THE MOMENT
L.S. entered the diner to unexpected fanfare. The moment he entered, the emergency beacon of every hero in the restaurant sounded a high-pitched notification.
"Excuse me," the old villain was in the way as the heroes gathered to leave. It was hard not feeling washed up at the sight of the new generation of heroes itching to get past him. He snaked his way through the crowd as they finally made their way out. L.S. scanned the diner as he approached the bar and he noticed there were no villains either. Glory Rose's diner served as a neutral ground for heroes and villains alike. It was rarely empty; but, the fact that all the heroes vanished likely meant all the villains were somewhere doing something. It only made him feel older not being invited to participate.
"Looks like it's gonna be a slow night, huh?" L.S. smiled at Glory as she came out of the kitchen.
"Oh no, not at all," Glory shook her head. The owner looked a little more flustered than usual. She looked knee-deep in the weeds; but, L.S. had no idea why. "I've only got a few more minutes to finish," she glanced at her watch. "You're not in a hurry to eat, are you hon?"
"Not one bit," he shook his head. "Anything an old Super villain can do to help you out? What's got you so busy?" he asked.
"What's got me so bu-, didn't anyone tell you?" Glory asked. "The Shadow Enclave is having a huge night tonight!" she said. "The Hero's League is on full alert."
"Oh. No... no one told me," L.S. shook his head. "I guess they think I'm already retired...," the old man's shoulders slumped slightly as he leaned over on the counter. He couldn't blame them. He'd been talking about his retirement for a little bit already, it was easy for him to see the miscommunication.
"Believe me, we're all counting the days until we never have to worry about the infamous Lightning Strike wreaking havoc across the city," an unexpected voice spoke up from behind and startled L.S. He hadn't heard anyone come in; but, he whirled around to see the leader of the Hero's League, Hero One. But, he wasn't alone. The full leadership of the Hero's League, and a familiar group from the Shadow Enclave was present along with as many other Supers as could fit in Glory's diner. L.S. knew he was getting old when he needed the situation explained to him. Luckily, Glory didn't waste any time. She giggled at him as the rest of the Supers cheered.
"SURPRISE!"