Karma Girl

by Jennifer Estep

“What’s wrong? Can’t take a little taste of your own medicine?” I said.

  The three ubervillains didn’t reply.

  “Or perhaps you’re frightened of me. Imagine that. The Terrible Triad quaking in their boots because of Carmen Cole. What a strange day this is turning out to be. Wouldn’t you say?” I sounded crazy and I knew it. I felt crazy. All jumbled up inside.

  Scorpion charged at me. I stared at Malefica and used the ubervillain’s telekinetic power waves to pick up Scorpion and fling him across the room. He crashed into the computers, shattering them with his massive form. The blinking lights snuffed out like a candle. Scorpion groaned once and lay still.

  Frost wasn’t nearly so bold and daring. He ran. He clattered down the steps as fast as he could toward the cages that held his pet projects. I grabbed Malefica’s powers again. The locks on the metal cages popped off. I waved my hand, and the doors creaked open. Frost stopped. He turned to look at me.

  “What are you doing?! My work!”

  “Is about to come back and bite you in the ass. Just like karma.”

  I used Malefica’s power to rattle the cages. Low snarls erupted from within. A white, furry head appeared. Then another, then another. Frost’s mouth dropped open in horror. He backed up against the wall. The mutated creatures caught sight of him. They growled with one voice and advanced on him.

  “No! Stop! I created you! I am your master! You have to listen to me—”

  Frost went down in a heap of teeth and claws and fur.

  “Behind you!” Sam shouted.

  I ducked. A sword zipped by my head. Malefica stared at me, her green eyes glittering with hate and rage.

  “Do you want to play too?” I asked. “There’s plenty of me to go around.”

  “You get a little taste of power and you think you’re something special,” Malefica hissed. “You’re nothing compared to me.”

  “You’re the one who’s nothing,” I spat back.

  The ubervillain threw her arms wide. Bricks, loose wires, small pieces of metal, everything that wasn’t tied down rose into the air. Malefica shoved her arms forward and threw the mass of stuff at me at warp speed.

  I hit the ground, and the debris sailed over my head. Most of it clattered off the railing and disappeared into the bubbling liquid below. Pieces cut my arms and hands and shredded the back of my T-shirt.

  I scrambled to my feet and threw myself at her. We went down in a pile on the slick, cold floor. We rolled around, each trying to get the upper hand. Malefica slapped me across the face. I sank my teeth into her forearm. Blood filled my mouth, and Malefica howled in pain. She hit me in the head. We kicked and clawed and bit and scratched like two she-cats.

  “Get her, Carmen!”

  “Kick her ass!”

  “Atta girl!”

  “Go Carmen!”

  Cheered on by the superheroes’ shouts, I positioned myself on top of Malefica, reared back my hand, and punched the ubervillain with all my might. I had never punched anyone in my entire life.

  It felt good.

  Really good.

  Incredibly good.

  So I did it again. And again. And again.

  “Carmen! Carmen, stop! She’s out of it!”

  Sam’s voice penetrated my rage. Malefica lay slack and silent underneath me. The ubervillain’s beautiful face was a pulpy, bloody mess. I quit punching her and staggered to my feet. The world spun around. I lurched forward and grabbed the railing for support. My friends shouted something to me, but I couldn’t quite make it out over the ringing in my head.

  My inner voice screamed. I turned. Somehow, Malefica had gotten up. She ran at me, but I sidestepped out of the way. Malefica hit the railing. Her momentum carried her forward, and she flipped up and over the side. She shrieked once and splashed into the cold liquid below. And then—

  Silence.

  I stared into the white fog. The liquid gurgled and bubbled once.

  “Carmen? Carmen! Are you okay?”

  I lumbered around at the sound of Sam’s voice. The four superheroes stared at me, worry in their eyes.

  “I...think so.”

  I felt drained and utterly exhausted. But I couldn’t stop. Not yet. Not until I’d freed my friends. I staggered over to the smashed computers. Scorpion was gone. A pool of black blood glistened on the floor where he’d been. I squinted at the buttons and switches and wires. My hands hovered over the twisted metal.

  “Hit the one on the far side of the computer. The one that isn’t broken off like the others,” Henry said.

  I threw the switch, and the doors on the glass tubes hissed open. The superheroes tumbled out of their cages. They exchanged wary glances and slowly approached me. I looked at them. The waves of power still billowed out from them. I shook my head, and my vision cleared. The waves disappeared, and my friends came into focus.

  Sam put his arms around me. I smiled at him. He had never looked more handsome.

  “It’s good to see you,” he said.

  “You too,” I replied.

  Sam’s face swam before my eyes. I smiled again. Then, the darkness came, and I fell into its sweet embrace.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  My eyes fluttered open, and I stared at the ceiling overhead. I recognized it immediately. Back in the sick bay again. A heart monitor beeped next to me, along with all the other usual medical devices. An IV pumped fluid into my arm.

  I could feel someone else in the room. I turned my head. Sam sat in a chair next to the bed.

  “Hey there, handsome,” I croaked. My throat had about a gallon of sand in it.

  His silver eyes lit up. “Hey there, yourself. How are you feeling?”

  “Better. Still kind of tired and sleepy.”

  He reached out and took my hand. “You gave us all quite a scare, you know.”

  “Did I? I’m sorry.”

  Sam stroked his thumb over my hand. Tingles of pleasure ran up and down my hand at his warm touch. I twitched my fingers in response.

  “Why are you doing that?”

  “Just making sure I can still feel them,” I joked.

  Sam smiled. I’d never thought I would see him smile again. The effect was more devastating than I remembered. My eyes traced over him. No cuts, no bruises, no nicks or scrapes could be seen on his face and arms. He looked completely healthy. Then again, he would be. He could regenerate, after all. My heart swelled with love and tenderness. Sam was safe. I’d never been happier.

  “What day is it?” I asked, trying to take my mind off Sam’s incredible smile.

  “Friday.”

  “Friday the thirteenth?” Surely, I’d been asleep longer than just a day.

  “No, Friday, the twentieth.”

  Sam filled me in on what had happened after I collapsed. Henry and Chief Newman had made sure the glass tubes and computers had been destroyed. Then, Fiona picked me up, and the five of us had raced out of the ice cream factory. Moments later, the building had exploded. Scorpion hadn’t gotten to all of the bombs, after all. The factory collapsed in on itself. While the superheroes had fully recovered from the effects of Frost’s freezoray gun, there had been no sign of Malefica, Frost, or Scorpion since the explosion.

  “Do you think they’re dead?” I asked.

  “I think Scorpion made it out. He crawled away while you and Malefica were fighting. I don’t know about Frost. By the time we got down the stairs, the animals had all escaped. We’re trying to track them down now. There was a lot of blood on the floor, along with some pieces torn from his costume. As for Malefica, it’s possible she survived being in the vat. You did.”

  I flashed back to the factory. Malefica laughing, dropping me into the vat. The cold liquid closing over me. Freezing me, squeezing the warmth, the life from my body. I trembled and pulled the covers up to my neck. I wondered if I would ever forget that awful, awful cold, if I’d ever be truly warm again.

  “Don’t think about that,” Sam said. “You’re safe now, Carmen. The Tria
d will never hurt you again. I promise.”

  A shiver slithered up my spine. My inner voice whispered. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Well, I am. Rest now. We’ll have time to talk once you’re completely well.”

  Sam kissed my cheek and smoothed my hair back. His gentle touch brought hot tears to my eyes. I cupped his head in my hands and pressed my lips to his. Desire flared to life deep inside me. I wrapped my arms around Sam’s neck, drawing him closer, even as my tongue sought out his.

  “If you keep kissing me like that, I’m going to have a hard time leaving,” Sam murmured in a low, husky voice.

  “Then don’t,” I whispered.

  Sam disentangled himself from my greedy grasp. He pressed a kiss to the palm of my hand. “Unfortunately, I have to. The chief’s orders. He told me in no uncertain terms not to do anything to upset you.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “You don’t upset me. Quite the opposite, in fact.”

  “I think the chief was speaking in code.”

  “Oh.”

  Sam smiled. “Sleep now. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Promise?”

  He crossed his heart. “Promise.”

  He kissed me lightly and left. The door hissed shut behind him. I touched my fingers to my lips. They still felt warm and tingly from his kiss. A goofy grin spread across my face. I sat up, wanting to go after him, to make sure this was real, that he was real, and not some figment of my frozen imagination. A rustle of fabric caught my attention.

  Oh no. Not again.

  I peeked under the covers. A brand new pair of lab-rat, white pajamas covered my pale body. I sighed. In a way, it was comforting to know some things would never change.

  *

  The next day and several naps later, I felt well enough to get out of bed. My first order of business was to have Sam help me upstairs to my suite, where I took a long, hot bath and pulled on some clean, non-pajama-like clothes.

  I felt more like myself in my usual uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. My stomach rumbled. I was starving. I turned sideways and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. On the up side, being unconscious was certainly good for the diet.

  Someone knocked on the door. I opened it. Sam was there, wearing an impeccable business suit just like always.

  “Ready for dinner?”

  My stomach rumbled again. I blushed.

  Sam grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  “You can take it any way you want to, as long as you feed me.”

  Sam held out his arm. I took it, and we walked downstairs. Sam opened the door to the dining room. Fiona, Henry, and Chief Newman waited inside. The three superheroes stood. When I entered the room, they clapped. Sam joined in as well. Fiona put her fingers to her lips and let out an ear-splitting whistle. The chief wiggled his hand, and an enormous banner attached to one wall unfurled. It read To Carmen.

  My eyes widened. I ran to the table and hugged all the superheroes, even Fiona.

  “Sit, sit,” Henry said. “You’re our guest of honor tonight.” He pulled out the seat at the head of the table.

  I sank into the chair and wiped away the tears that threatened to trickle down my face. Sam disappeared into the kitchen and returned carrying an enormous chocolate cake. Fiona waved her hand, and candles lit up on the smooth, frosted surface. It also said To Carmen. Henry rushed forward and put a glass of champagne in my hands.

  “You guys, I don’t deserve this.”

  “You most certainly do,” Sam said. “All this and much more.”

  “No, it’s too much,” I protested.

  “Nonsense.” Sam lifted his glass. “I propose a toast. To Carmen!”

  “To Carmen!” the superheroes shouted.

  We raised our glasses high and clinked them together.

  “We just wanted to show our appreciation,” the chief said, his blue eyes twinkling. “If it wasn’t for you, none of us would be here now.”

  “I don’t know about that. You guys are the Fearless Five. You would have found some way to escape Malefica’s evil clutches. You’re superheroes. It’s what you do.”

  “Let’s not talk about that now,” Sam said. A dark shadow passed over his face. “Tonight, we’re celebrating our rescuer, Carmen Cole. So let’s eat. Our girl’s hungry.”

  They brought out dish after dish of food. My mouth watered. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, biscuits, vegetables. All my favorites. I took big helpings of everything, wolfed them down, and went back for seconds.

  “Slow down there, tiger,” Fiona said. “You’re giving me a run for my money tonight.”

  My fork froze over my mashed potatoes. I stared at Fiona, but I didn’t detect any hostility in the other woman’s tone or gaze. I didn’t even feel any warmer than usual. No sweat. No flare-ups. Nothing.

  “I’m just kidding,” Fiona laughed. “I’ll fight you for the last piece of fried chicken.”

  I smiled. “You’re on.”

  In the end, Fiona got the last piece of chicken. I retaliated by eating not one, not two, but three pieces of the scrumptious chocolate cake. We ate and laughed and talked and ate some more. It was one of the best nights of my life.

  Once we’d finished dessert, the conversation wound down. Even though I was grateful for the party and festive atmosphere, there were still questions I needed answers to.

  “So what exactly happened to me?”

  The four superheroes exchanged glances.

  “That’s something we’ve talked about a great deal. We’ve concluded it was a combination of many things all working together.” Chief Newman shoved back his empty plate and pulled a pack of RID pills out of his pocket. “Exactly how many of these did you take before you stormed the ice cream factory?”

  “About ten or so.”

  Henry whistled. “You’re only supposed to take one a day. Didn’t you read the warning label?”

  I shrugged. “I figured warning labels didn’t matter when you were going up against the Triad and their vats of radioactive goo. I didn’t really expect to make it out of the factory alive.”

  “Just as I suspected,” Chief Newman said. “It’s a good thing you took the pills. They absorbed most of the radiation you were exposed to. They saved your life.”

  “So what about...the other stuff?” I asked.

  “Other stuff?” the chief asked.

  “You mean when you burned Scorpion and threw him around like a rag doll?” Fiona asked. “Or do you mean when you iced Frost’s freezoray gun? Or perhaps you’re talking about when your eyes went all neon blue and glowy, and you wailed on Malefica?”

  I swallowed. “Um, all of the above, I suppose.”

  “Well, it’s quite simple,” the chief said. “For that brief time in the factory, you, my dear, had superpowers.”

  My mouth fell open. Superpowers? Me? “No way!”

  “Believe it,” Sam said. “We all saw what you did. Somehow, you found a way to use the Triad’s power against them.”

  Deep down, I’d known that’s what had happened to me. Hell, I’d been drunk with the power. A ball of worry took root in my stomach. Ever since I’d woken up, I’d been hoping it was just a figment of my imagination.

  The chief continued. “What we need to determine now is if it was just a fluke.”

  “A fluke?”

  “A one-time occurrence,” Henry said. “Sometimes, people gain or even lose superpowers after exposure to radioactive isotopes and other materials. Most of the time, the powers fade away after a few days.”

  “Oh.” The tight ball loosened a bit. “How are we going to do that?”

  “First of all, how did you feel after you came out of the vat? What did you see?” the chief asked.

  “It was cold, colder than anything you could possibly imagine. My vision went haywire, and I could see these waves around you guys. The waves seemed to have different feels to them. I just...sort of...reached out for them and stuff happened.”

  Chief Newman and Sam exchang
ed a quick glance.

  “Why don’t you see if you can do that again?” the chief asked in a gentle voice. “If you feel like you’re up to it.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out. I pushed my chair away from the table and backed up until I could see all four of them. My eyes zipped from Fiona to Henry to Chief Newman to Sam, and back again.

  Nothing.

  Not even a flicker of a wave or a splash of color.

  Relief surged through me. I didn’t see anything. Not one thing—

  Wait a minute.

  Sam shifted in his chair, and I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and squinted at him. Sam crossed his arms over his chest, and the faintest bit of color sparked around his arms. The air around him shimmered sapphire blue, just like before.

  “Well?” Fiona asked. “Do you see anything?”

  “Quiet, Fiona,” Chief Newman said. “She’s trying to concentrate.”

  I tilted my head. Fiona’s blond hair seemed to be glowing a rather red color. Fiona shot her father a sour look, and the color intensified. My eyes flew to Henry, who drummed his fingers on the table. Every time his fingers hit the smooth wood, they sent out small, bluish-white waves. I turned to the chief. Lazy green waves swirled about his head. I looked down at my hands and wiggled my fingers. Silver waves radiated out from me.

  Uh-oh.

  My shoulders sagged.

  “You don’t see anything,” Sam said.

  I shook my head.

  “No,” I said. “Unfortunately, I see everything.”

  Chapter Thirty

  I sank down into my chair. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. To me, of all people.” I laughed. “How ironic. How pathetically ironic. But I suppose that’s karma for you.”

  “So what exactly do you see?” Fiona asked.

  I told the others about the waves of energy around them.

  “I’m red? Hmmm. I always thought I’d be more of a cool, silver color,” Fiona said. “Or maybe blue to match my eyes.”

  I shot Chief Newman a look. He shrugged.

  “So do you think you can do something?” Fiona asked.

  “Like what?”

  Fiona threw her arms out. “I don’t know. Something, anything. You can still see the waves. See if you can still use them.”