THE MOMENT
"Cool it, it's Eugene!" A deafening hush fell over the diner as Eugene walked in; but, he heard the rushed comment anyway. He didn't let it bother him. He felt rather nervous being the only Hero there, but he trusted the location. The Villains assumed he wouldn't make trouble; Glory Rose's diner was a neutral hotspot for Heroes and Villains alike. At the moment though, the Villain's League had the run of the place while the heroes recovered from their assault. It was something of a surprise that the Hero's League would launch an Omega-level mission while most of them were rebuilding the base; but, Eugene was ready. He was always ready for a chance that rarely came.
Eugene's ranking meant he didn't often get to participate. In a world where Super-powered beings were the norm, safety regulations were strongly enforced. He couldn't complain much though. He understood it was a fair assessment and he was still an official League member. With Omega-level clearance, he had access to all the league's advanced facilities and he kept himself busy while waiting for the call. Glory Rose, the green-haired owner, dashed out of the kitchen when everything went quiet. She greeted Eugene with a broad smile and a wave to follow her.
"Thank goodness! I really need your help, this way!" Even with her usual warmth shining through, Eugene sensed how rushed she was. She strode back through the door she walked out of before it completed a second swing.
'Be careful, Eugene!" an unfamiliar Villain advised him with a mocking tone and laughter radiated out among the gathered evil-doers. He ignored it and followed Glory Rose through the busy kitchen and into the back office. He'd never been to her diner when it was this busy and he realized he didn't really know any of the staff other than Glory. Still, he waved and nodded at each friendly face he passed.
"Crystal, this is the Hero I told you about; Eugene," he heard the introduction as he stepped into the small office. He was surprised to see a 5-year-old girl with streaks of rainbow in her blonde hair. The girl sat at Gloria's desk with headphones on her head and a plate of fish sticks with fries in front of her. She looked up long enough to see him, then looked back at the cartoon on the computer screen.
"Hi Gene," she replied as she picked up some fries.
"What's the mission exactly?" Eugene asked. He, and most of the League, would do anything for Glory; but, he wanted to know exactly what his Omega-level powerset was meant to do with her.
"Glory!" someone yelled from in the kitchen and Glory sighed.
"Sorry, I'll explain right now. Just keep her company for a bit, please!" She pulled him into the office and stepped out while closing the door behind her. Eugene was left alone with no idea what to do. But, he would figure it out for Glory.
"Hey, Crystal....," he spoke softly just because she was a strange child and he didn't want to scare her. He took a few steps closer. "Whatcha watching?" he asked. He didn't recognize the show; but, cartoon unicorns were singing and dancing on the screen. Her only response was to pick up the penultimate stick of food.
"I'm a Superhero," he said a little louder.
"Huh?" This time she moved one of the earcups slightly and looked up at him. Eugene realized she didn't hear him the first time.
"I'm a Superhero," he repeated with more confidence.
"I knowwww," she half-whined with her attention divided. Her eyes darted between him and the screen. But, Eugene wasn't going to give up yet. Whatever the mission was, he knew it'd be easier if she liked him.
"I can do this...," he swiped up her last fish finger without hesitation and held it in front of her. Her eyes shot wide as the golden, crispy outside took on a different shade. In the course of two seconds, the golden rectangle was now bright pink to match one of the unicorns on screen.
"MINE!" Crystal yelled and burst into tears at the same time. She scooped up a tiny handful of fries and lobbed the potato strips at him. "GO 'WAY!"
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" Eugene wiggled the fish stick and changed its color back. Unfortunately, the food product couldn't hold up to his urgent flailing; it broke and fell out of his hand. Crystal cried louder.
"What's going on!?" Glory's voice startled Eugene and he whirled around to see her push past him. His hand still held grease and fish remnants and Glory was smart enough to guess.
"Hey, it's okay...," Glory reassured Crystal with a soothing voice and the girl easily calmed down. "...you're in MY restaurant," Glory said. "You can eat all the fish sticks you want; I'll make more right now," she said.
"'Kay...," Crystal sniffled as her attention was drawn back to the screen.
"You're going to help me," Glory hooked Eugene's arm and led him out of the office. She closed the door and walked him over to a fry pit.
"These will be ready soon. Let them cool down a little before you give them to her," Glory said.
"Is this my mission?" Eugene asked. He wasn't trying to be a stickler; but, he really needed some form of clarification.
"I'm sorry, this is my mess," Glory shook her head. "I volunteered to watch her because I could do it here; but, I didn't think we'd get so busy. Usually, the Hero's League and Shadow Enclave keep me in the loop so I can staff up; but, this raid was kind of last minute for everyone."
"Okay...," Eugene nodded. "... why can't you watch her out there?" he trusted that she knew it was a sincere question. He wasn't accusing her of anything; but, his mind just needed things answered sometimes. Her restaurant was arguably the safest place in the city, if not the country. Only villains that could behave made the trip to Glory's and not a single one of them would harm the child under her watch.
"We tried," she shook her head. "The large crowd out there...," she gestured at the front of house. "...doesn't do any favors for Crystal's autism. It was supposed to be a quiet night," she chuckled.
"Okay... Why me?" Eugene asked. She could have asked for any hero in the League and got them. He was secretly thrilled that Glory requested him; but, so far he felt like the job could have been done by anyone. It felt extra insulting to request an Omega-level for this; but, he knew Glory wasn't being mean about it. The timer on the fryer began to chirp and Glory hit a button before she yanked the basket out.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time," she shrugged. "You can color with her or something; she'll get bored of that cartoon pretty soon." She giggled playfully and patted him on the shoulder as she walked away with a final wink.
"This is a job tailor-made for Hue-man; the Color Shifter," she said. It was obviously a playful comment and he couldn't be mad at her; even if she knew he preferred his civilian name.
"Thanks...," he smiled as he rolled his eyes at her. "Maybe this mission will help me climb up out of Omega-level. I'm only a couple of missions away from being able to re-register my name at Epsilon-level. And, this time, I'll go in knowing how serious the Hero's League is about paperwork."