AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And the sex.
I let out a sigh. It might be the fact they understood hiding a part of themselves from the world, or perhaps they were beyond labels. Either way, I found that sexuality amongst heroes was a bit more flexible than the rest of the population. They might present as straight for the news crews, but between the sheets, I found they were less rigid about their identities. Much like Vanguard, I had more than my share of heroes.
I snickered at the idea of becoming a hero chaser.
“Help!” It wouldn’t be a Tuesday without a Vanguard citizen being kidnapped by a villain mastermind. “Somebody, help me.”
I turned toward the source of the voice. The alley was clad in shadows, tall buildings on either side protecting it from the rays of the setting sun. A bit of trash rolled about in the grim space. I could swear that the narrow street was desaturated, as if something had siphoned away the color.
“Really?” I eyed the street, heading to the club. It glowed a vibrant orange, basking in the light. There was a richness, and I swear I could hear birds chirping off in the distance. Was that the sound of an ice cream truck? Everything to my right was picturesque and deserving of a painting. The alley, however, screamed, “Danger ahead.”
“What could go wrong?” And with those magic words, I ensured that I’d be taken hostage, or vaporized, or worse yet, had to listen to a villain monologue. I might as well be a busty blonde running in high heels. The made-for-TV movie wrote itself.
“Is there anybody down there?” I stepped forward until my toes rested on the line where the majestic street turned into the gray alley of despair. “If you’re going to kill me, you have to tell me now. It’s a rule.” I’m sure there were meetings at villain central where they discussed what was and wasn’t considered fair. Did they operate by a governing code of conduct? I’d need to ask Bernard all these questions when he came out from behind the mask.
“Help.” It sounded like a basic damsel-in-distress cry.
“It’s been months since I was last kidnapped.” I stepped over the threshold, leaving the safety of the street. “Are you there? What’s wrong?”
A large trash can in the alley rattled. I froze, expecting a man wearing his underwear on the outside of his pants to yell, “Gotcha!” A second later, I could see a delicate hand spill out from behind the trashcan. There were no more cries, just a woman’s arm.
“Can I help?” There was no answer. This was a trap. I should have known better. They taught us to avoid these situations in grade school. According to Mrs. Bradley, I should turn around and run until I found a grown-up. Unfortunately, I had been held back that year. I’d show that vile woman I wasn’t scared. I couldn’tnothelp, but the tightening in my stomach should have been all the convincing I needed to run away.
“Let me help…” The woman’s arm connected to a beautiful naked torso. She was downright stunning until the scales started around her navel. From there downward, her body elongated into what I could only describe as a snake. Yup, I had found a Gorgon. “Dammit, I can hear Mrs. Bradley with her ‘I told you so.’”
There was no point in running. She grew twice my height, suspended by the muscles in her serpentine torso. Once she opened her eyes, I could see the yellow in her iris’. I had walked into a dark alley expecting something other than a giant snake woman growing taller as she debated eating me. Serves me right. Before bed tonight, I’d see if Mrs. Bradley was still alive. Then I’d write her the longest apology note.
“I don’t suppose you’re just hanging out? You know, maybe you’re just trying to scare somebody? Oh, no! See, I’m scared. Now, I’m just going to head on my way.”
“I’m so hungry.”
“I’m high in cholesterol. You should find yourself a vegan. I’ll see if there are any roaming the street.”
I turned around to see the tail end of the woman’s body blocking my escape. Great, this was going to make me late for work. You’d think with all the bad guys robbing banks or destroying apartment buildings, employers would be more forgiving. Nope, we still got docked for coming in late.
I could send out an alert on the HeroApp™. It would be just a matter of staying alive until somebody swooped in and carried me to safety. I moved my hand toward my pocket, but before I could slip it inside, the woman’s tail flicked my hand.
“So hungry.”
Somewhere off in the distance, it sounded as if somebody whistled. Not a song, just one long note, as if they couldn’t carry a tune. It got louder and, as I looked over my shoulder, I expected to see a man walk past the mouth of the alley.
The crash had me spinning around to face the woman and, at the same time, jumping back as if a bomb had gone off. The sound of metal and asphalt hitting the building walls made me shield my face. I landed on the ground, curling into a ball, hoping that I survived the fallout.
I spread my fingers to see the damage and found myself inches away from a pair of boots. Past them, a car had fallen from the sky, landing on the woman, burying her under a heap of metallic rubble.
I turned to the legs, following up the contours of their owner’s body, only pausing for a moment at the man’s crotch before taking in his chest. Magenta and black brand colors made up most of his costume. The torso appeared to be covered in triangle mirrors. I didn’t recognize him, but at this point, I couldn’t keep up with the sheer volume of people gifted with powers.
Holding out his hand, he spoke in a flat tone. “Come with me if you want to live.”
I raised an eyebrow as I brushed the bits of asphalt from my goatee. “Thanks, but I’m good. I’m just going—“
“Really? I just saved your life and delivered an epic one-liner, and you’re going to say no?”
“Epic? You stole your dialogue.”
“Harsh. You can’t leave me hanging, man.”
I chuckled at his insistence. At any moment, I expected him to pout and stomp his feet. They trained superheroes to save the victim. They didn’t know how to handle a victim willing to save themselves.
