by Simon Archer
It was obvious that Brad was embarrassed at how simply Eric had countered his argument as he grumbled out, “Because it’s dumb. He’s not a vampire.”
Gemma chuckled again and went back to the front of the class to lean against her desk. “Is there another reason you like him, Elianna?”
“Well... he looks pretty cool when he’s doing that shadow thing,” she added.
Eric bobbed his head, apparently convinced. “Vampire.”
“Not a vampire,” Brad muttered. “He doesn’t sparkle, now does he?”
“Exactly.” Eric stuck his tongue out at Brad. “Totally a vampire.”
If nothing else, I was proud that Eric was willing to defend a point.
“He’s obsessed about law and order,” I said, trying to change the subject. “Wasn’t he some kind of lawyer back in the day?”
Gemma shook her head. “A judge, actually. Hence the name. Judgment toes a line that many heroes find very uncomfortable. He follows the law to the letter, even if it costs a life. There is a moral argument here that has plagued even the brightest minds for well over a century. A hero who fights outside the law is considered a vigilante, but sometimes a villain uses the law to manipulate a hero into breaking their oaths. Judgment refuses to break the law even when provoked because he believes that the law should be sustained, that order is necessary for the survival of society. I’m inclined to agree, of course... but I also understand that the world doesn’t operate in absolutes.”
“Judgment believes otherwise,” Kristen said, her voice low and uncomfortable. “It was one of his first lessons. He says that working outside the allowance of the law makes you vulnerable to those who would use it as a weapon to hurt others. He claims there is no exception.”
“Anyone who deals in absolutes isn’t seeing the world very clearly,” Andie argued. “There are plenty of good people who fall outside of the law, and they need saving too.”
Gemma watched the exchange with interest. I hadn’t been sure about the intent of this entire class, but then I realized she’d simply wanted us to debate the delicate morality and come up with our own conclusions. There was no right or wrong answer to any of this, but the more we thought about it, the more prepared we’d be.
“That brings up an interesting point,” Gemma said. “If someone robs a bank and then falls victim to a powered villain, are they worthy of saving?”
Matt didn’t even hesitate. He shook his head and spat, “No. He forfeited his life the second he hurt an innocent.”
“Stealing money isn’t the same as murder, Matt.” Andie rolled her eyes. “It’s a life. I’d save them, sure.”
“Judgment would as well and then ensure the robber spent his time in jail.” Gemma nodded with a thoughtful look. “I believe you know this, Matt. He would not approve of your answer. Innocent life may be held in higher esteem than a criminal one, but it is a life all the same, and that matters. Heroes work to reform criminals, we do not leave them to die.”
Elianna raised her hand, and after Gemma’s nod, she asked, “What’s the point in reforming a criminal when they’re just going to do it again once they’re free?”
“No one knows that for certain,” Kara spoke up. She glanced at me, then at Elianna. “Anyone can be redeemed.”
Matt snorted at the very notion, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. I swore if he brought up my father again...
“I tend to agree.” Gemma smiled. “Criminals are often the symptom of a much bigger issue. Poverty, for instance, or political strife. Education and reformation go a long way to fixing these problems.”
Matt twisted in his seat like he wanted to jump out the window. “But there are limits. You can’t save everybody.”
“You don’t know that until you try, Matt,” Gemma said firmly.
“But it’s a waste of time.” Matt’s argument struck me as dumb. You didn’t give up on people. Even my dad, if the right person did the right thing...
“Is it?” Gemma countered, her voice an echo to my thoughts.
Matt rolled his eyes. “Yes! It is!”
“Your mentor would disagree,” Gemma reminded him.
He sighed and glanced out the window. I wasn’t certain if he was thoughtful or had just given up the ghost entirely.
“Gemma—” I cleared my throat, and stammered, “Miss Cocoran, I mean. Who’s your favorite hero?”
“Triton.” She grinned. “Should be obvious. He’s been my crime-fighting partner for years.”
“What do you like about him?” I asked with genuine curiosity.
Gemma glanced upward while she considered that. “His creativity,” she said eventually. “He’s good with water, but he doesn’t use it in the traditional fashion. You see, most people when they talk powers, they prefer the big fascinating kinds. Lots of fire, lots of ice, lots of pretty effects and bright shining lights. But Triton is a good example of someone with a relatively tame power set who can take on nearly any opponent effectively. He’s smart.”
“You mean that... that body control thing he does?” Eric bobbed his head and bounced in his seat. “That thing is so cool.”
Gemma nodded. “The human body, depending on age and gender, carries about sixty percent water. He learned how to use that to stop nearly anyone in their tracks. Obviously, it wouldn’t work on someone like you, Mr. Ryker.”
From the back of the room, I heard bricks shift as Jack pumped a huge fist into the air. “Heck yeah!”
“But it does indeed work on Lord Inferno,” she added, “who is very much of human composition. That’s how Triton managed to secure the city, and why he’s everyone’s favorite in the fight against Inferno’s growing empire.”
“He’s getting old, though,” Eric said thoughtfully. “That’s the rumor, anyway.”
“He is,” Gemma admitted, “but don’t let that fool you. He’s got some fight left. Believe me, I spar with him all the time.”
The mental image of Gemma going up against Triton made me smile. That would be a sight to see. Gemma caught the smile and returned one of her own.
“How about you, Nick?” she asked. “You’ve been very quiet.”
“How about I what?” I blinked.
“Who’s your favorite superhero?”
I hesitated, wondering if I was going to be honest or not, but with Matt’s snort of derision behind me, no doubt prepared to bring up bad blood yet again, convinced me to be utterly honest.
“Well... you are,” I said simply.
This was news to Gemma, whose brows lifted up into her hairline. “Me? I haven’t done anything. Why me?”
Most of the class were floored by her utter humility. If you asked anyone on the street what Amazoness had done, the list would be long indeed. For me, though, what she had done was plain and simple.
“You saved me from the island, remember?”
“Oh...” She leaned back against her desk, eyes off in distant memory. “Triton and I were both on that mission. He pulled just as much weight as I did, you know.”
“Well, yeah, but you checked in more than he did,” I pointed out. “Besides, I really like your power set. Growing to the size of a building has got to be really useful. Can’t imagine many villains would are willing to pick a fight with you when you can just stomp on them.”
“Ha!” Gemma shook her head and chuckled. The rest of the class followed along though Matt was still stubbornly silent at the back. I ignored him.
“It’s true,” she admitted, “I really like that part.”
Gemma and I locked eyes, and I held them while I remembered the rescue from years ago. Much of it was a haze of running and panic, but I remembered her warm insistence that everything was going to be alright. At the time, I wasn’t certain I believed her... I wasn’t even certain I wanted to leave. But it turned out to be true. Later on, I was thankful they’d both come for me.
“I don’t know what I’d be if you never came for me, Gemma,” I said before correcting myself. “Err. Miss Co
coran—”
“It’s alright,” she said with a wave of her hand. “You can call me Gemma if that’s easier.”
“Right.” I nodded gratefully. “Well, I don’t know what I’d be if you didn’t give me a chance. I mean, I haven’t robbed a bank or anything like that, but—”
“You were just a child, Nick. We saved you because you deserved better.” Gemma shot a clear, hard stare at Matt and Kristen. “You still do.”
I ducked my head as my cheeks flushed a little. “Yeah, well, I’m grateful. That’s all I’m saying.”
She smiled back, her expression tender. “Hey. No thanks necessary. That’s what heroes do.”
Chapter 6
Andie and Kara traded corny knock-knock jokes back and forth as the three of us headed toward the expansive gym where a large portion of the tryouts had occurred earlier that week. The two painted a pretty picture as they leaned into one another, their blonde and red hair splashing together when Kara leaned her head on Andie’s shoulder.
I hadn’t known Kara to be affectionate as a general rule, but Andie had a magnetism about her that was impossible to ignore. I smiled every time Andie made Kara laugh because it was a sound that seemed too rare from the upbeat girl I remembered from years ago. Given the way Andie kept trying to tease it out of her, I suspected that she more or less agreed with the sentiment.
“Okay,” Andie huffed as she waved her hands out in front of her in a plea for mercy. “Last one. Knock-knock.”
Kara giggled, a sweet little sound that could probably melt even Ice Bringer’s heart. “Who’s there?” Her cheeks were flushed with mirth, and her blue eyes glistened as they looked Andie up and down, as if trying to determine where she was hiding the pun this time.
“Robin,” Andie answered with a grin.
“Robin who?”
The blonde stuck her finger out like a gun and clicked with her teeth to imitate pulling back the hammer. “Robin you, now hand over the cash!”
Kara’s laugh bubbled over again, and she held up her hands in mock-surrender. Her shoulders shook while she tried and failed to contain her giggles. “Help, I’m being accosted by a stretchy blonde madwoman!”
“Seems like you’re flat broke, kid. I’ll take a hug instead.” Andie’s arm wrapped around Kara twice and yanked her close for a friendly one-armed hug.
The moment Kara was free, she flew at Andie with her hands held high. “Take two! I’ve got some to spare!” She wrapped herself around Andie’s neck, and the two hugged it out in full. I smiled at Andie’s little noise of surprise as her eyes softened to a darker shade of amber. She sniffed Kara’s hair, then pulled back with a smirk. “Someone’s using that new shampoo I got the other day. Lavender, eh?”
Kara flushed hot crimson, and she peeled back from Andie. “I saw your name on it and couldn’t help but sample some. It’s quite a nice choice.” She darted a glance my way and then blushed even deeper.
Andie whispered something into her ear, and it was about that moment I saw Kara die of embarrassment. She put a hand over her face and shook her head.
“It’s not like that,” she whined.
I lifted a brow in confusion. “Not like what?”
“Oh, nothing.” Andie grinned. She tossed an arm over Kara’s shoulder and pulled her close again. “Now, now. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, my little strawberry.”
Kara whined again, the sound amusing and not at all serious this time.
“I don’t get it.” I rolled my eyes, unsure what the hell they were going on about.
Andie’s pity must have extended to me because she looped an arm around my shoulders as well. “Word on the street is that lavender is one of your favorite scents,” she explained. “I suspect Kara wanted to see if you’d notice.”
I lifted a brow at that and darted a glance between the two of them. Kara’s hands were still covering her face, which was so hot at this point that she’d probably burst into flames if we kept going.
“Word on the street?” I repeated with an arched eyebrow.
“Yeah.” Andie tossed a shoulder as her grin grew a little shark-like. “You’re a popular guy in the girl’s dorm, Nick. There are all sorts of theories floating around.”
Well, that was news to me. Andie was one thing, but an entire dorm? I flushed about as red as Kara and ducked my head at the way Andie roved her eyes all over me. I loved the attention, of course, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it yet. She was a bright, burning star, and I was just one man focused on making it through the day without an Inferno reference.
She pecked me on the cheek, and I swear my skin sizzled when her lips made contact. “You’re both cute when you’re flustered.”
“Knock-knock,” I huffed as I tried to ignore the feeling of my insides bursting into a million butterflies.
“Who’s there?” It was Kara who answered after clearing her throat. The blush had dimmed somewhat, but she kept darting glances my way like she couldn’t take her eyes off me. That was new as well. Nice. But new.
“Howl,” I said.
Andie snorted. “Howl who?” She must be great at puns because her tone suggested she knew exactly where the joke was going.
“Howl will you know unless you open the door?”
It was endearing, the way Kara found these toddler-sized jokes to be so funny. She burst out laughing again and then cut her hand in front of her as a show of mercy. Andie and I laughed with her, pleased to see the mirth that made her pretty blue eyes glisten.
“Your laugh is like a ray of sunshine,” Andie cooed to her. “I’ll find a way to make sure you laugh forever.”
“That’d be terrible!” Kara shook her head, though she snickered just a little more at the notion.
“Being happy forever?” Andie released her arm around Kara to lay her head on her forehead and toss her head back like a fainting Victorian maiden. “Oh, what a cruel fate!”
With that, the three of us walked through the heavy wooden doors of the gym together, only to be greeted immediately by Brad. He seemed to be waiting with a hand on either hip and a jealous glint in his eyes as his gaze bounced between myself and the two girls. He settled on Kara specifically, and a thick tongue curled in his mouth while he looked her up and down. Even I felt the slime of that gaze.
Kara ducked backward, a troubled wrinkle between her brows, and I stepped out in front of her and crossed my arms.
“The fuck’s your problem, O’Connor?” I glared at him.
“Touchy today.” Brad raked his gaze over Andie next, but she flipped him off in response. He chortled and leaned back on his heel. He crossed his arms to mimic me, sarcasm dripping in the pose. “Wasn’t waiting for you, junior overlord, but the sight is a pleasant one. Care to share?”
Andie roughly shoved Brad aside as she walked passed him, and Brad sniffed the air like a hound after a tantalizing meal. He tried to slap Kara’s behind when we passed him as well, but I caught his wrist and immediately twisted it behind his back. I slammed him against the heavy doors and used leverage to threaten a break.
“Ow, ow, ow!” Brad howled. “The fuck, man?!”
I heard Kara’s soft curse behind me.
My tone was low and soft in his ear. “You ever do that again, and I’ll break every bone in your fucking body, Brad. You’ve got two hundred and six of them so I can start now if you really want to be a shit.”
“Fuck you, man!” he yelled back in a vain effort to sound tougher than he was. “Jesus!”
I sighed as I rolled my eyes at the back of his head. “He won’t help you now, I’m afraid. Say, what did you call me? Junior overlord? You know, my dad would probably take this hand clean off for acting the way you did. Well... after dousing you in hellfire for a few minutes. Me, I just want to break something. How about this arm for a start?” I wrenched it a little just to make a point.
Brad squealed like the pig he was. “Okay, okay! Fucking hell, you’re such a dick. Let me go!”
I was certain City
Master was watching from somewhere in the gym, but I didn’t care at this point. I wrenched Brad’s arm again, and he whimpered in utter terror.
“Oh, I’m not done with you, Mr. O’Connor.” I yanked him back from the wall and twisted him around so that we were both looking at the two girls. He was still pinned with a leverage hold, and I threatened him again silently, a brief tug just to make sure he was paying very close attention.
Kara had her hand over her mouth in shock. It was the first time she’d ever seen me violent. Andie had a comforting arm around her, though it was clear by her little smile that she approved of the turn of events.
She stuck her hand on her hip and gestured at Brad with a swirling hand of impatience. “Well?”
“Well, wha—ow!” Brad sounded addled from the pain. Maybe he’d never actually been hurt before. “Fucking hell, what do you want from me, Gateon?!”
“Apologize, you thick-headed bastard,” I growled in his ear.
“O-oh. Jesus Christ.” He started to panic, sucking in huge breaths of air. “Jesus fucking—”
Andie sighed and then pretended to examine her nails. “Sometime today would be very nice, Brad. Class is going to start any minute.”
“Uh. S-Sorry,” he stammered at last. “Very, very sorry.”
Andie gestured to Kara and then cupped her ear, eyes wide. “What was that? I don’t think she heard you.” I added an extra twist to hurry the point along.
“Sorry!” Brad howled. “I said I’m sorry, Kara! I’ll never do it again! I fucking promise!”
Kara paled, not at all happy with the sudden attention. She shook her head and took a step backward. “Th-That’s okay, Brad, I-I—”
“It’s not okay,” Andie interrupted and then pulled her in close for another hug. “Don’t waste your time appeasing shitheads like this. You’re worth more than that.”
I nodded and tugged at Brad’s arm again. “Next time you see these girls, you greet them with respect, or you’ll be on your knees. I’ll break your legs to be sure.”
“Fuck you, Gateon,” he spat. For someone who was supposed to be smart, it was a dumb thing to say considering his position. “You’ll get expelled if you keep this up. You can’t just boss your way around us. We’ll—”