by Sarah Bale
Copyright © 2019 by Sarah Bale
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by Lauren Dawes/ Sly Fox Book Design
Edited by Jodi Thompson
First Printing: November 2019
Rise: Saving Silver City Episode 1 / Sarah Bale. -- 1st ed
Spider bite.
Refugee from an alien planet.
Mutant.
Billionaire seeking revenge.
Yeah... None of those things explain what happened around the world three years ago. People woke up Changed. I woke up Changed. But we're not all good.
Heroes.
Villains.
All fighting for answers.
All fighting each other.
My name is Alpha. I was the first. And I'll be the only one standing when this is over.
**This is a Reverse Harem Romance with adult themes.***
Dedication
To Ryan Reynolds – thanks for being such a hilarious anti-Hero on screen. When I’d hit a slump, I’d ask myself What Would Deadpool Do? #WWDD
To Katie, Laura, Jodi, and Katherine – who got to listen to me bitch when I didn’t want to write. And then tell me to get back at it. Thanks ladies!
To my nephew, Nate – who always asked me to write a superhero story (Since I didn’t write something cool, like Captain Underpants LOL!)
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Let’s Connect!
Also by Sarah Bale:
About the Author
One
“Is she one of them?”
“I think so! We should ask for a selfie!”
Oh god. Please, don’t.
Picking up my pace, I dodge a group of kids out trick-or-treating before they can ask for a photo. I’m usually okay with stopping, but not tonight. A long time ago this was my favorite holiday. I mean, what’s not to love about Halloween? You get to dress up as something you admire or fantasize about. When you’re a kid, you get candy. As an adult, there are kick ass parties – or used to be. No parties for the Heroes – that’s what we’re called, by the way. Original, right?
Now, this is a night I’ve come to absolutely hate with a passion. Ever since the Changing happened. I snort. I also hate that the official term selected is Changing. I mean, come on! It sounds so… simple. And doesn’t even begin to cover what people went through. Sometimes I still wake up screaming, as nightmares of that day haunt me. So, yeah, a lame term for something much more.
Because of that day, so very close to Halloween, I now live in a world full of Heroes and Villains. And we’re not all good. I reach my destination and shove all negative thoughts aside. I’m not here to dwell on the past. I’m here to save the future. If I’m lucky, I’ll be the only one standing when this is over. Well, that might be a bit much. Let me rephrase – I hope the good guys are the only ones standing when this is over.
The building doesn’t look any different than the ones next to it. Tall. Boring beige paint over the once red brick. Nothing flashy to call attention to it. We keep it this way on purpose. If Basics, or regular humans, knew what went on behind these doors they would do one of two things. They’d either run away screaming, or they would try to harness what we have. Neither are good options. Hell, the government is already one step away from having total control over us.
I stand in front of the retinal scanner, keeping still as the little blue beam scans my eyes. I once asked if this could cause cancer. The Uppers laughed, saying if it did, it wouldn’t matter. My superpowers would heal by body before the cancer could eat away at it. Still doesn’t make me feel very confident standing here. But there are worse things that can happen to a Hero. They know it. I know it.
“Access granted. Welcome, Alpha.”
The door unlocks and I step into the lobby, waiting for the door to close and lock. When everything is secure, the platform I’m standing on automatically lowers. The ground level of the structure is just a ruse. Everything important is underground and hidden, which is kind of fitting since that’s how most of us live anyway. I reach the bottom and step off the platform.
I’m greeted with a wet kiss on each cheek. “Alpha! We didn’t know you were coming by today!” Tick says.
Tock, the other head on Tick’s body, sighs. “Of course she’s here today. She wouldn’t miss something like this.”
Tick and Tock are the Heroes - or Hero, since they technically share one body - who maintain our headquarters in Washington DC. They get too much attention in public, so they’d rather stay here, where no one judges them. They don’t even fit through doors or in cars, so it’s easier for them to stay here where they can be useful.
Want to know what their superpower is?
They don’t have one, other than having two heads.
Bummer, right? When the Changing happened, their single body went through some kind of inner alteration and two heads appeared. That’s it. If you ask me, they got the shit end of the superhero stick. I mean, their story would be a lot cooler if one of the heads was a parasitic twin or something, long lost in the womb only to be discovered after the Changing.
“Oh.” Tick drags out the word. “I forgot. Silly me.”
They’ve both failed to mention that I was specifically summoned to headquarters tonight, which makes a big difference. If I didn’t show up, there’d be hell to pay from the Uppers. But, my watch didn’t even buzz in warning, so I’m safe. I think. I hope.
“Is anyone else here?”
They shake their heads.
Tick replies, “You’re the first, as always. Ought to get a medal for being on time.”
What they don’t know is that I’m on time because I can’t afford to get in trouble. The Uppers have always held me to a higher standard than the rest and punish me with the same enthusiasm.
Tock adds, “The drinks are out. Feel free to get one.”
I smile. “You know I can’t drink while on the job.”
He winks. “There’s soda.”
Crossing the floor, I go to the refreshment table and grab a can of my favorite diet soda. It’s more of a habit really, because it doesn’t taste the same. A side effect of the Changing. Luckily, it’s hit or miss on what tastes different. Wine and chocolate still hit the spot, so I consider that a win. Some of the other Heroes can’t say the same. One of the Heroes can’t eat human food and has to rely on cat food to get by. Of course, she’s more cat than human, so who’s to say she’d want human food if she could have it? Not like she can even talk to say one way or another. All she can do is hiss and meow.
Loud boots stomp their way across the floor.
“Alpha,” Ink calls out. “Why am I not surprised you’re already here?”
I’ve known
Ink since Day One. We were in the same treatment facility, though it really should have been called a torture center. I got in trouble for suggesting the name change at our last meeting, but none of the Heroes disagreed with me. Which is why I ended up getting extra patrol duty. The Uppers thought it would improve my attitude. What it really did was remind me that my thoughts don’t matter.
Ink stands tall, nearly seven feet, with mocha skin that’s splattered with dark blots resembling ink. That’s how he got his name. Leave it to the government to be so creative, right? It goes hand-in-hand with his superpowers, too. He can change any ink on paper to say what he wants it to say. More importantly, if he’s in danger, he can shoot out a cloud of ink, like an octopus, forever staining the skin of his attacker a dark blue.
But his eyes are sky blue and twinkle when he laughs, as he’s doing now. Heck, I’ve found myself getting lost in those depths more than once before things got too complicated. And, let me just say – sex and superpowers always make things complicated. Fun, but complicated.
I hug him. “It’s been too long, Ink.”
Even though we’re not together, I still get a little rush when we touch. If he feels it, he doesn’t let it show.
“I know, baby girl.” He sighs. “Been working overseas quite a bit.”
We don’t go into details about our jobs – ever - so I nod.
“Yeah. I’ve been dealing with the usual here.”
You know, just saving the day. No big deal.
He asks, “Happen to know what this meeting is about?”
“No idea. I was hoping you knew.”
“I have no idea. It’s odd that they would summon us so close to the Changing.”
I had the same thoughts. This isn’t right. We should be out there, protecting the Basics, not gathering in one location so close to a day that leaves us vulnerable. A day, I’d like to add, that also dredges up memories from our past. The government likes to act like the Changing is a beautiful event. They have no idea.
Ink says, “Well, it must be big to take the risk. Come on. Let’s find our seats.”
These meetings would be easier to bear if we could choose where we sat. But no – we have assigned seats. My chair, of course, is the first one on the first row. An honor, they say. I’d much rather be in the back, or at least the middle, so I can slip away unnoticed if I get bored. But, since I was the first Hero, I get the first seat.
Sitting, I sip my tasteless soda and wait.
An hour later the room is full. Knuckles, a fiery red head, sits next to me, scrolling on her phone faster than is humanly possible.
She says, “I’m not seeing it.”
“Seeing what?”
“Anything big enough in the news that would require this meeting.”
I’m about to respond when the door opens and Marble walks in. My damn breath hitches in my throat. Marble is the leader of us, voted unanimously by Congress, Senate, and the Uppers. He’s everything a leader should be, too. Courageous. Respectful. Unyielding. Sexy. Okay, that last bit might just be me, but it’s true. He’s tall, build like a god everywhere - yes, even there. That’s a story for later, though. And he’s one of the most caring people I know.
Heck, he should have been named Alpha, since he was the first one to successfully use his powers at will. But he was the second one to be discovered. If he wasn’t in charge, his seat would be next to mine, not Knuckles.
I smile to myself as he goes to the podium, noticing how good his butt looks in his blue tights. Shit. He’s wearing his official uniform, which means Knuckles is right – whatever this meeting is about, it’s not good.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. I know there’s other things we’d rather be doing, but, as you guessed, this is important.”
Someone calls out, “Is it good or bad news?”
I shake my head. Such a simple question. Is there such a thing as just good or bad? I think not. It’s like asking which side of a coin is right – heads or tails.
Marble replies, “It’s bad.”
The lights dim in the room on cue - one of his powers - and a slideshow begins.
“This is Congressman Wrenly. He was reported missing by his family four hours ago.”
I shoot a thought toward Marble. Four hours? That hardly counts as missing.
Marble glances at me and answers out loud. “Normally, we’d overlook a person who’s only been missing for a few hours, but this is different.”
The next slide makes me sit forward. On what I’m assuming is Congressman Wrenly’s desk is a handmade ransom letter. I haven’t seen something like this in a long time and it makes me uneasy.
Knuckles snorts. “Cutting letters out of a magazine? Really? The kidnapper isn’t very creative. How old are they? And, more importantly, who even has magazines delivered to their homes? Most people read on their phones or tablets.”
There are snickers around the room, but most of the Heroes weren’t around for the fight we had with the Villains in the beginning. Just to be clear – most involved in that fight died, on both sides. Only a few of us made it out. And it all started with a note just like this.
Marble replies, “We believe we’re dealing with a rogue Hero.”
I mutter, “Villain. Why not just say it?”
Marble’s green eyes meet mine and he glares. We’re not supposed to say the V-word, per the President of the United States of America. It’s so stupid though. Even the Basics call them Villains. Why can’t we?
Marble goes to the next slide, a close-up of the letter. “As you can see, the kidnapper is demanding two things for the Congressman to be released. Money and recognition. Both things he will not get.”
I speak up. “Are there any leads?”
“His housekeeper reported seeing a man hanging around the house after Mrs. Wrenly left for work.”
“Has anyone questioned the housekeeper?”
Marble’s eyebrows lift. “She is cooperating with us. We don’t feel there’s a need to question her.”
Knuckles says, “You realize half of the people in here can read the minds of Basics, right? Why not have one of us talk to her, just to be safe?”
He sighs. “Fine. Alpha, I’m assigning you to this task. Report back ASAP with any information.”
“Will do.”
Marble addresses everyone else. “I know it seems superfluous calling you all in so close to the Changing, but our government feels this is something that needs to be handled right away.”
Knuckles thinks to herself, They always do when it concerns them. If it was a Basic who was missing, they’d make the family wait forty-eight hours before calling us in.
I reply, I was just thinking the same thing.
Damn girl. I didn’t mean for you to hear that. I thought I had better control over my mind than that.
I only heard it because you thought about it with so much passion.
Only a small lie. No one can seem to guard their thoughts around me these days because my powers are changing. I don’t voice this to anyone, though. It’s a one-way ticket to the treatment facility if any of the Uppers find out. Instead, I keep this secret to myself. I mean, it’s nothing major. Just an occasional glimpse into someone’s thoughts now and then. Nothing I can’t handle.
Knuckles replies, You were always the best one in class. Have fun on your trip looking into the Congressman.
Marble ends the meeting and calls me over. “Alpha, I’d like to speak with you.”
I cross the room and he motions me to follow him backstage. Uh oh. Guess I’m in trouble. We pass some of the Uppers, who nod at me. They’ve always creeped me out, to be honest. We’re all on the same side, but they try to act like they’re above us because they’re elected to be on Marble’s private council, where all the big decisions are made. Plus, they remind me an episode of Buffy called Hush, featuring the creepy-AF characters called the Gentlemen. If you’ve seen the episode, you know what I mean. The Uppers even wear the same black suits.
One of the Uppers smiles, showing his fangs. Yup. Creepy motherfuckers.
Marble takes me to a room that he must unlock with his retinal scan and fingerprint swipe. Inside, I catch a whiff of his cologne.
God, why does he always have to smell so freaking good?
Shoving the thought aside, I glance around the room. Two chairs. A desk. A bed. Hmm. Now why on earth did he bring me to his bedroom?
“Is this where you’re staying these days?”
He sits in one of the chairs motioning for me to sit in the other. “Only while I’m in DC and need a place to crash. The Uppers didn’t like me sleeping in my office. Where are you at these days?”
As if he doesn’t know. Part of his job is to keep tabs on the Heroes at all times. Makes it easy to intervene if one goes off the deep end, which has happened more than any of us care to admit, especially so close to the Changing. Case in point, whoever kidnapped the Congressman.
I humor him by answering. “Richmond, mostly. I still have the brownstone in Boston, but I’m not there very much.”
He leans back, letting out a sexy laugh. “God, there were some good time in that house.”
I smile, remembering, too. “The best.”
“Sometimes, I wish I could go back to those days. When I was just a guy who liked a girl.”
I feel warm all over, but I can’t give in. If I do, I’ll be left brokenhearted and he’ll go off and forget me. Again.
“Marble, you were never just a guy and I was never just a girl.”
After the Changing, and after everything we went through at the treatment facility, Marble and I lived together. It was more than that, though. For a while, we were the only two people in our little world. We were so in love and I had never been happier. But, then he got the call, saying he was moving up in ranks. That he would have to leave me behind. And he did. Without a backward glance.