The Guardians Omnibus

by Damien Benoit-Ledoux

  Minutes later, he noticed the school bully, Darien James, trailing behind him in fourth place, followed by a mix of runners from all four teams. Blake’s attendance had been sporadic, and today he blew off their final race, annoying his teammates and Coach Tomlin.

  Somewhere in the distance, with his super hearing, he heard his dads cheering him on. A third, familiar voice surprised him and he smiled, recognizing it straightaway as belonging to his boyfriend.

  Keegan came to my race to surprise me!

  Although he couldn’t scan the crowds for his parents and boyfriend, the resulting rush of adrenaline pushed him into second place. Now, he ran between two Dover athletes and raced toward the finish line. His legs burned and his heart pounded, but his super powers involuntarily regenerated his strength quickly. As they rounded the last corner on the track, everyone sprinted, determined to earn another trophy for their school. In the bleachers, fans from both high schools cheered them on and yelled wildly as the racers approached the finish line.

  At the last second, the green-clad Dover athlete raised his hands and broke the tape as he crossed over, signaling a win for Dover High. The crowd exploded into wild cheers and applause as maroon-clad Quinn crossed second, followed by the rest of the racers. He slowed to a walk and put his hand on his side, pretending to be out of breath. He briefly shook hands with the first-place winner and congratulated him.

  I’ll settle for my first second place medal today.

  “Watch out,” Darien yelled, but Quinn sidestepped with a small burst of speed, foiling Darien’a attempt to knock him over. The bully ran past him, surprised. Quinn scowled and kept going, knowing full well not to instigate an incident in front of the large crowd.

  What an idiot.

  Quinn shook his head and sighed, then shook hands and congratulated the third-place runner as the rest of the racers ran past the finish line. He scanned the bleachers and found his dads, who were excitedly jumping and waving at him with the crowd. Keegan was next to them, cheering and waving both hands high above his head.

  He’s either mortified and playing it cool, or hanging out with my dads doesn’t bother him in the least bit.

  Quinn waved at them and after stretching his legs and back, he made his way to the award podium to be medaled with the Dover athletes. Members of the Portsmouth track team congratulated him along the way until he reached Coach Tomlin, who shook his hand and congratulated him. “You have a new confidence and zest about you, McAlester,” Coach said. “I’m happy to see it’s playing out in your athletic career, as well. Too bad this is the last run of the season.”

  “Thanks, Coach.”

  “Come on, let’s get your silver medal.”

  After several remarks and accolades were made for each winning athlete, the medaling ceremony began. Minutes later, a silver metal hung around his neck and Quinn waved to the applauding crowds with the gold and bronze winners. As photographers took pictures for the local papers, Keegan and Quinn’s dads walked across the field to congratulate him.

  When Quinn stepped off the second-place riser, Keegan advanced and wrapped his arms around him. “You did great, babe!”

  “Wait!” Quinn exclaimed, laughing as his arms became trapped in Keegan’s embrace.

  Keegan quickly let go and backed off. “Eww, you’re all sweaty and gross.”

  “I tried to warn you,” Quinn said.

  “Yeah, I’m not hugging you,” Daddio said, his face contorted with disgust.

  Quinn extended his arms and smiled wickedly, causing his dad to shriek and back away. Dad and Keegan laughed as Daddio ran away from them, desperate not to be touched by his sweaty son.

  “Congrats, Quinn. That was a great run today. I’m so proud of you!” Dad said.

  “Thanks,” Quinn answered, abandoning his chase.

  “I’ll give you a congratulatory hug after you’ve cleaned up,” Dad added, chuckling.

  “Me too,” Daddio chimed in.

  Quinn laughed and checked his watch. “Sure. So, I’m ready to go. Hopefully, I’ll have cooled off by the time we get home so I can shower without getting all sweaty again.”

  “Oooh,” Keegan said, smiling devilishly.

  Quinn blushed. Not in front of my parents!

  Dad rolled his eyes and ignored Keegan’s comment. “Okay, since you two each have a car, we’ll meet up at the house and get ready. We have less than an hour to be at the dock so don’t dilly-dally, okay?”

  “Yup!” Quinn and Keegan answered together.

  “Drive safely, boys!”

  ❖

  “It was really nice of your dad’s coworker to allow me to come to the wedding with you,” Keegan said, leading the way to the aft railing of the open-air upper deck of the ninety-foot long Thomas Laighton ship.

  Quinn nodded and took Keegan’s hand in his. “I can only guess why, but I’m sure when Dad told Uncle Mark at work that I came out and we started dating, he and his new husband John insisted I invite you.”

  Keegan laughed. “Bonus perks of being a same-sex couple at a gay wedding?”

  Quinn laughed with him. “Probably.”

  “So, I thought Mark was your dad’s coworker, but you call him uncle?”

  “Yeah, he and John are those adult friends of your parents who aren’t biologically related, but you grow up calling them aunt or uncle.”

  “Ah, okay. Makes sense.”

  Around them, a number of couples snuggled for warmth in the cool air, momentarily escaping cocktail hour to enjoy the sunset over Portsmouth and Dover as the ship headed out into the open ocean toward the Isle of Shoals.

  “I’m cold,” Quinn said, shivering.

  Keegan stepped behind Quinn and wrapped his broad arms around Quinn’s shoulders, linking his hands together over Quinn’s chest. “I’ll keep you warm, babe.”

  “Mmm, thanks.” Quinn sighed, comfortable in Keegan’s embrace.

  A camera clicked to their right, and the boys looked toward the sound. Daddio, grinning from ear to ear, had just taken a picture of them snuggling.

  “Daddio!” Quinn exclaimed in surprise. Keegan quickly let go and stepped aside.

  Aren, or Daddio, waved his hand dismissively. “It’s okay, Keegan, we don’t mind if you two snuggle. But that’s all!”

  Quinn felt himself blush. “Daddio,” he repeated in a low toned, embarrassed.

  Daddio pocketed his phone and stepped up to the rail. “It is our sovereign right to embarrass you in front of your boyfriend.”

  Dad slid in behind his husband and rested his head on Daddio’s shoulder. “That’s right, embarrassing our children is line-item three in the parental job description. I can show you the legal contract if you’d like to see it.”

  Keegan chuckled and stepped behind Quinn, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s shoulders again. I’m really glad you’re not the shy type right now, but…I guess this is cool? It is a wedding after all and love is in the air, right?

  “What did you think of the wedding ceremony, Keegan?” Dad asked.

  Quinn smirked. I think it’s cute you guys are making small talk with him.

  “It was really nice. I can’t believe they’ve been together for so long and only recently decided to get married. I guess people do things in their own time, right?”

  Quinn admired how eloquently Keegan spoke with his dads.

  Tim, or Dad, nodded. “They are a special couple. They’ve been extremely generous to so many in the area. Their work with Seacoast Outright has kept them busy and they have been helpful to many LGBTQ people, even us. In fact, if it wasn’t for Mark, we might not have been able to add Quinn to our family.”

  “Wait, Uncle Mark helped me…I mean, helped you adopt me?”

  Dad nodded. “Yep. Back then, same-sex couples struggled to adopt. He worked with the New Hampshire adoption attorney to change the laws so same-sex couples could more easily adopt in this state. Then, he advocated on our behalf and worked with the adoption agency that introduced us to
your opportunity.”

  “Oh wow, I never realized that was a problem back then,” Keegan said.

  Daddio smiled. “Lots of things have changed in the past twenty years. LGBTQ people still have a long way to go, but hopefully some of the largest obstacles have been overcome.”

  Quinn smiled and discreetly wiped a tear from his left eye. Never in his wildest dreams could he have predicted sharing a moment with his boyfriend and his dads while feeling comfortable being himself and safe in his surroundings.

  ❖

  On the main deck of the Thomas Laighton, lights flashed and the driving beat of Celine Dion’s I Drove All Night encouraged Quinn, Keegan, his dads, and most of the wedding guests to enact their best diva renditions as they sang—no, screamed along with the chorus and danced their hearts out. As the song ended, the DJ slowed the dance floor music and filled the gently rocking room with soft, blue lighting.

  Quinn looked around for his dads and saw them embrace for a slow dance together on the other side of the dance floor. I’m not sure why I care where you are, but I appreciate you guys giving me space with Keegan tonight.

  Keegan smiled at him and extended his right hand, at which Quinn bowed and stepped close, putting his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. He rested his head on Keegan’s shoulder, feeling the sweaty dampness through Keegan’s shirt from the past hour of dancing.

  Damn, you feel really good in my arms.

  Keegan wrapped his arms around Quinn’s shoulders and Quinn closed his eyes and sighed, relaxing in his boyfriend’s embrace.

  “I love holding you,” Keegan said.

  Quinn chuckled. “I love being held by you. You make all the problems of the world fade away.” And you have no idea how important that is to me.

  “Aw, babe. You’re too much.”

  “It’s true,” Quinn argued, briefly lifting his head to admire his boyfriend.

  “Well, thanks.”

  They kissed, then tenderly rested their foreheads together.

  “I’m really happy Uncle Mark and Uncle John allowed me to bring you tonight. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy this night with you.”

  Keegan squeezed him and nodded, looking deeply into his eyes. “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t found the courage to ask me out.”

  Quinn nodded against Keegan’s forehead, then planted another kiss on his lips. I want to kiss you all night.

  They tentatively pulled apart and Quinn held his breath. On the dance floor, no one noticed the shipboard lights flickering wildly. Making sure his dads weren’t watching, the boys lip-locked and kissed deeply. Keegan pulled him closer and Quinn melted into his arms. They pressed their bodies together, both realizing they could not separate for fear of someone seeing the embarrassing excitement in their trousers.

  Spending more time with Keegan had been a welcome distraction after losing his best friend to Victor Kraze and The Order. Despite numerous questions from his friends and parents, Quinn kept his mouth shut and refused to reveal the true nature of their disagreement in order to keep them safe from any future super-powered entanglements.

  Mr. St. Germain had encouraged him not to reveal his secret identity until he absolutely had to, mostly because he didn’t want Quinn to feel added pressure as he sorted out his new life. His mentor disclosed this was a gamble because technically, he could get into a lot of trouble encouraging Quinn to keep secrets from his parents. He hoped the nature of the secrets would earn him forgiveness if an unpleasant situation arose.

  Over the past few weeks, several opportunities to be a superhero—mostly stopping petty thugs—kept Blue Spekter in the spotlight of conversation for the town and the local news. Each time, he brought the culprit to the police, and in one instance, he helped snag someone who thought they could outrun the police. Camilla Brenhurst, the news reporter, diligently covered the superhero phenomenon, but she still hadn’t publicly shared anything from the private interview he gave her.

  But, this is not what Quinn wanted to focus on right now. He pulled his lips away and looked into Keegan’s eyes as they recovered, slow dancing together.

  “Wow.”

  Something flashed in Keegan’s eyes and he knowingly smiled as they kissed again. I could get lost in you forever.

  Quinn felt a sharp pain inside his head near his right temple. He grunted in pain and surprise at the sensation. He pulled away from their kiss and grabbed the right side of his head.

  “Are you okay?” Keegan asked, surprised.

  Quick, make up a story.

  “Yeah, it’s just a weird pain, I might need some water after this dance. I’m probably dehydrated from racing and not drinking enough today. Not yet though, it would be too embarrassing to let you go.”

  “I know what you mean,” Keegan responded, a guilty look on his face.

  A moment later, Quinn became astutely aware of Blake’s presence nearby. He rested his head on Keegan’s left shoulder and looked out the starboard windows of the ship.

  Where the hell are we? How can I sense Blake when we’re at sea?

  He could see Blake clearly in his mind, keenly aware of his proximity. Whatever Blake was doing, he wasn’t using his powers. Quinn’s eyes darted back and forth across the darkened horizon, searching for recognizable landmarks with his super vision. A moment later, he realized the Thomas Laighton was back in the harbor and they were approaching the naval shipyard.

  The prison!

  Quinn’s head jerked up and he stared into the darkness. Holy crap! The Order’s Portsmouth facility is inside the old naval prison.

  “You all right?” Keegan asked.

  Quinn turned his attention back to his boyfriend. “Um, yeah, sorry. I didn’t realize we were back in the harbor. I, uh…don’t want tonight to end.” But now, Blake knows that I know exactly where they are. I need to find out what they’re up to.

  “I know what you mean.” Keegan smiled and pulled him close, licking his lips.

  Yes, but now I have to figure this out…oh, never mind. Not now.

  Quinn closed his eyes, tilted his head up, and met Keegan’s lips with his own again. But, he couldn’t focus. His mind pulled itself away from the moment and back to the naval prison as curiosity took over.

  What are they doing over there? Does he live there? Is that where The Order’s Portsmouth base is? Has it been under my nose the entire time? No wonder I can’t find it…it’s the only place I can’t legally go.

  Keegan pulled away. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “What do you mean?” Quinn asked, trying to feign surprise.

  “I’ve kissed you enough to know when you’re distracted, Quinn. Right now, you’re distracted. What’s up?”

  Quinn looked into his eyes and smiled. “Yeah, I just, I think I need some air. I’m really hot. Wanna go to the upper deck again?”

  Keegan blinked nervously. “You want to walk across the dance floor right now? Like this?” He tilted his head and shifted his eyes downward.

  “Uh, yeah. It’s dark, no one will notice. I really need some air, I’m hot.”

  Keegan smiled and winked. “Yeah, you are, come on. Okay, crazy, let’s go.” He took Quinn’s hand and awkwardly led him across the dance floor to the stairwell. They climbed the stairs and walked across the top deck of the ship. On one of the benches, a couple was making out while several other people stood near the bow of the ship, taking in their return to port.

  Keegan led Quinn to the starboard and aft corner of the upper deck. Quinn glanced at the naval prison, but it was dark and no lights offered any hint of activity or occupation.

  Keegan settled against the railing, his back toward the prison and Seavey Island. “We’re crazy to be out here, it’s freezing. Keep me warm, hot stuff.”

  Quinn smiled and stepped forward, sliding into his extended arms. Keegan pulled him close and Quinn nuzzled his nose into Keegan’s neck, keeping an eye on the prison. Blake’s presence subsided in his mind, which meant they had trave
led beyond the proximity sense of Blake’s location.

  “Wanna make out some more?” Keegan asked.

  Quinn looked up. “Like you have to ask?”

  “Best wedding ever,” Keegan teased.

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  ❖

  Quinn tossed and turned in bed, anxiously drumming his fingers on his chest. He glanced at his alarm clock as his mind churned over the evening’s unexpected revelation about Blake and The Order’s whereabouts. The blue LEDs on his alarm clock switched; it was now two o’clock in the morning.

  I can’t deal with this anymore. I have to know what’s going on over there.

  He threw off the sheets and got out of bed, tiptoed over to his dresser and picked out some clothes. He dressed in some dark running pants, a T-shirt, and a dark hoodie, and then hovered through the house so he didn’t make the floors creak. Once he was at the back door, he opened and closed it quietly behind him, then made his way to the front yard. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he pushed off the ground and soared high into the sky until he leveled out and flew toward the naval prison. His flight path took him around New Castle Island and up the harbor until he stopped, hovering one hundred feet in the air over the churning waters of the Piscataqua River. He studied the old building carefully, noting there were no lights in the windows.

  Hopefully, that means nobody’s home. The last thing I want to do is alert Blake to my reconnaissance by triggering this stupid sensing power.

  He descended a bit and approached the main tower with caution, peering down and studying the surrounding grounds of the prison. He noticed several pairs of armed guards patrolling the old building in a counter-clockwise rotation. They carried assault rifles similar to the ones he and Blake saw up at Rangeley before they infiltrated the facility.

  Quinn turned himself invisible and moved closer to the main tower of the old prison. He studied the green patina of the copper roof and saw someone—presumably The Order—had outfitted it with small antenna-like devices that could easily pass as cellular transmitters.