be sure, I should go and investigate the building to see if he’s still there—”

“—Whoa,” Scarlett blocked his way before he could run off. “Why are you the one that has to check out the building? What happens if he’s inside and still hostile? If anything, I should be the one that goes—I mean, it’s not like he can hurt me.” No one really can.

The stout figure shared a tender smile. “That’s very kind of you. But I need to do this.” He placed a hand over his chest. “I know I might not look like much—some may even call my appearance strange—but I am also a Pro Hero.”

Scarlett stared in disbelief. Animals with Quirks were rare. But animals being Pro Heroes was something she never heard about. She blinked. “You’re a Pro Hero?”

The figure in the grey trench coat chuckled. “Yes, I am, which means I can’t endanger a civilian by letting you do my job, even if I am currently off-duty.”

“Wait…what?” stammered Scarlett. It wasn’t uncommon for individuals to want to regain their agency after dealing with a Villain attack. Scarlett assumed this was the case; that he wanted to help out so he could take back a sense of control. Not because it was an obligation. “Is this why you came with me?”

A nervous smile settled on his face. “Well, I’m sure you’re already aware, but time was of the essence.” He gestured to his short legs. “And unfortunately, I can only run so fast, so I thought it might be quicker if we travelled together.

“But what’s more important than that is the fact you seemed very determined and would probably run after the Villain no matter what I said. So if I came with you, not only could we save time, but I could also make sure you didn’t get hurt in the process. I know you can heal, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

Scarlett gaped at him, unable to find the words to voice her muddled thoughts. It caused the figure to share an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I knew I shouldn’t have dragged you into this. But you said you wanted to help, and now you have. All you need to do now is leave the rest to me.”

“But—”

“—Don’t worry. I’ve already notified the other Pro Heroes while you were at the convenience store. I just need to update them about our new position.” He reached into his trenchcoat’s breast pocket, revealing a small electronic tablet. It must have been a newer model, as Scarlett didn’t recognise the sleek design. He began to tap away at the screen, before a golden logo with the letters UA, flashed on a map. A GPS signal for the rest of the Heroes to find them.

He looked up and scanned Scarlett’s face. The disbelief had dissolved and was now replaced by a look he was all too familiar with—a desire to help. An innocent wish he was now denying. He let out a soft, resigned sigh.

“Here,” he said, handing the tablet to Scarlett. He maintained eye contact, like a coach instructing their player before a match. “If you still want to help, you can guide the Pro Heroes to come here if I haven’t come back in 15 minutes.”

Scarlett pressed her lips together. She never liked the idea of splitting up to accomplish goals. But what more could she do? She didn’t know this individual. She didn't know what he was capable of. And it wasn’t like she had a Provisional Hero Licence that could excuse her involvement. She shouldn’t even be here. 

He was right. She was a civilian. And she wasn’t acting like one.

Scarlett let out an agitated sigh. “Okay, I’ll stay out here. But at least tell me what you’re gonna do if Mr. Scarecrow is inside.” 

“Well, if he’s inside, I guess I’ll make a mousetrap.” He smiled with a wink. His words did not fill Scarlett with confidence.

But she did her best to nudge her feelings aside. She was already pushing her luck by making it this far. There was no need to upset the local authorities by interfering with their work. Especially when it hadn’t been 24 hours since she had landed in this country.

A familiar ache returned. The weight of the matter threatened to crush her. But she took a deep breath to steady herself. She wouldn’t let history repeat itself. She just had to trust him to do his job.

“Alright.” She stood back, allowing the mouse-like individual to pass through. “Just stay safe out there, okay?”

His expression warmed before he gave a reassuring nod. He darted towards the clock tower and disappeared behind the construction materials nearby. Unfortunately, he didn’t take Scarlett’s apprehension away with him.

Now alone, her thoughts nagged at her, while she tugged at the frayed ends of her bandages that peeked through underneath the cuffs of her coat. She should have been the one investigating the clock tower. Not him. Her regeneration abilities meant she was a good candidate if she stumbled across any danger.

But here she was, put to one side, while someone else was potentially risking their life when they didn’t need to. She couldn’t understand it. Was she sidelined because of the morality of the situation? That involving a young teen like herself would threaten an honour code, even though it was the best course of action?

Scarlett shook her head at the thought. Heroes were always fickle like that. Each of them had their own way of approaching problems and their own set of principles they could never stray from. But unfortunately, it always led to casualties slipping through the cracks between the differences in views. It’s what brought her and her sisters to make that silly promise in the first place. A promise they hoped would help change the world for the better. And now her sisters were on the path to becoming Pro Heroes; people who could make a difference.

But what was Scarlett doing with her life?

She didn’t want to follow that path anymore. It was too painful. But here she was, hoping to help and be of service to a world that hurt her in a way that she couldn’t undo. The weight between her ribs gripped her tightly, as the skin beneath her bandages throbbed. Was fate pulling her towards this direction? Or was she simply betraying herself?

No.

Scarlett pushed the thought away, soothing the pain in her chest by rubbing her sternum. She may have rejected the idea of becoming a Hero, but she was raised to never ignore someone in trouble.

Inhaling deeply, she steeled herself. Her family taught her how to be a decent person, but she knew better than anyone that being decent wasn’t good enough to become a Pro Hero. You needed the basics: strength, courage and a sense of justice. But you also needed the competence to do your job and be a figure that promoted a positive change in the world.

Scarlett Hopkins failed to meet those standards.

She did not have the makings to be a Hero. She was doing the world a favour by turning away. And she should continue that courtesy by letting the professionals handle the situation. She turned to leave, wanting to start her search for the Pro Heroes that could be a genuine source of support for the peculiar individual she met today. 

But a loud crash stopped her in her tracks. She spun back around, scanning for the source. A section of scaffolding on the first floor had collapsed. And from its wreckage, a ragdoll-like silhouette with two smoking bodies flying around them emerged, running away and ducking into the building’s upper floors. His exit below was seemingly blocked by the fallen rails and pipes.

A few floors above them, a smaller silhouette, with slanted ears and an elongated muzzle, came into view, darting between the scaffolding and the main building. He seemed to be tampering with the steel poles on the third floor, before disappearing behind some tarp. The words he said before he left echoed in Scarlett’s head. 

Well, that’s one way to create a mousetrap.

Despite the commotion, a moment of stillness passed, before more and more crashes erupted from the building site. The ragdoll-like figure leapt between the platforms, but the paths he could take to escape became limited as the metal bars fell. The only way to avoid the falling scaffolds was to continue up the main building that had now become a vertical maze. 

But as he scaled the structure, something caught his eye inside the building. He directed his birds towards it. Scarlett moved to get a better view, only to glimpse at a grey trench coat hanging on a wall before it was stained with soot. Its owner was nowhere in sight. 

Scarlett stared in disbelief, her eyes shifting between the panting Scarecrow and the trenchcoat. Everything was so quickly coordinated to not only get the Villain out in the open, but to also trap him and tire him out by the time the other Pro Heroes arrived. Scarlett blinked. Maybe she shouldn’t have underestimated the mouse-like Hero as much as she did.

As she shook off her doubt, the burlap masked man reached the roof of the main building, while another section of the scaffolding collapsed on the flight of stairs beneath him, condemning him to remain on the rooftop. He let out a frustrated growl, summoning another crow in his desperation. Although, this one appeared to be much smaller than the ones he had created before. 

Twitching his head side to side like a bird, the dark figure turned his attention to the clock tower and began to ascend. Scarlett pressed her lips into a tight line, searching for any signs of the small Hero. She hadn’t seen him anywhere near the tower, giving her little hope that he had crafted another distraction, or trap. Which led to the question, why was the masked man heading up there?

The ragdoll-like individual continued to climb, while the rest of the scaffolding remained steady and still, confirming Scarlett’s concerns. Her eyes remained trained on the silhouette arriving above the clock faces. A sinking feeling churned her stomach, as the copper lights illuminated the dark figure with a burlap mask. He wobbled along the planks and teetered towards the edge, glancing down to the world below.

Scarlett’s expression went pale. She did not like where this was going.

The distant whistle of a faint draft passing through telephone lines, picked up speed at the top of the tower. It rustled the figure’s clothes as he stepped closer to the lip of the raised platform. Wanting to seek refuge from the wind, the small crow perched itself on his shoulder. But the man grabbed it; almost smothering its existence between his palms.

His attire shifted and fluttered, with smoke billowing from underneath. The fumes funnelled to his clasped hands, causing the tiny bird to swell with size. Its body became darker, as the smoke was densely compressed into its form. Compared to the other crows, this black bird had trails of smoke emanating from its wings, while its orange eyes deepened into a dark red. It continued to grow, becoming larger than the man himself.

But with its growth, its body flickered as it seemed to struggle to maintain its form. Scarlett wasn’t sure if it was due to its size, or the Villain’s fatigue.

It swooped into the air, before rushing down and grabbing the Scarecrow by his shoulders. Beating its wings, the bird attempted to lift him from where he stood; the smoke rapidly expelling from its body. It shook under the stress of his weight, staggering as it tried to fly up. 

Scarlett refused to blink. If the Villain took to the air, she doubted the mouse-like Hero could give chase. As much as he had surprised her, there was nothing to indicate he also had the ability to fly. And what could Scarlett do? The best she could do was follow him on the ground, but how far could she go before he entered an area that she couldn’t?

She glanced at the tablet in her hands. They needed assistance.

She tapped the screen. Was there a way to communicate with the Pro Heroes? Or a way to show how long they were going to take to arrive? She tried to navigate herself through the tablet. But flashes of pop-ups, and menu panels in a language she couldn’t read, obscured the map and froze the device.

Why was technology always so complicated? Scowling, she continuously tapped at the screen. But the display didn’t change. Scarlett let out a harsh exhale. She didn’t have time to figure this out.

She shared a quick look back at the tower. The Villain rose, flying several feet higher than the roof of the tower. Fumes of smoke poured out of the crow as it strained itself to fly higher; its shape flickering with the loss of structure. The masked man continued to channel smoke into the bird. 

But the crow had reached its limit.

As the clock struck the hour and the tower's bells reverberated, the bird’s form diffused into a large cloud of smoke. And with nothing keeping him in the air, the man fell.

Eyes widening in horror, Scarlett’s heart lurched. She stuffed the tablet into her pocket and bolted towards the red building. One thing racing in her mind—the promise she made as a child.

We’ll save everyone within our reach.