by A. J. Macey
Masked by Vengeance
Book 1 of the Vega City Vigilantes Series
A.J. Macey
Blurb:
I always loved superhero stories, at least until I found myself living one.
A wave of radiation washed over the Earth 22 years ago, changing a portion of the population. Less than an eighth of the world found themselves with strange powers, capable of doing amazing feats. Those affected were named Phenomenals. I am one of them.
Orphan. Hermit. Phenom with blue lightning.
After a case of heart-wrenching bad luck cost me the three people I loved most in the world, this was who I’d become, finding more comfort in the night with only shadows beside me. With my powers, I’ve hunted those who prey on the weak of Vega City as I bide my time and wait for the day I’ll avenge what happened to my brother.
When an unexpected event occurs, my past and current life collide, and I find myself surrounded by five men who’ve decided to join me in the shadows. Can they help me in the hunt for what I desire most? Or will we be torn apart by the secrets surrounding us?
Warning:
The Vega City Vigilantes series is a WhyChoose/Reverse Harem trilogy featuring MFMMMM meaning the female main character doesn't have to choose between her love interests.
This book contains references involving PTSD, death, violence, and other themes that some readers may find triggering.
Contents
Masked by Vengeance
Vega City Tribune
Prologue
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
Epilogue
Cloaked by Conspiracy
Special Thanks
Acknowledgments
Also by A.J. Macey
About the Author
Copyright 2019 by A.J. Macey
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover: Moonstruck Cover Design & Photography
Editing: Personal Touch Editing
Formatting: Inked Imagination Author Services
Dedicated to:
My daughter, Evelyn Rose.
Exhale bullshit. Breathe in happiness.
Masked by Vengeance
Book 1 of the Vega City Vigilantes Series
By A.J. Macey
Vega City Tribune
Phenoms- Friend or Foe?
Interview with Leading Phenom Scientist
December 22nd, 1999
Interview: Journalist Greg Vicker
Interviewee: Scientist Dr. Andrew Mendowski
Journalist Greg Vicker interviewed leading scientists in Rad Wave and Phenomenal studies to give insight into the change that has plagued the population in the last six months. Dr. Andrew Mendowski has a medical degree from Johns Hopkins, a collection of peer-reviewed studies in journals such as Science and The New England Journal of Medicine, and has a private lab where he and his team study Phenoms and the aftereffects of the Rad Wave.
Q- Is the Rad Wave the definitive source of where Phenoms got their powers?
A- When the Rad Wave hit earlier this year, the saturation of solar radiation that blanketed the globe is what spawned an immediate cellular regeneration in a small portion of the population, essentially creating new strands within their DNA. Those whose bodies attempted regeneration but were unable to acclimate passed away toward the end of the ten-minute wave. We’re unsure at this point if survival was dependent on a pre-existing genetic factor or if it was random. That is one thing we are hoping to learn in the future with our research.
Q- What kind of symptoms did the survivors undergo?
A- My team and I have determined for a majority of Phenoms, it was more of a twenty-four-hour bug with a fever, chills, and nausea as the body adjusted to its new physiology.
Q- Is it possible for anyone who wasn't changed during the Rad Wave to become a Phenom?
A- As of right now, none of the randomly selected non-Phenoms we have studied have any latent Phenom abilities, but that does not rule out that someone could, after several years, develop powers.
Q- Are Phenoms dangerous to the general public?
A- There are several powers that could be construed as dangerous or risks to security, such as manipulation of fire, super strength, or invisibility, but current public opinion seems torn on the moral debate of whether it’s the power itself or the one wielding it that presents the danger. Guns are lethal, but not everyone who wields one is dangerous. Same goes for Phenoms.
Q- Do Phenoms have any other notable idiosyncrasies that came with their physical change, other than their powers?
A- Some, yes, but it is still too close to the event to determine whether all Phenoms were afflicted with a secondary biological effect or only a select number of them. Some secondary afflictions have included frequent headaches that can verge on debilitating, increased metabolism, and nausea. In most rare occasions, a small number of our Phenom patients have noted unusual allergies that did not plague them prior to the Rad Wave.
Q- Do you think there will be any legislation that should be passed to account for those who have these powers? Like expanding on criminal laws to include use of powers for unlawful deeds?
A- I think it would be worth considering as long as it does not infringe on the rights of Phenoms. Only those who are against the good of the community.
Q- Any other comments?
A- We will be expanding our studies and interviews to include a wider range of ages, races, and communities to see how the Rad Wave truly affected the population in hopes of creating a more accurate foundation for living and empathizing with these new 'super humans.' Initial studies show Vega City residents of all ages and races were impacted by the wave, and it’s our scientific duty to investigate every avenue that can lead to greater understanding.
Prologue
Fall 2009
Evera
The line was moving incredibly slow, my fingers absently tapping on my arm as my brother and I waited to get our drinks. It was one of those rare times where we had some time away, and Rett had just gotten paid from his part-time job, so he wanted to treat us to smoothies before heading back to the orphanage. As we waited, someone bumped into me, but luckily, Rett caught me before I could fall.
“Sorry,” the person murmured under their breath as they continued past us, not even stopping to see if I was okay. I ground my teeth, my brother’s arms tightening against me as I glared over my shoulder.
“Bluebird, stay calm,” he whispered. My childhood nickname helped soothe the prickling sensations that had started to build against my skin. “You good?” I nodded, looking up to him with a grateful smile.
“Thanks, Phoenix.” I nudged him with my arm playfully as I thanked him, my nickname for him rolling off my tongue easily as the feeling of the lightning dancing in my veins dissipated. He had always been better at keeping control of his power, only using it if he really needed too, but even then, it was rare because it wasn’t safe.
My brother and I were what was considered Phenoms, shortened from our technical name of Phenomenals. A wave of solar radiation flared over the Ea
rth when I was four, and Rett was six. Even being younger, the day was burned into my memory in picture-perfect detail. A portion of the population had stayed the same, completely unaffected by The Rad Wave, while another portion had changed into Phenomenals, capable of superhuman acts. The last section of the population, though, the smallest portion thankfully, had been killed, including our parents.
“Order for Emerett,” the worker called out, placing the two cups on the laminate counter. Her voice pulled me from my wandering thoughts and back to the smoothie shop. My brother stepped up and grabbed our drinks as I headed toward the door, holding it open for him to pass.
“One strawberry banana smoothie for you,” he stated, holding out one of the styrofoam cups. “One peanut butter chocolate protein one for me.” Rett sucked down a major gulp before loosing a contented sigh. “So, Ev. How’s school been this week?”
“Boring,” I complained. “I thought you said high school was supposed to be better than junior high. All I want to do is sit down and make up song lyrics about how bored I am in every class.” He chuckled, tossing an arm over my shoulders.
“It can’t be that bad. At least you’re not wanting to zap people, so that’s a positive.”
“Oh, I definitely want to do that, but I figured wanting to write lyrics was a more socially acceptable answer,” I laughed through my explanation as he groaned, knowing he was just playing around. My brother knew I wouldn’t zap random norms with my blue lightning just because I was bored, but that didn’t stop me from teasing him. Although there was that time I saw Shannon eying the guy I liked from her locker, and I accidentally shocked her when I opened my locker door. Oops.
“I guess,” he conceded. Stopping, he let go of me to check his buzzing phone. “Sorry, it’s Car.”
“I figured, seeing as how we don’t really talk to anyone else other than him and his uncle,” I teased, but before he could put his phone away, there was a strangled scream coming from one of the alleyways up the street. Without hesitation, my brother took off with me hot on his heels, but I was shorter and slower, so he had rounded the corner before I could even see what was happening.
“Fucking Phenoms,” a gritty voice bit out, the rough sound bouncing off the cement of the two buildings. Rett’s signature red and orange fire curled around his hands as he pulled back to throw a wave of flames. Instead of the scream I would’ve expected from someone seared by flame, the haunting sound of gunshots filled my ears.
Time slowed as Rett collapsed, and the crackling electricity of my lightning immediately surrounded me, arcs of ice blue lighting up my tunneling vision. Screaming, the bolts blew outward, blasting above Rett and a woman’s collapsed bodies, toward the man. Darting around a corner, he managed to dodge the deadly electricity’s path and ran out of sight. Falling to my knees, when I realized I was alone now, I tried to stop the bleeding bubbling from the bullet wound in his chest, but I knew as soon as I looked in Emerett’s eyes.
My brother, my best friend, was dead.
1
Ten Years Later
October 8th, 2019
Tuesday Afternoon
Evera
“Five more minutes,” I grumbled, watching the clock. My replacement, Julie, sauntered in with her face done up and hair perfectly styled, her waitress uniform slightly unbuttoned to show her cleavage. I plastered a fake smile on my face as she took over for me, then walked back into the back room to grab my bag. Shouldering the small, torn-up-and-held-together-by-duct-tape backpack, I clocked out and started my walk to the bus stop.
The weather was cold and wet, the fall weather in full swing in Vega City, the orange and gold leaf-cloaked sidewalk made slick by the misty, drizzling rain. A chilly breeze brushed against my skin, making me shiver as I zipped up my jacket and stuff my hands into the worn pockets. Right on time, the clunky bus hissed to a stop in front of me. I hurriedly rushed to my regular seat, ignoring the gruff greeting Mr. Gasslier sent my way as I passed.
It only took ten minutes and two stops to reach my stop, so all in all, it was a pretty short trip. When money was low, I would walk the two miles, but the changing weather could be unpredictable, and I’d saved up enough bus fare to last me through the winter. The tips today hadn’t been great, but they hadn’t been awful either, and it was early in the week. With the executives from the surrounding offices coming in for their lunch hours, I might still make steady tips by the end of the week. I’d be able to get some cereal for the next few days after I checked in with my contact. My stomach growled at the thought of food.
Hopping off, I darted to my building’s rundown front door to avoid the slowly increasing drizzle. Unlocking and slamming my shoulder into it was the only way to get the janky thing to open, but I’d been living here for a few years, so I could usually do so on the first try.
“Miss,” the old man who lived in the first apartment greeted with a tiny nod. I dipped my head in response and offered a small curl of my lips before heading up the stairs. My apartment was a small studio, so my bed also doubled as my couch to make room for my desk and computer. Speaking of, I sank into the wooden chair as soon as my door was shut, and all four locks were latched. My fingers flew across the keys as I logged in, shooting a quick message to my one and only contact, Trace. Although with how our names read, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was supposed to be Trace, but based on my handle of Arc Angel, it matched.
4RC_4N63L: home, what do you have for me?
7R4C3: what, no kiss?
4RC_4N63L: ha, no. what do you have?
I rolled my eyes at his abrupt question, but knowing Trace as well as I did, it was in jest. Trace was as cheeky and smartass as one could get, but over the years, he’d become the person I talked to the most, meaning we had developed this strange sort of friendship or whatever it is we are. When I first moved away from the orphanage at eighteen, I had connected with him in a Vega City news chatroom. We talked whenever I got a chance to use the library computers at the high school, moving from the public chat room to a private chat. He was the one who had helped me find out as much as I had about my brother’s murder after I hit a dead end.
Somehow, we had evolved from online chatting to every so often calling through the secure line he’d created, and eventually, it turned a bit… hotter than that. I knew what Trace looked like from the jawline down, in both his clothed and unclothed glory, the same as he did me. Neither of us was a socialite, and we had found release in photos, messages, or videos where we wore masks.
7R4C3: Carlia Hammilton, the other murder victim, worked at Vega City Mutual as the branch manager
4RC_4N63L: have I told you you’re the best?
7R4C3: I know lol, going to check it out?
I sent back an affirmative before logging off and ripping my uniform off to change into my nicer pair of jeans and a sweater. Making sure I had everything, I grabbed my most recent uncashed paycheck and headed out. Two birds, one stone, I thought, getting back on the bus.
This time, the ride was several stops, leading into the heart of Vega City, the one place I rarely went. I usually stuck to the edges unless whatever Trace and I dug up led me here, the cesspool of the city masked in beauty, riches, and sleek high-rises among the historic buildings. The rain had finally stopped as I stepped off the bus and onto the debris free sidewalk, narrowly avoiding a puddle before making my way into the pristine building. Running my hands over my medium-length, platinum blonde hair, I tried to smooth the messy strands to look semi-presentable to the city’s most elite members.
I stepped into line, humming a melody I hadn’t sung in years softly under my breath. A melancholy wave of emotions reared its ugly head as the line moved forward, but I didn’t stop my hum, too focused on finishing the song before locking the heartbreaking emotions away. Right as my eyes started to water, shouting broke the trance I was in. Whipping my head around, I saw five armed men in ski masks pointing their weapons around the room.
“On the ground!” one of the men yelled
, his voice distorted by his mask to sound deep and robotic. The piercing tingles of my lightning raced through my veins, dancing across my skin as the power built, but I pushed it back, keeping the arcs tamed, so I could barely feel them under my skin. I knelt, my check clutched in one hand as I held my arms up. Two of the men worked their way through the crowd, one pointing their weapon while the other took the bank goers’ belongings as two of the men raided the tills and vault. The man whose shout had gotten my attention, stood stoic between us and the door. If I could just... no, I scolded myself, you’re not faster than a bullet.
“Give me all your shit,” the man hissed at me when the two scouring the crowd reached me. His partner shoved the barrel of his rifle in my face, making my power flare until I felt I was completely electrified, but what happened next surprised me. Deciding to wait before unleashing my power on them, I held out the check because it was all I owned that had any value. My brows furrowed as the man who held my check paused before handing it back to me.