Chapter 48: You didn’t even try,
"What were you doing till now, sir?"
Harris asked, his voice calm but edged with a faint suspicion as he eyed the old man standing in the middle of the room watching them.
The old man chuckled, a low, raspy sound that barely stirred the stillness. "Nothing, lad. Was just sitting, watching the news. Old folks like me—what else is there to do?" His wrinkled face creased into a smile, his half-closed eyes glinting with a hint of amusement beneath bushy white brows.
Harris nodded, but his gaze drifted, scanning the room. He stepped away, boots creaking on the warped floorboards, and approached Rhea, who leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, yawning behind her mask, hoping it would go unnoticed. "Take a look around," he said quietly. "Spot anything abnormal?"
Rhea’s hazel eyes flashed with annoyance, barely concealed beneath her sleek black mask. "Isn’t that your job?" she snapped, her tone sharp. "I’m here to fight things, not play detective. You’re the brains—I’m the tool."
Harris turned to her, his lean frame steady, his brown eyes unwavering behind his own simple gray mask. "No," he said firmly. "Investigation’s part of being a hero too. It’s not just about strength and power—it’s about using your head the right way."
Rhea scoffed, tossing her dark ponytail over her shoulder. "Superhero means power. Strength. Fists. That’s what gets the job done."
Harris raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Oh yeah? Then how’s Kael still living? Guy’s got no powers worth a damn—weak as a kitten—but he’s survived this long on brains alone. Outsmarted a few dozen city’s rogues while you were still throwing fiery tantrums in back alleys." His voice carried a dry edge, a challenge wrapped in fact.
Rhea’s lips pursed, her mind churning. She muttered under her breath, barely audible. "If someone like Kael—with his useless weird powers—made it this far just by using his brain... maybe Harris isn’t full of it." She sighed, relenting.
"Fine. Okay." She pushed off the wall, her movements grudging but deliberate, and began to prowl the room.
At first glance, everything seemed mundane.