Yesterday's Heroes (Consortium of Chaos Book 1) by Elizabeth Gannon Page B

another
file, trying his best not to kill anyone.  “Code name: Multifarious?  Real
name: unknown?  Powers: unknown, but rumor has it that this is the C of C’s
sniper, assassin, saboteur, and stealth expert.  Co-Chair of the Infiltration
and Elimination Department?  Hair: unknown? ...Wait… how the hell can
hair color be an unknown?”
    Everyone looked at a person at the
end of the table dressed in a white beekeeper suit.  Wyatt walked over to the
individual.  Beneath the beekeeping hood the villain wore an opaque faceplate
covering their whole head in a shield of milky white, smooth plastic.  On the
surface, in place of the person’s face, was etched the WWII symbol popularly
known as ‘Kilroy’; a man with a large nose peeking over a wall, only the top
half of his head visible.  Very odd.  But on the other hand, that WOULD explain
why he woke up one morning six years ago to find that symbol spray-painted on
the main Freedom Squad computer screen in the war room along with the tagline: “ I
was here!”
    Huh.  He had always wondered about
that…
    Wyatt was unable to tell if the
figure beneath the mask was male or female due to the bulky costume which
concealed the villain’s form and every inch of skin.  He squinted down at them
questioningly.  “…Multifarious?”
    The person shook their head and
then answered in a muffled and echoic voice from beneath the white faceplate.  “I
am not Multifarious.  Today I am…”  The person paused dramatically.  “… The
Beekeeper!”
    Wyatt stared at them for a beat and
then wrote that down on the file.  “The Beekeeper?  That’s what you’re really
going with?  Rather on the nose, don’t you think?  Wouldn’t simply The
Keeper or something bee themed like….”  Wyatt waved a hand.  “Umm…. Hive
Mind, for example,be more dramatic?  And why not just go with Kilroy ? 
It’s actually a really good villain name?”
    The person was silent for a long moment. 
“I am not Multifarious.  Today I am…”  They gave another theatrical pause.  “… Hive
Mind! ”
    Wyatt nodded in approval.  “ MUCH better.”  He turned to address the others.  “See folks?  THIS guy… girl…”  He
eyed the empty line on the dossier reserved for recording the individual’s
sex.  “Which is it by the way?”
    The figure picked up its coffee cup
and tried to take a sip of its beverage despite the fact that it was wearing
both a hood made of netting and a sheet of opaque plastic over its mouth.  The
liquid poured from the cup and then spilled down the faceplate and onto the front
of the costume.  The individual didn’t give any indication that it noticed.  “I
am… Hive Mind!”
    Why did everyone here need to be so
difficult?  Was it something in the water that made them pathological? 
    Wyatt gave a long suffering sigh.  “ Fine.  Whatever.  And what can you do? ”
    The figure was silent for a moment. 
“Today I can… communicate with bees!”
    Wyatt nodded.  “Bees.  Wow. 
Useful.”  He rolled his eyes.  “In any event, this PERSON… who is
apparently your sniper and yet oddly does not seem to carry a rifle, and claims
to suddenly be able to talk to bees… understands what I was trying to say about
code names.  Okay?  IT understands that the name shou…” He stopped and stared
at a man who was suddenly seated next to Cynic in a folding chair, his dress
shoes propped up on the table.  Wyatt pointed at him.  “Who is that?   I
don’t remember some guy dressed like Colonel Sanders sitting there before.”  He
flipped through the files to double check.  “Nope.  He wasn’t there.”
    Harlot stood up.  “That’s…” 
    The man took his spats off of the
table, and jumped to his feet, his arms going wide in greeting.  “ WYATT!  
Hey buddy, it’s good to see you again.  Name’s Prometheus.  We go way back you
and me.  Great to finally meet you.”
    Wyatt stared at him a beat and took
on a wistful