A Hesitant Hero (Book 2): Some Kind of Hero

by S. J. Delos

  “Is he always a raging asshole?” I asked, mimicking her stance.

  “He tries to be funny with new people,” she explained. “I think he doesn’t quite get the nuances of polite interaction.”

  “Polite interaction? He practically bragged that he uses his powers to peep through clothing. How the hell do you guys put up with him?”

  She frowned, running a hand through her thick, black hair. “He’s good at being a hero, Kayo. Sure, he acts like a slimy piece of crap at times, but he’s not afraid to put himself in harm’s way to save an InBee. Or volunteer to attract the attention of a powerful villain so the rest of the team can set up a plan of attack.”

  I opened my mouth, searching for a counter. I hadn’t given any thought to what kind of hero John might be. I merely wrote him off because of my first impression.

  Scarab glanced over at the two men again. “Besides, you guys have Captain Awesome. Believe me, there are several female heroes who’ve had the displeasure of being influenced by that charisma field of his.” A hard edge crept into her voice. I could only imagine what Richard said—or did—over the years before his recent repentance.

  “I… it’s just…” I stammered, looking over at John. “He was…”

  “John wasn’t recruited for his personality, Kayo. He’s here because he’s a superhero.” She put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Given your past, I would have thought you would know that a person’s personality doesn’t dictate their ability to get the job done. You seem like a nice person, yet you still didn’t hesitate to do Doctor Maniac’s bidding.”

  I clenched my teeth together, but kept my mouth shut. I couldn’t argue with her logic.

  “I’m just saying that there is more to John than inappropriate comments,” she said. “He’s generally more bark than bite.” A little grin formed on her face. “Besides, if you’re really worried that he might actually try to see through your clothes, just take some precautions.”

  I turned back to her. “Such as?”

  A little smile formed on her face. “Wear lead-lined underwear.”

  When John left the room, Hank walked over to where Scarab and I were standing. “So, ready to see the rest of the place?”

  “Absolutely,” I said.

  Hank gave me an extended tour of the Tower. If I was impressed by the living quarters, the training areas and kitchen knocked my damned socks off. Everything was shiny, new, and fully automated.

  In the training room, Hank asked me to step into an overhead press machine. The moment I grabbed the bar hanging down in my hands, a full dossier of my abilities popped up on the screen opposite me.

  “The machine not only knows how much you can lift, reacting accordingly, but it can also tell when you’re getting fatigued. Plus, there are safeguards that kick in to keep the exerciser from hurting themselves.”

  “Wow,” I said, staring at the miniature image of me floating on the display. “That would definitely be handy.”

  I also got to meet the rest of the Justice Brigade. Superior Man might have come off as a misogynistic jerk at our first meeting, at least he didn’t bring up my criminal past.

  Miss Amazing, however, certainly remembered the last time we battled.

  “So you’re a hero now, huh,” she said, peering at me over the top of the pool stick in her hand. “Hopefully you’ve refined your fighting techniques to include more than just jumping on your opponent.”

  Macro-Max, standing beside the table waiting his turn to shoot, arched a brow at me. “Jumping on your opponent?” He looked my petite form over. “Not much of a threat there.”

  I opened my mouth to explain, but the other woman beat me to it.

  “She used to have invulnerability from increased mass density,” she said knocking the six ball into the corner pocket with a practiced stroke. “She weighed almost a ton.”

  I glared at her, earning a smirk in response. “Not quite half a ton, thank you very much.”

  “Anyway,” Miss Amazing said, leaning on the stick. “We were in Boston, and I was about to smack her friend with a manhole cover.” She snapped her fingers twice as she looked up at me. “What was her name?”

  “Thermal,” I sighed.

  “That’s right, Thermal. I’m just about to knock this Thermal upside the head when Crushette jumps off the roof of a nearby building and landed on me. Knocked the wind out of me and broke my leg in two places.”

  “You’re lucky you were semi-durable,” I said. “Otherwise, you would be flattened into a pancake.”

  The brunette nodded, then lined up for her next shot. “True that.”

  After a delicious meal that consisted of chicken and asparagus in some kind of mushroom sauce, I retired to my quarters to take a break from all the new comradery. If I’d been back home, Alexis and I would have hung out, with Sonya or Darla probably joining us. Especially if we were watching a movie in the entertainment room. But the Justice Brigade seemed to spend most of their off time all together in the same room.

  I tried to follow along in the conversations flowing back and forth across the room. Not an easy task when you didn’t get most of the references. Or been there for any of the incidents being discussed. After finishing my tenth straight game of Pac-Man, I slipped out to my own room.

  I didn’t think anyone even noticed.

  I was lying on the bed, too wound up to sleep and too anxious to go back to the crowded gathering, when the door chimed. I climbed off the bed, pressing the button that opened the door. It swung wide to reveal Hank standing outside with two packages in his hand.

  “Hope I’m not disturbing you, Karen,” he said, remaining in the hallway.

  “No,” I said with a shrug. “Just getting a little alone time, you know? Trying to decompress.”

  He nodded. “I completely understand. Being around a bunch of new people can be overwhelming. May I come in?”

  I stepped back, nodding at the packages. “Are those for me?”

  “Yes,” he said, handing them to me. “Cassandra mentioned that your uniform was damaged in the fight with Storm Front. Contriver used the fabricator to make you a new one.” He tapped the box on top. “Hopefully you’ll like it.”

  I arched a brow. “Okay. What about the other box?”

  A bit of color crept out of his collar. “Uh, more… personal articles. It was also reported that your luggage was damaged as well.”

  I smirked. “Any funky colors or styles?”

  “What? Oh, uh, I don’t know. Cassandra and Hannah handled the fabrication.” The crimson bled higher and grew darker.

  I put the boxes on the bed. “Thanks,” I said, smiling. “Not just for the new clothes, but for the hospitality. The team has been mostly receptive to having the ex-Crushette sleeping under the same roof. Mostly.”

  “Like I said, new groups can be overwhelming.” He leaned against the open doorway. “That’s why I thought maybe you might like to take a flight over the city. It’s lovely at night, all lit up. Might just be what you need.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “You’ve done a pretty good job of maintaining civility with a bunch of people you don’t know who probably think you could turn back to evil at a moment’s notice. You could use a chance to relax a little.” He shrugged. “I know that it helps me unwind.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. It had been a long evening of weighing my words carefully while making sure I didn’t take offense at any perceived slights. As it was, I welcomed the chance to get out of the confines of the building and enjoy the night skies over Chicago.

  “Yeah, I guess a quick zoom over the place might help. You know, to get the lay of the land.”

  “Excellent,” he held out his hand. In it was a small, bean-sized object. “By the way, here’s a communication unit that ties into our system. The mic is in the collar of the uniform and it’s voice-activated. Have fun.”

  After he left, I opened the top box. The uniform I pulled from within was a deep
shade of cobalt blue with blood red piping that ran around the shoulders, along the sides, over the hips and down the outside of the legs. Stenciled on both shoulders, in the same scarlet color, was the sword-shield-scales logo of the Justice Brigade.

  I threw the outfit on the bed, then stripped down to my panties. I expected to have to struggle to climb into it like I did my old one, but I was able to slide into the legs and torso almost as easily as if pre-greased.

  The material of the uniform felt and fit like a high-end wetsuit, clinging tightly enough all over my body to mimic my invulnerability. The long sleeves ended with a loop that flowed under my middle fingers, keeping the end of the sleeve securely in place. The zipper ran from just above my navel to my neck. When it was fully closed, the seams vanished, leaving only a smooth, unbroken surface.

  I slipped into my boots, then examined myself in the wall-sized mirror of the closet. I had to admit, the blue looked more flattering, especially with my shorter red hair, but I missed seeing the Double-G over my breast.

  “Maybe I’ll talk to Sonya about a new look when I get back,” I said to the me in the mirror. “Black was always more Crushette’s color.”

  I walked over to the narrow tube, floated through the opening, then zoomed up. The end of the tunnel opened like an iris as I approached. I shot through the exit, blasting up into the cool night air.

  “Okay, Chicago,” I said, staring out at the seemingly endless sea of lights around me. “Show me what you’ve got.”

  CHAPTER 25:

  ONE ON ONE WITH

  MAJOR FREEDOM

  “Quite the view, huh?”

  I was enraptured by the sight of the sunrise gleaming across the surface of Lake Michigan as I sipped on a cup of gourmet coffee the shiny machine in the kitchen had produced. As Hank’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, I turned to look at him.

  “Yeah,” I said with a small nod. “I didn’t really stop to sight-see on our way here yesterday afternoon. Last night, it was way too dark to really appreciate it.” I turned back to the window. “It’s impressive, no question about that.”

  He stopped beside me to join me in staring out at the morning.

  “I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never gotten tired of the beauty of this city or its surroundings.”

  I tilted my head, giving him a look. It was one thing to mention how great it was being able to see the lake from on high. However, Henry seemed as if he were actively trying to sell me on its greatness.

  “Charlotte’s beautiful, too,” I said, taking another sip of coffee. “On a clear day, you can see Lake Norman and King’s Mountain.”

  “Yes,” he answered. “I’ve heard.”

  “Don’t let him get started,” Cassandra said as she entered the room. “Henry can go on and on for hours about this place.” She smirked at her teammate, then winked at me. “I spent the first six months after joining being shown around to every corner of the city.”

  Hank looked a little putout. “But wasn’t it everything I promised? Every place I insisted you visit, you came back impressed.”

  She nodded. “Yes, you were right. I’m just giving Kayo an advance warning.”

  “Fair enough,” I said.

  Cass held up her finger. “Hold on. David’s calling.” The brunette tilted her head, listening to the voice in her ear.

  “David?” I asked.

  “He’s our lobby guard,” Major Freedom said. “Anyone that wants to visit has to check in with him first. Plus, he handles nearly all of our day to day mundane needs.”

  “He wouldn’t happen to have multiple arms, would he?” I joked.

  Hank shook his head. “Not that I’ve noticed.”

  Scarab looked back at Hank. “Henry,” she said. “Agent Parker is here.”

  “Great,” he said turning away from the window. “Tell her to come on up.”

  The other hero nodded. “Send her up, David. We’re on the observation level.”

  Major Freedom turned to me, smiling. “We work rather closely with the EAPF here in Chicago. I assume it’s the same with The Good Guys?”

  I nodded. “We do. Though lately, things have been a little strained between our organizations.”

  “Well, I think that can be expected sometimes. Our previous liaison was our main connection for years. Believe me, there were times when I was sure we were going to come to blows.” He laughed and shrugged. “His replacement seems to be a bit more accommodating and understanding, but it might be just because she’s new to the position.”

  The door on the other side of the room chimed a melodious tone. Cassandra pulled it open, and a woman wearing the uniform of an EAPF agent entered the room. She nodded to Cassandra, saying something that I couldn’t quite make out before striding across the polished tile floor toward Henry and me. She slowed for just a brief moment when she saw me, but resumed her march without missing a step.

  When the agent stopped next to us, she adopted a stiff-spine pose, hands clasped together behind her back. The uniform she wore was crisp, clean, and showed off creases so sharp they might have been weapons all by themselves. Her boots were polished to a mirror sheen gloss, and her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail so severe it made my scalp hurt just to look at it.

  I would have guessed her to be older than me, possibly in her mid-thirties. Her face was a smooth mixture of hard angles around her chin and cheeks, with soft curves along the jaw and nose. I noticed the beginning hints of crow’s feet around her eyes, which were colored an interesting shade of pale green.

  While the chances were good that the woman would never be gracing the cover of a model magazine, I thought she was pretty. Except for the stony expression chiseled on her face.

  The distrusting vibe I received from that hard stare, mingling perfectly with the way her mouth was set into a seemingly forced neutral expression, told me that the agent didn’t care for my presence at all.

  Henry, however, put on a huge smile for the woman. He gestured at her. “Kayo, this is Amanda Parker, our EAPF liaison. Agent Parker, this is Kayo. She’s on loan to us from The Good Guys.”

  I smiled despite feeling like was being judged as a lowlife piece of shit by the other woman. “Agent Parker? Nice to meet you.” It would have been nicer not to, but I didn’t voice that little bit.

  “Kayo, aka, Karen Hashimoto. Formerly known as the super-villain Crushette.” Her expression never changed. “We’ve met before. In a sense.”

  “We have?” I tilted my head, giving her another look over. “I’m sorry, I don’t seem to—”

  “I’m not surprised. We didn’t actually meet face to face. Before being transferred to Chicago, I used to be a part of the Dallas division.”

  Okay, Dallas. Dallas. Dallas. I had only been to Dallas once. It was about a year or so after Martin took me in under his wing. But that job was nothing more than a simple recovery of an item from someone who misunderstood the dangers of stealing from Doctor Maniac. I didn’t encounter anyone from the EAPF.

  Except for…

  Her head tilted in a barely noticeable manner when she noticed the memory coming back to me.

  “Yes. I was in the back of that transport you threw down the street during your fight with Mechanix.”

  Henry looked between us as I grimaced, shrugging my shoulders slightly.

  “Sorry?” I said.

  A single perfectly plucked eyebrow slid up for a moment then she turned to look at Henry. In a flash, her frau’s kommendant expression I’d had the displeasure of experiencing morphed into something a whole lot friendlier. It did wonders for the agent’s appearance, but absolutely nothing for my self-esteem.

  “Henry, I stopped by to make sure you received the notice that some of The Harbingers have been reported slinking around over in Gary. The Analysis team isn’t sure if they’re scouting around in preparation of coming into the city or if they’re just laying low on their way to someplace else.”

  The hero nodded, crossing his arms
over his chest. To me, it seemed as if he were giving the two scenarios careful consideration. However, I couldn’t help but notice Agent Parker’s gaze slipping along from the defined biceps to the chiseled pectorals straining against the front of Henry’s uniform.

  So that’s what this was all about. I crossed my own arms, devoting myself to watching the painfully awkward, and mostly oblivious, dance before me.

  Henry brought his gaze around to the agent. “I could send a small detail out there,” he said. “Do some reconnaissance of our own. Find out what they’re up to. Unless I’m mistaken, they don’t have an outstanding in Indiana, do they?”

  Her eyes snapped back up to his, and a little bit of color flowed into her cheeks. “Not that I’m aware.”

  “Well, unless they come into the city or the Northern Indiana department calls for assistance, the only thing we can do is keep an eye on them.”

  She took a step closer to him. I held my breath, wondering if she was actually going to reach out to touch him. I was sure the obviously infatuated officer wanted to.

  “I’ll reach out to that division’s captain to see if they want help rounding them up,” she said.

  “Good idea,” Henry said with a nod. He smiled down at her. I half-expected the woman’s face to turn full red right before she exploded into a bloody mess. Then he looked over at me. “What do you think, Karen? Feel up to making a little fly-over to Gary and see what the criminals are up to?”

  Before I could answer, I glanced at Agent Parker. The hardcore bitch persona was back in the driver’s seat. I guessed the reddish tinge to her cheeks was probably now from anger rather than bashfulness. The look in her eyes was pure murder that warned me that I was skirting dangerously close to marked territory.

  “Sure,” I said as I looked back to Henry, flashing my biggest fangirl smile. “I could be up for that.”

  If the EAPF officer had possessed the ability to kill with a gaze, there was no doubt it would have dropped me to the floor, convulsing with death throes.

  “Great!” The hero turned back to Agent Parker. “I’ll contact you when we get back and let you know what we found out.”