Myths and Heroes
Quintin Fortune
Copyright 2014 Quintin Fortune
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Deadguy propped his feet up on his new desk. It was simple, yet sturdy. A few drawers that were currently empty, and an older model computer sat on top. He tilted his chair back and gave a sigh of content. "I'm telling ya, this is going to be epic," he commented. He looked over to see Valkadaidan sitting on the desk across from him, deep in meditation. "Nice desk. Comfy chair. Even an office with a window." He looked out at the overcast weather that hung outside.
"Only thing that would make it better would be if we had clients banging on those windows," Jill added. reading the news feed on her tablet. Her desk was situated farther back and between the two other desks. It was a little more ornate than theirs.
"How come you get better tech than we do," DG asked.
She glared at him. "I'm the boss," she explained. "Besides, this is my personal tablet."
Our Hero mocked her briefly by mouthing what she had said, then got up to stretch. "Coffee time," he announced.
"I'll take a cup," Jill replied, not taking her eyes off her tablet. Deadguy glared at her, then shook his head as he walked into the small break room. He then leaned back out of the door.
"We're out of coffee."
"Then go get some more," Jill responded.
DG hung his head in frustration.
"Hey Timmo," Deadguy greeted as he walked into the convenience store that was unfortunate enough to be right next door to the Professional Heroes. "You have any instant coffee?"
The shaggy young man looked up from his magazine. "I guess," he replied weakly. "It's down that aisle on the left."
As Our Hero was mulling over the ever-small options of instant coffee, a man with a hoodie and a handgun came in. "Give me all your money and don't try anything funny," he demanded. Deadguy just shook his head.
He grabbed the coffee bag and then charged. "Hey, Jackass," he called out. The man turned to see DG hit him square in the jaw. The strike knocked the criminal out cold. He put the instant coffee on the counter. "How much?"
"Dude! You know what? It's on the house," the clerk answered.
"Thanks, but I couldn't do that," he said. He pulled ten dollars out of his pants pocket and slapped it on the counter. "Keep the change," he instructed as he left.
# # #
Deadguy returned to find Jill talking to a young woman with jet-black hair. The woman was sitting in one of the chairs in front of their boss' desk. Her back was to him. "Miss Langley, we're not really a detective agency," Jill explained to the woman. "I don't think we can help find your father."
"But you don't understand," the woman pleaded. "No one else in this city will help me."
"Sounds like it's just the job for us then," DG commented, placing his hand on the young woman's shoulder. She looked up at him, her pale blue eyes filled with a hope that they haven't known for the past few weeks. "Would you like some coffee, Miss Langley?"
“Deadguy, can I talk to you for a moment,” Jill requested. “In the break room.” The two Heroes retreated to the back. "What are you doing," Jill asked. "We can't look for her dad."
"That's a little coldhearted," DG answered, dumping a few spoonfuls of coffee grounds into the coffee maker. "Besides, we've got to start small if you want clients beating the door down."
"I don't like you undermining my authority," she said.
"Boss, I'm not undermining anything. Never could be trusted with a pick ax." He grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.
"Make me a cup, too," she asked. He grabbed the 'World's Greatest Boss' mug.
"Besides, isn't this part of being a Professional Hero," he continued.. "Helping those that no one else can? Or will? Champions of the Downtrodden. Allocators of Justice. Bitch-smackers of Bad Juju!"
The smell of coffee wavered through the break room.
"Bitch-smackers of Bad Juju," Jill asked with a smirk.
Our Hero shrugged. "Okay, so that one we probably can't put on any business cards." He poured the coffee into the mugs and handed Jill the 'Boss' one. "You're the brains of the company. No one's arguing that or trying to take that away from you. Just let me be the heart, okay?"
Jill took a sip and gave a warm smile. "Alright," she agreed.
"Okay, Miss Langley," Jill said as the Heroes came out of the break room. "After talking it over with the other Heroes, we've decided to take your case."
"Really," she asked, tears still soaking her eyes. Deadguy handed her a cup of coffee.
"Of course," he answered. "Be kind of pointless to call ourselves 'Heroes' if we didn't do heroic things." He took a sip of his coffee. "So what's the stitch? Who's you're dad and why would someone kidnap him?"
"My father's Professor Jeremy Langley, Head of Egyptology at Dendō University," the woman explained. "He's regarded as one of the best in the world."
"Please don't tell us he was kidnapped at work," Deadguy asked, a little worried.
"No, they broke into our apartment," she answered.
"That's a relief."
"Does your dad have any enemies," Jill asked. "Any threats on his life recently?"
The woman shook her head. "Nothing that he's told me."
"He might have been hiding it," she said. "Probably didn't want to worry you. Okay, Miss Langley..."
"Vanessa," she corrected.
"Don't worry, we're on the case," Deadguy said, hoping to reassure her. "We'll get your Pop back." Between the two, they were able to get her basic information and reassure her again and again that they would do everything they could to find Professor Langley. She left after she finished her cup of coffee.
"I don't trust her," Valkadaidan growled as soon as Vanessa left. The other two looked over at him.
"Hey! Guess who decided to join us," DG remarked. "Bring back anything interesting this time?"
"Just a message," he replied, jumping off his desk. "The Girl will bring Chaos."
"What? Who," Our Hero questioned. "You mean that girl?"
"That's just a message," he replied. "Is there any coffee left?"