by Ekeke, C. C.
By
C.C. Ekeke
Absolute Power © 2020 by C.C. Ekeke
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission in writing of C.C. Ekeke, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles.
C.C. Ekeke
www.ccekeke.com
Cover Art: Carlos Cabrera
1st Edition
ShatterHouse Press
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Interlude: Riva de León
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Interlude: Steve Olin
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Interlude: Ezra Michelman
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Interlude: Connie
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Interlude: J-Tom
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Interlude: J-Tom
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Interlude: Spencer
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Interlude: Briseis
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Interlude: Spencer
Epilogue
Author Notes
Join My VIP Mailing List
Books by C.C. Ekeke
About the Author
To the readers.
This series wouldn’t be possible without your continued support.
Prologue
The fierce, seesaw battle lasted thirty seconds. And Hugo Malalou had lost.
Correction, he pretended to lose. Wearing the head-to-toe royal purple costume with black lining, hood and half-mask on, he was dressed as his alias, Aegis. “Wow, Reg!” He fake-grimaced, speaking in modulated tones. “When did you get so strong?”
On one knee, elbow on a coffee table, Hugo fake arm-wrestled eight-year-old Reggie Palmer. Small and worryingly thin, Reggie needed a heart transplant. He also was Aegis’s biggest fan. Hugo had learned about this brave boy thanks to his own mother, who worked at San Miguel Mercy Hospital where Reggie was being treated. His new management services had then contacted Reggie’s parents to connect.
For weeks, Hugo had visited as Aegis to buoy Reggie’s spirits. And arm wrestle.
Hugo slammed the back of his own hand onto the table, clutching Reggie’s smaller one. He feigned defeat, while Reggie raised both arms in triumph. “YAY!”
Hugo rose, shaking out his arm theatrically while sneaking a look at the clock. Friends and teachers assumed he’d missed fourth period French for a doctor’s appointment. But Hugo would be back by lunchtime. “You destroyed me! Clearly the wrong person’s protecting San Miguel.”
Reggie shook his buzzcut-haired head and smiled. “You’re the right guy, Aegis.”
Those words gripped Hugo’s heart. “Thanks, Reg.”
Beating up supervillains and rescuing people was awesome. But visiting fans or even having fans exhilarated Hugo like nothing else. He wouldn’t take that for granted.
Early afternoon sun spilled through the window, warming the sterile space. Still, it bothered Hugo how Reggie shivered in his hospital gown even with a blanket, never able to get warm. He masked any worries for Reggie’s sake.
Then Hugo’s superhearing caught two women outside the room, and he grinned.
Reggie’s mom entered, pudgy yet pretty, mousy-brown hair in a sloppy bun. “Thank you, Nurse Lina,” she gushed, holding the door for a nurse. “You’ve been so helpful.”
“Of course, Mrs. Jarrett.” The smiling nurse was Samoan, swarthy-skinned with broad features and a flat nose. Beautiful inside and out. “Anything you need.” The nurse eyed Hugo with maternal pride before leaving.
Hugo watched his mother go, forcing his expression into blankness. Love you, Mom.
Then Mrs. Jarrett approached, gaping at him as if not believing he was real. “Mr. Aegis? May I take pictures?” She sheepishly pulled out her phone.
“Sure.” Hugo crouched and draped his arm around Reggie’s thin shoulders. Pictures always brought him mild anxiety. He gave the threat of a smile but never a full one. Aegis wasn’t a smiler, while Hugo was. God, thinking in third person was weird.
As Mrs. Jarrett took pictures, Hugo vibrated his face with enough superspeed to appear slightly unfocused. Another deterrent to protect his identity.
“Public appearances are the easiest way to out yourself,” Lady Liberty had once said, “You have to create a different walk, cadence, and facial expressions anytime you’re in costume.” Her lessons still guided Hugo, even though he couldn’t forgive Lady Liberty.
He shrugged off the unpleasantness. “What’s the latest on Reggie’s transplant?”
“He’s high on the list,” Mrs. Jarrett said. Her smile was forced, the toll of her son’s ordeal etched on her face. “But they’ve said that for months.”
Reggie clutched his mother’s hand. “It’s okay, Mama. I’ll get the new heart.”
Hugo couldn’t hide his broad smile. This kid was living sunshine, like his friend Jen Thomas.
Mrs. Jarrett looked to her son with genuine love. “I hope so, sweetie.” Her eyes fell.
Hugo advanced, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t lose faith,” he said quietly. “Reggie’s story is far from over.” He would’ve willed Reggie a new heart if possible. But all he could offer was friendship to someone spending his childhood in and out of hospitals.
Mrs. Jarrett’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears.
Troubled, Hugo searched for something to say. Then more footsteps caught his ear from outside, a girl addressing someone while opening Reggie’s room door.
Hugo stepped back from Mrs. Jarrett, annoyed. “We have company.” Do Not Disturb instructions had been given while he visited Reggie.
The door opened, and a teenage girl walked in, supermodel tall and slender. Except that her pupil-less eyes shined like emeralds, her long green mane resembling a churning smoke cloud. The girl’s costume, a red crop top with short-sleeves and matching short-shorts, left little to the imagination.
Hugo gulped, recognizing her.
So did a gleeful Reggie. “Starchylde!”
“Greetings, young earthling—” The Extreme Teens’ resident “alien” saw Hugo and gawked. “Omigawd,” Starchylde gasped very humanlike and bolted.
Hugo
stared. That was unexpected. Starchylde seemed terrified of Hugo. Or was that something else? He gestured to the Jarretts for a moment and strode after Starchylde.
This floor of the children’s wing was irritatingly packed. Ignoring stares from patients, nurses, and doctors, Hugo rounded a corner and found her several rooms down the hall. Starchylde’s eyes blazed as she berated her dapper assistant. “You didn’t tell me he’d be here,” she whispered heatedly.
Hugo didn’t care much about the Extreme Teens, the poster children for nine-to-five heroics. But Starchylde seemed level-headed…and hot in an otherworldly way. AJ’s gonna freak when he hears this. “Starchylde,” Hugo called out in his Aegis voice, and approached. “Hello.” He held out a gloved hand.
Starchylde had a deer-in-headlights look. “Hi.” She accepted his handshake, any alien mannerisms gone. She was a nervous teenager with a crush.
On me? Hugo almost laughed at such an absurdity. He settled for a warm smile and clasped her hand, never breaking eye contact. “How are you?”
“I’m well.” She regained that alien poise after her assistant cleared his throat. Yet her heartbeat thudded in Hugo’s ears. “I’m visiting young patients for the Extreme Teens. Apologies for interrupting.”
Hugo waved the apology off. “No worries.” Realizing they were still holding hands, he let go. Starchylde’s brief dismay gave him a small thrill. Since going public as Aegis, Hugo understood the craziness Titan had dealt with in his career.
“Want to meet Reggie?” Hugo pointed down the hallway.
Starchylde nodded, eyes never leaving him. “Definitely.”
As expected, Reggie was bouncing on his bed when Starchylde entered. She entertained him with stories of her “arrival” from the planet Vimvarii. Then she took numerous goofy photos with Reggie and Hugo.
“You two should date,” the boy decided after the two heroes posed together for a photo.
Hugo choked back laughter. Starchylde reddened, her fiery mane burning brighter.
Mrs. Jarrett nearly dropped her phone. “Reggie!” She watched Hugo apologetically.
Reggie folded his arms in defiance. “You’re both strong and have muscles and can fly!”
Hugo chuckled. “Solid argument, Reg. But we’re different ages.” Actually, Starchylde was a year older. But that wasn’t the biggest issue. Hugo was spoken for, somewhat.
He eyed Starchylde, who’d adopted that familiar stony expression from her show Extreme Dreams, when her team jumped into battle.
Hugo sobered and approached. “What’s wrong—?” His work cell buzzed. Excitement jolted through him. Is it San Miguel PD? Geist had linked him with police contacts before departing San Miguel. Now Hugo had a direct line to crimes or rescues requiring his help. A top priority for San Miguel PD was catching Vincent Van Violence. The murderous powerhouse had narrowly escaped Justice Jones months ago. Hugo had a massive score to settle with that asshole.
To his chagrin, the ping wasn’t about V3. “Code Zero at Avila Beach.” Hugo’s eyes nearly popped out of his mask. “Code Zero” was police talk for attacks on San Miguel between Defcon Level 2 and 1.
Starchylde met his gaze. “A kaiju just reached Avila Harbor.”
Mrs. Jarrett gasped.
“A kaiju?” Reggie crowed.
Hugo felt no such excitement. “In San Miguel??”
Years ago, the criminal mastermind Doctor Know-It-All had fashioned ginormous monsters straight out of a Godzilla film. He’d dumped dozens of eggs into the ocean before getting captured by his archnemesis—Lady Liberty. The problem was that hatched kaijus hid in the ocean’s abyss until adulthood, reaching sizes of two hundred and fifty feet or larger.
The Vanguard had worked with superhero teams across the globe to exterminate each kaiju discovered. But no one knew if there were more until another kaiju swam ashore to terrorize another coastal city.
“I thought the last ones attacked Auckland and Miami,” Hugo said.
Starchylde shrugged. “Obviously not. Shall we?” She nodded toward the door.
Hugo eyed the wall clock. Fourth period class was halfway done, followed by lunch. Hopefully, this wouldn’t take long. He faced the Jarretts, feeling remorseful. “Sorry to leave early.”
Mrs. Jarrett scoffed. “It’s fine. We know you’re busy.”
“Get ’em, Aegis!” Reggie cheered.
The encouragement buoyed Hugo’s heart as he and Starchylde dashed out of the room.
Chapter 1
San Miguel’s skyscrapers and crisscrossing boulevards rushed past Hugo, drenched in golden sunlight. The cityscape shifted into the residences and waterfronts of Avila Beach, home to Central California’s largest port.
Starchylde flew beside Hugo, her long hair blazing a smoky green trail behind her. Neither had spoken since leaving the hospital. Hugo’s mind churned with excitement and terror. How big was this kaiju? Could he and the Extreme Teens stop this monster? Even Titan and Lady Liberty had needed help against kaijus.
Already, bone-shivering booms sounded in the distance, almost like footfalls.
Simon Han’s name flashed across Hugo’s eyescreen, indicating an incoming call. Hugo tapped the left side of his hood to accept. “Yes?” he answered in his Aegis voice.
“Dood!” By the background chatter, Simon was in Paso High’s Quad. “A fucking kaiju’s attacking Avila!”
Another boom rippled across the glittering sea ahead.
“Heading there.” Hugo glanced at Starchylde on his right. “Not alone.”
Simon got the hint. “Got it. Don’t get eaten.”
Hugo almost laughed. Motherfucking Simon… “I’ll do my best.”
A louder boom shook the streets, followed by another—again like footfalls.
Hugo sobered quickly. “This might take a while.”
“I’ll grab you lunch,” Simon promised. “See ya at school.”
Hugo and Starchylde reached the sparkling blue seas. His superhearing caught screaming crowds and a deafening roar echoing across San Miguel’s coastline.
The pair hung a sharp right, and Starchylde’s eyes bulged. “By the stars above!”
Shock ran through Hugo. “That’s one big, ugly motherfucker.” Videos of Godzilla-sized monsters wreaking havoc worldwide, most recently Miami, flooded the Internet.
None of that prepared Hugo to see a kaiju up close, easily clearing three hundred and fifty feet. He shuddered to guess its weight. Foaming seawater spilled off the kaiju wading toward Luis Pier with its bistros, carnival rides, and dozens of civilians. This kaiju didn’t resemble other Godzilla-like creatures. To Hugo, it looked like a VFX designer had slapped a kraken together with a T-Rex and a tarantula, then tripled the size. The kaiju’s four impossibly long tentacle arms flailed, each fortified with nasty webbed pincers. Its half-submerged legs were five redwoods wide, each footstep causing tremors.
The beast’s scales were different shades of grey, glistening like burnished steel from water and sunlight.
Nearly stopping Hugo mid-flight was the round, gaping mouth ringed by rows of huge, sharp teeth.
Simon’s warning about getting eaten filled Hugo’s thoughts. It wasn't like those teeth could seriously harm him. Still, the visual wasn’t pleasant…
This, like every other kaiju, came from the twisted mind of the imprisoned supervillain, Doctor Know-It-All. In his delusional crusade to save Earth, the evil genius had planned on conquering it with his designer super predators.
“It’s like the kaiju that attacked Auckland,” Starchylde detailed. “A Tiamat.”
The name clicked in Hugo’s memory. “The one that vomits electricity?”
Starchylde nodded, fiery mane fluttering.
Hugo frowned. Fuck. Concentrated lightning could hurt him, like when he fought the Elite. And the Tiamat’s electroplasma could liquefy steel.
Another worry seized Hugo. If that beast attacks Diablo Canyon Power Plant nearby…
As Hugo and Starchylde reached the pier, civilian
s were screaming and fleeing. The PCH within a mile of the Tiamat had become a parking lot.
“Starchylde. TheTeensareinAviladoingevac,” someone spoke in her earpiece so fast his words ran together. Definitely a speedster. “AlmostdoneinPortSanLuisPier. Whereyouat?”
“Almost there, Blur.” Starchylde eyed Hugo and grinned. “I’m with Aegis.”
Blur’s tone shifted and slowed. “The more the merrier. Tomorrow Man’s coming too.”
Hugo rolled his eyes. Blur had been trashing him for weeks on interviews as a Titan rip-off. An actual Titan rip-off, Tomorrow Man, had taken shots too, still salty over Aegis stealing his “spotlight” or whatever. “Just Tomorrow Man? We’re going to need more help to stop that!” He gestured at the Tiamat blotting out the sun. For a heartbeat, Hugo feared it would smash into Port San Luis Pier. Instead, the kaiju waded past the Pier toward landfall.
Thankfully, Blur and his teammates had almost fully cleared the pier.
“ChillAegis,” Blur said. “LibbyBattalionandtheBombshellsarecoming.”
Hugo floated down with Starchylde amid screams and panic, internally recoiling at the prospect of seeing Lady Liberty. But he was more curious about why two LA superhero teams were in town. “Why are Battalion and the Hollywood Bombshells in San Miguel?”
Starchylde gave him a sidelong look. “They’re judging candidates for San Miguel’s new superhero team.”
“Oh.” Not that Hugo wanted to be on any team, but receiving an invite to decline would’ve been polite.
The Tiamat’s roar shook the whole pier.
“Right. Superheroics,” Hugo murmured, working with Starchylde to guide civilians from the pier.
He supersped the citizens he rescued as far inland as possible. The rest of the Extreme Teens soon converged near Port San Luis Pier. Cyberpunk, his body covered in cybernetics; Sunrider, a tanned and beachy blonde riding her energy surfboard. Roadblock stood eye to eye with Hugo but was burlier and cased in granite. Bald and copper-skinned Vendetta crouched like a panther. A whoosh of motion heralded the arrival of Blur, his wild hair windblown. He puffed out his chest and smirked.
The other Extreme Teens were friendly. Blur studied Hugo with unveiled disdain.
Cyberpunk announced another issue. “The Tiamat is emitting some dampening field. It’s why cars on the PCH are stuck in Avila Beach.”