Quoted By:
<span class="mu-s">“I didn’t need saving! You're the ones who put me in danger!”</span> you shouted in that unfamiliar voice, now aware of the bandages creeping up your face. <span class="mu-s">“You don’t just jump someone in broad daylight, kidnap them, and then say that you're trying to help them!”</span>
Liberty shrank back, clearly startled by the intensity in your voice. Maybe she’d somehow forgotten that you were currently wearing the blood of her comrades. The people that you just…killed?
Now that you had a moment to catch your breath, your mind was finally starting to catch up with the rest of your body. That was the most brutal fight you’ve ever been in. You were kind of expecting to be more…freaked out? But your head was clear, even now, surrounded by potential enemies on all sides.
The clumsy footsteps approaching you from behind snapped you out of your brief period of self-reflection.
<span class="mu-g">“Hey! Back o-”</span>
You turned and <span class="mu-s">roared</span> at Hulkette. Literally. Roared.
You've <span class="mu-s">never</span> made a sound like that in your whole life.
The short green girl found herself taking an involuntary step back as you loomed over her, which only angered her even more. You were almost hoping that she'd take a swing at you. You were already planning how you'd take her apart when Liberty spoke up.
<span class="mu-b">“No…she's right.”</span> she admitted. <span class="mu-b">“We should've tried to explain things from the start. We're sorry for the way we went about picking you up.”</span>
You narrowed your eyes at her and leaned away from Hulkette. Was it just your imagination, or had these girls gotten shorter?
<span class="mu-s">“What is this place? Why'd you bring me here? Is ‘Cradle’ the name of your organization?”</span> you asked.
Liberty seemed to perk up a bit at that. She placed one hand on her hip, and used the other to gesture around at the hangar.
<span class="mu-b">“That’s right. This is only the first level of our facility, where we store our vehicles and other types of large equipment. Here at Cradle, we try to locate and gather young vigilantes, sidekicks and criminals so that they can receive proper training, better equipment, and clear direction for how they should proceed going forward.”</span>
So…a superhero training program? Was that really all this was? If you weren’t surrounded by armed men and women, you might’ve felt a little stupid for getting all worked up over what you were now realizing was an unusually aggressive recruitment drive.
You held a hand up to stop her, and you noticed that your arms were starting to return to their original length. The claws were still there, though. What the actual hell was going on with your body today? And why were you still so calm about this?
<span class="mu-s">“Whatever pitch you were planning on making, I’m not interested.”</span> you declared, cutting her presentation short with a voice that was starting to take on a deeper, more tremulous tone.
If you wanted to go to hero school, then you would’ve applied to Avengers Academy when Ben gave you the option to do so.
(Cont.)
