by M. R. Anglin
That done, Nicole made to close the safety deposit box, but curiosity bit at her. What did people store in these things, anyway? Peeking in, Nicole saw a stack of papers, passports, and a jewelry box. She closed the door without disturbing anything.
“I’m glad I was taught to be a Hero,” Nicole muttered to herself. “This power would make me into a good thief.”
Holding the gem in one hand, she used her chin to push the button on the device Stephanie had given her and closed her eyes against the jarring sensation of being jerked out of one place and spat out into another.
But nothing happened.
Furrowing her brows, Nicole pushed the button again.
Nothing.
“No, no, no! Don’t tell me I’m trapped in here.” Nicole paced in a circle. “Did Stephanie set me up? But, no. Stephanie wouldn’t. Why would she? All she wants is her brother, and this Sapphire is the only link we have to him. But why won’t she teleport me?”
Nicole made to contact Bee but halted. Right now Nicole was shielded from the bank’s cameras, but Bee was sure to be picked up if she appeared beside Nicole. Once she was discovered, the alarms would go off, and . . . Nicole shuddered at the amount of trouble she’d be in.
Her phone jingled. While she was in costume, all calls were transferred to the BT-X housed in the pink stone on her chest. Luckily Bee didn’t have to be around for Nicole to interact with her BT-X, so when she tapped the stone, a bland voice said in her ear, “Incoming call: Stephanie.”
Nicole answered it in a rush. “Stephanie, what are you doing? Teleport me!”
“Nikki! Nikki, they came to my apartment,” Stephanie blurted, and her voice was on the edge of tears. “They came in and got Brody and I got teleported and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Nicole broke into Stephanie’s blathering. “Slow down. Speak calmly. What’s happened?”
Stephanie took a deep breath before telling Nicole everything that had happened since teleporting Nicole into the bank. “Now they’re in my apartment, and my brother . . .” Her voice broke.
“Where are you now?”
“I’m in a park next to my old house.”
“Can you teleport me there?”
Stephanie gasped. “That Villain took my teleporter!”
Nicole stifled a groan. “Okay. I’m going to tell Junior Justice to pick you up—”
“No! Send him to my brother!”
“What about you, Stephanie? You need to get somewhere safe. Those Villains will come after you again if they think you know where the Sapphire is.”
“I’m safe. I can get to a safe place,” Stephanie rambled. “My brother needs help now! You promised, Nikki.”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Nicole paused to think. “Can you get to my house?”
“I think so.”
“Go there. Tell my dad everything. You’ll be safe there.”
“Everything?” Stephanie paused. “Even . . . that you’re a Hero?”
Nicole smiled. She couldn’t help it. Even in this terrible situation, even though she hated Heroes, Stephanie was looking out for her. “He knows about me already. Hurry up! I’ll call JJ to help your brother.”
“Thank you, Nikki.” Stephanie hung up the phone.
“Now how am I going to get out of this?” Nicole threw her head back. There was nothing for it. After she called Junior Justice, she’d have to make an uncomfortable call to Starlight. “Can this night get any worse? BT-X, call—”
Nicole broke off when she heard the sound of glass shattering. Straining her ears she heard voices coming from the other side of the vault door. Nicole hissed in a breath. Stephanie had told the Villains where the Sapphire was, so of course they’d come to check it out.
“BT-X, send a message to Bee,” Nicole whispered. “Tell her to review my latest phone conversation with Stephanie and act accordingly.”
“Acknowledged,” came the BT-X’s bland voice.
Nicole ducked into a corner, hiding herself in the corner as much as she could.
It was going to be her against an unknown amount of Villains.
This was going to be a wild fight.
CHAPTER 44
JUNIOR JUSTICE LEANED on his car in silence with Bee floating beside him. He checked the clock displayed on his cuff. “They’re taking a long time.”
Bee nodded. “Wherever Stephanie hid the Sapphire must be hard to get to.”
“I don’t like this.”
“Me neither.” Bee hung her head. “I’d go to Refraction now, but what if she’s in a place where a distraction could be fatal? I should have gone with her.”
“So should I,” Junior Justice thought, but didn’t say it out loud.
They stood in silence a bit longer. The dash in the Justice Mobile jingled. Junior Justice reached in to check the notification.
The police scanner’s voice erupted in his ear when he pushed the notification button. “Attention available units, we’ve got a 10-62 on Maywood Ave. Reports indicate additional Villains on site. Contacting ASH for backup.”
“Maywood Ave?” Junior Justice pulled himself out of the car. “It’s a few blocks over.” He closed his eyes. “Don’t let it be—”
“Junior Justice, we have a problem!” Bee swung around to face him. “I got a message from Refraction. Villains have overrun Stephanie’s house.”
Junior Justice groaned. Of course it was Stephanie. “The police scanner picked it up. I . . .” He trailed off as police cars, sirens blazing, rushed past him. “There’s our cue.” He jumped into the car.
Bee phased through the door to sit in the passenger seat. As they went, Bee let Junior Justice listen to Stephanie’s conversation with Nicole.
“Where did Stephanie teleport her?” Junior Justice asked.
“I don’t know.” Bee lifted her eyes. “I’m picking up Refraction’s signal in . . . a bank vault?”
“A bank vault?” Junior Justice flung his head back. “I’m going to ring those two’s necks.”
“I have to help her! You save Brody!” Bee disappeared there and then.
“Wait! I—ugh!” Junior Justice skidded around a corner and slammed on his brakes. A police blockade had been set up around the apartment building. Police had their guns drawn, issuing demands at the Villains inside.
“Yeah, no! I am not getting involved in this—not with my powers on the blink. I’d be insane to try jumping into a gun fight without my shield working properly.” Junior Justice bit his lips together. He didn’t want to put himself in undue danger, but he couldn’t leave the people in the apartment to face Villains alone. “Maybe CJ can handle it.” He reached to his cuff to call him.
A golden light flooded the area. A woman alit in gold fire tore in through one of the windows and emerged holding several Villains in golden bubble.
“Gold Hawk!” Junior Justice pumped his arm. “Perfect! She can handle it. In the meantime, I can go help Refraction.” He peeled off down the street. Though he had no idea where Refraction was, he did have a way to find out—an app he had been working on to track Heroes. “BX-J, initialize Hero Finder.”
“Acknowledged,” the computerized voice said. “Which Hero would you like to track?”
“Refraction.”
“Acknowledged.” A blip appeared on Junior Justice’s nav-screen.
“First Alferdale Mutual. Right.” Junior Justice hit the gas and careened down the road. “Hang on, Nikki. I’ll be there soon.”
CHAPTER 45
AS NICOLE CROUCHED in the corner of the vault, an idea formulated in her mind. She sat watching and waiting as the voices muttered on the other side of the vault door.
A soft explosion rolled through the air, and the vault door swung open. Smoke drifted in to the vault obscuring the two men peering in.
“It’s empty,” one man said.
“Think the Hero got the Sapphire already?” said the other.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here at all,” the first said.
/> “Let’s double-check,” the other crept in. “Even if we don’t find the Sapphire, there’s got to be other valuables we can snatch.”
The first gave a stupid-sounding laugh.
Nicole stayed still and watched. Now that her way out had been secured, she needed a distraction. Slowly, so as not to alert the two to her movements, she spread one hand against the wall and trickled some of her power into it.
A shrill bell pierced the air, causing the men to cover their ears in surprise.
“What’s that?” the second man said. “I thought you shut off the alarms.”
“I did,” the first said.
Nicole leapt out of her hiding spot and jumped onto one of the men’s shoulders before launching herself outside the vault door. He fell to the ground but recovered in a few seconds.
“It’s a Hero!” The other man pointed. “She has the Sapphire! Hit ‘er with Boss’s machine!”
Nicole ducked one orange colored blast and dodged another. She rushed to the bank opening where the Villains had broken the glass to gain access. An energy beam with an energy signal similar to the Sapphire sailed over her head as she ducked. Another struck her in the back, causing her to stumble. Warmth trickled out of her.
“Got her!” said the man with the device.
Nicole got her feet under her and kept running. As she approached the broken window, two more men barred her way.
“Don’t let her escape! She’s powerless now,” said one of the men from behind her. “Shoot her.” All the men drew guns.
Nicole didn’t slow down. She jumped and spread her free hand, willing for some sort of power—any sort of power to blast them. Blearing light erupted from her palm. The men shielded their eyes, dropping to their knees and crying out in pain. Nicole landed on the other side of them, eyes wide and gazing at her hand.
“I didn’t know I could amplify light without a prism!” Nicole took off out the door.
“No, you don’t!” Yet another man skidded onto the sidewalk behind her. He must have been keeping watch outside of the bank. Nicole didn’t heed him but kept running. She heard the crack of a gun.
The bullet plinked off of something behind her. Turning, Nicole saw Bee in her Hornet costume standing between her and the man. Pivoting, Nicole rushed back, kicked the gun out of the man’s hand and followed it up with a punch to the gut and face.
The man fall backward, groaning, but he soon got to his knees. “You’ll pay!” He launched himself at Nicole.
Bee kicked him in the chin. He tumbled back on himself and lay still.
Inside the bank, the other men were getting to their feet, their vision returning. “Get her!”
The screeching of tires drowned out any further words. “Refraction! Get in!” Junior Justice called from the Justice Mobile.
Nicole slid in through the open window, and Junior Justice sped away before she could even put on her seatbelt. She flung her head back and sighed. It wasn’t pretty, but she didn’t do so badly on her “solo” mission.
At the very least, she had gotten the Sapphire.
CHAPTER 46
“A BANK, REFRACTION?” Junior Justice yelled as he careened down the road. “You broke into a bank?”
“Stephanie hid the Sapphire in one of the security boxes.” Nicole’s heart pounded from her experience. “I had to get it back.”
“So you robbed a bank?” Junior Justice threw up a hand. “I just put people in jail for that!”
“I didn’t rob it. I left everything else alone.” Nicole held up the Sapphire. “I only grabbed this.”
“You got it?” Junior Justice glanced at her as he drove.
“Was there ever a doubt?” Nicole cradled the Sapphire in her hands.
“Yes!” Junior Justice struck the steering wheel. “Finch is a thief and hates Heroes.”
“She’s also my friend.” Nicole stared into the depths of the Sapphire. “She wouldn’t leave me hanging.”
“It all worked out, I guess,” Junior Justice said grudgingly. “We’ll have to head straight to HQ and tell them what you did. Let them handle the aftermath so you won’t get in trouble.”
“Isn’t this what Stephanie was talking about?” Nicole pressed her lips together. “Heroes do whatever they want and get away with it?”
“If it bothers you so much, you should have thought about it before you did it.”
“I had to. If I didn’t, Villains would have gotten this. The whole world would be in danger.”
“Exactly.” Junior Justice nodded. “This whole conversation is more complicated than Stephanie realized.” He fell silent a moment. “Still . . . there should have been a different way.”
“Maybe, but I couldn’t think of one . . .” Nicole trailed off. Now that she wasn’t in the thick of things, several options occurred to her: call Starlight and let her handle it; call ASH and have them pull warrants to search the bank—the only reason Nicole hadn’t thought of those options before was because she wanted to prove something. “You’re right, Junior. There was another way.” She slid low in her chair. “I committed a crime.”
“No, you didn’t, Refraction. Don’t worry about it.” Junior Justice smiled at her. “They’ve got exceptions to the rules for us Heroes. As long as you didn’t steal anything . . .”
“Aren’t those exceptions the problem, though?”
“We have to be able to do our jobs.”
“It doesn’t seem right.” Nicole glanced at the backseat. Bee sat there alone looking on in silence. “Where’s Brody?”
Junior Justice pursed his lips. “By the time I arrived at the apartment, I couldn’t get to him. There was a gunfight brewing, and my shield’s not 100%. Gold Hawk managed to get people out, and I’ve been monitoring the police scanner. No sign of him yet.”
“Oh, no . . .” Nicole sank in her seat. “Stephanie trusted me to save him.”
“There was nothing I could do, but I’ll keep monitoring the police station and the ASH Detainment Center. If he’s not there, it’s safe to say the Villains got him again. If he was captured, we have plan A.” Junior Justice motioned to the Sapphire. “Once it’s secure, we can use it to draw out the kidnappers.”
“Will ASH let us, though?”
“If they don’t, we’ll figure out some other way to find him.” Junior Justice smiled at her. “I promise you’ll be able to keep your promise, Refraction.”
“Thanks, JJ,” Nicole smiled at him. “Bee, call Starlight. It’s about time I spoke to her.”
“One moment, please. Connected. Patching her through.” A holographic display appeared between Nicole and Junior Justice. On it, Starlight appeared.
“Refraction?” Starlight glanced over her shoulder. “Give me a moment. I’ll be right there.” Turning back to the screen, she said, “What are you doing up at this time of night, Starling? Or rather morning.”
“Look what I found!” Nicole held the Sapphire up to the screen.
“The Sapphire?” Starlight’s eyes bugged open.
“Bee picked up the signal earlier tonight, so I got Junior Justice to back me up and we went to go get it.”
“Well done, Starling.” Starlight clasped her hands together. “Bring it to ASH so we can secure it right away.”
“There’s one thing, though, Starlight.” Nicole hissed in a breath. “I sort of had to . . . break into a bank to get it back.”
Starlight furrowed her brows. “Did you take anything else?”
“Only the Sapphire.”
“It should be fine.” Starlight sighed. “I’ll have to file an incident report, though. You should have spoken to me first.”
“I know, but I was mad at you because of what happened on my vacation—and disappointed in myself for not being able to stop the TelePorter.” Nicole lowered her eyes. “You and Margaret should have told me what your plans were. I should have known the risk I was taking with my dad.”
“You’re right, Starling.” Starlight shook her head. “I was wrong. I tho
ught everything would flow smoothly, but . . . can you forgive me? I was short-sighted.”
“Of course.”
“Maybe think of forgiving Margaret, too. It was my idea, after all. She acted on my advice.”
Nicole paused before nodding.
“On the bright side, you did what I asked you to do. You kept everyone at the hotel safe until I got there.” Starlight winked at her. “I knew my girl could do it.”
Nicole giggled.
“We’re almost at ASH, Starlight,” Junior Justice interjected. “Can you contact Dr. Farber and have her meet us so we can give the gem to her?”
“If she’s not at home, she’ll be at the Museum,” Nicole said.
“Dr. Farber is here.” Starlight’s eyes took on a faraway look. “She’s running tests on me.”
“Tests?” Nicole sat up straight. “Why?”
“It’s a bit complicated, Starling.” Starlight ran her hands through her hair.
“Your power has diminished, hasn’t it?” Junior Justice said.
Starlight stared at him before nodding once.
“Mine has too. I have an appointment in the morning for tests,” Junior Justice said.
“I was going to call you to have your powers tested too, Starling.” Starlight shook her head. “They think exposure to the Sapphire might have something to do with the power loss.”
“My powers haven’t diminished at all.” Nicole gazed at her hands. “In fact, they’re getting stronger.”
“Stronger?” Starlight fell into silence for a moment. “You’d best come by now. You’ll have to speak with Dr. Farber directly. I’m tied up in the testing lab.”
Nicole felt her stomach twist. “Okay.”
“Cut her some slack, Starling,” Starlight said, and the feed went dark.
“We’re almost there,” Junior Justice said.
“I can’t wait to get this thing off my hands,” Nicole held up the Sapphire in the light.
“Neither can I.” Junior Justice shivered. “Being next to it is giving me the heevies.”
Nicole smiled at him. “You have such a way with words, JJ.”