2.6

Part 6

To say I froze is like saying the arctic is a bit chilly. I went so still I actually think my heart stopped beating for a moment. My lungs certainly shut down for a moment.

Then slowly, as if unthawing my eyes tracked over to the big pile of armor and cut sheet metal piled loosely on my bed.

...shit.

But no, this could be fine. I mean look at comic books. Trying to hide things never worked, and actually having people know about your super-hijinks. People who could help made things a whole hell of a lot easy-

Except that the first thing Todd would do after trying and failing to convince me to give up on all the cape nonsense would be to try and get me in the Wards. Which was just a freaking horrible idea because this was Brockton Bay and-

FUCK! Panic! Panic time was now! Oh great Lords and Ladies laughing among the stars what the hell was I going to do!?

Okay calm! I had time! He had no reason to check in my room. I just had to be nice and quiet while hiding everythi-

I heard the sound of him hitting the phone message recorder. One message, an automated call from Winslow reporting my truancy.

FUCK!

I had already started stuffing away the steel plates but between their awkward shape in relation to the space I had and the need to put them in without making too much noise I hadn't gotten much progress done while the message played.

So, abandoning all attempts at stealth I shoved the pack and the remaining plates under my bed in a rush grabbing the more complete, conventional, and unfortunately already painted motocross armor to toss over to the other side of my bed.

Right as Todd opened the door.

Leaving me standing with a super suit held up right at chest level demonstrating, yes, it was perfectly my size.

Todd looked at me.

I looked at him.

My brother was still clad in most of his gear. Dirty overalls and galoshes over an equally grimy, water-resistant sweater. His hair, red as mine, was oily, and the dark bags under his eyes, and hollow expression he had combined with it to make it seem like he hadn't slept in a week.

Luckily for me, that also seemed to be much of his mental state as the raw look of befuddlement on his face told me I had precious few seconds to come up with a convincing cover-story before he managed to register just what I was holding.

"School project!" I declared at once almost as much to myself as him.

He blinked and looked at me.

"It's a school project. I'm... making BMX bandit's armor," I stated quickly. "In memorial! World studies. Sorry I missed the morning classes. Slept through my alarm spending all night making it."

He latched onto the normality, "You stupid little Gnome," He grunted in a voice not much older than mine. "You've been leaving projects to the last minute again?"

"It's world studies," I deadpan. "What job am I going to get with straight A's in world studies?" I asked tossing the armor over my bed casually. Was I really getting away with this?

"Whatever," he grunted. "You're going back to class," he stated in a tone that broke no arguments.

"'Course," I agreed. "Only skipped the morning to rush-job all of this," I held up my short stack of papers on my actual project, praying to anyone listening that he didn't care enough to look through them.

"Sure you did," he deadpanned. "God damn it Dwight, you need to take this stuff seriously."

"I am!" I defended, "Just... prioritizing. You'll see when my grades come in," or my GED did anyway. "I'm heading back now!" I added quickly, eager to escape the situation.

"You need a ride?" he questioned, letting out a defeated huff of disappointment.

Ow, right in the pride.

"Nah it's lunch break already... I'll just walk up," I declared stuffing more school stuff into the bag after withdrawing it from under my bed, careful not to make a sound.

"I'm checking with the principal that you came to class later," He warned before easing off to his room.

I exhaled.

That was a close one...

Justified paranoia spiking up I shoved all the bits of cut metal into my closet before setting the rest of my 'school costume' to the side of my bed. Hopefully it would be dismissed as anything important.

If I just repainted the thing before my debut... Well I was going to do that anyway when I redid the plates right?

Shit I still needed to get to school.

Shoving my school stuff back into the bag, I slung it over my shoulder again, and sparing a glance at Todd's room let out a "I'm heading out!" before exiting the building.

That was one crisis averted.