A True Hero Read online

  “Margaret?” John glanced at the TV and then back at her.

  Margaret lunged for the remote and turned the volume up.

  A news anchor with flaming red hair spoke to the screen with severe earnestness. “In breaking news, a major disaster was narrowly avoided a few minutes ago.” A video of the incident filled the screen while the anchor kept narrating. “During a fight between the Super Hero, Aeronaut, and an unknown Villain, Aeronaut dropped 50 feet out of the sky and collided with a vehicle trapped on the Tensaw Bridge during rush hour traffic. The vehicle was totaled. Aeronaut, who has anti-gravity powers as well as the ability to increase his mass and size, had grown to massive volume before plummeting to the ground for unknown reasons. Experts say, should he have collided with the bridge or any cars on it while in his gigantic form, his massive size and density would have crushed the bridge’s support systems and sent it and everything on it crashing into the Bay. Lives were spared because Aeronaut managed to shrink before he hit the car. The driver of the vehicle was rushed to the hospital and is in critical but stable condition. ASH has already released a statement which reads in part, ‘We are sorrowed to hear about this incident and pledge to cover any and all damages caused by our Heroes while on duty.’ We will continue to bring you updates as this story unfolds.”

  “I . . . it’s like he lost his power for a moment.” Margaret gazed at the screen.

  “Last week, Wave Rider had a similar experience. She nearly drowned crossing the ocean before her powers kicked back in.”

  “It’s ironic,” Margaret kept watching the footage cycle on the news. “A Hero with water manipulation powers almost drowning. I—” She froze. On the news footage, an orange sparkle caught her eye but she couldn’t tell where it had come from.

  “Heroes . . .” John pressed his lips together as he watched the footage. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s safe living in their shadow.”

  “Better than living without them in my opinion.” Margaret gazed at the screen. John probably hadn’t notice the sparkle like she had. “Who else would protect us from Super Villains?”

  “The big question is who will protect us from the Heroes if and when they decide to do what they want?”

  “That is the age-old question . . . which is why ASH started the Junior Hero program—to train young Heroes to use their powers for good and to be careful and cautious while using them.”

  John ran his hand over his head. “All it takes is one accident, though—one moment when they don’t see the danger . . .”

  “I know, John. I know.”

  He and Margaret stood in silence a moment, the weight of their conversation pressing down on them. Margaret suddenly smirked. “John, there you go reminding me of why I do my research in the first place.”

  “Why?” John frowned at her. “Are you coming up with a way to stop Heroes?”

  “It’s classified.” Margaret winked at him. “You do make it harder to make a decision about moving.”

  “It was never an easy decision to make.”

  “How true.” Margaret ran her hand across her forehead. Her eyes landed on the microwave’s clock. 7:58. “Look at the time.” She pecked John on the cheek. “Sorry, sweetie, but I have to go in to work.”

  “Now?”

  Margaret shrugged. “What can you do?”

  “You really do overwork yourself.”

  Margaret pulled on her coat and leaned in to give John a proper kiss before heading out of the door. “Good night, Nikki!” she called as she exited.

  “Night!” Nicole said from upstairs.

  Margaret sighed as she stared at the stairs. If only she could find a way to reach her, but that was a problem for another day. With another smile at John, she walked out of the door.

  CHAPTER 12

  AS SOON AS NICOLE HEARD the kitchen door close, she crept out of her room, peeking down the hall to make sure Margaret had really left. It wasn’t as if she didn’t like Margaret, but whenever she came over Nicole retreated into her room. She needed to stay in her own space. She did the same whenever her father had company over. In the back of her mind, Margaret was company, not someone who belonged in the house . . . yet. To Nicole’s credit, she did manage to stay out of her room for longer and longer periods when Margaret came over. Tonight was the first time in months she had hidden in her room the entire time Margaret had been there, and she had only done it because she was angry.

  “Hey, Pumpkin.” John watched as she came down the stairs. “Finally emerged?”

  “You guys did the dishes?” Nicole peeked into the sink. “It was my turn.”

  John shrugged. “You can do it next time. Your dinner’s on the counter. Might be cold, though.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Nicole retrieved her plate—a pile of sautéed chicken and vegetables in a light colored sauce. She took a bite. Even cold, it was delicious.

  “Aren’t you working with Starlight tonight?” John jerked his head to the clock. “It’s almost 8:00.”

  “I’ll leave at 8:30.” Nicole slipped her plate into the microwave.

  “Hmm . . .” John gazed into the distance for a space. “Nikki, what do you think about moving?”

  “Why would I ever want to move? I love Alferdale. My friends are here, and I love this house.”

  “What about going to a place where there aren’t so many Heroes and Villains around?”

  “You know it wouldn’t work for me. I am a Hero.” Nicole studied her father. “What’s going on? What brought this on?”

  John motioned to the television displaying the damage on the bridge. “Aeronaut caused a bunch of damage because he lost control of his powers. I’m afraid for you, Nikki. What happens if you face off against a Villain and your powers stop working . . . or what happens if you face off against a Villain you can’t handle?”

  “It’s what I’m training with Starlight to learn.”

  “This world is not kind to Heroes. You’re on top now, but . . .” John lowered his eyes. “Geode was on top too when she fell.”

  “Geode?” Nicole rested her hands on the back of the couch next to her father’s head. “Why do you bring her up?”

  “You know, geology powers . . . able to manipulate minerals and rocks into any type of materials. It’s right up your ally.” John gave a small smile. “Geode always reminds me of you.”

  “I wish I could have met her.” Nicole rested her cheek on her hands. “From what I’ve heard, she seemed like a cool Hero. There’s not many people I know who share a love of rocks and gemstones like Mom did.”

  “Margaret does.”

  “Yeah . . . I know . . .” Nicole averted her eyes. “I wonder what ever happened to Geode. I’ve tried researching her, but one day she vanished off the Hero scene.”

  “The job was too much for her. Overwhelmed her. I don’t want something similar to happen to you, Nikki. I . . . I . . . couldn’t handle it if you got hurt or worse. I . . .” John shook his head and trailed off. “I’m getting depressing, aren’t I?”

  “Little bit.” Nicole threw her arms around his neck. “I love you anyway, you old worrywart.”

  John patted her arm with a smile.

  “Speaking of powers, though, Daddy, is it possible I’ll get new ones?” The microwave went off so Nicole went to retrieve her food.

  “It’s entirely possible.” John watched her walk to the kitchen. “We don’t know much about how powers manifest. Some children like you show their abilities from a young age, while others don’t show any signs of powers until they hit their teens. I remember a story about a Hero who had a secondary power she didn’t know of until she was 18. Her primary powers were suppressing them. Why do you ask?”

  “I think I got a new one.” Nicole returned to her father, taking a bite of food as she came. “I can make things disappear.”

  John’s brows furrowed. “Do you mean cloaking an object or making it vanish from existence?”

  “I was fighting in the Museum when the Villain was going to c
rash into a display. I didn’t want it to happen, and the display disappeared. I didn’t check on its condition afterward.” Nicole shoveled Margaret’s food into her mouth. Of all Nicole’s complaints, Margaret’s cooking was not one of them . . . but it did add one more perfection point onto her list.

  “Knowing your powers, you might have cloaked it. You manipulate waveforms, and light behaves as a wave. If you bent light around the display, it would still be there but no one would see it. Definitely talk to Starlight about this. She’ll need to help you control it.”

  “I will. Thanks, Daddy.” Nicole scraped the last of the food off of her plate and into her mouth. “I’m going to get ready to go.” She plopped the dish in the sink. “I’ll wash it when I get back.”

  “Okay, Pumpkin. But . . . stay safe.” John stood to watch her. “After your mother, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

  “Starlight will be with me.” Nicole detoured to kiss his cheek. “Try not to worry so much. She’d never let anything happen to me.”

  John gave her a smile. “You trust her, huh?”

  “She’s best Hero.”

  John nodded gravely. “I’m glad.”

  Nicole gave him a grin before darting off upstairs to prepare herself for her patrol.

  CHAPTER 13

  “WHOA!” THE TELEPORTER appeared in the concrete room apportioned for him, but . . . six feet in the air. He crashed to the ground, jarring the breath from his chest. Only a few more inches and he would have at least landed on his metal framed bed.

  He examined the device strapped to his wrist. The Hero’s energy pulse had shorted something in his teleporter, but what? Groaning, he rolled himself onto his hands and knees. It was a wonder he had made it back to the Villain Lair, as the henchmen living here called it, with his device in this condition. Three times he had tried to teleport back here only to end up where he hadn’t intended—the last time he had plunged into the ocean. Still he had made it, but he’d have to repair the device later . . . if he could. What did the Hero do to it?

  His communicator chimed. “Where are you?” Shadowman’s voice slid from the speaker.

  Shadowman, the Villain’s Lair’s owner, always sent a chill up the TelePorter’s spine.

  “In the base. Why?” When the TelePorter responded, he tried to make his voice sound unflappable.

  “Get down to my office.”

  “On my way.” The TelePorter climbed to his feet and exited the room to go see Shadowman.

  Shadowman was in his office, standing with his hands behind his back, staring out of the window at the ocean below. He struck a huge frame, silhouetted in the light, though it obscured Shadowman’s features. Seeing his massive figure standing so still and tall made the TelePorter self-conscious about his own scrawny frame. They were similar—Shadowman and Captain Justice. The TelePorter could easily see Shadowman taking on Captain Justice with no issues—that is, if Shadowman fought his own battles. Which he didn’t. So maybe they weren’t so similar after all.

  “Took you longer than I thought it would to get back here.” Shadowman peered over his shoulder as the Teleporter walked in. He was a man of devices; he had a device for everything and was always looking for more. For example, he always wore a device to keep his face obscured in a shadow. Hence the name.

  “I had a run-in with Junior Justice.” The TelePorter jerked his thumb behind him. “Had to lose him.”

  “Shouldn’t be too hard when you have a teleporting device.” Shadowman narrowed his eyes at him. “Unless your tech is faulty.”

  “It’s not faulty.”

  “Really?” Shadowman turned to him, like a snake stalking its prey. “I heard it was disabled by some cut-rate Hero—Fractor . . . or something.”

  The TelePorter felt his heart jump in his chest. Shadowman seemed to know everything. He had eyes everywhere. But the TelePorter couldn’t let him see any weakness, so he raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and teleported across the room and back. Luckily, he didn’t need his device for such short hops.

  “Ah.” Shadowman nodded. “I was mistaken.”

  “So are you buying or what?” The TelePorter crossed his arms in defiance then dropped them to his side. He had once heard crossing your arms was a subconscious defensive mechanism for when a person felt vulnerable. He couldn’t show any vulnerability to Shadowman.

  “Such attitude and impatience.” Shadowman grinned at him, his teeth showing up white in his silhouetted form. “You haven’t proved to me your device works to my satisfaction.”

  “I’ve been running around stealing stuff for you for months!” The TelePorter slammed his hands on the table.

  “I’m putting the device through its paces.” Shadowman tossed a careless shrug at him. “You don’t expect me to buy faulty tech.”

  “My tech’s not faulty.” The Teleporter clenched his teeth together. “It’s worked all this time. You’re stalling!”

  “I want to see the extent of the device’s prowess.” Shadowman adjusted the cuff of his sleeve. “If you managed to teleport the Sapphire out of its containment, I’d say you’ve proven yourself.” He extended his hand to the TelePorter. “Hand it over.”

  “I don’t have it.” The TelePorter clenched his teeth and averted his eyes. “Junior Justice got in my way.”

  “I see.” Shadowman closed his hand. “As I thought.”

  “The device works.” The TelePorter laid his hand across his chest. “I got in the Museum without setting off any alerts. I even teleported the Sapphire right into my hands.”

  “So you say.” Shadowman turned back to the window. “How can I believe you unless I have the Sapphire?”

  The TelePorter lowered his head, glaring at Shadowman. “If you’re not buying, I’ll take my tech and go.”

  “Go ahead, but no one else will buy—not if I tell them not to.” Shadowman smirked at him over his shoulder. “Besides, you’ve committed various crimes across the planet. Leave here, and my contacts in ASH will make sure every Hero in the world will be after you—like how I got them to send Captain Justice to take out Hive Mind’s men today.” He smirked. “Hive Mind was once a top Villain, you know. The top Villain. But he took me too lightly. Little by little I chipped away at his empire until I climbed to the top. That shipment was his last chance to stay relevant.” Shadowman gripped his hands in a fist. “And I crushed it.”

  “You set them up?” TelePorter went to move his goggles to his forehead but thought better of it. “Some of your men were there!”

  “They were loyal to Hive Mind—tried to sell me out to him.” Shadowman snorted through his nose. “Hive Mind tried to use them to backstab me, and now he has nothing left. Let this be a lesson, TelePorter.” He shoved his face in TelePorter’s. “I will always take revenge on those who defy me.”

  The TelePorter forced himself to keep from gulping. “I was there too, but I didn’t defy you.”

  “Which is why your orders were to use them as a distraction to get the Sapphire.” Shadowman turned back to the window. “As long as you don’t cross me, you don’t have to worry about my friends coming after you.”

  “One difference between me and the rabble.” The TelePorter crossed his arms, forgetting what he had heard about being vulnerable. “I can teleport. They’ll never catch me.”

  “Don’t you still need the money?”

  The TelePorter froze.

  “Poor, genius inventor who can’t pay his bills.” Shadowman smirked as he skirted his desk. “Got yourself in debt to the wrong people, did you? All you need is an infusion of cash to make all your problems disappear.”

  The TelePorter bit his bottom lip. It was true. He did need the money. Badly. But he wasn’t as shallow as Shadowman took him for. “If all you want is the Sapphire, I’ll nab it for you. I get the thing, you buy the rights to this device, and we’re done.”

  “There’s the winning spirit.” Shadowman made his way back behind his desk. “I’ve even come up with a plan for you
to retrieve my Sapphire and prove to me your device works to my satisfaction.” He spread his hands on the desk. “It won’t be so easy to get the Sapphire this time. The Museum is going to lock it in secure containment. However, ASH is planning on transporting the gem to a more secure facility in Quenton. They’ll use an armored vehicle escorted by a Hero. I’ll set my men to attack the van. In the chaos, you teleport into the van’s hold and get it. This will be the real test.”

  “Fine.” The TelePorter turned on his heel. “I’ll be ready.”

  “I need the Sapphire, TelePorter.” Shadowman stood straight and put his hands behind his back. “You’ll regret it if you mess this up again.”

  “Right.” The TelePorter walked out of the office, knowing he had been branded.

  CHAPTER 14

  “HELLO?” NICOLE’S GROGGY, morning voice sounded like a bear waking from hibernation. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Hello?”

  “Still asleep?” Justin’s voice sounded chipper at the other end of the phone line. “It’s Thursday afternoon on our first week of vacation. Get up!”

  “I was out late at my job. Let me sleep.” Nicole had gone patrolling with Starlight last night—as they had every night since summer vacation started. They had so much fun together they stayed out later than they should have.

  Justin paused for a moment. “I worried about your job, Nikki. Should they be keeping you out all night? It’s got to violate some child labor laws. Only Heroes are allowed to stay out so late working at our age.”

  That woke Nicole up. “It’s fine. I’m up. I’m up. What do you want?”

  “Come to the treehouse. I want to show you something.”

  “I’ll be there soon.” Nicole held her pillow to her face, yawning.

  “I invited Stephanie.”

  “What?” Nicole shot up in bed. “Why?”

  “I can tell you want to hang out with her, but you’re too shy to ask.” Justin said, and Nicole heard the smile in his voice.