AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her eyes went wide as the pieces fell into place. “Should have been obvious with the white suits. Villains these days are so lazy.” The HeroApp™ vibrated again, a black dot somewhere on the block. The HideOut had recovered from the last attack. How did businesses survive being blown up repeatedly? I should find out if I was going to be running the Alley.
While the rest of the coffee shop held their breath, she jumped to her feet. Stiletto heels flew across the cafe as she stormed to the door. If that didn’t signify she meant business, she tore a slit up the side of her dress. I realized she was going into a firefight without backup.
“You can’t go out there.” Yup, she ignored me.
“Damn,” Chad said. “A lady hasn’t had me this hot and bothered since—“
“Call Bernard. Tell him to get the Centurions,” I shouted at Chad. I ran through the door to see her standing in the middle of the street. I had never seen her in action, and standing there alone, she almost seemed petite. It had been years since she wore a cape. I didn’t expect a retired hero to—
Scarlet spun about, dropping low with her fist balled. The uppercut struck a white blur under the chin, sending a massive man soaring twenty feet into the air. She landed on one knee, the pavement cracking under her weight.
“Was the superhero pose necessary?” I mumbled.
The man spun head over feet before he regrouped. He came flying toward her, this time a fist posed to drive her beneath the city street. Scarlet hummed, her hair lifting from her shoulders. My jaw dropped as the woman hovered off the ground. My boss, no, my former boss, had come out of retirement for a one-night performance.
“Kick his ass,” I yelled.
“You have no superpowers.” The words were lyrical, as if stolen from a song on the radio. The power rolled along my skin, causing the hair to stand on end. If I had superpowers, I’d be questioning them right now. She had chosen her words carefully.
The man fell out of the air, skidding along the pavement until he came to a stop only a few feet away. The phone vibrated and more black blips appeared. This wasn’t a haphazard attempt at terror. The Nocturnals coordinated their efforts. But they weren’t the only ones.
“Mind if we have this dance?” Hyperion landed next to Scarlet before she fell back to her feet. The Ward’s heroes had never been territorial, but I was glad to see them step in. Scarlet could handle one of Eclipse’s flunkies, but could she withstand their combined might?
A man appeared behind her, knocking her into a nearby building. Before Hyperion could respond, the villain grew the size of a building and attempted to squash the hero with the heel of his foot. Hyperion fell to his knees, holding his hands up, an invisible barrier keeping the newest foe from flattening him.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished as the asphalt broke apart. My nerves weren’t made for this. I was about to squeal—
“Ouch, that could have hurt,” Hyperion said. I turned to see the man hovering next to me. The Zipper gave me a wave. I let out a sigh, thankful the speedster had saved the day.
“They’re everywhere,” I said, as if they didn’t already know that. I was about to launch into how Scarlet had clobbered the unconscious guy. But neither of them was anywhere to be found. “Wait, where’s Scarlet?”
“She’s at the hospital,” Zipper said. “Him, on the other hand…”
Thunder roared through the city despite there being no clouds. Lightning hammered into the chest of the giant, the source somewhere above the Ward. I didn’t know the name of every hero like Griffin or how to stop them from dying like Xander. But even I could identify the titan flying into view. The Nocturnals should run. Papi had arrived to spank the bad guys.
Hyperion shot into the air, and Zipper vanished before I could chuckle at my bad joke. Now that Scarlet had been taken to safety, it was time for me to get back in the coffee shop and shelter underneath a sturdy table. The Centurions had arrived and, like always, they’d mop the floor with the bad guys. Bernard best give Eclipse an extra punch to the mouth for me.
With a step backward, I moved from the street to the sidewalk. I did one last sweep to see if Theo or Julian had arrived to help the local heroes. I didn’t want Theo in harm’s way, but I would have paid money to see one of his portals opening for the cavalry to arrive and save the day.
“What are you up to, Eclipse?” I swear, it was barely a whisper. But somehow the universe heard. I watched the smoke roll from behind me through my legs. I should have known better than to ask a stupid question. And to say it out loud? I invited disaster. I’d be mocked later for not listening to Señor Kendrick in the fifth grade.
I spun about, lobbing a fist. My knuckles vanished into the smoke and struck something hard as granite. I refused to scream in front of the villain, but I was pretty sure I had broken a finger or two. My deadliest weapon was a scathing commentary. I should have stuck with what I know.
“I’m getting the impression you’re stalking me. If you wanted—”
The hand shot out of the smoke, a white glove and white sleeves. His fingers wrapped around my throat, and there was no point in flailing. If Eclipse wanted to kill me, it’d have happened already. No, just like every other egomaniac, he had a grudge. I’m sure before long, he’d be explaining his master plan and by the time he finished, half the heroes of Vanguard would be lined up to kick his ass.
“They’ll save me.” Right? My life couldn’t end, not now. I had unfinished business before I let this jerk kill me.
“They’ll try.” Eclipse stepped out of the smoke. The hood and suit looked different from the ones he wore at the club, but it was the same guy. If self-entitlement had a cologne, it’d be whatever he had bathed himself in before going on a villainous bender.
“What do you want…” Okay, breathing was getting difficult. I’d appreciate any of the thousand heroes in the city to arrive. They’d have a pithy exchange and then fists would fly. “… want with me?”
Eclipse laughed. Even his genuine, amused laugh that started in the pit of his stomach came with arrogance. His hand tightened and, without so much as a grunt, he lifted me into the air. I attempted a kick to his leg. I’m pretty sure I hurt myself more than him.
“You thought this was about you? You sad fool. This was never about a mediocre bartender. You were just an amusing addition.”
The world dimmed. Either his smoke had gotten thicker, or I was about to pass out from the lack of oxygen. Neither of them sounded like a fun way to end my morning. Eclipse leaned in, his cheek brushing mine. If he kissed me, I would not be happy. I didn’t need it to be any weirder than it was.
