No Capes: Chapter 2

Ryan pretended to be asleep in the hospital bed. He had learned his lesson after he woke up the first time. He was able to glance around the room he was in and determined he was in some sort of hospital room. His hands were not only handcuffed to the bed railings but they were also caged up to the wrist. Whoever put him here knew enough about him to know he needed his hands to activate his powers.

He had seen two supers sitting in the corner of the room, one wearing a blue and black super-suit and the other in an old aviator outfit. When they noticed that he was awake, the one in the blue and black suit started singing and he immediately was pulled back into his slumber, despite his resistance. Now he was playing possum as he tried to figure out what was going on. He kept his breathing deep and even, his body lax and his eyes closed.

“I’m just saying, Siren, we’re here to keep an eye on him. If the nurses decide to give him a sponge bath then we have to stay in the room.” The owner of this voice sounded young. Maybe it was the aviator woman from before.

There was a scoff.

“And I’m sure you would never try to make such a suggestion to the nurses," a huskier female voice said.

There was the sound of paper moving as if one of them was reading a magazine.

“I mean, he could have some injuries the nurse with healing superpowers missed. A sponge bath would give us– them a chance to thoroughly check his body. Not like Mimic was gentle with him when she was using my powers," the first woman said.

Husky laughter was the response.

There was the sound of a door opening, followed by the sound of chairs scraping back on the bare hospital floor.

“Director Sara,” both women said in unison.

“Jet, Dream Siren,” a new female voice greeted them. “How’s our guest doing?”

“I’ve kept him sedated. He did wake once, but I quickly put him back under,” the one he assumed was Dream Siren said with her husky voice.

“Which means he’s faking being asleep. Aren’t you Ryan?” the new woman asked.

Shit, they know my name…

Ryan opened his eyes and looked towards them. The superhero in the aviation getup, who he assumed was Jet, was now beet red. While the one he assumed was Dream Siren was doing her best to stifle a laugh. His eyes did not linger on either of the heroines; instead, they went to the new arrival. The one they called Director Sara. 

She looked to be in her late thirties or early forties with pale skin and strange blood-red eyes, her hair was just as red and was cut short in a pixie style. She was wearing an elegant, long black dress and had a very familiar black necklace around her neck and he was sure his eyes were comically big as he stared at it.

“Hello, Ryan. I am Director Sara of the Cape City Superhero Organization or CCSO. First, let me apologize for one of our Supers attacking you while you were trying to administer first aid to a superhero-in-training. The offending Super will undergo situational awareness training before she is out in the field again.”

Director Sara walked towards the hospital bed. She pulled a key out of her pocket and quickly went about unlocking the cages that surrounded his hands.

“Secondly, I would like to treat you to dinner. The best seafood in the city,” she said with a savage smile. “After all, you did give me this beautiful necklace in such a lovely way.”

After she was done freeing his hands, she set a suit jacket with shirt and tie, that matched her dress, down on the end of his bed. She turned and addressed the women.

"You are dismissed. Thank you for your service." Turning back to Ryan she said, "I'll be waiting right outside the door. No funny business." 

With that, she followed his guards out of the room and shut the door behind her. Ryan just sat there for a minute trying to wrap his head around what was happening. She knew his name which meant the CCSO had looked into him and if they wanted to they could make his life very difficult, even if he fled back to Cove City, like he originally planned. So he figured it was best to play along and see where this was going. With a small shake of his head, he mumbled to himself, "Better get on with it then."

Director Sara for her part gave nothing away and was treating him like a friend who had just come to the city. She pointed out some of the sights they passed, her favorite places to shop and eat, and even talked about her work as a Director for CCSO. Which was mostly her bitching about another Director named Stu.

Eventually, they arrived at a large restaurant just outside of the northern piers called The Sharks Den, which was built into the fish market. Still, it had a high-end feel to it with the gold and black aesthetic and the massive fish tank behind the bar with actual sharks swimming in it.

The hostess was a girl with black hair who looked like she was barely out of her twenties. She was leaning against the podium reading a magazine and had not even looked away from it when they entered.

The cover of the magazine was a woman dressed as a hunter standing over a hogtied man.

Pink!: How to bag the man of your dreams.

“Evening Natasha,” Sara said to the girl.

The girl scowled but did not look from her magazine.

“Go snag your usual spot at the bar, I’m sure Mom will wander around eventually.”

Sara cleared her throat.

“Natasha, I'm here on a date.”

Steel blue eyes looked up from the magazine at Sara, then shifted to Ryan. Natasha’s attitude changed instantly. The magazine fell to the floor as she slipped a colorful surgical mask with ocean themes over her face.

“Welcome to The Sharks Den! My name is Natasha. I will be your single and very available hostess for the evening,” she said her eyes locked on Ryan. “Please follow me.”

Two menus floated out of the podium and started following Natasha. He wondered if she showed off to everyone that she had Telekinesis, but with the way she was swaying her hips in such an exaggerated fashion, he thought maybe she was showing off a little bit more for him.

“Natasha, this is the only warning I’m going to give you, cool your jets or you’ll regret it later tonight,” Sara warned while wearing her savage grin.

Natasha stopped and shot a glare at Sara before continuing on to their table.

“Why, Director Sara, you’ve often stopped here to try and recruit me as a superhero for the CCSO. Maybe I want to be a superhero after all. Just for tonight. I’ve heard a dangerous cougar is stalking young men and they could use someone to save them.”

Sara just started laughing at that as if it was the funniest joke. Natasha seemed like she had a short fuse, so he held in his laughter. He didn't want to see her blow.

“The restaurant is beautiful. You said your mom works here?” Ryan asked Natasha while wearing his con-man smile.

Her eyes lit up and, despite wearing the surgical mask, he knew she had a prideful smile on her face.

“She owns it. She’s also very strong, S-rank, that’s why we can have such a nice restaurant this close to the pier. No one will try to mess with her.” Natasha batted her eyes at Ryan. "I'm also very strong. You know what they say. Strong parents, strong children. Or something like that."

All the plates in the restaurant started to levitate as Natasha tried to prove her point, much to the displeasure of the customers.

“Both of Ryan’s parents were S-rank, at least according to the CCSO database,” Director Sara stated.

Ryan froze and stared at Sara, he could feel his heart start to race, and the blood drained from his face. She just smiled at him. His first instinct was to run, but it would be useless, they knew his name, his lineage. They had him in a net now, there was no escape, at least not for long.

“Really! Cute and strong. We should go on a date next time you’re free. I’ll leave you my number,” Natasha said, doing her best to make her voice seductive.

“Going straight for the kill, Natasha?” Sara said flatly, still ignoring Ryan’s stare

“It’s not the Silver Age anymore, grandma. I’ll be as aggressive as I need to be to get a man!” Natasha boldly declared.

“Natasha!!!!” a voice boomed from across the room.

A spout of water shot out of the fish tank and swirled across the room through the air in a long arc before pouring down on top of Natasha, drenching her in salt water, only for the water to pool back up and return to the tank, leaving everything dry except Natasha. The downpour had also knocked her mask off for a moment and Ryan saw pointed teeth in their hostess’s mouth.

Sharks Teeth.

A woman with gray skin and black hair started approaching them from the bar. As she got closer it was clear she had a shark mutation. Along with her gray skin, she had a shark's fin, teeth, and eyes. She also had a scowl on her face and was glaring at Natasha.

“Why the hell are you levitating plates? Do you want me to throw you back into the kitchen washing dishes?” The shark woman chastised a sullen Natasha.

“Mom…I was just showing my power…I may have gone overboard a little, but...” Natasha gestured towards Ryan while she hid her mouth behind her hand.

“Evening, Hannah,” Sara said as she slipped her arm through Ryan’s and leaned into his side.

Hannah stared at Ryan. Her shark-like eyes quickly widened from slits to almost fully black orbs. As she looked back towards Sara, her eyes returned to slits. The woman seemed familiar to Ryan, but he could not place her.

“Natasha, we are going to the VIP dining room. Get someone to cover the front and then join us.” Hannah's request gave no room for argument. She flicked her wrist, and all the water soaking Natasha was gone, the droplets returning to the fish tank.

Sara dragged Ryan along with her as they both followed Hannah to the second floor of the restaurant. They were soon standing outside a set of double doors with a plaque beside them that declared this to be the VIP room.

“Sara, can I have a moment alone with Ryan inside, please?” Hannah asked as she stepped forward to open the door.

“He’s on edge, Hannah,” Sara warned.

Hannah gave her a nod before slipping through the open door. Sara released her hold on Ryan’s arm and gave him a gentle nudge forward through the door.

The room was large. With a table sunk into the floor with seating, in the middle of the room. The back held a bar that was missing its bartender. The color theme was reversed here with gold being more dominant over the black.

“I know it may be hard, but you can relax here. I would defend you with my life, the same as I would for Natasha.”

Hannah went straight for the bar, grabbed a glass, and poured two fingers of top-shelf whiskey. She paused for a moment and grabbed a second glass.

“Would you like one? It's hard for me to think of you as old enough to drink, but you would be twenty-five years old as of this last March.” She threw the whisky back like it was a shot. Her voice cracked as she said the next words “…My little shrimp has grown up.”

Those words hit him like a freight train, dragging him back to some of his earliest memories. Only one woman had ever called him Shrimp. The woman who helped his mother raise him and was a second mother to him, though those memories were hazy. She was his father’s second wife and his mother’s best friend.

“Mama Wave…” It was the same name he used to call her when he was a child.

Hannah turned and faced him, tears streaking her cheeks and a massive smile on her face. She then abandoned the bar and went to embrace him in a hug, which he accepted.

“You grew into a handsome man. Shelly would be so proud. I tried to find you after everything that had happened.” she said as she squeezed him with the enhanced strength her shark mutation granted her.

“When Azure City was destroyed, I thought you and mom were dead. I’m sorry. If I knew you were in Cape City I would have come here right away. I didn’t think I had any family left.” Ryan said.

They were still locked in a hug when the door opened behind them.

“Mother! You’re as bad as Director Sara!” Natasha exclaimed.

Sara was laughing as she followed Natasha into the VIP room, closing the door once she was inside.

Hannah sniffled as she broke her hug from Ryan, and wiped the tears out of her eyes.

“Natasha, this is Ryan. He is your half-brother.”

Ryan turned and looked at Natasha. She was beet red and her eyes wide. She started moving towards them and he wondered if she was going to hug him also. Instead, she went straight for the bar, grabbing the closest bottle.

“You still have a year before you’re old enough to drink, Natasha!” her mother chastised.

Sara was all smiles as she moved to take a seat at the table.

“Let her have a glass. I’m not going to bust her. Besides, she probably needs a drink after realizing she has been trying to get into her own brother’s pants.”

“SHUT UP!!!” a red-faced Natasha yelled.

A bottle levitated and flew from the bar at Sara, but she caught it and brought it down to the table beside her.

“Hey, I tried to warn you but you didn’t listen. Also, sake is not my drink.” Sara said with a smirk.

Hannah smiled at Ryan and patted his chest. She softly apologized to Natasha before turning her gaze towards Sara.

“Ryan came to the CCSO’s attention and I realized he was the individual you’ve been looking for,” Sara answered Hannah's unasked question.

“How did he come to the CCSO’s attention?” Hannah asked with a frown.

Sara sat up tall and smiled widely, her hand reaching up to touch the necklace she still wore.

“Like my necklace? Not really my style, but the way he gifted it to me? Well, I knew I needed to treat him to a wonderful dinner.” Sara’s bright smile shifted to a savage bloodthirsty grin. “The gift box was Highway’s head. The bitch and her crew were the ones responsible for murdering my girls. The necklace was stolen, though, and that caused a little stink with the other directors. I paid the store what they wanted for the necklace to try and keep his record clear, so that should end any issues.”

Sara looked from Hannah to Ryan, her demeanor shifting to a more professional one.

“I brought him here not only to meet you but to also make him an offer. I want him.”

Natasha grumbled from the bar, but it was loud enough for Ryan to hear what she said.

“Hungry ass cougar…”

Sara and Hannah both ignored Natasha, their focus never leaving him.

“I want you to join the CCSO as a Superhero. We would offer you a full pardon for any crimes past or present that come to light in exchange for a ten-year contract with us.”

Ryan did not miss the small warning in her words. They were going to keep digging into his past.

Hannah added words to his thoughts with a scowl.

“So your offer to Ryan is to join CCSO or be hunted by them after they find some dirt on him?”

Sara sighed.

“Yes, that was Stu's stipulation. I wish that relic would retire. He was the only director to hold out on the offer but was overruled. I proposed the offer, Angelia was on board since he had a clean record, and Rin thinks he could boost recruitment.” Sara pointed at Natasha when she said the last part.

Ryan rubbed his forehead.

“You aren't really giving me any choice, then. Just, please don’t make me wear a cape.”

Sara gave him an apologetic look.

“I'd like it to be your choice, with no strings attached, but I’m just one cog in the CCSO machine.

“I was serious about dinner though, Hannah. Could we get food up here? CCSO is covering the bill, so give us the best.”

Hannah walked over to a small intercom by the door and had a quiet conversation with someone on the other end. Ryan heard her ordering several dishes to be delivered up to the VIP room.

Natasha left the bar and took a seat at the table, doing her best not to look at Ryan. Instead, she glared at Hannah and Sara with a look of determination.

“Who is my father? I have been getting the runaround my whole life when I have tried to find out, and now I have a half-brother who just appeared. I think I deserve some damn answers!”

Hannah took the seat across from Natasha.

“Before you were born, I went by the name Tidal Wave. Ryan’s mother, Shelly, was known as Shellshock. We were both enforcers and wives of a supervillain known as War-Crime, who ruled Azure City's underworld. One day, he started attacking the City, seeking to destroy it. He was not himself, and nothing we did would get through to him. Shelly and I deflected to the Superhero Organization. She joined them in fighting against your father, but I was pregnant with you at the time and went into hiding. I ended up in Cape City after all was said and done.”

Ryan stood up and went to the bar and poured himself a healthy glass of whiskey. He didn't want to hear about his father. The man was responsible for robbing him of the only good thing in his life when he killed his mother. Ryan thought his father had also killed Hannah that day as well. Thankfully, he had some family that was spared.

When he sat back down, with his half-finished whiskey, Natasha was scrolling her phone, eyes wide. He knew she was looking at the articles from about twenty years ago when their father had destroyed Azure City.

She tossed her phone to the side and laid her head down on the table, hiding her face with her arms.

“I hit on my brother and found out my father was a monster. Can this day please just end?”

There was a knock on the door before servers entered carrying a wide variety of seafood and other dishes. They placed the food on the center of the table and set an empty plate in from of each person. Natasha waited until everyone else had fixed their plates before lifting her head. She wordlessly made her own plate.

They fell into a more comfortable conversation while they ate.

"Where are you planning on staying while you are in the city?" Hannah asked Ryan.

"I have a boat docked on the other side of town. I can just sleep there," he replied with a shrug. 

"Like hell you are," Hannah said abruptly. "There is an empty apartment in one of the buildings I own. You can stay there rent-free while you get settled. Say six months?"

"That would be perfect for you, Ryan," Sara agreed. "They are nice apartments. In the good part of the city. Not far from CCSO Headquarters, where you’ll need to report first thing in the morning to fill out your paperwork and get a tour of the place."

After they finished their dinner, Hannah asked, "Do you know how to drive a bike?"

"I’ve driven them before," Ryan replied. Hannah tossed a set of keys to him.

“Mine is neon blue. Keep it. I've been wanting a new one anyway. Natasha will show you the way to the apartment and get you a key.” Hannah smiled at him. “I’m glad we found you, Little Shrimp.”

Natasha led him in silence towards the parking garage of the restaurant.

"So, um. Sorry about all that," she started with a cough, her face turning red. This was the first thing she had said since they started eating.

"Hey, no worries. It's not like either of us knew the other existed. Sara could have told us both up front instead of laughing her ass off.”

Natasha rolled her eyes.

“Oh my god! She is such a bitch! She’s always hounding me to join the CCSO. Sorry, Bro. I guess she got you hooked instead. Is it alright if I call you Bro, or Brother?” Natasha asked.

Ryan smiled and laughed.

“Sure. As long as you don’t mind me calling you Sis and Sister. I thought I didn’t have any family left. I’m glad I do.”

Natasha smiled at him.

“I always wanted a sibling. So what is it that the CCSO could dig up on you?" Natasha asked. " I’m not a snitch. I’m just curious about what my big brother has been up to.”

“I was a jewel thief. I got Dad’s Armory power. I’m sure you figured it out, but you got your Telekinesis from him.”

Ryan held up his hand and with a swirl of color, a black motorcycle helmet was in his hand. Natasha jumped a little in surprise.

“I can assign a number to any inanimate object I touch and summon it at will. I would dress up as a rich asshole, visit some high-end jewelry stores to “look” over their wares, then summon what I had touched once I was out of the city’s limit.” He said.

Natasha whistled.

“Damn, Bro. I’ve just helped Mom with the restaurant. She talks about retiring one day and letting me take over the joint. Nothing exciting.”

Natasha led him to two sports bikes, one neon blue, the other a light teal. Both had The Sharks Den decal on the side, which Ryan didn’t mind since the bike was free. He also didn’t mind advertising the family business. The two of them wasted no time and within minutes, they were racing through Cape City on the way to the apartment complex.

The Deep Blue Apartments looked more like a high-end hotel than an apartment complex. Ryan and Natasha had parked their bikes in the parking spots labeled for employees. Once inside, Natasha went behind the desk and snagged a key from a lock box.

“Here. This one should have a good view of the city and it’s furnished. You’re on floor twelve. I’m on the fourteenth floor. Room number 1414,” Natasha said as she handed him the key and made for the elevator.

Ryan followed her and the two roads up, with her complaining about the elevator music. Once they made it to his floor, Ryan stepped out.

“Good Night, Bro. Welcome to the family. Well, back to the family. Whatever. Just glad you’re here,” Natasha said.

“Night, Sis. Glad to meet you.” Ryan waved as the elevator doors closed.

Ryan found his door and let himself in.

"Holy Shit," he said to himself.

Natasha hadn’t been kidding. The apartment was furnished with luxurious name brands and probably cost a small fortune. Massive windows overlooked Cape City below. Night had fallen during dinner and now the city was glowing.

“I hope I can afford this on a superhero's salary,” Ryan said as he looked over Cape City from his window.