Outrager cleared his throat, not that he needed to draw attention to himself.
“I’m here to tell you…” He paused, his face flushed. “You all did a damned fine job out there. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can pretty well promise that right now you’re all heroes around the world.” He looked at me directly. “May I offer you and the rest of your team a drive back to your base?”
“Slammer, Meltdown…” I took a pained breath, calling through the link, “Where are you?”
“They’re just putting her into the…” Stephen’s voice caught in his throat, “…the freezer. They done her okay, Jo.”
“Go home, back to the bookstore.” I gave Outrager a nod. “She’s going to be fine. We’re going to be fine.”
“I can’t believe we won.” Peter shook his head, grabbing a slice of hot pizza from the table. David had once again produced a great spread, hot tea at the ready along with a few bottles of beer and quality liquors.
“I can.” The freshly baked cookies were warm and chewy, dripping with more chocolate chips than cookie. They had been donated by the local bakery that, I was sure, had a sign in the front window pronouncing their connection with us. “We need more of these.” I swallowed another mouthful of heaven. “And spares.”
“Good idea.” Outrager appeared at the top of the stairs. “Those are definitely evil.”
Limox blew out a bubble between his lips now tinged with tomato sauce from the double slices he was tucking away. “Great. You come to bust our balls again?”
The Agency man ignored him. “We need to talk, Jo. You, me and the rest of the team here.”
Hunter got up from the sofa and advanced on the Agency rep so quickly that for a second I thought he had another skill I’d missed. “Don’t even think about signing them back up.” His low growl was interesting and a bit exciting.
“That’s not even remotely possible.” The man grabbed a long grey hair from his face and tucked it back into the frazzled ponytail. “You’ve killed the plugs. Jenny’s dead. There’s no way that we can do anything.” He stared at me, locking eyes. “Other than start working for you.”
“What?” I whispered.
“What?” Hunter shouted.
“What the fuck?” Limox moaned, dropping his head into his hands. “I knew I had a concussion.”
“Let me explain. I’ll go slowly for the lunkhead.” Perching himself on the edge of the sofa, Outrager smiled. “The Agency has, or had, I’m not sure about the tense, a lot of resources that are now vacant. The other Agencies are in the same sort of spot as we are, all set up without any heroes or villains to control. So why not put all those resources to some good?”
“Work for me?” I squeaked.
“Work for your team.” The words held a note of authority. “You aren’t the only supers left on the planet.” His gaze darted towards Limox, who was still moaning to himself. “There are a lot of villains who didn’t come to the final battle and who did kill their Guardians. A lot of people have changed sides.”
“So the playing field is all new.” Hunter’s voice held a note of wonder and fear. “And now you need a job.”
A flush came over the older man’s face. “Well, yes. That and a whole lot of people around the world.” His attention returned to me. “So, Jo—are you serious about doing this full-time? Are they? And are you going to take our help or try to do it yourself?”
I took a sip of tea. “I’ll decide that later. Right now we’ve got unfinished business to take care of.” I nodded towards the stairs. “We’ll be in touch.”
Outrager opened his mouth as if to say something, then retreated down the stairs.
Hunter smiled. “Well, I think he knows who’s in charge.”
“Yep. But we’ll deal with that later.” I put the mug down. “David, we need to find a nice place for May…”
The bookstore owner nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “I think I know a spot she’d like.”
The funeral took place in a small cemetery just outside of Toronto, the ceremony short and private despite the paparazzi clamoring for some shots. After frying a few car engines and forcing the helicopters out of the area we settled down for the burial.
“I’m outta here.” Limox shook his head as the workmen moved in to cover the coffin with soil. “I don’t need this crap and you said that all bets were off when it was done.”
Ignoring Hunter’s warning stare, I nodded. “Agreed. But if you decide to start causing trouble, I won’t have a problem kicking your ass.”
The middle-aged balding man grinned, slapping Stephen on the back. “It’s been a wild ride, but I’m heading out to the West. Find someplace nice and quiet and see what I can cook up.” He shrugged, a sudden weariness on his face. “Just don’t want to play the game anymore.”
“Can’t blame you at all.” Stretching out my hand, I winced at Limox’s tight grip. “Just remember—stay on the right side of the law. Please. For May’s sake.”
A shadow crossed Limox’s face at the mention of her name. “Yeah.” He nodded at Hunter. “Catch ya on the flip side.”
“Yeah.” Hunter nodded towards Peter. “You going with him?”
“No. No, I’m not.” He shook Limox’s hand as well. “Sorry to see you go.”
“I’ll be fine.” Limox nodded towards David, who was still standing by the nondescript headstone. “But I’m sure gonna miss David’s…collection.”
“Yeah, well…” I swallowed hard. “Thanks for all your help. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Well, sure.” Limox grinned.
Stephen chuckled as he put one hand on Limox’s arm for a second before pulling him into a tight hug. “Be seeing you.”
Meltdown walked away, heading for the far end of the cemetery. I had no doubt they’d find a hole burnt in the gates far away from the mob gathered at the front waiting for us. Peter blinked away tears before looking at me. “Now what?”
Now what indeed.
A few hours later I stood in front of a podium in New York City, a handful of blocks away from where Mike had died. David stood to my left with Jessie, both of them sweating under the bright lights. Stephen and Peter were on my other side, the Pittsburgher beaming at the attention. Hunter stood just behind me. His left hand rested on the small of my back, the comforting pressure giving me strength.
Taking a deep breath, I reached out and tapped the first microphone, hearing the rumbling echo through the large room. The mob of reporters quieted down and took their seats, the cameras sparking to life with a burst of red lights.
“My name is Jo Tanis. Some of you know me as Surf.” My fingers were numb from gripping the wooden edges of the stand. “I was one member of the team that neutralized the alien attack on our planet.” The words caught in my throat as a mental image of May popped up. May, Jenny, Mike…
I closed my eyes for a second, hearing the murmurs start through the audience, Hunter whispering through the link. A thick meaty hand landed on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. I blinked, seeing the flashes from the cameras reflect off Stephen’s skin. Hiding my discomfort with a cough, I continued.
“I am pleased to announce that the alien threat has been dealt with. We managed to make contact with one of their warriors who engineered an internal coup and took control of the fleet with an eye to return to their home world. I don’t know if they’re going to send an ambassador or not, but they know that Earth is not their private playground.”
The cheering brought tears to my eyes, more so because it was a partial lie. But we’d agreed that telling them the entire truth, about how we had been manipulated through the Agency and Jenny’s precog…well, it’d be too much for the public to handle. At least, right now. And now the bastards at the Agency were working for us. It wasn’t a great situation, but it was better than the alternative.
“However, we have sustained many losses. Both supers and civilians. Many good people have been lost in a war that didn’t need to happen.” I
coughed again. “And there is work to be done, to rebuild, on all fronts. We are not able to guarantee that there won’t be another alien contact, maybe by friendlier aliens, maybe by another aggressive race.”
My throat burned as I continued. “Therefore, I am pleased to announce the formation of a new team of supers, who have pledged to fight not only the villains of our own world but to work together to protect the planet as a whole from any and all alien incursions.” I saw Outrager nod from his spot on the sidelines. The bastard had promoted himself to be our personal contact.
The reporters went mad. I didn’t try to answer any one question, choosing to just toss out the information I had prepared.
I put up my hand. “Right now there’s only four left of us from the original team and I invite any super who wishes to join us to contact me after this. We had one member who decided to retire, and we wish him well in his future pursuits.” At least until Limox started to pick a fight and I had to smack his ass down, I added mentally.
I had seen Speedster hanging around in the lobby before the news conference, clutching a notepad in his hand. Maybe he was really a reporter. Go figure. Blockhead had disappeared right after the fight—I had no idea if she would ever resurface.
“I know there are others out there who share our sense of responsibility to defend this world. I call on them to come forth and join our effort to create a fighting force like the world has never seen.”
“What’s this team called?” a voice shouted through the din. It sounded strangely familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
Peter stepped forward, a wide grin on his face as he posed for the cameras. “We’re calling it the Protectors.” He glanced at me sideways, looking for approval. I nodded, glad for the interruption. Stephen let out a loud belly laugh that reverberated around the room, bringing a smile to many faces that had been deadly serious a few seconds earlier. He grinned at Peter who smiled back at us.
“We’re called the Protectors.” The young man stood tall as a large hawk swooped down to land on his shoulder, somehow having gotten into the building. “And if you want to threaten the Earth, you’ll answer to us.”
“Amen,” Hunter whispered, his hand moving up to rest on my waist, pulling me close. The sudden heat stole my breath away.
“We’re going to do what we’re supposed to do.” I smiled into the cameras and the flashing lights and thought of Mike. “We’re going to keep saving the world.”
About the Author
Sheryl Nantus was born in Montreal, Canada and grew up in Toronto, Canada. A rabid reader almost from birth, she attended Sheridan College in Oakville, graduating in 1984 with a diploma in Media Arts Writing.
During her fifteen years of working in private security, she was stationed at the United States Consulate in Toronto as well as many hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area. Needless to say, she saw a lot of interesting things and people from which she draws her characters and situations in her speculative fiction writing.
She met Martin Nantus through the online fanfiction community in 1993 and moved to the United States in 2000 in order to marry. A firm believer in the healing properties of peppermint and chai tea, she continues to write short stories, poetry and novels while searching for the perfect cuppa.
To learn more, please visit www.sherylnantus.com.
Look for these titles by Sheryl Nantus
Now Available:
Wild Cards and Iron Horses
Blaze of Glory
Heroes Without, Monsters Within
Coming Soon:
Blaze of Glory
Heroes Lost and Found
Fight alone, die alone.
Heroes Without, Monsters Within
© 2012 Sheryl Nantus
Blaze of Glory, Book 2
In the weeks since Jo “Surf” Tanis and her rough-and-tumble band of super-powered actors broke free of the government-sponsored superhero show, they’re all still dealing with the aftershock of adjusting to this thing called reality.
It doesn’t get much more real than a mission to dig survivors out of what’s left of Erie, PA after a mysterious earthquake. A trembler that powerful is as out of place as Jo feels as the de-facto leader of the troupe. Not to mention the soul-shaking feelings she has for Hunter, a team member whose past as an Agency Guardian casts a heavy shadow over any possible relationship.
It seems one of the supers, an earth-warper named Ground Pounder, has gone rogue, using his freedom from the Agency’s brand of virtual slavery to put the “villain” back in supervillain. Failure to find him before any more innocent bystanders are hurt means the team could be back under the Agency’s thumb.
It’s a burden that doesn’t rest easy on Jo’s shoulders...especially when the man who’s invaded her heart is caught in the crossfire.
Warning: Contains kick-ass super women, super men and a budding romance ready to go into orbit. Also, gambling and Las Vegas buffets!
Enjoy the following excerpt for Heroes Without, Monsters Within:
“Steve,” I yelled. “Protect the civilians.” I stayed in the air, not daring to let my feet touch the ground. Something was wrong with this attack. This was beyond what Lamarr could do. I just had to survive long enough to figure out what was going on.
“Yes, civilians.” Lamarr chortled. “Can’t let the little people get hurt now, can we?” He looked to one side and flicked his fingers. One of the large steel towers holding up part of the mammoth canopy overhead shifted, the bricks around the bottom of the support bursting like popped balloons.
“Son of a bitch.” I fired off double bolts from my hand as I charged the punk, alternating my shots. One electric bolt shattered the ground just in front of Lamarr, forcing him to stand up and retreat a step.
Steve leapt to his left, landing at the base of the support tower. He wrapped his mammoth arms around it and let out a rumbling groan as he embraced the tilting steel. The silver veins on his arms stretched and twisted, flowing over his skin with the neon lights bouncing off them.
A shout went out, a series of yelps. No, howls. I looked to my left to see a pack of mangy sandy-colored coyotes charging towards Lamarr, their yellowed teeth bared. They leapt up as I laid down another series of blasts, trying to cut off any retreat for the super without shooting the animals. Just one hit would affect him like a taser, short-circuiting his body and dropping the little bastard like a stone.
Of course, I had to hit him first. I swayed sideways, buffeted by strong gusts of wind that couldn’t be natural. It felt like being drunk and trying to shoot the target with the broken popgun at the carnival.
Steve groaned again as he pushed the leaning support down, jamming it past the original cement base. It wobbled for a second before steadying itself. It wasn’t a great solution, but it bought enough time for the rest of the civilians to get out of the way.
Lamarr crouched and pressed his right hand to the ground. A jerk of a finger yanked a stone wall out of the tiles to stop the coyote pack in mid-jump, the poor animals slamming into the barrier at full run. They fell in a dazed heap. One got to his feet and shook his head from side to side, mimicking my inner thoughts. A second later the coyote flew to the right and smashed into a display booth. Glass dragons and tigers crashed and shattered, the tinkling noise of broken glass adding to the mayhem.
Lamarr stood up and looked at me, a sneer on his lips.
“My ride’s here and my job’s done. Later.”
A roaring filled my ears. I spun around to see a small twister, a whirlwind racing down the center of Fremont Street towards me. It snatched up the vending carts, the loose billboards advertising CHEAP BLACKJACK, and garbage cans, whirling them around at a furious rate. Bits and pieces of debris crashed into the lit signs, poking out glass letters and sending sparks everywhere. The smell of burnt plastic grew as it continued its rampage.
“Steve.” I swooped down and grabbed the man’s right hand, pulling him up and away from the base of the pillar. The tower shuddered once but
didn’t move. If we could get enough altitude and get clear of the buildings, we could avoid ramming the casinos. Steve had steel skin, but I knew I couldn’t take that sort of impact.
The raging winds slapped against me, making it hard to move upwards. I fought to stay in the center of the street, giving it all I had to avoid falling.
“What is that?” Steve yelled over the rising din.
“I don’t know.” I spotted the coyotes running away in all directions. Some limped and others were bleeding, but no bodies were left behind. I couldn’t imagine how guilty Peter would feel if some of them died.
Lamarr just stood there with an arrogant smirk on his face.
“He’s got something to do with this,” Steve said. His hand tightened around mine, almost painfully so. “Toss me at the little bastard.”
I nodded. We’d discussed this move before but hadn’t even practiced it, leaving it to later. Except that later was now, and there was no room for error. I fought to move forward and get closer to Lamarr. Steve swung at the end of my grip, readying himself to drop like a meteor on the super.
Lamarr glanced up at the approaching whirlwind with a look of reverence on his face. I lifted my other hand, preparing to take a shot at the grinning fool as I readied myself to release Steve.
Something caught me around the waist, a light soft touch that tightened to the point of pain, stopping me in midair. I gasped as I jerked to a stop, calling on my last reserves of strength to stay airborne. Steve hung below me, still clutching my hand.
“Son of a…” Steve exhaled as the unknown force turned us both to face the oncoming storm.
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