Haresa
"What the heck do you want with me, Lyra?"
I was fuming. If I wasn't wearing a bracelet, I would've been apologizing to the principal about damaging the school again. Sparks jumped from my wrist so often that I felt like the bracelet would've broken and I would have to pay the school back one hundred bucks. I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself but the anger only stewed inside of me, ready to boil over.
Lyra didn't answer my question as we continued our walk to the school's foyer. I used my hero license to take off the bracelet before plopping it on the table and she continued walking towards the school gates where a limo waited for us. There was a man in a black tuxedo and earpiece that opened the door when she was only a few steps away.
She sat inside the vehicle before signalling with her hand that she wanted me to sit inside as well. Her briefcase was now placed on the seat next to her, leaving the only seats across from her to be available. I sighed and climbed onto the plush seating and I heard the door shut behind me.
There was a long gap of silence. Neither of us was willing to speak and the limo had begun driving to who knows where.
Lyra cleared her throat. "I don't know if you remember, but you are now one of the new faces of Blanc enterprises and it's imperative that you make some appearances on behalf of the company."
My jaw dropped. "I've been doing my hero work!"
"But you haven't been doing any promotional campaigns for the company. We don't need you just to be a hero but a product that we can commodify to the masses."
"Can you talk to me like a person and not a toy?"
"Look, if you wish to continue representing us—" I glared at her. "—and not breaking the contract we had agreed upon—" My glare turned into a frown. "—you will have to communicate with us."
"When does my contract end again?"
"Talk to your lawyer, I can't be expected to remember every detail of every client's contracts."
She always said that but it would be nice to acknowledge that it was ending soon. They just made me the face of their company yet I had no obligation to stay after my eighteenth birthday.
"Anyways, we're holding a show off this month and you are required to go."
I froze. "A show off?"
"Yes, all the most popular villains and heroes will be participating of course."
"I haven't been in one since I was a literal child." I pursed my lips. "I don't understand why anyone thought it was a good idea to hold one for literal children."
"Well, you're not a literal child anymore. You're at least able to spar with people your own size." Her tone was clipped and impatient. "Anyways, if you like to uphold your end of the contract, I would advise you to make this appearance. It'll be good for sales."
I let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, I just have to make sure I'll be available for it. Just, email me the details?"
"It's settled then." She took out some papers from her briefcase and handed one to me before peering down at another sheet. "I would also like to ask you one more thing."
I tried not to groan and looked over the paper. It was a flyer for the show off. "What is it?"
"That new villain you faced off... Sheldon, was it?" She tilted her head to the side as her hands fell onto her lap. "I've had a hard time finding information about him. Maybe due to his status as a brand-new villain but I would like it if you could have him join us for the show off so you two can have another encounter. The fans have been loving your dynamics, especially since you two seem to be around the same age."
My eyes squinted together in suspicion. "What makes you think I'll be able to get him to join?"
"I'm willing to bet that he's attending the same school as you and you wouldn't have a hard time sniffing him out from the few students in your grade. There aren't many student-aged heroes in the area."
I silently cursed to myself and nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can do. No promises."
"If you need to give him an incentive, let him know that his appearance will be paid for and if he aims for the grand prize, he could be taking home a grand total of five thousand dollars."
My fingers rubbed the bridge of my nose and I nodded. "Okay, we'll see what happens. Is that all?"
"Yes, that is all." She paused. "Also, I hope you'll be on top of your communication with us. It's very much a pain to retrieve you since it requires me to move my schedule around significantly."
"Yeah, sure Lyra."
The car slowed to a stop and I noticed that we had stopped in front of my house.
"Rest up, Saenin. There isn't much time until the show off."