by Lucas Flint
I bit my lower lip. "Not exactly. More like I'm trying to find a way to have my cake and make you eat it."
"Oh, come on," said Christina. "That's such a stupid, cheesy thing to say. You really are just a dumb kid, aren't you?"
"Maybe," I said, "but at least I didn't team up with drug dealers to kidnap a sixteen-year-old kid's parents to make him give you what you want."
"And?" said Christina. "What are you going to do, preach to me about how I need Jesus now or something? Come on. Either give me the Watch or your parents die."
My hands shook. "All right, Christina. You win. I'll give you the Watch. Just give me back my parents."
I could almost hear Christina's smirk over the phone. "Very well. I'll make sure your parents are returned to you safely once I receive the Watch."
"Good," I said. "Now, do you want me to leave school early to do this or--"
"No," Christina interrupted. "The last thing I need is your school noticing you leaving early. You can wait until school gets out and then we can make our deal. How does that sound?"
It sounded like torture to me and made me wonder what Christina was actually trying to do, but aloud I said, "All right. Will you be at my house?"
"Nope," said Christina. "I'm going to be at the Injectors' headquarters. I understand, from a conversation I had with one of the Injectors you beat, that you know where the Injectors are headquartered. Since your parents are also there, we can just meet there and make the exchange at that location at midnight tonight. How does that sound?"
"It sounds terrible," I said.
"Exactly what I wanted to hear," said Christina. "See you later, then. I'll be waiting."
With that, Christina hung up, leaving me standing there in the boys' room alone, staring at the mirror and still holding the phone up to my ear.
As soon as Christina hung up, TW flashed next to me, a worried frown on his face. "I heard the whole conversation. This is worse than I imagined."
"You think?" I said as I lowered my phone. I walked up to the sink and leaned against it. "I'm sorry about agreeing to give her the Watch, but--"
"No, I understand," said TW. "While the concept of 'family' still eludes me to some degree, I understand how important family is to humans. That you would be willing to give me up to Christina in order to save your family is quite natural for a human like you, especially because you've lost so much of your family already."
"Thanks," I said in surprise. "I didn't think you would be so understanding."
"What can I say?" said TW. "Working with your grandfather for so many years has given me a good understanding of human nature, albeit an imperfect one."
"Makes sense," I said. I frowned. "Still, this shouldn't have happened. Now we don't have the element of surprise on our side anymore."
"True," said TW. "But at this point, what can you do about it? You have no real choice at this point but to go to the Injectors' headquarters and confront Christina and Jones. If you bail out on your agreement, then they will kill your parents."
My hands balled into fists. "I know. But if I give up the Watch, then I will never be able to stop the Injectors or avenge Thomas. And I can't accept that."
TW shrugged. "I wish I knew of some way to help you, Jack, but unfortunately I don't know how or if it's even possible."
I folded my arms in front of my chest. "I wish you hadn't said that, because now I'm pretty sure that I'm completely--"
The door to the bathroom suddenly opened and, before either TW or I knew what was happening, Kyle stepped in and said, "Hey, Jack, I just wanted to find out if you were--"
He stopped speaking abruptly when he saw TW floating in front of me. TW had completely frozen when Kyle entered. So did I, for that matter. Kyle just stared at TW and TW just stared at him, as if neither could believe what they were seeing.
I shook my head and said, "Kyle, this, uh, is not what it looks like it."
"I don't know what it looks like," said Kyle as he let the door swing shut behind him. He pointed at TW. "Is that a hologram or am I just going crazy?"
"You're going crazy," said TW, waving his hands up and down. "The pizza you had for lunch was rotten and it's starting to make you see things that aren't--"
"TW, cut it out," I interrupted. "You're not fooling anyone, so you might as well drop the act."
TW lowered his hands to his side sheepishly. "Sorry. I was just trying to preserve our secret."
"Secret?" Kyle repeated. "What 'secret' are you talking about? Do you mean the fact that you've been keeping a holographic old guy hidden from me? Because I'm not sure I want to know why you've been keeping that a secret from me."
I hesitated for a moment, but deciding that the direct method was the best, said, "Kyle, I might as well get to the point: I'm Trickshot."
Kyle was silent for a moment before he suddenly grinned and said, "That's a joke, right?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm serious. I can even prove it. Look."
I flipped open the lid of the Trickshot Watch and pressed the red button. My suit instantly materialized around me, causing Kyle to nearly jump to the ceiling in shock.
"What the hell?" said Kyle, staring at me with uncomprehending eyes. "Where did that costume come from?"
"It doesn't matter," I said, shaking my head. "I just need you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this, because I'm trying to keep my identity a secret and I don't want anyone else knowing."
Kyle hesitated, but after a moment he nodded and said, "Okay, Jack. I'll keep your secret. It's what friends do, right? But I'm going to have to ask why you've kept it a secret from me."
"Because I wasn't sure you were ready for it yet," I said. I put my hands on my chest. "I'm still not entirely comfortable in this suit myself, so I wasn't sure how you would react to it."
"I think it's cool, but I have so many questions," said Kyle. "When did you get the costume? How do you have superpowers? And just who is this hologram, anyway?"
I answered all of those questions as quickly as I could, giving Kyle a small recap of everything that had happened since my 16th birthday. I left out a lot of unimportant details, because I didn't know how much time we had left before someone else walked in on us. I did, however, take off my costume just to be safe, now that there wasn't a need for Kyle to see me wearing it.
"Wow," said Kyle by the time I finished telling him my story. "That's ... a lot to take in. If I hadn't seen your costume or this hologram guy here, I wouldn't have believed any of it."
"I know it's a little hard to believe, but it's all true," I said. "And now I have to save my parents from the Injectors. And to do that, I have to give them the Trickshot Watch."
Kyle scratched his chin. "Couldn't you go to the police and tell them about this? They might be able to help us arrest the Injectors and save your parents."
I shook my head. "No. If I did that, the Injectors would probably just kill my parents. And that's assuming the police would even be capable of taking down the Injectors, which I doubt they are."
"But you can't just go and give the Injectors the Watch," said Kyle. "That's crazy. If any of the Injectors had access to the Watch, they could cause all kinds of trouble, much worse trouble than they can do now. You have to keep it."
I shrugged. "I would like to keep it, but I value my parents more than I value the Watch. I wish I could have both, but it seems like I have to choose one or the other, and I think you know why I chose my parents."
Kyle nodded, though he still had a troubled look on his face. "Man, Jack, I wish you'd told me about your superhero stuff earlier. Then I might have been able to help you somehow."
"No, it's fine," I said, waving off Kyle's concerns. "There's nothing you can do to help. Don't feel so bad about it. It's not like you're a superhero yourself who ... could ... help ..."
My sentence trailed off as an idea occurred to me. The idea percolated in my mind like coffee, quickly turning into a full-blown plan whose details were rapidly becoming clear to m
e.
"Jack?" said Kyle. "You look like you were just hit by lightning."
I looked at Kyle and smiled. "Kyle, I think I know how you can help me with this. I've got a plan ... and I think, if we all do our parts, it could just work."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Hours later, at midnight that night, I flew through the sky, my cape flapping behind me, heading directly to the headquarters of the Injectors. It was a cloudy night tonight, which meant I was unlikely to be seen by the people on the streets below, which was good, because I wasn't very comfortable with being seen in public just yet, mostly because I didn't want the police to see me and try to arrest me for being an illegal superhero.
Then again, I didn't really enjoy flying through the clouds, because they were a lot wetter than they looked. Nonetheless, my costume and goggles kept me mostly dry, and according to the Watch's GPS system, I was almost at the Injectors' headquarters.
When I first put the address which the Injector had given me into my phone's GPS app, I had been surprised to discover that the Injectors' headquarters was not some seedy abandoned apartment building on the outskirts of town, but rather a large, six story building in the middle of Rumsfeld itself. The building was a relatively new one called the Peter Glow Building, so named after the billionaire, Peter Glow, who built it in the first place. It was supposed to be a new office building that businesses could rent office space from, which many businesses used for that exact purpose.
I would never have expected the Injectors to set up shop there, but at the same time, I could see the logic behind it. After all, no one would ever expect the most infamous drug cartel in town to be set up inside a legitimate business building where plenty of real, honest businesses did work. I did wonder, though, how they had managed to go so long without arousing the suspicion of the police or anyone else who used the building. I figured they had to be using a fake business name and front to trick people into thinking that they were just another business trying to make a profit.
But it didn't really matter to me how they had managed to conduct their business, because soon their entire enterprise would come crashing down around them and they wouldn't even see it coming. Assuming, at least, that my plan worked.
There. According to my watch, I was now directly above the Peter Glow Building. Pausing in midair, I slowly lowered through the clouds until I emerged from the underside of the clouds and got a good look at the Peter Glow Building itself directly below me.
The Peter Glow Building was even bigger in person than in the pictures. Though not the tallest building in downtown Rumsfeld, its newness made it stand out in comparison to the other buildings around it that had been built much longer ago. Street lights reflected off its windows, while the words 'PETER GLOW BUILDING' in front of the building glowed white.
"There it is," I muttered. "The headquarters of the Injectors themselves."
TW flashed into existence next to me, a worried look on his face. "It certainly doesn't look like the place where drug dealers would set up shop, now does it?"
"No, it does not," I agreed. "But that's why they chose it, obviously. I can only imagine how they've managed to do business in there for so long without being caught."
"Drug dealers are more clever than most people give them credit for," said TW. "But in any case, their business is about to be upended, isn't it?"
I nodded. "Yes. Which reminds me ..."
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Kyle's number. I only had to wait one ring before Kyle answered and said, "Hey, Jack, are you at the location?"
"Yes," I said. "I'm above the Peter Glow Building even as we speak. Are you ready to call the cops?"
"Yeah," said Kyle. "Do you want me to call them now?"
"Of course," I said. "It will take the cops at least ten minutes to get there, which I estimate is how long it will take for me to have my meeting with the Injectors. By the time I'm done talking with them, the police should have the building surrounded and the Injectors will be trapped like rats."
"Right," said Kyle. "I'll call my cousin. He's pretty high up in the police department, so he should be able to get things going quickly. And he'll definitely make sure to keep my tip anonymous to protect me from the Injectors in case things go wrong."
"Good to hear," I said. "Now, I'm going to hang up, because I don't want to be late for my meeting with the Injectors. See you later."
I hung up the call and put the phone back into my pocket. I glanced at TW, who disappeared back into the Watch, and then started to descend to the roof below.
As I descended from the sky, I briefly went over in my mind the plan that Kyle, TW, and I had hammered out only hours before. It was a relatively simple plan, all things considered, but I was amazed we had managed to figure it out so quickly. I guess that's just what happens sometimes when you only have a limited time to come up with a plan.
The plan was this: I would go to the Peter Glow Building to meet with the Injectors. Ostensibly, I was to give the Injectors the Trickshot Watch in exchange for my parents, but in truth, I would do whatever I could to distract the Injectors long enough for Kyle to call the cops and tell them about the Injectors' headquarters. I needed to distract the Injectors long enough for the police to arrive and surround the place. Once they did, I would not have to worry about my parents, because the Injectors would have no choice but to hand them back over to me.
Landing on top of the Building, I briefly glanced around to take in my surroundings. There wasn't much to look at, aside from the air conditioning units. I didn't see anyone other than myself, which made me wonder for a moment if I had picked the wrong building. I glanced at the GPS system on my watch and saw that I was where I was supposed to be. But then where were the Injectors and my parents?
All of a sudden, the door on the top of the building slammed open. Five figures walked out of the doorway. Three of them Injectors, each one armed with a rifle. The other two were Christina Madison, who I would recognize anywhere, and a mysterious black man with long dreads and a very professional-looking business suit. The black man in particular caught my attention, because he looked way too important to be a mere lackey like the other Injectors.
The three Injectors spread out slightly, standing in between me and Christina and the other guy. They were probably the black guy's bodyguards, which meant I already knew who he was, though I didn't say that aloud just yet because I wanted to be sure.
"Hi, there, kiddo," said Christina, waving at me, a very fake and mocking smile on her lips. "You're actually on time for our meeting. And here I thought you might chicken out at the last minute and run away like the scared little boy you are."
"You must have a pretty low opinion of me if you think I'd just run away and abandon my parents to monsters like you," I said. "I don't know what your family is like, but with my family, when one of us is in danger, we always come to each other's rescue."
"Whatever," said Christina. "What matters is that you came." She looked at the black man standing beside her. "See, Michael? I told you he would come. You didn't believe me, but I was right."
"Michael?" I said, looking at the black guy in surprise. "Are you--"
"Michael Jones," said the black guy, his tone dull, yet dangerous. "We've spoken already, remember? On the phone about a week ago."
I nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
"When you told me that you were declaring war on the Injectors, I didn't quite believe you," said Michael. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes running up and down my body. "Or, rather, I thought you were going to be more intimidating than you actually look. You're barely more than a kid."
"A kid who has already put twenty of your guys in jail," I said. "But you can call me 'just' a kid if that makes you feel better."
"A mouthy kid, at that," Michael observed. "But it doesn't really matter now, because you have no power here, even in your costume."
Michael snapped his fingers. Two more Injectors emerged from the doorway, but they did not
come alone. They dragged Mom and Dad--who were both tied up and unconscious--out behind them. They immediately put their guns to Mom and Dad's heads before I could do anything.
"Mom, Dad," I said. I looked at Michael. "Did you hurt them?"
"My men knocked them out, but they weren't hurt very much," said Michael. "They should suffer no permanent injuries ... assuming, of course, you keep your end of the deal and give us the Watch."
My hands balled into fists. I didn't know how much time I had left before the police showed up, but it couldn't be much longer. I needed to drag out this meeting as long as possible, which meant finding ways to keep them from suspecting that I was trying to stall this meeting.
"All right," I said, folding my arms in front of my chest. "You promise not to kill my parents if I give you guys the Watch?"
"That's the agreement, yes," said Michael, nodding. "I thought Christina already explained it to you."
"She did," I said, shifting my weight from foot to foot. "It's just that I'm not entirely sure I can trust you, given who you are."
Michael frowned. "I understand your reticence, but trust me, I don't like killing indiscriminately. I would rather not kill your parents than kill them, but if I must, well, then I will do what I have to."
I smiled grimly. "Is that why you had a bunch of your guys hijack a school bus and threaten to kill a bunch of high school kids? Because that sure seemed necessary to me."
"Mouthy," Michael said. "Very mouthy. Perhaps a little too mouthy, wouldn't you say, Christina?"
Christina nodded. "Yep. It sure would be a problem if that mouth of his, ah, pissed you off, wouldn't it?"
"It certainly would," said Michael. "And if I got angry enough, I might accidentally tell my men to kill his parents. I've been known to act rashly when I lose my temper and that would certainly be something I might do if I were to lose my temper just now."
I understood what they were trying to say. They were losing their patience. The longer I dragged out this meeting, the more likely it became that my parents would die. I still didn't hear any police sirens below, but it looked like I had no choice but to hand over the Trickshot Watch to them.