The Mall

                                    

                                          
"What the actual hell is going on?" Snowdawn asked with wide eyes.
"You two should leave." Max Lightning's voice wasn't heroic. It was a drawl, barely any energy behind it; his shoulders slumped forward. He might have been in his costume now, which was clean and spotless, but the bags under his eyes remained, and his hair was still a mess. "The civilians will need someone to round them up and lead them out of here."
"What about you, though?" Snowdawn asked. "You think you can handle that guy?"
Max Lightning lazily shrugged. "I'm strong."
"Right."
"He'll be fine." Whisper grabbed onto Snowdawn's wrist and began to drag him away. "Trust me. My dad fought alongside the greats like Ruby Admiral and Full Monarch. He was the one who helped the Victorian get back on her feet after the death of her dad, and he has kept his city safe from any threat."
"And that man is actually your dad?" He shot a look back at the tired-looking Enforcer member.
"Trust me." Whisper frowned beneath her mask. "He hasn't been my dad in a while."
"What are you saying?" His eyes met those of the Enforcer member.
The homeless man looked back at him. "Mr. Moore." He nearly jumped when the hero used his real name. Max Lightning stared past him almost. "I don't think we'll ever talk again, so while I have you here, I just wanted to say this. In a few months, when you have to make a difficult choice, you're going to wonder if it was the right one. Trust your gut, okay?"
"What the hell does that mean!" Snowdawn asked in a panic.
"You'll know when the time comes-"
"I would like to know now! That's a serious death flag! I'm too cool to die! Get it? Cool? Oh, God, is that what does it! My puns?"
Max Lightning stared at him with a flat look. "Just trust your gut. Now go."
Snowdawn wanted to say more but shook his head and turned away. He had never been that smart, but he knew people were in trouble right now. He held his arms out, blasting a wave of snow and trying to block off any area with a villain. "Everyone! Follow us this way." He called out, trying to round up any civilian that hadn't made it out yet. "We'll keep you safe!"
Dozens of wasps flew through the air and began to take shape, forming into a young man. "He's right. Anyone that can stand, we have to get out of this place. This mall isn't going to be standing for much longer if this many powerhouses are here!" Wasp Nest shouted.
From above, BB flew through the air, bending the wind and air to help lift heavy things off of people and spot anyone who couldn't stand. Oxide walked calmly, her dress forming dozens of tendrils that casually picked people up. Metal Ronin raised his arm up, blasting out with a cannon that blew a hole in the wall leading to the outside.
"My God," Whisper muttered. As they left the mall, they could all see it. Fires swarmed the many towers and buildings, followed closely by the loud noise of a blast. "The entire city is under attack."
"No time to waste." Wasp Nest announced. "The Enforcers will be called in, but with how much destruction there is, they'll be spread thin. We're going to help as many people as we can. If you spot a villain, don't engage unless you have no choice. Snowdawn, you're with Metal Ronin. I think you two are our best bet for putting some of these fires out. Oxide, you're with me and BB. Her and I aren't able to lift anyone when we're in our transformed states, so we need you to follow after us while we scout for anyone who is in trouble. Whisper, we need you to set up communication if you can. Whatever these guys did, all our phones went down. We'll need someone to direct us."