The bus rolled down the streets of the busy hustle and bustle of Des Moines within the state of Iowa. As the streets were packed with activity from those eagerly holding up the toys of the greatest hero, Homelander, having since recently made his introduction to the world after months of hype and anticipation built up. Many children were eagerly rushing down for the newest action figures, toys, or any merchandise of sorts to add to their collection or simply support their favorite hero further. Teenagers discussed who would win in a fight or talked about the abilities of Homelander and the Seven and who would win in a fight or even a tag team or those of new movies based upon them, making bets or eager to watch them in flicks, along with hoping that if the heroes weren't too busy, that they would allow them a quick snap of a selfie for them to post on the internet and social platforms. Adults scoured the news of the heroes at the daily newspaper for any crime stopped by them, sipping drinks while heading to work while idly chatting briefly for a moment to discuss things not of heroes such as their own children or work. It was all the right in the world, as this image created a perfect ideal scenario of peace and modernization of praise that the Seven, introduced by Vought International, would do good and continue to do so within the United States of America, God's Chosen Land, and where the heroes the world praised were born. Des Moines in Iowa was simply one of them.
The bus continued to roll down the streets. As it did, the driver gave a announcements to its numerous occupants and travelers of the various activities and restaurants they could try, along with a introduction video of the possible chance of meeting the touted heroes while they were patrolling to keep the peace, most of the occupants clapped, save for two figures that sat near the back of the bus.
One of them was sleeping, her eyes shut as she rested her head against the back of the headrest of the seat. Grey-white hair flowed down to her shoulders while her eyes were shut. When a bump jolted the bus as it rolled down the streets, her eyes opened, revealing a pool of gold. She grumbled slightly. Her face was soft, considered attractive and pretty, and was curled up in one of annoyance and fatigue. She donned a dark jacket with a white shirt underneath and a skirt. Stretching, she grumbled slightly, poking her companion in the arm.
Her companion besides her, taller yet donning the same dark jacket along with pants and a white undershirt, smirked slightly in response, chuckling in a low tone. His own golden eyes were shining in amusement and grey-white hair, his face was sharper and angular.
Another grumble escaped her lips and she hung her head slightly with a groan. She reached to the back of her neck to soothe the soreness of it. Sleeping in a bus that provided and offered no support was a pain figuratively and literally speaking.
Glancing to her side and noticing the granola bar he held, she muttered a thanks in a quiet tone, and bit into it, looking out the window as it passed by passersby and its locals.
Within an hour, the driver screeched to a halt and pressed the controls to open the door, announcing in a voice that was a bit perhaps too cheerful for how long the drive was in both their tastes that they had arrived here, and for those with their intended destinations here to step off and leave.
As they gathered their packs and left the bus, paying in cash, the twins stepped out to the open excitement the city seemingly provided in Des Moines in Iowa, watching briefly to see the few children play and scream in joy as they waved their action figures around and the heavy advertisement of the Seven that surrounded them.
There was too much one person could watch, and both twins watched the advertisements with a darkening cold expression. They heard it one too many times, and the bus ride and arrival provided no support, only fueling their resentment of the heroes. Even if they did not, they weren't blinded by it as most children or those their ages were.
They had to go though. Dropping their skateboards and hopping onto it, they moved to the heavily crowded area to the suburbans.
Deeper within there, they continued their way, skating down the vicinity away from where those middle and upper middle class of the locals lived within the ravenous excitement and crave of the city, to a less crowded and parts of the city where none could even notice or desire to go into. It was a place for the poor and less fortunates, alongside gangs and hookers and drug dealers alike. For many, it was far from ideal, sickening even.
But for the twins, it had been a perfect place, for even here, it was long since abandoned, which meant they wouldn't attract the wrong sort of attention, and the young man, Caelus, was glad. He had already seen the looks they had given his sister as she skated and kept pace with him, Stelle, and even him for that matter, from both genders.
Flipping up their skateboards, they arrived at the place at last, passing through an underpass of a broken gate to reveal where it was.
The apartment was a ramshackled, dirty mess, looking just about to be on its last legs. Looking around cautiously, there were no people, not even a gang or drug dealer in sight, and they were relieved. It meant all the privacy they were gracious for and had to themselves. It seemed that the research they had done the prior week onto this part of the abandoned city, with construction workers simply giving up to rebuild or even tear it down for space meant it was all for them.
They entered the apartment of one of the buildings and looked around. A dusty mattress sat in one of the corners of the room with another adjacent to it in another. The sink, surprisingly, still worked, though it only poured out cold water, and a kitchen that needed to be cleaned.
Yet despite it, it was still functional, even if it looked completely uninhabitable.
Both began to unpack to settle into their new home. A home they would live in for a month before once more, they inevitably began to move once more.
It was all to avoid detection, Caelus thought. All to avoid it from Vought. Once he and his sister settled in, they would move. No places they could grow comfortable and attached to. There was no place for them, and they had no one but each other. It was a lifestyle they had readily accepted.