by R. J. Ross
Emily is staring at me as I tug the gloves on. "What?" I ask, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I was expecting a cape," she says.
"No capes," I say. "Never saw the point of a cape."
"Because you're a super?" she offers, picking up the dark blue fitted mask and handing it to me. I slip it on, making sure it attaches with the makeup glue, then stand, blinking as she pulls out what looks to be my mother's cell phone and takes several pictures. "Jeanie said I had to take them," she says.
"She's going to be watching, though," I say.
"Well, yeah, but she's already at the fight sight eating McDonalds," Emily explains. "Since that's the easiest way to be there without getting noticed."
"Yeah, yeah," I say.
"You're supposed to pose," she prompts.
"I'm not going to pose!" I say, trying not to laugh.
"You've got to pose! Do some heroic pose like sticking one hand up in the air or something," she says.
"How is sticking one arm up in the air heroic?" I ask, giving in to the laughter. She snaps another picture and grins at me. "If you go along with the training as a team, you'll be in a uniform that goes along with this one," I tell her. "Be grateful we don't get stuck with capes."
"I want stars on mine," she decides.
"You wanna be a mini-Mom, or something?" I tease.
"No, but I like stars! Or maybe stripes," she says thoughtfully.
"We'll figure it out when you're actually going to start," I say, heading out of the apartment with her behind me. "We'll have to get your stripes fixed."
"I like my stripes!" she protests.
"I mean darker, maybe add some white, too," I say. "I like the stripes too." She flushes and I can't help but grin as we head down the stairs. Nico's waiting at the front door, where he hands me a new transmitter.
"Emily, you can run, right?"
"Yeah?" she says.
"Then here," he says, dropping a hand on her head. "Keep your head low and keep up. I hear you'll be training as Trent's sidekick," he adds as we start out through the security system.
"Partner," she says. "I'm going to be his partner."
"Ahhh, that serious, huh?" Nico teases me as I step off of the last glowing footstep.
"Shuddup," I mutter, knowing I look even redder in all this blue. "Don't we have work to do?"
"Yep." We take off, but I can't help but glance back at Emily every few minutes to make sure she's doing okay. She's only fourteen, after all. She looks a bit tired as we reach the fight sight and I motion for her to go over to the McDonalds where Mom and Dad are sitting at one of the outdoor tables. Max is already there. He's got a mic. God help us all, Max with a mic.
"You people are the privileged few that will see my new headquarters being built!" he says over the mic. "Of course that means I'm going to have to kill you all afterwards--it's nothing personal, of course, but I can't have any witnesses."
I'm not going to laugh. I'm not going to laugh. He likes his job WAY too much.
"Hey!" I bellow.
"Oh? What's this? Hey, did you come to help with the building?" Max asks over the mic. "Because you look like a construction worker. Mind you, I don't pay more than minimum wage--"
I grab a large slat of concrete from the pile, then spin, throwing it like a discus straight at him. Max yelps and drops the mic, dodging at the last second. I can't help it--I grab the fallen mic. What? It's too good an opportunity to pass up!
"You're done, Maximum," I say over the mic. "You keep saying you're the new face of supers, but you know what? I don't like your face enough to let it represent us."
"Wait--hey, you stole my mic!" Max says. "Gimme back my mic!"
"No way, I like the mic," I say. "I'm here to stop you, Maximum, whether you like it or--" I see his hand move and I'm almost expecting the bus to hit me from behind--almost. Thankfully Nico warns me with a quick "behind you." I grunt, losing my hold on the mic as the bus sends me a few steps forward. I can hear the metal screeching when I dig my feet into the ground. When my body stops giving the metal has to start.
Max's got the mic again. "Geez, man, you wrecked my bus!" he says over the mic. Just for that I turn, punching the bus and sending it flying several feet before it falls. "I was fond of that bus!" he protests. So I have to run over, pick the bus up and toss it straight at him. This time it hits him full on and I race forward, grabbing the mic as it falls to the ground again.
Nico's laughing. I can't help but grin as I bring the mic up. "If you like it so much I'm happy I can give it back," I say. The cops have shown up by now and are surrounding the area, keeping the norms from getting too close. "Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of all supers, especially the next generation, I'd like to apologize for Maximum--"
The bus is shoved up and Max climbs out from under it, dusting himself off. Then, a bit to my surprise, he launches himself straight at me, slamming into me with the weight of a meteor. Him and his gravity powers, I think as the breath is knocked out of me. The mic goes flying and we launch into a flat out, knock down, brawl. He's cheating, of course, he's using his gravity powers to make his hits heavier and mine lighter, but it looks good--that's what matters.
We've got choppers flying overhead, and news stations recording us, and I can't help but think that if they wanted a posterboy matchup, they got one. By the time this video gets out on Hero TV we'll be having would-be supers of both sides asking their parents if they can come--
Max goes flying backwards with my next hit, an uppercut to the jaw, and I'm hearing Nico over the transmitter. "Nice fall. Make sure you land properly--good. Now grab the mic, and make your final threats before flying off."
The mic goes flying into Max's hand as he staggers dramatically to his feet. "You might have won this one, kid," he says--oh crap, I forgot to introduce myself. "But this isn't over. I'm going to get even, got it? This isn't over!" Then he flies off so fast that the wind messes up my hair.
"He took the mic," I mutter.
"What do you expect from Max? He's a ham," Nico drawls. "Now go check on the norms, be sure to pat little kids on the head while you're at it."
"I forgot to give my name, though."
"It'll be fine," he says as I head for the crowd pressing against the cops.
"Is everyone okay?" I ask.
"They're fine. You did good, kid," the cop nearest me says. "What's your name?"
"Liberty," I say with a grin. "Kid Liberty." I crouch down as I see a little boy reaching an arm past the cop's leg. "Hey," I say, taking the tiny hand. The little black boy looks up at me with huge eyes, then grins at me, showing he's missing a tooth. I hear photos being snapped. "You didn't get scared, did you?" I ask him.
"No," he whispers.
"Good. You're going to be a good boy, right?" I ask.
"Yes," he says.
"Good." I stand, salute the cops, and race away.
"That was AWESOME!" Max says over the transmitter. "Definitely a good introduction."
"You're both hams," Nico says with amusement. "But not bad. You definitely made an impact. Now make sure you don't get followed--Max, hop a state or two before coming back, Trent, do a few rounds and change before going back to the apartments. We'll be keeping an eye on you both."
"Where's Emily?" I ask.
"With your parents."
"Where's Zoe?" Max asks.
"With me. She says you did good."
"Good," Max says. “Think my fall was dramatic enough?”
“I think you just didn’t want hit in the face again,” I drawl.
“How do you think I keep my extremely cute girlfriend, man? I’m attached to this face!” I’m heading south, passing a few small towns absently, planning on turning around soon, but something catches my eye. I slow, then stop, watching as a pair of capes fly overhead. “Hey, Max? Did your dad say anything about visiting capes?”
“Today? No, not that I know of.”
“We’ve got two headed straight for Kansas City right now. One male, one fema
le--both in traditional good guy garb,” I say, watching them for a moment. “I think...”
“It must be the parents,” Nico says. “Come back, boys, meet at the Hall--Max you might want to change clothes first.”
“Yes sir,” I say, starting back for Kansas City.
***
The Hall is a place I visited a few times as I was little--well, more than a few times. I’ve been babysat by more than half of the major players in the Central Hall, Falconess still gives me a hard time about changing my diapers whenever she comes over for a barbecue, and Mega has played catch with me a million times over. Honestly, I’m surprised I'd never met Max before he transferred into my school for a day or two. Then again, Max’s entire existence was a bit of a mystery to the Hall until he decided to make his debut as a super villain.
I head through the underground entrance, nodding to the guard and checking in as usual--face scan, fingerprint scan, all the stuff you have to do to get into the not-for-public part of the building, and step into the main room, where the two capes from earlier are screaming at Frank.
“What have you done to our daughters?” the father bellows. He’s taller than Frank, broader than Frank, and usually a situation like this would be one sided, but Frank’s just standing there, waiting for them to finish. I see Nico sitting at the large C shaped table that surrounds the floor they’re standing on. He’s got his feet propped up on the table, which is probably outraging every assistant in the area, and is typing away on his laptop.
He stops and I hear noise coming from the speakers, too quiet for the screaming parents to hear. It’s the sisters talking, I realize. He’s unscrambled the feed from the apartment’s security camera. “Frank,” he says.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Frank says. The father grabs the front of his uniform, hauling him off his feet.
“I think not,” the man says. “Do you know who we are?”
“You are Allie and Kelly’s parents, Geoff and Marlina Behts, AKA Crank and Juxta, B class supers from the South Branch,” Frank says. “Do you know who I am?”
I can see sweat appear on Crank’s face and how he has to force his fingers to let go of the uniform, which Frank straightens quickly before heading to Nico. “Found him,” Nico says.
“I see,” Frank says. “I’m afraid there’s no doubt now, is there?”
“Look like it,” Nico says. “I can’t say that I’ve ever wanted a brother,” he adds darkly.
“And the distortion?” Frank asks, ignoring how the mother is trying to see what they’re doing.
“Have you found out what happened to my girls?” she demands. “It has something to do with Emily, doesn’t it? She’s so small but she’s vicious--“
“You will refrain from speaking this instant,” Frank says in a tone that I’m sure is a mental command as well. Her mouth snaps shut, but her eyes look shocked. “Trent,” he says. “Max.”
I glance behind me, seeing Max head for us in civvies. “Nico’s unscrambled the feed,” I tell him.
“Who did it?” Max asks.
“It looks like the same man Zoe described from earlier... and a woman. Trent, can you come here?” Nico asks. I head over, looking over his shoulder at the woman on the screen. “Is this the woman from your old school?”
The glowing eyes, the perfect hair, the pencil thin skirt. “Yes,” I say. “That’s her.”
“Frank, do you recognize her?” Nico asks.
“No, but I’ll have my people look into it,” Frank says. “We’ve finally got a lead. Now, to deal with you two,” he goes on, turning to the two parents. “Your children are in the healing ward. They’re recovering well, and as far as we can tell have only suffered concussions and shock from their experiences.”
“Oh thank God,” the father breathes out.
“Except,” Frank interrupts. “Somehow they no longer have their abilities. We’re trying to find out what’s happened to them, but for the moment your daughters are norms.”
“Wh--what?”
“It could be any number of things, and honestly they’re cluttering up my healing ward, so I suggest you take them home to your own Hall and deal with it there,” Frank says, totally unsympathetically. “If our tests come up with any results we will pass it on to your Hall. If not, well I suggest they think a lot harder before they gang up on a young cape, regardless of how developed her powers are at the time.”
“Our daughters were only defending themselves!” the father snarls.
“From a fourteen year old girl who was barely starting to show signs,” Frank says coldly. “Two on one is not defending, two on one is a crime.”
“You don’t know Emily!” the mother says. “She’s a wild animal! She’s rabid!”
“Get out,” I snarl, startling myself as much as I do everyone else in the room. “Get out of my Hall! Nobody talks about Emily like that! You just stood there and let them gang up on her--you’ve got no right to don a mask!”
“Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?” the father demands, turning on me. “You have nothing to do with this situation!”
“Yes he does,” I hear my father say from behind me, “because Emily is his future partner.” I turn, seeing Dad and Mom both in full uniform, with Emily standing in front of them. Emily looks like she’s been slapped.
“Emily,” I say, holding out a hand to her. “Come here.” She hesitates for a mere second before stepping forward and taking my hand. “This isn’t a wild animal,” I say clearly. “This is a girl who’s lost everything, and when she turned to you, you betrayed her. You accuse her of having something to do with this, you accuse her of assaulting your older--physically stronger daughters. You’re as bad as they are. And even with all that, she still cried when she saw your daughters the way they wound up.”
“You have no idea what happened--“ the mother starts out.
“Do you want me to find out?” Frank says. “Because I can. And if I know for certain that you were aware of what was going on and did nothing to stop it, I will have you thrown into the cape cells for being an accomplice to child cape abuse.”
“You--she--“ the father splutters.
“I believe Kid Liberty has already told you to leave,” Frank says. “I suggest you gather your children and do exactly that.”
“Wait,” Emily say. The room seems to go still as she takes a step forward. “Mastermental... I don’t think it’s right, not trying your hardest to find out what they did to take their powers,” she says quietly. “Regardless of--of the past, it’s just... we need to find out how to fix it, right? In case it happens to someone else.”
"She acts like this in front of you, but--" the father says. I take a step forward, my hands fisting at my sides, only to stop as I realize Emily's hanging onto my waist, trying to stop me.
"Don't," she says, looking up at me. "Does this make you a better person?"
"It might make him one," I say coldly.
"Trent," Dad says quietly before stepping forward. "We are truly sorry for what's happened to your daughters," he tells the two in front of us. "But Emily has nothing to do with what happened--except in one way. Your daughters came here for her, and spoke about it as they went on the tour. We all heard it. And since we've clearly established that they came back after being delivered by a small group of assistants, they came back for her, as well. That, in no way, shape or form, is Emily's fault."
"America's Son," Crank snarls. "I thought you were always out for justice, regardless of who the wrongdoer is--"
"I am. If this were Emily's fault I would make sure she was dealt with. But trying to blame a fourteen year old child for your daughters' mistakes is not acceptable to me."
"Geoff, don't," Marlina says, grabbing her husband's arm. "You can't take on an entire Liberty family."
"Liberty--" he stops, his eyes falling on me. "I should have realized," he says. "We're leaving. But this isn't the end of it, Mastermental. I fully hold you responsible for what's happened. If my daught
ers never regain their powers, it's your fault."
"No," Nico says. "It would be the Superior line's fault."
"Superior?" Crank asks, going pale. "Who are you?"
"Technico, first son--I assume, at least--of Superior himself. And had you been calmer you would have seen exactly what happened to your children. To be honest it's not completely Superior fault," he says thoughtfully. "But I have no idea who she is, and since she's working with him, well, he's as good a choice to blame as any. If you really desire revenge, go after this man." He turns the laptop around, showing a screenshot of a man that looks exactly like him, but like a photo negative, with the colors backwards. "But you won't win."
"He's a villain, isn't he? Good always wins--" the father starts out.
"He is a Superior brat," Nico says coldly. "Good or bad or what you think counts as 'good,' even, doesn't matter when you're that outranked. If you want to see how you stand up to a son of Superior, I'll be happy to show you." He's put the laptop down and is on his feet, still wearing his civvies. There's no built in defense in that t-shirt he's wearing, but I don't think he needs it for this one.
"Nico," Frank says. "Sit down."
Nico looks at him, and I can see him debating on whether to obey or not. Instead of doing either, he turns for the exit. "I'll lead them to the healing ward. I need to check on Jack, anyway."
"How is Jack doing?" I ask.
"We've gotten it to where he can breathe on his own," Nico says, "but he's still unconscious and unresponsive. It's going to take more work." He looks at the parents, looking impatient. "Follow me."
They hesitate before nodding reluctantly and Nico leads them out of the room, leaving the laptop on the table. For a moment the room is silent, then I feel Emily's head bump against my chest and look down. She's shivering. I wrap my arms around her, tugging her close. Her arms go around my waist and I know she's trying her hardest not to cry. How can they think that this girl is rabid? What just happened almost broke her. For how long has she been this close to the edge?
"You did good," I say, feeling a tiny bit awkward at this happening when surrounded by people. "You did real good," I repeat, rubbing her back.