Not Your Villain (Sidekick Squad Book 2)

by C. B. Lee

  “But you’re all going!” Emma protests.

  Josephine shakes her head. “We were just helping them get started. Your mama is taking the train back to New Bright City in the morning. I’ll be here, don’t worry.”

  “And you guys?” Bells says in alarm, looking at his parents. “Who’s gonna run the farm? The restaurant?”

  Collette and Nick give him a small smile, and Bells knows it’s pointless to argue. It’s not as if they haven’t worked away from home before or gone out of town at the last minute. They do lots of organizing with Grassroots across the entire Collective and sometimes don’t even tell Bells until they’re on the road, but this is different. This is dangerous, and he’s concerned.

  “Sean is going to manage the farms, and Simon is going to help when he’s not at school, and we’ve got a great staff and plenty of MonRobots on our team. Don’t worry,” Nick says.

  “I’m more worried about you guys,” Bells mutters.

  “Is it because we’re kids, and you think we’re not gonna be useful because our powers aren’t ‘cool’ in combat?” Jess’ lip wobbles.

  “Oh, of course not.” Li Hua wraps Jess in a hug.

  Victor pats Jess awkwardly and gives Bells and Emma a stern look. “We just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “So it is dangerous!”

  Li Hua glares at her husband. “No, look, we’re just more equipped to handle this sort of thing.”

  “My parents aren’t meta-humans! What was that about powers and… and… people not getting hurt?”

  Victor pats Bells on the shoulder. “Your parents have an extensive underground communication system with their guerrilla farmer’s network that may be able to help us find Phillip.”

  “We’re adults; we know what we’re doing,” Collette says.

  Samantha nods. “This is an adult mission. You kids should just focus on school. Don’t worry. I’m going let the Council know about the corruption in the League, and we can dismantle this system from the inside.”

  Li Hua nods at Jess. “Watch over your little brother. I left extra fire extinguishers in case anything happens. There’s plenty of food in the freezer, and I’ve put more credits in your account if you want to order anything.”

  “Mom!” Jess says, shaking.

  There are more hugs and goodbyes, and then Nick taps Bells on the shoulder. “Why don’t you help me with these last two coolers, son.”

  Bells follows his dad outside. “Looks like you’re doing a lot of Grassroots stuff on the way,” Bells comments.

  “Just a little. Might as well, if we head out that way. Plus, fresh vegetables open a lot of doors,” Nick says. “Well?”

  “Well, what?” Bells folds his arms crossly. “You want me to say good luck and be careful and all that? Good luck!” He tosses the words out, sharp and biting. “Be careful!”

  “How long are you gonna be mad at me?” Nick folds his arms, mirroring Bells.

  “Why can’t you leave it to Genevieve and Jess’ parents? Why do you and Ma have to go?” Bells realizes that he’s looking down on his dad; he’s taller, now. A lump rises in his throat.

  “Because it’s important,” Nick says, as if it’s as simple as that. “And you know that if you were in our shoes and you had the opportunity to help, you would.

  “You’re like me and you have to do something when you see something’s wrong. It’s what makes you a hero, kid.”

  “Da-ad,” Bells says, intending a whine, but he can’t help but smile. “Thanks.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Bells.” Nick pulls Bells into his arms. “I know you feel terrible about working for the League before you knew they lied about, well, everything, but your heart is in the right place.”

  Bells closes his eyes and hugs his father. “Good luck. Be careful.”

  “A-ha, my son does care about me.”

  “Shut up.”

  “Look.” Nick steps back and holds Bells by the shoulders. He squares his jaw. “I know you, Bells. I know even if your mother and I both tell you to stay in Andover and go to school and be a good boy and let us handle it, that you won’t. You’ll either find a way around it or come right after us.”

  He’s not wrong. Is it worth it to deny it?

  His dad holds him steady. “Be careful. Finish as much schoolwork as you can, and there’s a signed request for independent study at the house. Use it only in case of emergency. You hear me?”

  “Of course,” Bells says.

  The Smashmobile is packed, except for one last suitcase Chả carries into the garage.

  “Yeah, we really need to go.” Li Hua picks up the luggage and puts it in the trunk.

  “Chả was trying its best,” Jess says, picking up the little robot and clutching it to her chest. “There, there.”

  After more hugs and kisses and goodbyes, the Smashmobile flickers as its camouflage activates. The bright colors fade to a mundane teal, and Smasher’s fist logo disappears into the paintwork. The adults wave cheerfully at the teens, and then the car pulls out of the driveway and down the street.

  “Okay,” Bells says. “What do you bet that we find Master Mischief before they do?”

  * * *

  Later that weekend, after exhausting efforts to find any mention of the Resistance or Master Mischief’s whereabouts on the Net, the newly formed Sidekick Squad hunkers down to form a plan.

  “What we should do is list our assets and figure out what we can do to improve as a team. What we can teach each other,” Emma says.

  “Great idea!” Brendan says.

  Bells laughs. Despite Emma and Brendan butting heads at the first of their team meetings, they’re the ones most enthusiastic about details. Getting started is simple. They put down a few things as they come to mind, and then Emma goes off on a tangent, rattling off her own skills. Brendan takes careful notes, while Bells and Jess give each other knowing glances.

  “Oh, and I’m really good at driving. I passed my test with flying colors. The Manual Driving Authority said no one in Andover has ever had higher marks… and I’m brilliant, of course, going to be the first person to get us back on track to go to Mars…”

  Bells laughs. “Did you guys ever hear how Emma got detention because Mr. Palm just didn’t understand her theory?”

  “No, what?” Brendan pauses his typing.

  “Well, it was on space travel in general, and how not pursuing it wasn’t due to the lack of fossil fuels, since most ships used nuclear power,” Emma starts.

  Bells grins. He loves it when she gets into science-mode.

  “Mostly the essay was about how the United Federation was more focused on bringing us out of the Disasters, and how the general public was scared of nuclear energy, so the space program was seen as huge waste of time.” Emma’s eyes glitter.

  This is his favorite part, and he leans forward, resting on his elbows.

  “But it wasn’t. I mean, we can’t really afford to go into space right now, but eventually we’ll need to repair satellites or send up more. And lots of technological advances were in the pursuit of space travel, and we use that tech all the time.”

  “What do you think, Abby?” Jess asks.

  Abby’s shoulders are hunched, and she’s staring at the list Brendan is making, at the words lit up in the air. There are a number of skills under each of their names but there’s barely anything written in Abby’s column.

  “Sorry, you guys go ahead. I need a minute,” Abby says, stepping out of the room.

  “Abby…” Jess frowns and follows her.

  At the sight of Emma’s frown, Bells, says, “They’ll be fine. We’ll give them some time and meet up with them later.”

  When they step inside Abby’s front door later that day, Chả the MonRobot leaves its charging dock with an excited meep! and heads toward them, only to be dist
racted when Jess stands up.

  Chả vacuums in a noisy circle until it bumps into Jess’ feet, and she chuckles. “There’s a spilled bowl downstairs,” she says, and the MonRobot cheeps happily and buzzes off.

  The living room is a jumble of many still-unpacked boxes and wires and tech. Next to Brendan’s vintage setup and Abby’s sleek new consoles are Brendan and Abby in a heated conversation; the plans for a mecha-suit float above them.

  “I’m just saying, if we add this component you could fly without your powers—”

  “I’m not going to wear a mecha-suit with a live nuclear reactor! Haven’t you learned anything from X29!”

  “Maybe the radiation will help you get your powers back! Maybe even stronger!”

  “That’s not the way it works!” Abby puts her hands on her hips and looks to Jess.

  Jess gestures at Emma and Bells. “Look, everyone’s here. Come on, come on. And Brendan, if Abby doesn’t want a new mecha-suit, don’t build one for her, okay!”

  Brendan fidgets, looking at his feet. “What if I already started…”

  Abby throws her hands up. “It’s hopeless; this design won’t work,” she says, but it looks as if she’s biting back a smile.

  Bells listens to the thump, thump of Chả slowly making its way down the stairs and settles on the couch. Emma is on her DED, flicking through newsholos and magazines.

  “You would think with the public knowing Captain Orion was behind all these terrible things, people would think differently about the League,” Emma says, stopping on the latest cover of STARS TODAY!. Starscream has a new haircut, the headline announces, and Bellevue and Starscream have been seen together, and it’s possible that they’re dating.

  Bells eyes Emma’s holo. It’s not that he thought the trivial gossip would come to an immediate end… but isn’t there more news? After all, people were talking about Captain Orion kidnapping people and experimenting on them. Even without mention of the League or the hero-villain conspiracy there’s no way to deny that this happened.

  Jess does a quick search on her own device. “That’s weird… There aren’t any mentions of Captain Orion at all.”

  “Typical,” Abby says. “Ignoring, ignorant—”

  “No, that is significant,” Emma says, raising her hand. “Complete dismissal of Orion, their favorite? She was the darling of the country, easy paparazzi fodder. Ignoring her entirely? That’s a statement.”

  Bells nods. “I agree. I don’t know what it means, but it’s ominous.”

  Jess’ eyes widen. “They’re not just dismissing her. They’re not talking about her at all, and soon… I bet this ugly blip in the League’s history will soon be rewritten just as they want it.”

  Ch. 7...

  Power outages don’t happen often; after all, the weather in Andover is blazing sunshine almost year round. As is true for most cities in the NAC, Andover relies on a combination of power sources: mostly solar and wind. They don’t have the advantage of the larger cities on the coasts with their tidal power stations or those near rivers that power hydroelectric dams. Relying on solar power, landlocked cities charge batteries during the day to last through the night.

  Everyone knows the drill: if storms cause solar panel failure, all alternate power generation goes toward emergency services and citizens are expected to have their own supplies.

  Bells’ first storm seemed like such an adventure, stocking up on candles and eating rations. He’s been through quite a few power outages since then and he always thinks of them as a time for fun, not dangerous. For the last few storms, he and Jess went to Emma’s house to hang out. They built blanket forts, watched holovids until the battery ran out, and ate way too much junk food.

  Today’s storm warning is typically ominous:

  STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6AM JANUARY 8. SOLAR PANELS WILL SHUT DOWN PRODUCTIVITY IN 90 MINUTES. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WILL SHUT DOWN. CENTRAL STATION WILL REMAIN OPEN SHOULD YOU HAVE A HOVERTRAIN TICKET THIS EVENING.

  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR SEVERE STORM DAYS, VISIT THE FOLLOWING HOLOPAGES.

  Almost everything in the house is powered down when Bells gets the message on his DED. Thunder rumbles, but the sky isn’t quite dark.

  “You still have your DED on? You know you won’t be able to charge it later.” Simon teases.

  “Have you heard anything from Ma?”

  Simon nods. “Yes, Sean got a message yesterday; they just made the drop-off to our Grassroots contact in Middleton.” He claps Bells on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, they’re making lots of progress getting all those meta-humans to safety.”

  Bells is relieved to hear things are going well, but it doesn’t change how much he worries about his parents.

  From: Emma 5:22 pm

  hey!!! new episode of GD, wanna come over and watch it with me?

  To: Emma 5:23 pm

  NO POWER, REMEMBER?

  IT WONT COME ON UNTIL 8 AND THE STORM IS ALREADY GETTING HERE AT SIX

  From: Emma 5:25pm

  i know, it’s your fave show tho. i can come over and pick you up? plenty of charge before the storm gets here, and i’ve got the screener and you can stay the night. you know my moms don’t care

  “Hey, I’m gonna go to Emma’s house and sit out the storm with her,” Bells tells his brother.

  Simon tilts his head. “I suppose, in the parental role here, I should be asking if it’s all right with her parents and do the thing where…”

  Bells rolls his eyes. “I go to Emma’s all the time. Her moms love me.”

  Simon clucks his tongue. “I know, huh? So, what is this, do you want the talk or what?”

  Bells gapes at him and then elbows his brother in the stomach. “Ew! Gross! I don’t wanna have a talk with you! It was embarrassing enough with Ma; you don’t—”

  Simon laughs. “All right, little bro, just playing with you.”

  “She’s my friend.” Bells glares.

  “Mmmhmm.” Simon gives him a knowing smile. “Okay. I can’t give you a ride, though. I have to take the car to the farm, and the buses aren’t running. And before you say you’re gonna take your super-sexy-secret-superhero motorcycle, I’m gonna warn you that—”

  “Storm. I know, Simon. I’m not dumb. Besides, Emma’s gonna pick me up.” He’s already messaging her YES. It doesn’t take long before Bells spots Emma’s little red car coming down the street, but the way his brother is teasing him, it feels like forever.

  The rain falls steadily on the dark street. Emma waves as he picks his way down the driveway. Without streetlamps, everything seems precarious.

  Bells throws his backpack into the back of Emma’s car and gets in the front seat. “Jess coming?” he asks, out of habit.

  “She’s at Abby’s house,” Emma says.

  Bells chuckles. “Why did I even ask?”

  The drive is eerily silent aside from occasional thunder in the distance. Saving their batteries, most of the town has gone to sleep already.

  Emma leads Bells inside. The house is brightly lit. “Oh, we’ve got plenty of energy tonight,” she says. “Tulsa had a super windy day today, and, if they didn’t sell their energy, it’d just go to waste. Come on!”

  “Bells! Did you eat dinner?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Robledo,” Bells says, giving her a hug. He loves Emma’s moms. “Thanks! Hi, Dr. Gutierrez!”

  “How many times have I told you, you can just call us Samantha and Josephine,” Samantha says gently.

  Bells rubs the back of his beck. “Ah, okay.” He agrees, one more time, but it’s weird to call adults by their first names, especially people as important as they are. Mrs. Robledo is their regional representative to the Collective government, and Dr. Gutierrez works at Andover Memorial Hospital. Bells really, really can’t use their first names. “How was, uh, New Bright City? Did you go anyw
here else?”

  “Yeah,” Emma says, perking up. “How are things going with, you know—” She glances around. “The business?”

  Samantha rolls her eyes. “For the last time, this house isn’t bugged. My security team made sure of it.”

  Josephine laughs. “It’s good to question,” she says, ruffling Emma’s hair. “She gets that from me.” She smacks a noisy kiss on Emma’s cheek.

  “Hey!” Emma blushes. “Don’t you have the night shift?”

  “I do,” Josephine says, and she kisses her wife goodbye. “Have fun, kids. Don’t stay up too late.”

  “Where’s Jess tonight?” Samantha asks.

  “At her girlfriend’s house,” Emma says.

  Bells laughs as both moms awww and are interrupted by the chime of a DED message. They all look at their own wrists, but it’s Samantha who frowns.

  “What, Kingston hounding you again about that damn produce bill?” Josephine sighs and tucks in a stray curl from Samantha’s otherwise-neat bun.

  “He’s such a butthead,” Emma says. “You already said no and it’s gonna stay a no. Why is he still bothering you about it?” She shakes her head. “Did you even open that giant present he sent you last week?”

  Bells chuckles as both moms give their daughter a stern look.

  “No, I just put it in the basement,” Samantha says. “We don’t need any more fancy tech.”

  Emma snorts. “Remember when he sent us that new projector console three months before it was released to the public? I mean, cool idea, but totally just trying to butter you up so you’d vote his way on the energy bill.”

  “It did not work,” Samantha says, laughing. “And you can’t call the president a butthead.”

  Emma lifts her eyebrows.

  “He’s a very smart and capable leader who—” Samantha scrolls through the message and scowls. “—doesn’t understand a thing about what the Nevada region needs! Or the Collective! Ugh, this bill is going to be the end of me.” She sighs as Josephine laughs.

  “Don’t work too hard. If I come home, and you’re still awake, you’re in trouble.” Josephine nudges Samantha, who goes to her home office.