Secret Villain

by Dee J. Stone

  Maddie crosses her arms over her chest. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you burned our friends alive.”

  The cops and the Suits make their way to us. “Are you done here?” In Charge asks.

  “What are you going to do with him?” Maddie says.

  “This guy is going to be locked up for a long, long time.”

  Jeremy just continues to moan. They shoot him with a tranquilizer, then load him into a police van. Then they drive off.

  I drop to my knees, rolling onto my back as my chest rises and falls. I cannot believe that just happened.

  But how did it happen?

  Sitting up, I turn to Maddie, who’s standing on the side, staring ahead like she’s deep in thought.

  “How the heck did you do that?” I ask.

  She blinks. “Which part? The invisibility or the…the other thing?”

  I throw my hands up. “Both. This is the second time we’ve held hands and got very powerful.” I glance at my hand.

  She sits down next to me. “I keep thinking over and over in my head how I almost lost you.” She buries her face in my chest. “Don’t ever do that again.”

  I rub my hand up and down her back. “Sorry. And with Jeremy gone, I hope I will never have to.”

  She looks up at me. “I hope so, too. So back to these crazy powers…I hate being weak and helpless. He was about to kill you and there was nothing I could do. If I would have gone after him, he would have killed Danny. I was freaking out, not sure what to do. Then I remembered how we defeated Hiram. We held hands and that sent a powerful blast. I hoped we could do the same today, but there was no way I could go back to the park without being seen. So I was at a loss. I was so worried and scared. By then Chandra showed up at the park. She actually showed herself in public. She was probably watching the news and saw what was going on. She gave me this.” She holds up a bracelet that’s wrapped around her wrist. “And told me it could turn me invisible, but only once. After that it’s just a regular bracelet.”

  “Wow…really? Thanks.”

  She waves her hand. “We need to thank Chandra. And Charlie, too. They saved our lives.”

  I nod, too shocked and in awe to talk. Maddie places her hand on my arm. “It’s like you told Danny—it’s all over now.”

  I nod again. Maddie wraps her arm around my shoulder and rests her head on my chest. We sit like this for a bit. I know there’s a lot to do. I need to go home and reassure my parents I’m okay. And I need to check on Danny.

  There are many reporters lurking around, but the cops are keeping them away. I’m grateful, because I need to just sit here and reflect on everything that happened. I could have lost my little brother today. I could have died. If Jeremy would have won, would he have taken over the world? I don’t want to think about it, so I shove the thought away.

  I face Maddie. “Ready to leave?”

  She looks toward the exit of the park. “Something tells me no one is going to leave us alone. At least for a while.”

  I laugh lightly. “It comes with the territory?”

  “Well right now, all I want to do is sleep.”

  Same, but with her in my arms. I know, I know, we’re not allowed, but it’s nice to just think about it. After today, Maddie’s the only one who can make me feel better. Sure I’ve got my family, but it’s not the same.

  I hold out my hand and she slips hers inside. Together, we head for the park exit. Like we expect, we’re bombarded with reporters, all wanting to know exactly what happened today. But Maddie and I can’t talk to them now, so we tell them we need to go. We want to be with our families. Many try to stop us, but a few seem to understand because they convince the others to let us go.

  Many other people try to get into the park, but the place is closed off. That’s probably why our families aren’t here.

  Once we’re far away from the park, Maddie says. “Come to your room later?”

  “Of course.”

  She blows deeply through her mouth. “Now we have to deal with overly worried parents.”

  “Hey, they care about us.”

  “I know, I guess I’m just not used to it. They’re probably both going to be there, but I kind of just want to be left alone. At least for now.”

  I get what she means. After all that, we need space. But I’m also glad to see my family, and I want to visit Danny to make sure he’s okay.

  Maddie and I kiss like we’re never going to do it again, then reluctantly part to our houses. As I fly, I’m not invisible, and many people walking around look up and stop what they’re doing. A few kids yell, “It’s Blue!”

  I wave and smile, letting them all know it’s over and they’re safe. A few kids chase me as far as they can before quitting.

  When I get home, I’m pulled into many different sets of arms. One wraps around my waist. Kaylee. She’s being crushed by all the others that are hugging me at once. I pull her out and hold her onto my side. Now I’m the one being crushed.

  “Okay, okay,” Matt says. “I think we’re killing him.”

  Slowly, they take their arms off. But Mom yanks me back into her arms again. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispers in my ear. She draws back. “Is he going to be locked up for good?”

  I nod.

  “And there’s no one after you?”

  “No.”

  She frowns. “What about those powered kids who joined him?”

  “Mom,” Matt says. “You saw what happened. They left him to rejoin Nick’s side. They’re the good guys.”

  And a few died. I swallow the lump in my throat. Wish I could go back in time and save them.

  Dad claps me on the back. “You must be hungry.”

  Food is the last thing on my mind. I just want to go up to my room and lie on my bed, reliving the moment those few kids died. There had to be something I could have done, right?

  “Nick’s crying,” Kaylee says in a low voice. She wraps her arms around my waist. “Why are you crying?”

  I swipe my hand across my eyes. “Nothing. I’m just relieved that everyone’s okay.”

  She smiles. “Wanna see the get well card I’m making for Danny? Mommy told me he’s in the hospital.”

  I force a smile. “Sure.”

  She runs to get it.

  Mom holds my gaze. “What’s bothering you? Is it the kids who died?”

  Nodding, I plop down on chair. “I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but I can’t help it. I was their leader—well, Maddie and I were. And I let them down. I couldn’t protect them.”

  Mom rubs my cheek. “You may be the Blue Masked Hero, but you are still human. Even you can’t save everyone.”

  I nod reluctantly. “I think I’m going to go to the hospital to see if Danny is okay.”

  Mom says, “Let’s all go. Once Kaylee finishes that card, that is. But Nick, you can go right now if you want, though I think it’d be best for you to eat something and maybe get some rest.”

  I shake my head. “Wouldn’t be able to sleep. And I can’t eat, either.”

  They nod in understanding. Bro gives me a light fist bump, saying how badass he thinks I am and that he’s glad I’m okay.

  Kaylee runs into the room and shoves a piece of construction paper in my face. “See? I cut it in the shape of a card and wrote “Get well” with my crayons. Do you think Danny will like it?”

  “He’ll love it.”

  She smiles widely. “I needa finish it first.”

  “Okay. Mommy, Daddy, and Matt will go to the hospital with you. I’m going there now.”

  “Okay!”

  As I head for the door, I turn around and glance at my family. They’re all fine and well. Things could have gone so differently today. But they didn’t. All because we’ve got allies like Chandra, Charlie, the powered kids, and of course our families on our side. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without them.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Danny’s sitting on the hospital bed, frowni
ng as he watches TV. As soon as he sees me walk in, he sits straight, his eyes wide and filled with guilt and a little dread.

  “Do you hate me?” he asks.

  I sit down on the corner of his bed. “Heck no.”

  “I was stupid. I shouldn’t have listened to Jeremy. I don’t know why I did.”

  “Because you didn’t realize just how dangerous he was. Don’t worry about it, kid. Just be grateful to be alive. I know our families are. Very, very grateful.”

  He smiles a little. “And I promise never to call you lame when you’re Nick and I’ll never email with strangers.” He smiles sheepishly. “Mom’s gonna watch over me when I’m on the computer from now on.”

  On cue, Samantha and Kitty enter the room. Samantha hugs me and tells me she’s more than happy I’m okay. She gives me a kiss on my cheek. Kitty flings her arms around me. “Mommy didn’t let me watch TV, but I snuck when she wasn’t looking. How did Maddie go invisible?”

  I ruffle her hair. “Sorry, but I can’t tell you that. Just know that we have friends who help us.”

  She nods with a small, shy smile. “I wanna help, too.”

  “Sure. You can help whenever you want.”

  “Me, too,” Danny says.

  “And me?”

  I turn to the door and see Kaylee and the rest of my family there. Matt rests his hands on Kaylee’s shoulders. “We’re all going to help whenever we can,” he says. “We might not have powers, but we have your back.”

  “Thanks, everyone.”

  We all stay in the room, talking and laughing, and being one big family. A few minutes later, Samantha and I leave the room and walk down the hallway.

  “I’m really sorry,” I say. “I didn’t know Jeremy was going to lure Danny to meet him.”

  She shakes her head. “It’s not your fault. I should have been watching him more closely.”

  “Maybe, but I should have sensed something was off. He was moody and angry and wanted to blow things up. And he bullied Kaylee. Those were clues that someone was messing with him.”

  She doesn’t say anything and we continue walking. After a good few minutes pass, she says, “I nearly had a heart attack when I turned on the TV and saw you on the news with the villain. I thought you were going to die, and I only just met you.”

  I give her a crooked smile. “Guess I need to get used to having two moms worry about me.”

  She laughs a little. “You’d better, because I’m going to worry every day.”

  I stop walking. “Please don’t. Remember I can heal, so I’m always going to be okay.”

  “Would you have been able to heal yourself had Jeremy tried to kill you?”

  I don’t respond. Of course I wouldn’t have. He was much more powerful than me, probably had ten times the healing ability I have. My shoulders slump. “Fine, you got me. But we don’t have to worry about Jeremy anymore.”

  “What about more villains? He can’t be the only one.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. All I can say is that if there are others out there, we’ll be ready for them.”

  She doesn’t seem to like it, but she nods.

  ***

  I’m lying in bed, my head drooping, when something that sounds like a pebble hits my window. My eyes shoot open. Maddie told me she was going to come tonight. After I got back from the hospital, I crashed, without even eating, which is crazy for me. Guess all that villain stuff really did put a toll on me.

  Another pebble is thrown. Waving my hand, I open the window. Maddie floats inside and snuggles under my blanket.

  “It’s so cold out there.”

  No kidding. I feel it all over my body as she cuddles right up to me.

  “So,” she says. “How’s Danny?”

  “Very guilty, but he’s going to be okay.”

  Relief washes over her face. “How did Jeremy get to him, anyway? And how didn’t we see it? Oh, Jeremy took off the tracking device.”

  “Yep. He was always two steps ahead of us, but we took him down in the end. That’s all that matters.”

  Maddie lies down and I do the same. We stare at the ceiling.

  Footsteps outside my door. Maddie shoots up. “Is that your mom?”

  “Looks like it.”

  She rolls onto the floor and under my bed.

  The door opens and Mom sticks her head in. “Are you okay, Nick? I heard a bang.”

  I swear I hear Maddie giggling from under there. “Nope. No bang. I mean, I dropped a sneaker, I think.”

  She looks at me for a little while, then nods and shuts the door. Bending down, I peek under the bed. Like I thought, Maddie is rolling with laughter.

  “You know she can ban you from the house if she catches you,” I say. “This isn’t funny at all.”

  She lifts off the floor and lowers herself next to me. “Come on. After the day we had, I need to let loose and laugh.”

  She’s right. For the past few days, I’ve been tense and stressed. Now, for the first time in what feels like forever, I can relax. Let loose, like she said.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I blink. “Just everything. Do you really think we can relax now? That all this is over? I mean, there can be more villains out there. I told my bio mom that we’ll take care of everything, but is that always going to be our life? You still want to go to college, don’t you?”

  She’s quiet for a second or two. “How about we take it one day at a time? And yes there might always be villains out there. And even if I do decide to go to college and have a career, I’ll always be Red, fighting by your side.”

  I bend forward and kiss her. “And that’s why you’re so awesome. Did I tell you I’d never be able to do any of this without you?”

  “Only about a thousand times.”

  I laugh. “Then let it be a thousand and one times. Maddie, I’d never be able to do any of this without you.”

  She kisses my nose. “And I’d never be able to do any of this without you, too.”

  I pull her close and kiss her even more. I kiss her like I’ve never kissed her before. And I’m well aware that my parents are right next door and that Mom can come in whenever she wants, but I don’t care.

  I could have lost so many people today. I could have died. So excuse me if I’m breaking the rules a little by having Maddie in my room.

  ***

  Maddie and I decide to pay Chandra and Charlie a visit before we go to school. We don’t actually have school today, but we’re going to talk to the kids, and we’ll also go to our fallen friends’ funerals tomorrow.

  I don’t want to think about it as I get into a T-shirt and jeans. But it’s hard. My mind keeps wandering to what happened.

  Justin and Ally have also been captured and put into maximum security prisons like Jeremy. Hopefully, they’ll stay locked in there for good and we don’t have to worry about them.

  There’s a knock on my window. Maddie hovers out there. “Ready?” she mouths.

  I open the window and lean out. “I don’t get it. I thought Charlie hated me. Why would he save me?”

  She pats my cheek with a smile. “Maybe because he doesn’t hate you. He just thought he did.”

  I shrug. “Okay, whatever. Let’s go.”

  As we fly, she says, “You know you can ask him why he saved you, though I’m worried he won’t do it in the future. We might embarrass him or make him uncomfortable if we ask.”

  “You might be right. Let’s just accept his help with no questions.”

  She nods.

  When we get there, I catch Chandra peeking out from a small window that isn’t boarded up. It’s like she expected us to come.

  “Did you tell your mom we were coming and she told Chandra?” I ask.

  “Nope.”

  She seems to light up when she sees us. I guess she wasn’t only expecting us to come, she was hoping. She disappears from the window, and the next second, the front door opens. She’s got a smile on her face.

  “Everyone must
have already told you, but I’m glad you’re okay.” She pulls us into her arms. “I was so worried.”

  I didn’t know we mean so much to her. I guess Maddie being Melissa’s daughter has a lot to do with it.

  Her eyes move from Maddie to me. “You’re probably confused why I’m being this way when I practically threw you out of the house last time.”

  “No, you didn’t,” I say.

  She shrugs. “Doesn’t matter. I was just trying to protect my brother.”

  “About that,” I say. “I was thinking Maddie and I could talk to the government about Charlie. We could tell them he helped take Jeremy down. Maybe they’d pardon him.”

  Chandra’s eyes fill with hope. Then they deflate. “They wouldn’t believe you. And even if they did, they’d trick you and capture him.” She bites her lip. “I don’t want that.”

  Maddie pats her arm. “We understand. Never mind, then.”

  She nods in thanks. I keep my mouth shut, but promise myself to try to get the government to believe me. I’ll do it in a way where it won’t be tracked to Charlie. It’s not fair. He shouldn’t have to live like this, especially after helping us defeat Jeremy. I wouldn’t be standing here right now if not for him.

  “We came to thank you for everything,” I say. “And we hope we can still be…friends, I guess. If you want that, I mean.” Maddie nods in agreement.

  Chandra glances out the small window, then walks over to it and boards it up. “I’d like that, but it’s too risky. It’s safer for my brother and me to be isolated.”

  “Okay,” Maddie says. “Can we see him? We want to thank him, too.”

  “And ask him a few questions, if that’s okay,” I add.

  Chandra excuses herself to go downstairs, telling us to make ourselves comfortable in the living room. Maddie and I sit down.

  No more than five minutes pass before Charlie sits right before us. Chandra leaves the room to give us some privacy. Charlie’s hands are clasped in his lap, and he’s got this look in his eyes. It’s different from the other times we’ve been here. He actually seems happy to see us.

  He bends forward. “I’m sorry I told you I don’t like or trust you.”

  I wave my hand. “Don’t worry about it.”