Heroes Without Uniforms
819 Words
The city bank was in complete chaos.
Customers lay face-down on the floor, too terrified to move. Some were crying quietly while others held their children close.
Seventeen large armed men controlled the entire building.
"Everybody stay down!" one of them shouted.
"No heroes. No police. Nobody moves!"
At the center of the bank, two burglars were working furiously on the massive vault door.
Metal sparks flew as they tried cracking the safe.
What they didn't know...
The heroes had already arrived.
Only this time, they weren't wearing their hero uniforms.
That had been Kennedy's idea.
According to him, the costumes made them too easy to spot.
"If we wear hero suits," Kennedy had explained earlier, "the burglars will see us from a mile away and start shooting before we even get inside."
Surprisingly, everyone agreed.
So Ava, Clarence, Lena, James, Derek, Kennedy, Jersey, Lacey, Shine, and Louise arrived dressed like ordinary civilians.
To everyone else...
They looked like regular people.
Lena casually walked toward the men cracking the safe.
Nobody stopped her.
One of the burglars finally noticed.
"HEY!"
Lena looked up innocently.
"Yeah?"
"GET DOWN!"
Lena blinked.
"Oh."
She pointed at the safe.
"I actually just wanted to ask what you're doing."
The burglar stared at her.
"What?"
"The safe."
Lena shrugged.
"What are you doing to it?"
The second burglar rolled his eyes.
"Keep cracking it."
He pointed to his partner.
"I'll deal with this idiot."
Then he signaled two nearby men.
"You two. Come here."
The two armed burglars approached immediately.
Lena slowly stepped backward.
"Woah... okay..."
The three men advanced toward her.
Their guns aimed directly at her.
"Listen," Lena said nervously. "I was just trying to help."
The men kept coming.
"I mean... do you even know how to crack a safe?"
The nearest burglar frowned.
"What?"
Lena pointed at the vault.
"Because I know how."
The men exchanged confused looks.
"You know..."
She smiled awkwardly.
"Professional curiosity."
The guns remained aimed at her.
Lena slowly raised her hands.
"Woah."
Another step back.
"Can I just say..."
The men continued advancing.
"Black really fits you guys."
The burglars looked even more confused.
Then—
From the side of the room—
Jersey appeared.
Just enough for Lena to see him.
He gave a small hand signal.
Done.
Lena immediately understood.
The heroes outside had already handled the guards surrounding the building.
Perfect.
She sighed dramatically.
"Thank God."
The burglars frowned.
"What?"
Lena smiled.
"I was getting tired of waiting."
The three men stopped.
Lena rolled her shoulders.
"Well..."
She grinned.
"I would've helped you guys."
She pointed toward the exit.
"But..."
Another grin.
"Time's up."
One burglar immediately pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Lena vanished.
The bullet struck empty air.
The burglars froze.
"What the—"
Suddenly Lena appeared behind them.
The nearest burglar's eyes widened.
"HEROES?!"
He looked her up and down.
"...Without uniforms?"
A fiery blur exploded through the room.
BOOM!
Louise slammed her burning fist into the burglar's chest.
The man flew across the floor.
Louise smirked.
"We like to blend in."
The remaining two burglars turned—
Too late.
Lena raised her hand.
BOOOOM!
Telekinetic force launched both men into the air.
Their weapons flew from their hands.
Louise tossed a pair of hero cuffs upward.
"Catch!"
Lena grinned.
The cuffs froze midair under her telekinesis.
Then shot forward.
CLICK!
CLICK!
CLICK!
All three burglars were instantly restrained.
Louise dusted off her hands.
"Done and dusted."
Lena nodded.
"Almost."
Louise raised an eyebrow.
"Almost?"
Lena pointed toward the vault.
"There's still one guy cracking the safe."
Louise smirked.
"Let's check it out."
The two headed deeper into the bank.
Soon they met up with Kennedy, Derek, James, Ava, Shine, Jersey, and Lacey.
But something strange was happening.
Someone was screaming.
From inside the vault.
"HELP!"
"LET ME OUT!"
Everyone stopped.
James immediately recognized the voice.
"...What?"
He slowly turned toward Clarence.
Clarence stood beside the vault with an innocent smile.
James pointed.
"Clarence."
Clarence smiled wider.
"Yes?"
"...What did you do?"
Clarence folded her arms proudly.
"Well..."
Everyone waited.
"I offered to help him crack the safe."
Kennedy immediately started laughing.
Clarence continued.
"And after I cracked it..."
She pointed toward the vault.
"...I flung him inside."
The screaming continued.
"LET ME OUT!"
Clarence grinned.
"Then I locked it again."
She spread her arms dramatically.
"Wa-laaaa!"
Everyone stared.
Another bang came from inside.
"PLEASE!"
Kennedy pointed at Clarence.
"Smart."
He nodded.
"Very smart."
Jersey looked impressed.
"Damn."
Lena laughed.
James shook his head.
"You literally turned the vault into a prison cell."
Clarence shrugged.
"I believe in creative problem-solving."
Inside the vault, the trapped burglar began pounding on the door again.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME IN HERE!"
Kennedy walked closer.
"Oh, don't worry."
He smiled.
"The police will get you out."
A pause.
"Eventually."
The heroes burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, inside the vault—
The burglar screamed even louder.
- Writer
