any idea how many employees have been accused of being Siege since that video aired? It’s like a witch hunt up in here! Of course, you would know that if you cared to stick around and help.”
“But we know it’s you,” Bridgette insists, eyebrows tight. “You have the motive, the access to information.”
“And you’ve been messing with my schedule! Keeping me away from any new developments because you know I’m a Warrior expert!” I add.
Teddy fans himself in mock embarrassment. “Again, flattered. But no. Claire, you think you’re the only one who’s had a crazy schedule lately? We are in an emergency state here, which means things have been changing minute to minute. Everyone’s been running around trying to chase every new lead, every new development, meaning that, yeah, meetings get canceled and rescheduled with hardly any notice.” He picks up his shattered tablet, which continues to flash with notifications despite the destroyed screen. I watch as a non-stop stream of texts from different department heads pop up, asking him to book conference rooms, cancel press conferences, and clear afternoons in a mind-bending dance of calendar tango.
I guess it wasn’t just me getting yanked around.
He drops his tablet back on the floor as if it no longer holds any use for him, kicking it under a nearby empty desk. “This has been fun, but I have actual business to attend to. Like capturing the real Siege.”
“But we already did! It’s you!” I say, even though certainty is seeping out of me like a deflating balloon.
He sighs. “Listen, while everyone here has been burying their heads in the sand, I discovered what’s really going on. And since our ridiculous chapter president refused to acknowledge my work, I’ve been running my own side mission. You’re welcome to join the cause, since you’re so enthusiastic.”
“Right, like we’d ever trust you!” I snort, and Bridgette nods in agreement.
Teddy bends down so that we’re level, dark eyes peering into mine. “You don’t have to trust me. The evidence speaks for itself.” And with that he spins around, disappearing down a red-lit hallway while whistling an unsettlingly cheery tune.
Curious, we have no choice but to follow.
NBC 5 special report
With Warrior Nation on a media blackout, reporters have been desperate for commentary, turning to anyone with even the remotest of hero connections to sit down for an interview.
NBC 5 recently visited a Cook County prison to speak with Chomper, an inmate convicted of five counts of kidnapping and grand theft auto. Chomper was brought to justice three years ago by Blue Streak during a high-speed chase on I-88 in which Blue Streak flew behind the villain’s stolen Lamborghini, lifting it up off the expressway and carrying him directly to local authorities.
When asked for his thoughts on Siege and his superpowered Anti-Heroes, Chomper said:
“It’s smart, you know? I don’t know why nobody has thought of it before. Organizing a bunch of crooks to use their talents together? Yeah. Most of us work alone, but that makes no sense. Even though I like being the boss, I wouldn’t mind working under a guy who gives me free range and protection to do what I want. Those Warriors…forget ’em. The days for heroes are numbered.”
“I DON’T LIKE THIS,” CLAIRE WHISPERS TO ME as we follow a disturbingly cheerful Teddy through HQ. “Why is he so freaking happy?”
“He has a secret,” I murmur back to the sound of him humming “Whistle While You Work.” “If I know anything about Teddy, it’s that he loves being an insider.” While Teddy is the king of acting chipper for his superiors, brownnosing pleasantries are different than genuine smiles. Without the weight of his constantly flashing tablet, he’s looser, shoulders down and stride relaxed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in such high spirits, so this pep in his step must mean he’s got something good, something liberating. Something you’d have to see to believe.
“But, like, he’s not taking us to some hidden murder den, is he? Shouldn’t we be going to get the purple paper instead?”
I shake my head. “We will. Let’s just see what he knows first.” We’re headed toward the east wing, the first HQ hub from the 1950s. As technology advanced and Warrior Nation grew in popularity, the need for more offices and space exploded, causing the Chicago chapter to build out into the underground labyrinth it is today. But for some reason, the original space never got a face-lift and was basically abandoned. Now it’s used primarily for storage.