by C. C. Ekeke
“I can’t,” Missy wailed, inconsolable. “I’m worthless! These last six months has been a lie—”
Quinn slapped her, the smack echoing. Missy gaped, too stunned to even sniffle. The reporter dragged her up by the collar. “Those are my friends.” She pointed again at the battle nearby. “Unless you do something, Damián Hazard will kill them. Just like your husband.”
Missy jerked back on wobbly legs, aghast. Quinn hated herself for saying that. But Geist and team were out of time.
Hazard stood over their battered bodies, triumphant. “Playtime's over, Geist.” His features twisted cruelly. “Before dismembering you limb from limb, I’ll kill your three teammates in front of you.” He hauled Therese up by the hood. "Starting with her."
NO! Quinn whirled on Missy. “Are you gonna let another person die?” she demanded. “Or are you going to be magnificent?”
Missy aimed glowing hands at Hazard, who grabbed a steel railing to impale Therese with.
A wounded Geist scurried forward on hands and knees to save her.
Quinn couldn’t breathe.
“NO MORE!” Missy unloaded a rainbow explosion of fireworks at Hazard's chest.
Quinn shielded her eyes. When she looked back, Hazard had been rocketed off the floor, landing with a sickening crunch.
Therese was in Geist’s clutches. Quinn let herself inhale. Thank God…
Missy swayed, almost collapsing if Quinn hadn’t caught her.
“Well done.” Her praise reached deaf ears. Missy had fainted. Quinn pecked her forehead and gently laid the teen down. She dashed over to Geist and his team. The battered quartet were starting to get up.
Before Quinn could speak, Damián Hazard stirred. “This isn't over,” he hissed, covered in charred flesh. “I’ll just bury you.”
Hazard bellowed a command. The giant device in the center of this chamber rumbled to life.
The ground vibrated, intensifying by the second until the whole area shook violently.
Quinn stumbled back and forth. “Didn’t Domino and Blackjack disable the machines around the Junction?”
Geist shook his masked head. “Not the machine under Five Points,” he called over the growing roar. “Clint’s still working on it remotely.”
Therese eyed the Midnight Son, her despair obvious even under her mask. “He won’t make it.”
“Yes, we will,” Geist retorted in confidence.
Before Quinn could guess why, someone dropped from above. She recoiled, pulling Therese back to her.
This hooded arrival, hulking in size, stood between the earthquake machine and Geist’s team. He opened his mouth and screamed like a banshee. His soundwaves buffeted the earthquake machine dead-on with rippling concussive force. Quinn winced, covering both ears.
The giant machine sparked and sputtered, then chunks blew off. The earthquake ceased.
The hooded figure, in a purple-and-black costume, turned. A mask covered half his face, but the sonic scream was a dead giveaway.
“Hey, Quinn,” Hugo's voice was deep and over-dubbed, like two distorted voices speaking at once. The versatility of his vocal chords continued to amaze.
Quinn smiled, unbelievably happy. Hugo, Therese, and Missy. What was it with superheroes and hoods? “Thanks for the save…” She almost spoke Hugo’s name but caught herself. “…you!”
Blackjack chuckled. “Nice.”
“Quiet, poker face,” Quinn snapped.
Hugo smiled. “Call me Aegis.”
“Ah.” Quinn had expected something generic like Atlas or Hyperion. She liked this more.
Somehow, Damián Hazard lurched back up like a zombie. Disbelief rippled through Geist's team. “Seriously?” Quinn griped.
Only Hugo remained unbothered. “I got this,” he said in his Aegis voice, striding to meet Hazard.
The criminal studied his new opponent with contempt. “Another vigilante to slaughter.”
Hugo snorted. “A half-naked asshole spouting a ten-dollar word salad.”
Sparks from the destroyed earthquake machine sporadically displayed Hazard’s hateful glare. “Ironic how those with sharp wit usually slit their own throats.” He lunged in, rocking Hugo’s face back and forth with piston-like punches.
Quinn gasped in concern. Until she noticed Hugo laughing, unaffected by the blows.
Hazard noticed and stopped, grasping the threat before him.
“Was that you picking a fight?” Hugo asked between chuckles. “Okay.” He drilled Hazard with a right cross so quick, Quinn almost missed seeing his arm move.
The jarring crunch from the chamber's other side signaled where Hazard’s body landed.
Hugo cocked his head sideways. “Big words. Glass Jaw. Fitting.”
A shuddering boom drew everyone’s attention. Domino glanced around worriedly as more dust and debris showered them. “We have to leave,” she cautioned.
Quinn didn’t disagree there. She turned to Missy, still motionless, and ran to her.
Geist prodded Hugo. “Them first.” He pointed to Quinn and Missy.
Quinn winced, knowing what came next. One moment, she was holding Missy. A rush of motion, and cool drafts bit at Quinn’s skin. Hugo stopped and she stumbled onto all fours, hurricane drunk. Once the world stopped spinning, Quinn found Missy's limp body beside her. They were atop a building at the edge of Five Points Square. Another whoosh dropped Blackjack and Therese on the roof. When Hugo appeared again, Geist and Domino were with him.
Before Quinn could thank him, Hugo vanished in a flash. He'd gotten better using his powers. “Where’d he go?”
“To retrieve Hazard and his men.” Geist shook one of his arms. “Drop them off with the police.”
Quinn glanced over the roof. Hundreds of citizens encircled a sinkhole in the square’s center cordoned off by the police. Quinn took in the Junction’s vast stretch of dilapidated cityscape, all nearly leveled. She shuddered at this latest close call.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted one determined child sneak through the barricades, running too close to the sinkhole’s edge. The child teetered with a terrified cry, falling into the hole.
Air whooshed past Quinn before she could shout, startling her further.
Geist dove off the roof like an Olympic diver, trench coat flapping after him, dropping hundreds of feet into the sinkhole. The crowd strained against the barricades in horror and fascination.
Therese, Blackjack, and Domino ogled over the roof beside Quinn, waiting and worrying.
A few minutes later, Geist climbed out of the sinkhole’s edge, cradling the frightened toddler in one arm. He handed the child to a stunned officer, the eyes of his featureless mask narrowing as he took stock of the rabid crowd behind the barriers around him.
Many had phones out to capture the Midnight Son in the flesh. Therese, Domino, and Blackjack backed away. Quinn scratched her dusty afro. “Not good.”
Rushing winds signaled Hugo’s return. “Dropped Hazard and his crew with the police.” He looked about. “Where’s Geist?”
Quinn pointed over the rooftop sheepishly.
Hugo followed her gaze and grimaced. “Ooh shit. I’ll grab him.”
Far below, Geist held up a hand to belay that. Therese tapped the earpiece within her hood. “He’s saying no.”
Hugo turned to everyone, eyes widening. “That means—”
“We know,” Blackjack stated sadly. For years, Geist had been an urban myth to the general public save sporadic sightings and blurry photos. But to save a child, soon the whole world would know.
“What now?” Quinn asked.
“Geist says get Missy and Quinn to safety,” Therese said. “He’ll distract the crowd.”
In the ruined Five Points Square, Geist fired a grappler gun at a roof on the opposite end of the square. Seconds later, he zipped into the air and disappeared amid raucous cheers below.
Hugo tossed Missy over his shoulder. “Who’s giving me directions?”
Domino and B
lackjack both volunteered.
“Hold on, folks,” Hugo warned. In another rush of wind, he, Missy, Blackjack and Domino, vanished.
Quinn stood alone on the roof with Therese. The rowdiness of the locals below faded, as if the volume dial had been cranked down. The bees were buzzing in her stomach. She told herself it was from processing today’s excitement.
But one look at Therese’s weary smile and their nearing proximity sent Quinn’s thoughts toward strange places. The types of places she’d tried avoiding these last few months.
Therese offered a hand. “Let’s get you home.”
Chapter 48
The motorcycle ride proceeded in silence, with Therese blowing through every speed limit.
Quinn clung to the archer's waist, frightened yet intoxicated by the speeds as The City of Wonder’s skyline raced by in brilliant streaks. She also wished that Therese would wear a freaking helmet.
The ride ended too soon. Therese parked in the barren alley behind Quinn’s complex, both women dismounting the motorcycle. The archer pulled Quinn in close, firing a grappling gun at the mid-rise’s rooftop. After tugging to confirm the hook had caught hold, Therese clicked the gun’s retractor. Quinn got yanked upward, whooshing past floor after floor. She’d grown used to this means of transport, but not the thrill.
The pair landed on the rooftop ledge, revealing a closed pool area. Quinn stepped onto the roof, hugging herself as chilly winds buffeted.
A sharp clatter from behind almost scared the black off of her.
Quinn turned around. Therese’s bow lay on the rooftop. The archer remained on the ledge, swaying unsteadily…
“Ooh!” Quinn dashed forward, dragging Therese off the ledge. After sitting her down against the pool house wall, Quinn crouched beside the archer with hawk-like concern. Damián Hazard brutalizing Therese and her teammates was fresh in her mind. “How bad are you hurt?”
The archer clutched her midsection. “I’m fine,” she grunted through clenched teeth, trying to stand.
Quinn’s patience for this tough gal act was nil. “Sit.” She forced Therese back down. “Breathe.”
The vigilante's stare was murderous, but she complied. After a few moments, her pained features lessened.
“Better?”
Therese blew out a sigh. “Better…”
Quinn’s shoulders sagged. “You four got your butts kicked.”
“Not the first time.” Therese watched Quinn curiously. “You seemed worried about me.” She reached out, brushing something from Quinn’s brow without invitation.
The reporter rolled her eyes at the casual intimacy. “Little bit...” Therese’s touch tingled across her skin and spine. “You were my ride home.”
Therese barked out laughter and immediately winced. “Now with the jokes?” She coughed.
“I get sassy when I’m nervous!” Quinn covered her cackling mouth. Good. Laughter eased the tightness in her navel, which she always felt around Therese… Then, a new worry surfaced. “Crap!” Quinn popped to her feet. “My car’s at Missy’s house!”
“I returned it before we found you,” Therese interrupted, using the wall to pull herself up. “Purse and phone are in your bedroom. Spare house keys are here.” She handed those to a stunned Quinn. The pool’s wavering blue glow highlighted her smirking smugness.
“How—?” Quinn snapped at the flagrant intrusion then stopped, realizing the futility of her outrage. “Never mind. Thanks.”
Therese’s smile faded. “Hold on.” She tapped the side of her hood, listening to her earpiece. “I’ll tell her,” she said after a few minutes.
Quinn had an ill sensation. “What’s wrong?”
Therese refocused on Quinn. “Domino told me Missy’s awake at our Arroyo Grande safehouse.” The archer’s face turned grim—correction, grimmer. “She’s in rough shape.”
“I can imagine.” Quinn looked away, vividly remembering Montgomery’s demise. “Finding out her marriage and this latest comeback were lies.” Quinn thought of Ramon Dempsey, also crushed by betrayal. “Then Damián Hazard decapitates Monty in front of her.”
Therese’s eyes bulged. “That…sounds like a Damián Hazard move.”
Quinn’s concern returned to Therese and Geist. Social media had to be exploding with the Midnight Son’s first confirmed appearance.
Shortly after, news websites and networks would pick up this story. “Geist’s outing will make your jobs a lot harder,” Quinn stated with a sad smile. “What now?”
“We continue our mission,” Therese said with an undeterred shrug. But uncertainty lingered in her eyes. She pushed off the wall, unable to hide her discomfort from that simple action.
Quinn’s concern rekindled. “You shouldn’t be jumping across rooftops.” She moved into Therese’s personal space, holding the archer’s waist…inhaling her fragrance. “At least come inside and wait for Hu…sorry…Aegis to grab you—”
Quinn stiffened at the insinuation she’d accidentally laid out. Her innards tightened more. She opened her mouth to clarify…and came up blank.
Every instinct told Quinn to run. Yet she couldn’t look away from Therese. This suffocating tension between them left Quinn woozy and wobbly.
Therese looked equally dumbstruck, her blue eyes intensified by the pool’s wavering glow. Her lips parted, filling Quinn with both dread and excitement. “You have company.”
Quinn blinked dumbly. “What?”
“Inside your condo,” Therese clarified, eyes sharpening. “Annie’s home.”
“Oh!” That snapped Quinn out of her stupor. She immediately backpedaled. The space cleared her head. A blessing. “Right.” She cleared her throat. “Annie.”
Therese took the hint, straightening. Her teasing smirk made Quinn’s cheeks flush. “Later, Quinn Bauer.” The archer turned and ran. Snatching her bow off the ground without breaking stride, she leaped off the rooftop.
The ensuing silence stopped Quinn’s heart, until a motorcycle vroomed below before racing off into the night. Quinn exhaled then. She would rather not dissect this weird, magnetic pull between her and Therese.
Not until I see her again… The anticipation left her giddy.
Back inside her condo, Quinn felt a cocoon of safety. Another close call tonight. But she’d worry when this luck might run out later. Quinn’s current concern was for Annie. Her BFF had been in better spirits this morning, which felt like years ago.
Annie’s purse and heels outside the closed guestroom door confirmed she was home and probably asleep. Understandable, Quinn realized, eyeing the living room clock. She opened the guestroom door a fraction.
Dim lighting bathed the interior, revealing a naked Annie eagerly riding an also naked Johnny.
Horrified, Quinn hurriedly and quietly shut the door. She stood outside the guestroom, trying to unsee what she’d just seen.
The visuals sank in, then. “Annie and Johnny are back together,” Quinn whispered. “YAY!” She fist-pumped in the air.
Next order of business: The Junction expose. Quinn entered her bedroom. Her purse and phone sat on the chest of drawers, with a note.
Figure you’d need these.
- Therese
A smile slashed Quinn’s face. Closing her door, she skimmed through missed texts and calls. The increasing urgency of Helena’s eight texts made her first priority to call back.
The editor-in-chief picked up after one ring. “Quinn? Where have you been?”
Quinn snorted at Helena’s unintended rhyme. “I was getting my rock-solid evidence.”
“Okay...” Helena calmed noticeably. “Not as urgent. You hear about Geist?” Shock and childlike wonder mixed into her voice. “He’s fucking real!”
Quinn smiled, sitting cross-legged in bed. Months ago, that had been her reaction. “I was just with him at the Junction,” she admitted, trying to not humble-brag.
Helena went silent for five awkward seconds. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Quinn caught the envy in
that reaction. “He’s tied to the Junction story.”
“I better see a Geist article in my inbox first thing tomorrow,” the editor-in-chief demanded.
“On it,” Quinn replied. That story could help counter whatever rumors and falsehoods would likely hit the press tomorrow about Geist.
“Goodnight, QB,” Helena concluded. “Glad you’re safe.”
Those affectionate words warmed Quinn’s soul. “Me too.” After the call, she got a resurgence of vigor. Grabbing her laptop off the left nightstand, Quinn opened her preferred writing application and began a new article.
The title: Legends of the Midnight Son.
Chapter 49
First day at school since the bombing, and Hugo couldn’t stop grinning.
Partly from things returning to normal, but mostly for being Aegis.
He zoomed to school at over 370 miles per hour, after just stopping a car chase on the 101 Freeway. Five cop cars tearing after a Honda Accord, the rangy and sweaty driver accused of violating his parole. Learning police lingo when using his police scanner was coming in handy.
The idiot had left his driver’s-side door open. Hugo supersped inside, slamming the driver’s head on the dashboard to knock him out. After tossing him into the passenger seat, Hugo pumped the brakes and pulled over. In under five seconds. No injuries or fatalities.
Hugo was miles away before the police had caught up. He loved superheroing, no matter how minor the act.
Now Hugo arrived at an unused basement room on campus, small and full of musty boxes. Nobody came down here, even after authorities and school officials had combed the campus with a microscope. In short, the perfect gear stash location.
Several superfast moments later, Hugo changed into a red V-neck tee with dark jeans. Folding his costume in a wrapped seal, the Samoan slid the suit into a ceiling vent only he could reach. Hugo reminded himself not to get too comfortable with this location. Like Lady Liberty had taught, he’d switch gear stash locations every few weeks.
Hugo glanced at his watch. Half past seven in the morning. Time for a difficult conversation.