The White Knight & Black Valentine Series (Book 5): Superhuman Disaster (

by Brand, Kristen

  “Your vest. It’s damaged.” I pointed to a spot on the left side of Julio’s stomach. He must have gotten hit when we’d fought our way inside the mansion.

  His hand went to the spot instinctively. He’d felt the bullet hit, and he knew that compromised the vest’s integrity. If one of Mr. Lucifer’s goons or even a misguided DSA agent shot him, he wouldn’t be protected. But he was going in anyway.

  “I have to risk it,” he said. “The people in there need my help. Saving them is my job.”

  “Not since you quit the DSA,” I pointed out.

  “My calling, then.” He looked at me strangely for a second, the corner of his lips quirking up. “If you don’t like it, blame yourself for being too good of a role model.”

  Choking up, I swallowed and put my hand on his shoulder. “Come back safely.”

  He nodded. “I’ll try. But you leave in ten minutes whether I do or not.” He leaned around me to look at Eddy and Elisa. “You two hear that? Beat him over the head and drag him away if you have to, but after ten minutes, get out of here.”

  “If it comes to that,” Eddy said. “But abandoning you will leave these two feeling guilty and traumatized for life.” He waved a hand in my and Elisa’s direction. “So you kids get yourselves back here, alright?”

  “Alright,” Jocelyn said firmly before Julio could give a more measured answer. She met his gaze, smiled, and then took off into the air, the wind from her wings blowing back my jacket and making me squint. She soared over the hedge as Julio pushed his way through it and dashed across the grass. They were gone before I knew what to think.

  I looked after them, the street feeling unnaturally silent after their departure. Slowly, I got back into the van and started waiting.

  • • •

  The minutes dragged by, and the isolation of the van was torture. What was happening in the club? Had Julio and Jocelyn made it? Were the guests evacuating? Had Julio been hurt? Eddy had pulled the van across the street and parked less conspicuously at an empty doctor’s office’s lot. I suspected security cameras all around the property had spotted us but were just keeping tabs for now—after all, they had bigger problems. Julio and Jocelyn had certainly been seen the moment they started across the golf course. I hoped their powers would be enough to keep them safe.

  Six minutes had passed, leaving only four for Julio and Jocelyn to return. I shifted uncomfortably. Shouldn’t I have heard something by now? The building was a good distance away, but I would’ve expected a fire alarm to sound. There should be sirens as the cops raced to help deal with the threat. The silence unnerved me.

  “We’re not really going to leave them, are we?” Elisa blurted out.

  My stomach twisted into knots. “I don’t like it either, but… Julio may be right. It’s the smart choice.”

  “But if Grandpa manages to take control of that guy who’s probably going to be president, then it’s game over, right? We should be going all in to stop him.”

  I ran my hand over my head. “If Julio and Jocelyn get taken down, I’m not sure we’ll fare much better.”

  “They got taken down before by those weirdos, and I still managed to beat everyone.” She lifted her chin, daring me to contradict her.

  I smiled widely instead, never mind how it made my jaw ache. “And you were brilliant.”

  She blinked, and the blush rising in her cheeks mixed with the purple of her bruises.

  “Maybe you could make a difference,” I admitted. “Or maybe you’d end up arrested, too, your paperwork getting lost as Dr. Sweet has you shipped to one of his labs instead of a jail cell. I don’t know if we can make that gamble.”

  I leaned my head back against the wall of the van, arms resting on my knees as I sat on the floor. It was hard to make the responsible argument when I agreed with her in my heart. This didn’t feel right. Over those hedges and across the green was the most important battle of my lifetime. I should be there helping Julio save the world from supervillains, not sitting here on the sidelines waiting to abandon him. My right foot tapped against the floor, and the digital clock on the dashboard showed another minute tick by.

  What if Julio and Jocelyn failed? I had to face the possibility, as much as it made my lungs constrict. Could I figure out a way to break them from prison afterwards? (Assuming they made it out alive, which I had to assume. I couldn’t... I couldn’t bear the other possibility.) Controlling the DSA and the rest of the government, Dr. Sweet and Mr. Lucifer could have me hunted down like a criminal. And isn’t that what I’d be? Running from the law would make me a supervillain.

  Lord, I was too old to turn supervillain. I’d have to get a new, darker costume and come up with a different codename. Black Knight was just too obvious.

  I was thinking about how Val’s sisters could probably help us avoid the law when Eddy suddenly swore. He yanked the gear stick into drive and spun the wheel. Elisa and I jerked, nearly falling onto our backs as he shot off with a screech of wheels.

  “Where are they?” I asked, searching the street for Julio and Jocelyn. All I saw were the red taillights of a car ahead of us.

  “It’s Val—Lucio.” Eddy clutched the wheel tightly as he accelerated. “I saw him through the window of that car.”

  The black car ahead of us slowed to turn, heading for a gap in the hedges that was chained off: a back entrance to the country club. Our engine revved as Eddy headed straight for it, and I realized what he meant to do.

  “Don’t—”

  It was too late. He rammed the back of Mr. Lucifer’s car. A metallic crash sent a bolt of visceral fear through me, and a jolt rocked the car. It sent me tumbling face first onto the carpeted floor.

  For a long moment, everything seemed impossibly silent and still. Then I overcame the shock, picked myself up, and immediately looked to Elisa. She groaned, rubbing her head where she’d hit the back of the front passenger’s seat. I saw no obvious injuries on her, but that didn’t quell a flash of anger at Eddy.

  “We’re not wearing seatbelts back here,” I snapped.

  “You’ve got super-strength. Don’t be such a baby.” He fumbled for his crutches and his gun, then pushed open the driver’s side door.

  I glanced at Elisa, and we both raced to the back door. She got there first, and I hurried after her, taking the climb down too fast. The jolt as my feet hit the pavement set fire to my knee, and it gave out. I clutched my cane, nearly falling, then grimaced and limped around the van. Elisa had caught up to Eddy and stood next to him, facing the black car as its doors opened.

  No-Men poured out from inside. Big and bulky, they wore black tuxedos, and light from the streetlamps gleamed off the molded faces of their plastic masks. Eddy immediately shot one in the head. Its mask cracked, pieces falling away to reveal a sickly pale face with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Its lips had been cut away, making it grin grotesquely, and drool dripped from its mouth. It lumbered forward, the bullet not stopping it.

  They all had super-strength. Perfect.

  Elisa didn’t realize it and swung like she was fighting a normal person. I called out a warning, but it was too late. Her punch landed on its solar plexus, but it didn’t flinch. Then its meaty fist collided brutally with her head and knocked her down.

  I charged forward. Eddy was still firing, but he backed away as the other No-Men advanced, knowing one hit from them would kill him. I jabbed the tip of my cane into the knee of the closest one as I passed, buying Eddy a few seconds. Then I readjusted my grip and bashed the No-Man kicking Elisa over the head. It staggered back.

  The car’s engine revved, and the wheels turned. Mr. Lucifer was trying to get away.

  Not this time.

  The No-Man threw a sloppy punch at me. I caught its arm, pivoted, and threw it over my shoulder—straight at the car. It hit the hood with a crunch and bounced, smacking against pavement. The impact jolted the car, and the huge dent on the hood made me hope the engine was damaged. But the wheels turned with a screech, and the car surged for
ward again.

  I threw myself at, knowing if it got far enough away, I’d never be able to catch up. I hit the side, rocking the whole car violently. But it wasn’t a controlled or graceful move, and I ended up falling flat onto the street. With asphalt scraping my face and stars dancing a cross my vision, I heard the engine roar again. I still hadn’t taken the vehicle out of commission, and it was practically on top of me. I could feel the heat from its underbody and smell oil and grime. The car shot off, and I reached forward feebly.

  My hand hit the tire. I grabbed hold and yanked.

  I ripped the wheel clean off, and an awful screech struck my ears. Sparks flew from the back left of the car as Mr. Lucifer tried to drive off with three wheels.

  A sudden blow to my back made me cry out. I rolled, seeing a No-Man that had come up behind me. It kicked out with its shiny black dress shoe, hitting me in the ribs. I grunted and tried to get up. I’d dropped my cane at some point but still clutched the rubber tire in my right hand. Dizzy with pain, I whacked the No-Man in the legs with it.

  It fell, giving me time to spot my cane, grab it, and climb up. The No-Man was already halfway to its feet. I drove my elbow down on the back of its neck, sending it crashing back to the street. Then, standing over it, I pulled the sword out from inside the cane and plunged the tip down.

  The feeling of stabbing flesh was completely awful, but when I pulled the blade out of the wound, the No-Man didn’t move. That was one down.

  Where was Elisa? I looked quickly around and spotted her dodging and dancing around a No-Man. Another lay on the street a few feet away. She wasn’t in immediate danger, so I turned my attention back to the car. Mr. Lucifer was still trying to escape, the car dragging slowly like an injured… Well, it looked like I felt. It was too far away for me to reach it in time, not with my bad knee and all my other wounds.

  I looked down at the tire in my hand, raised it, and took aim. Then I threw. The tire soared through the air in a perfect arc, spinning. It descended towards the car, drifting a little to the right. I sucked in air through my nose, leaning unconsciously to the left as I followed its progress.

  It hit with the sound of shattering glass.

  I winced. Had that been the front windshield? If it had landed on Lucio… Well, I wasn’t worried about him, but Val’s body. The car stopped, and I took a step towards it. Then Elisa grunted as one of the No-Man’s fists glanced off her shoulder, and I paused, torn. I couldn’t leave Elisa to check on Val, but—

  A heeled foot kicked open the driver’s side door, and Lucio emerged. If Val had been in control of her own body, she would have exited the wreck with all the grace of a star emerging from a limo onto the red carpet. Lucio had to heave himself out. Small red cuts marred his stolen arms and face where the broken glass must have scratched him. The elegant bun of black hair was coming unraveled, and the glittering black evening gown was disheveled, one of the sleeves slipping down. He met my gaze, squared his shoulders, and marched towards me like an oncoming army.

  At least that solved my dilemma of which direction to go in. Not wanting to face Mr. Lucifer and a No-Man at once, I turned and limped as quickly as I could towards where Elisa and Eddy still struggled against the zombie. Coming up behind the No-Man while it was distracted, I wrapped my arms around its head and neck. It bucked once, but that’s all it had time to do before I gave an almighty heave and twisted, snapping its neck.

  Limp in my arms, it felt considerably heavier. I let go, and it fell to my feet in a heap, giving me a clear view of Elisa in front of me, eyes wide.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” she squeaked.

  “Then get ready.”

  I turned back around to face Mr. Lucifer, who had almost reached us. Holding a gun in one hand and a crutch in the other, Eddy hobbled to my left. Elisa scrambled to my right. In the dark, still street, I watched as the monster wearing my wife’s face approached.

  Chapter 17

  “You really excel at making nuisances of yourselves, don’t you?” Mr. Lucifer stopped in front of us and sneered. “Here to make a heroic last stand? I don’t know how, seeing as you barely have four working legs between all of you.”

  I felt him push against my mind telepathically, but the drugs he’d hit me in the face with had long ago worn off. Plus, I’d been mentally singing the song for the past minute, so he didn’t stand a chance.

  “You know,” I said lightly, “For a guy who spent thirty years in a wheelchair, you’re surprisingly insensitive.”

  “You’re a fucking dickbag,” Elisa added.

  (Mental note: I needed to teach her the ins and outs of superhero banter.)

  Mr. Lucifer’s cold gaze swept over her. “I think I’m disappointed in you the most.”

  “Tell somebody who cares,” she shot back. “And get the hell away from my mom before I rip out your consciousness and shred it to pieces.”

  (On the other hand, at least she had her villainous threats down pat.)

  “It’s no business of yours what I do with my daughter,” he said. “She was born and raised for this.”

  “Your daughter?” Eddy roared. “You have no right to call her that. You’re a pathetic excuse for a father—and a man. When did you ever patch her up when she was hurt? Or celebrate with her when she was happy? You never worried about her or cried for her or felt your chest nearly burst with pride. You never supported her on a goddamn thing in her life!”

  “Touching.” Mr. Lucifer’s smile was tight. “But you should show a little more respect, Eddy, or you’ll go the same way as Irma.”

  “Enough.” Eddy pointed his pistol at Mr. Lucifer. He leaned heavily on his one crutch, and I spotted the other lying broken a few feet away. His face was pale and sweaty, his jaw tight in a way that hinted he felt a lot of pain. “Get out of Val’s body, or you’re dead. It’s as simple as that.”

  Mr. Lucifer gave a smug, patronizing smile. “Please. You expect me to believe you’d shoot your previous Valentina? I don’t have time to play—”

  The crack of a gunshot split the air, and Mr. Lucifer screamed. Dropping, he clutched Val’s thigh where a bloody bullet hole spoiled the long dress.

  I rounded on Eddy. “What the hell?”

  “Eddy!” Elisa shouted.

  Eddy kept the gun trained on Mr. Lucifer and ignored us. “I’m not telling you again. Get—”

  He tensed, and in a quick, jerky motion, put the gun to his own head.

  “Eddy?” Elisa gasped.

  “Help me up.” Mr. Lucifer was panting, his stolen voice raspy. He clutched his leg and looked at us with pure hate. “Get me to the car, or Eddy’s brains join the rest of the dirt on the street.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Eddy growled. “Do you hear me, Dave? You let him get away, and I swear to God I’ll shoot you in the face. Don’t—”

  His mouth clamped shut, Mr. Lucifer controlling his every muscle now. Eddy’s resistance to mind-control had never been as good as mine, and he didn’t have telepathy to help him like Elisa. I thought frantically about how to salvage the situation. If only I still had some exatrin, but the immortals must have confiscated the syringes while Julio and I had been unconscious, because they’d been missing from our pockets when we’d escaped. I’d found my cane on the floor on the way out but hadn’t had time to conduct a thorough search.

  I could try to jump Mr. Lucifer and distract him, but he only had to make Eddy’s finger move an inch. He had the advantage. Should I go along with him for now? If I could get him far enough away from Eddy…

  Mr. Lucifer jerked like he’d been struck, and Eddy staggered. Free from the mind-control, he threw away his gun, breathing like he’d just run a mile. Mr. Lucifer clutched his head, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth. What was—

  Elisa.

  She glared at her grandfather, her jaw clenched so tightly that I could see the veins in her neck. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and I swore she didn’t blink. This wasn’t the plan. I’d w
anted Mr. Lucifer restrained in a safehouse somewhere, Bianca and Sonia with Elisa so it would be three telepaths against him. But nothing over the past few days had gone according to plan.

  Mr. Lucifer hunched over, grabbing fistfuls of Val’s hair. I didn’t know whether Elisa’s telepathic assault or the gunshot wound was responsible for how his stolen face twisted in pain, but either way, it could only be a good thing. He might be a fast learner, but Lucio had only had Val’s telepathy for a month. Elisa, as young as she was, had more experience with the power, and she’d been taught by the best. I should’ve learned by now not to underestimate her. She could take him.

  Mr. Lucifer slammed his palms onto the pavement and looked up with a snarl. Elisa staggered, grasping. I grabbed her by the arm and steadied her.

  “You can do it,” I said. “Fight him.”

  She whimpered. “No.” She put her hands over her face. “No.”

  I didn’t think she was talking to me. Mr. Lucifer was in her head.

  Elisa, I thought. Come on, Elisa. You’re stronger than him.

  But I wasn’t a telepath. I couldn’t help her fight this battle. She sunk to her knees, and I looked on helplessly, not knowing what she was experiencing but willing to do anything to make it stop.

  Eddy bent down. I thought he was trying to help Elisa, but he picked up his gun from where he’d thrown it and aimed at Mr. Lucifer again.

  I reached out a hand. “Don’t.”

  “You think I want to?” He blinked, his eyes glistening. “She’d rather die than hurt Elisa. You know that.”

  I looked over at Val, Lucio’s demonic smile warping her face as he stared at Elisa. I did know what Val would want, though acknowledging it sucked the breath from my lungs and caused a stabbing pain inside me that had nothing to do with my bruises.