"He asked you to be a Guardian?" The words felt heavy in her throat.
Her boyfriend sighed and nodded, "Yeah."
Taylor took a deep breath, "What did you say?"
He turned and smiled at her, "I said I needed some time to think."
The pitter-patter of rain filled the silence. He was taller than she was, he held a large umbrella that sheltered the both of them. The fallen leaves squelched under her feet.
Taylor felt a million thoughts pulling her in different directions. She wanted to tell him that it was too dangerous. The world needed new Guardians because the previous ones had just been killed. That wasn't a job, it was a death sentence.
Another part of her wanted to tell him to take it. As a Guardian he'd be protecting the whole world. It would be selfish to do anything other than join the team.
Her turmoil felt nauseating, "What-what do you want to do?"
He tilted his head back and looked past the edge of the umbrella and up into the grey skies, "I don't know."
"Things would change. I wouldn't be able to keep to the same schedule. If they call, I'd have to answer. I don't want to spend every date worrying that I'm going to have to leave you sitting alone."
He turned and looked at her. He smiled a little, "What do you think?"
Taylor blinked. She felt a rush of relief that he was asking for her opinion. She had a million things on her mind. She said the one that had come up first, "It'd be dangerous."
He didn't try to placate her or avoid the truth of what she'd said. He just nodded, "It would."
"That doesn't scare you?"
"It scares me. Whatever killed them is still out there.
But-" He paused.
"but the Guardians have stopped the world being destroyed a dozen times over. I'm more scared of a world that doesn't have anyone to protect it." He finished.
Taylor saw the look in his eyes. She remembered the days before he revealed his powers to the world. He'd been different back then. The man she'd first met wouldn't have comtemplated Cecil's offer for even a second. All he'd wanted was to protect a small corner of the world.
He'd changed in so many ways since then. He didn't want to protect just a corner anymore. He wanted to make the whole world safe.
He wasn't doing it for himself. There was no narcissism behind his motivation. The world could be swept by drought, plague or natural disasters and he would still survive it all. She knew that he could.
He wanted to protect the world so it was safe for his family and loved ones. For her.
The realisation hit her. He'd already decided to join, "You want to do it, don't you?"
Alex smiled at her. There was something bittersweet in the curve of his lips, "I do."
Taylor took a deep breath. Her fingers wove themselves between his, her voice was firm, "Then we'll just have to figure this out as we go. Together."
He stared deeply into her eyes. He spoke quietly, "Thank you."
She squeezed his hand tighter.
The try-outs for the new Guardians were scheduled for the next day. Officially he didn't have a place on the team, but he trusted Cecil's offer completely.
The couple spent the rest of the day together. Most of it was a lengthy and complicated discussion on how their lives would change after Alex joined the guardians.
Spaghetti twirled around Taylor's fork. She listened to a waiter take another customer's order. The restaurant was close to campus. Neither of them had felt like cooking.
She paused as the forkful was about to enter her mouth, "What do we do if-if something happens to you?"
Alex looked up from his plate, "You'll be safe. Your parents and mine too. You'll all be offered places and jobs in a secure neighbourhood. Your lives can still be as normal as possible."
The fork trembled in Taylor's hand. The sphagetti slid down slowly onto the plate, "But what do I do?"
Alex didn't reply immediately. He looked out the window to the street and watched the people passing by.
After a pause he turned back to look at her. He smiled weakly, "You carry on with your life."
A tear slowly made it's way down Taylor's cheek. She asked in a whisper, "Without you?"
His eyes were the same rich-mahogany colour they'd always been. She saw his sadness, heartache and resolve.
"Yeah." He replied quietly.
Later that night they lay in bed together. Alex listened to Taylor snoring softly. It had taken hours for her to fall asleep. It was already two in the morning.
'This isn't what she signed up for.' He thought to himself.
For the rest of the night he lay next to her. He didn't use his powers like usual. He just lay there, feeling the warmth of the person he loved in his arms.
The sunlight peeked through a crack in the curtains. Taylor's eyelids fluttered. She gradually began to stir.
Her eyes opened. She felt the arm around her waist in the same position it had been when she fell asleep.
She wiggled to face the other way. Her boyfriend's hair was messy but somehow still looked perfect.
She cupped her hand on his cheek, "Did you sleep?"
He shook his head gently.
She squeezed closer against his chest. She could hear his heart beating steadily. She smiled, "I always knew there'd be hard bits about dating a superhero."
"I'm just glad mine is so good-looking."
Alex blinked. A smile stole across his lips. He started to laugh.
The situation hadn't changed, but somehow, they both felt a bit better about it.
They ate breakfast in the shared kitchen of Taylor's dormitory. They didn't talk about how their lives would change or what dangers Alex would face. They just fried sausages and chatted while eating like any other young couple in love.
The time came for Alex to leave. Taylor stood on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him close to her and kissed him passionately, "Good luck Mr Guardian."
The intensity of the kiss left Alex slightly taken back. His surprise quickly morphed into delight and he grinned, "That was nice."
Taylor smiled and poked him in the chest, "Yeah well you'd better come back in one piece if you want any more of that!"
Even as he soared through the clouds to the try-outs, those words kept replaying in his mind. He couldn't help but smile and chuckle to himself. He knew that he was truly and utterly in love.
He spotted the sign for the Pentagon. The wind rushed past his ears and the ground rapidly got closer. At the last possible moment his wings snapped open.
"This way please." A GDA agent stood at the edge of the facility to greet him.
The agent scanned a key card against an entry point and a set of thick steel doors swung open.
There were nearly a hundred heroes gathered in the hall. To his surprise, he noticed that Robot was stood separate to the rest of the group. It was clear that he wasn't trying out like the rest of the candidates.
"Thank you all for coming here today. The Guardians of The Globe were more than just a group of superheroes. They were icons.
Those of you who pass our trial will be among the elite. The best of the best.
Needless to say, not all of you will be up to the challenge. Those of you who are up to the challenge will succeed not just by the uniqueness of your abilities, but by the uniqueness of your tactics, your adaptability and most importantly the strength of your charecter and spirit. That, is what truly makes a hero."
Robot then began to call out sparring partners for the assembled heroes. The try-outs were a straightforward test of combat ability.
Alex was partnered against a hero he recognised. In fact most of the world would recognise the tall and broad-shouldered hero. Black Samson had once been a member of the Guardians. It was rumoured that he was forced to leave after he lost his powers.
Black Samson stretched out his hand to his opponent, "I'm Black Samson. It's good to meet a fellow hero."
Alex, dressed in his Omega superhero costume, stepped forwards and shook the outstretched hand, "Omega, its good to meet you too. I'm a big fan."
Black Samson laughed and shook his head, "Thanks, I don't hear that so much these days."
The two heroes seperated. They were the first pair to face one another. The other heroes watched from a glass viewing room. The battle took place in a large open stage with reinforced panelling.
Black Samson was the first to break the stalemate. He yelled and charged forwards. His footsteps produced heavy thudding sounds. The golden chestplate he wore hummed with energy.
The mechanical armour Black Samson wore gave him considerable speed and strength. Against most of the heroes in the room, he might've won. Unfortunately, he was up against Omega.
To Alex, his opponent's speed was similar to an infant taking its first steps. The fight could've ended in an instant if he wanted. He didn't see a reason to humiliate the good-natured former member of the Guardians like that.
Robot watched Omega rush forwards to meet Black Samson. The angel-like hero didn't use his wings to increase his speed. It simply wasn't necessary.
Cecil had initially promised that he would have full control over the Guardians' team he had been asked to lead. The GDA's director had called later that day to say that he was strongly reccomending a candidate. Robot was unsurprised to note that it was Omega.
His relationship with the winged hero was that of good friends. He was pleased to have a close ally on the new team. Especially one who was so powerful. He'd watched hours of footage from Omega's fights.
The two heroes threw punches and dashed about inside the arena. The fact that the fight was still ongoing was a testament to Omega's kind charecter. Even if Black Samson still had his powers, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
Black Samson gritted his teeth. The golden braces on his wrists glowed. Bursts of energy poured out and lifted him into the air. He hurriedly tried to create distance between himself and his opponent. From an outsider's point of view, the fight was fairly even. Both sides had landed a few good hits. Only Black Samson knew exactly how suffocating it felt to go against Omega.
He felt like a puppet on strings. He could only move where Omega wanted him to go. The pretense of them being at all evenly matched was pure garbage.
Bang!
A fierce gust of wind swept across the arena. Omega's wings cast long shadows on the reinforced floor. His waist twisted and he unleashed a powerful punch at Black Samson's chest.
The broad-shouldered hero was immediately sent crashing down to the earth. His golden chestplate sparked and hissed. A fist shaped indentation in the metal showed how much force the punch had packed.
Black Samson groaned. He felt like he'd been hit by a car. He pushed heavily on the ground with his arms and slowly lifted himself up. The fight had been an exercise of Omega's restraint from beginning to end. Even a small portion of the winged hero's strength left him struggling to breathe.
"You fought well. Tactically you're much better than I am." A hand stretched out to Black Samson.
The broad-shouldered hero broke into a smile. He accepted the offered hand. An immense but gentle force pulled him up onto his feet.
Black Samson coughed and stretched his aching shoulders, "Thanks. You hit like a fucking freight train you know that."
Omega's mask covered his face, but Black Samson heard the winged hero laugh. By the sound of his voice, the masked hero was still young.
Black Samson and Omega rejoined the larger group of superheroes. The assembled heroes looked at the winged hero with a mixture of wariness and admiration. Omega's name had been circulating in the news for over a year. He was a household name in the States. His presence overseas was much smaller. Everyone present knew that was likely to change in a matter of weeks.
The next matchup was Atom-Eve against a shirtless giant of a man who went by the superhero name "The Hunk". The match began with The Hunk flexing his large muscles to his opponent. The display reeked of arrogance. Eve's body language had been unusually tense even before the match began. The childish flexing caused her eye to twitch with irritation.
The Hunk charged forwards. The reinforced arena shook from his enormous weight. He brought both fists down in a powerful smash. The attack landed harmlessly on the floor.
Atom-Eve stood looking disdainfully at the confused giant. The Hunk roared angrily and sprinted towards her. His veins resembled earthworms wriggling beneath his skin. The Hunk threw out a powerful punch. Atom-Eve sidestepped and dodged it easily.
The Hunk's strength was immense. But he was too slow to actually land an attack on his opponent. Atom-Eve released bursts of energy from her hands and feet that propelled her out of harm's way every time.
The Hunk yelled with frustration. His vision suddenly blurred as a blast of pink energy swept him off his feet. Before he had the chance to hit the floor, a fist covered with glowing pink energy slammed into his cheek. The enormous hero was thrown across the room.
The next fight got underway. A large humanoid gorilla wearing painfully too small underwear faced up against a hero called Shrinking Rae. The battle ended with the gorilla vomitting green liquid and the shrunken hero emerging out from his ear.
The rest of the battles varied from entertaining to lackluster. Alex's interest was piqued by a young girl who could transform into an enormous green monster. She was too far away for him to clearly percieve her through his powers, but he could detect a surge in an unknown energy as she transformed.
Throughout the try-outs, Alex noted the new hero known as Invincible watching from the sidelines. Invincible never participated in any of the battles. Alex wondered why the hero would refuse to try-out. He was clearly inexperienced, but his raw power, even when poorly utilised, could easily land him a place on the new Guardians.
The try-outs concluded. Robot stood before the group with his hands crossed behind his back. His synthesised voice was tinged with excitement, "It is my pleasure to introduce the new Guardians of The Globe."
"Black Samson. Shrinking Rae. Dupli-Kate. Monster Girl-"
A burst of nasal laughter interrupted Robot's announcement, "Ah-haha!"
Alex rolled his eyes and refrained from cursing under his breath. The culprit was of course Rex-Splode. The hero's arrogance seemed to be never-ending.
Rex-Splode bent down and placed his hands on his knees. He was at eye level with Monster girl, "Aww, look at her, she's adorable! But isn't there like an age requirement for this ride? Am I wrong? Cause this seems weird right?"
Alex's impression of the explosive hero dropped into the gutters. It was overwhelmingly clear that Rex-Splode had no respect for anyone. His name hadn't even been called and he had the boldness to laugh at a new member of the Guardians.
Robot turned his head. He started to speak, "Rex-"
Monster Girl's voice sounded exactly like that of a young girl. She pinched an invisible object between her fingers, "I dunno, you're here, isn't there like a dick size requirement?"
Rex shouted indignantly, "I'm sorry?"
Monster Girl retorted immediately and gestured with her pinky finger, "For what, your tiny dick?"
She leaned forwards and placed her hand at the side of her mouth as if she was speaking conspiratorally, "I mean the way you've been strutting around here, you must be compensating for something!"
Monster Girl looked pitifully at Rex-Splode's crotch. The other assembled heroes couldn't help but laugh.
Rex-Splode anxiously looked about the laughing crowd. He gritted his teeth. One of the projectile dispenser's at his waist clicked. Crackling orange light erupted in his palm. The air hummed as energy began to build.
"Somebody ought to teach you some motherfucking-" Rex-Splode's eyes suddenly widened. The rest of his sentence dropped away.
"-what the fuck?"
An enormous green fist swirling with mist rocketed towards his face. The crowd winced in anticipation of the crunch that would follow.
"This isn't the answer."
A hand caught Monster Girl's fist. The enormous green giant grunted and tried to push forwards. Monster Girl's eyes widened as she realised she couldn't make the hand budge by even an inch.
Omega had been the one to speak. His hand was tiny in comparison to Monster Girl's. The difference in size was meaningless. Monster Girl's attempts to free her fist failed to change anything.
Alex slowly lowered Monster Girl's arm. The green-skinned hero felt a shiver of fear bolt through her. There was nothing she could do to resist the winged hero. Her arm was forcefully placed back at her side.
"I apologise Monster Girl. I did not want the conflict to turn violent. The world isn't peaceful, not anymore. Rex-Splode is an arrogant and entitled jerk, but his strength is still useful." Omega addressed the monstrous hero. His tone was apologetic and geniune.
Monster Girl grunted. The swirling mist returned and her transformation slowly reversed. She sighed and spoke in a girlish voice, "Nah it's my bad. The kid thing always triggers me. I just hear the word then bam! Thanks Omega."
The imminent sense of doom from Monster Girl's fist had briefly caused Rex-Splode to shut up. To everyone's dismay he suddenly regained his voice, "Don't just act like I'm not even here you bastards!"
"Apologise."
Rex-Splode recoiled furiously at Omega's instruction, "How dare you! She said my dick was small! Well I assure you it is not! And it's certainly big enough to slap you in the fucking face!"
Omega didn't react to the insult. He just stood silently facing Rex-Splode. His mask covered his face completely.
"You may act like a jerk, but I've watched you save people. You've gotten hurt protecting people a hundred times. I don't believe that this arrogant act you're going for is the real you.
If I'm wrong then ignore me. Insult me again, insult whoever you like. But if I'm right, then be a fucking man and own up to your mistake."
Rex-Splode clenched his fists. He stared at the ground with an expression of simmering anger. The entire room watched intently.
Eventually Rex-Splode looked up. His teeth were gritted together.
"I don't have to do anything you tell me! I'm Rex-motherfucking-Splode. But-"
He paused. He looked as if the words caused him immense pain, "-but I'm maybe a teensy bit sorry Monster girl. Just a tiny fucking bit! And don't say anything more about my dick!"
Robot tapped his foot. The chrome-coloured metal produced a resonant ding against the floor, "As I was saying. Welcome to the Guardians Rex-Splode, once he's recovered, Atom-Eve and our final member-"
"Omega."