“RATCATCHERS!”
It was written in 72 points, bold, all capital letters on the first page of the Thunder gazette.
“They called us Ratcatchers!”
Hero seemed enraged. Much more than when he was fighting the big beast.
“Calm yourself, jolly fellow” said cheerfully Mr. Marvelo. He was genuinely surprised by the reaction of the grey and blue dressed superhero.
“There are photos of us destroying the restaurant trying to capture the mice!” grunted Hero.
X-Stream took the newspaper. “It’s by that Randall. The would-be-heroes last night gave the city a tasting of what to expect from them in the months to come. Seems we have an enemy…”
Captain Midnight waved a fist toward the distant silhouette of the Gazette Building, orphaned of its peculiar golden globe.
Doug snorted. “Maybe he’s unhappy that you played bowling with his toy…”
The sun set over the horizon, on the grey water of the ocean, across the mouth of the bay. The first night of the new MBL was ending.
“So, what now?” asked X-Stream, looking at the sun.
Captain Midnight stood back. “We return in the shadows of the night, ready to return whenever…” Doug interrupted him, laughing: “What shadows? It’s morning.”
Quinn, which was giving the back to the group, looking down from the roof where they retired after winning the battle with the rats, laughed broadly.
All the others turned to look at him. It was he, then, to turn to face them.
“Despite what that idiot has written, we did pretty well yesterday. That monster could have levelled the city, and we stopped it. The people at large know… what Randall writes makes him to look stupid, not us. The people… this city… needs the MBL!”
X-Stream frowned. “Nobody answered my question… what now?”
Quinn smiled. “I think Midnight’s suggestion was good… we return to our lives, ready to regroupo whenever a new threat surfaces. Let’s exchange our cell numbers… the first who spot a danger, will call the others.”
“No fancy headquarters?” asked jokingly Doug.
“Sadly, I think we are short on founds” said Hero.
“I can pay for the rent!” yelled Midnight, opening his wallet, which looked desperately empty. “Ehm… maybe next time…” concluded the good captain.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
In total darkness, two persons face each others across a glass.
“The payment is on its way. All went smoothly…” says the man we saw from the back.
“That makes me happy. It has always been a pleasure to make business with you” respond the one from across the glass.
“The beast risen, the fools got out of their holes… And now the beast is in our hands.”
Handle it with care. You should be proud to own such a marvel, General…”
The hand of General Forrest went to the switch, and the light went on. It was in his bathroom, facing a mirror, his own face replacing the mysterious man’s own.
Genral Forrest smiled, opened a slider, took out a razor and began to shave his face.
That day was opening in the best possible way…
THE END
