Power On: Supervillain Rescue Project

by H. L. Burke

  “Everyone ready?” Fade called out.

  Fixated on the volleyball, Jake gave a curt nod.

  “And start!”

  Jake resisted the urge to leap into action. He needed to wait for his team. Laleh and Marco darted forward, up the sides of the room. Skidding to a halt parallel to the McGuffin, Laleh threw out her hands and Marco opened his mouth. A flash of lightning and a burst of flame flew towards Prism who was coming up the middle, almost having reached the McGuffin.

  Jake sprang, rocketing towards his goal.

  With a flourish, Prism swept both her hands forward. The fire and sparks froze before reaching her, then whooshed like a wave of water, straight towards Jake. Jake threw up his abilities as both of his allies’ attacks swept through his body. Even completely dematerialized, heat and pain rocketed through him, and he stumbled.

  Prism dove forward and snatched up the volleyball with a cry of triumph.

  “Jake, you okay?” Laleh called.

  “Fine. Stop her!” Jake growled, shaking it off. He extended his being, stretching into a cloud of particles that blocked Prism’s path.

  Marco and Laleh shot off blast after blast of their powers. The McGuffin still tucked beneath her arm, Prism redirected every one with a wave of her hand. She then faced forward and threw her hands out in front of her, straight at Jake. A burst of light shot from her, dazzling him. His vision exploded into colored spots, and his powers short circuited. His whole being condensed to its natural shape with a disconcerting snap. He hit his knees with a grunt.

  Prism sprinted forward.

  Got to do something!

  Jake lunged for Prism’s ankle. Catching hold of her right above her sneakers, he extended his power into her foot and pushed downward, releasing her into the floor. Prism gave a strangled cry as she yanked back, trying but failing to withdraw her foot.

  “Fade!” Prism continued to struggle. “I could really use a matter manipulator about now.”

  “Don’t look at me. You said you could take on all three of them.” Fade snickered before plucking Ruby out of her playpen. He held her up and said in a cooing voice, “Look, Ru-Ru. Look at your big, strong mama getting her butt kicked by teenagers. Isn’t it cute? Don’t you want to be just like her someday?”

  Ruby giggled and waved her arms. Prism’s face reddened, and she sent several flashes of light, one towards Jake who rolled out of the way, another towards Laleh who was making a grab for the McGuffin in Prism’s arms.

  Marco rushed forward, arms ablaze.

  Prism shouted. “Margaritas!”

  There was a click, and water spurted from the ceiling. Laleh screeched. Marco’s fire sputtered out leaving him cloaked in steam. Jake stumbled to his feet, slipped on the now wet floor, and landed with an “Oof.”

  Prism wiggled out of her shoe, leaving it trapped in the floor, and darted away, coming to rest at the finish line and Fade’s side.

  Fade shook his head, stooping over Ruby in a failed attempt to keep her dry. “Great. Now I need to reprogram the voice activation system.”

  “Worth it!” Prism laughed. “Sprinklers, off!” The system obeyed her.

  Jake stood, dripping wet, in the center of the room. His chest deflated. He’d tried. He swore he’d given it his all, but he’d still failed. They’d still lost. The other two had to hate him now.

  Before he could speak, Marco rushed up and clapped him on the back. “Sweet move! How did you stick her in the floor like that?”

  Laleh approached, wringing out her ponytail. “Yeah, dude, even I have to admit that was pretty cool.”

  Jake blinked at them. “Uh, you guys know we lost, right? For the second time?”

  “The first time we made fools of ourselves,” Laleh explained. “This time? That was actually pretty cool. I think if she hadn’t done the sprinkler trick, we would’ve won.”

  “Probably.” Prism fished her phone out of her sweater. “Oh, good, looks like it didn’t have a chance to get wet. I was worried.” She turned back to the teens. “Remind me next time I try to take on all of you at once that it’s a stupid idea, all right? Based on your previous performance, I didn’t think you had learned to work together yet. I’m so happy to be proven wrong. Good job, all of you.” Her smile then faded as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the three disruptor cuffs. “I hate to do this to you all, but rules are rules.”

  Jake’s muscles tensed, but he forced a stony expression as Prism approached him and snapped the disruptor back into place before likewise attending to the other two teens.

  Prism glanced back at Fade. “Can you take Ruby in for me and get her dried off?” She inspected the teens. “We all need to change out of these wet clothes. Try not to drip all over everything on your way in, all right?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Marco said.

  Fade opened the door, and they all left the outbuilding, the adults hanging a little behind the kids.

  Marco and Laleh bunched together, whispering among themselves. Jake angled away, trying to pretend he didn’t care what they were saying. When they reached the house, Laleh turned to him. “After we get dried off, do you want to play video games with me and Marco for a while? There’s only two controllers, but we can take turns.”

  Jake paused. “You ... you want me to?”

  “Of course!” Marco put in. “It won’t be as much fun without you.”

  “It’s too late to back out now, Jake,” Laleh said. “You’re part of the team, whether you like it or not.”

  “Goodie,” he said, with all the disdain he could muster. However, something inside him lightened. He’d failed, and they still wanted to hang out with him, still wanted him.

  He forced himself not to smile. “I guess I don’t have anything better to do.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jake stood back awkwardly as Fade kissed his wife goodbye in front of their SUV. Marco was already inside the vehicle though Laleh had run inside because she’d forgotten to feed Wherezit.

  “Drive safe, okay.” Fade kissed Prism’s cheek.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to reschedule so that you can be there?” She tilted her head to one side.

  “Nah, I’ll be okay. It’s not like me being there is going to change the results.” He placed his hand on her stomach. “This little one is what it is, and I’ll find out when I find out.”

  Footsteps crossed the wooden porch, and Jake looked up as Laleh approached him.

  “Ready to go?” Prism called out.

  “Just a minute.” Laleh glanced from the waiting SUV to Jake. “Sorry you can’t come,” she whispered.

  “I probably wouldn’t like it much anyway. I’m not gonna get anything out of touring some DOSA office,” he said. “We all know I’m not the DOSA type.”

  “I was more thinking about the dinner out and a movie—”

  “Laleh!” Prism opened the driver’s side door and waved. “We need to leave now or we’re going to be late.”

  “See you, Jake.” Laleh darted to the car.

  Marco rolled down the window to wave as the car pulled away from the house.

  Jake waved back but as soon as the car disappeared behind the trees, he let his posture deflate. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a movie on a big screen. His uncle let him pirate whatever he wanted, of course, but going to a movie with people and popcorn was both an unnecessary expense and a potential risk. Of course, considering his escape attempt, he’d gotten off pretty easy, just missing a field trip.

  He turned to go into the house.

  “Where you going?” Fade called out.

  Jake frowned at him. “Inside.”

  “Nope. Come on. We’ve got work to do.” Fade jerked his thumb in the direction of the garage. “I told Prism I’d have her chicken coop repaired before they got back, and you’re going to be my assistant.”

  “Seriously?” Jake groaned. “I don’t know how to fix a chicken coop.”

  “Neither did I until last night.�
�� Fade started walking.

  Jake hesitated but then followed.

  “They’ve got YouTube tutorials for just about everything,” Fade continued. He got to the garage’s side door and unlocked it. “Actually looks like it will be pretty easy. Especially with a small hole like this.” He flipped on the light. With the car gone, the garage seemed cavernous.

  “We need wire cutters, chicken wire, and staples.” Fade took a five gallon bucket off the workbench that lined the back of the garage and filled it with supplies.

  Jake stood in the doorway. He didn’t know Fade well, but the one thing he had noticed was the older man’s devotion to his family, especially little Ruby. As much as Fade pretended he didn’t care about missing his wife’s appointment, he had to be disappointed, didn’t he? And the reason for him missing out was Jake. He had to be roiling inside, just waiting for an excuse to really punish Jake, if not get rid of him. Maybe it was best to get that out in the open.

  “Aren’t you mad at me?”

  “Nope. Why would I be?” Fade opened the toolbox and sorted through the contents.

  “Well, you aren’t getting to go with Prism and the others because you have to stay here with me,” Jake said slowly.

  “Believe it or not, when you get to my age, driving a bunch of teenagers an hour into a city where there’s traffic to eat an overpriced meal and see an overpriced movie is a lot more work than fun.”

  Jake tried to read Fade’s face. “But what about Prism’s appointment? You wanted to see what the baby is, right?”

  “She’ll tell me when she gets back—or more likely text me the moment she finds out.” Fade turned from the workbench. “She doesn’t believe me, but this is our second. When we found out with Ruby, the doctor was pointing to things on a blurry screen and Lucia was getting all emotional, but all I could see was black and gray splotches and maybe a vague baby-shaped outline. Didn’t really do much for me.” He picked up the toolbox. “Don’t get me wrong. I love the kid, whatever it is, already. I’d die for him or her, but me being there the moment we find out isn’t as huge a deal for me as Lucia thinks it should be. I’m not really sentimental.”

  “Huh.” Jake couldn’t tell if Fade was lying or not. Most adults he’d known would’ve played up the inconvenience and sacrifice they were making on his behalf. Even Caleb tended to let Jake know what a bother he was on the reg. That Fade would downplay it seemed like a missed opportunity to put Jake in his place. Wasn’t that what they were supposed to be doing here? Showing Jake what a screw up he was so that he’d want to change?

  Fade motioned towards the five gallon bucket he’d filled with more supplies. “Grab that and come on. I want to get this done before lunch.”

  Jake followed Fade out into the yard and towards the chicken coop. The birds inside clucked and scratched at the earth. Jake did his best to ignore the putrid odor rising from their droppings. Chickens were kind of gross.

  Fade set down the tool box and took out a tape measure.

  “There should be a notebook and pencil in that bucket. Write down these measurements for me,” Fade ordered. He started measuring the break in the chicken wire.

  Jake cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You just did.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “I mean about something Prism said the other day, about Ruby being half supervillain.”

  Fade glanced over his shoulder. “What about it?”

  “What did she mean?” Jake frowned.

  Fade snorted. “Well, Jake, when a man loves a woman very much—”

  “Oh, come on.” Jake’s face heated. “I didn’t mean—I know she’s your kid. I’m not asking how that happened, but ... you’re not a supervillain.”

  “Not currently.” Fade dusted his hands off on his jeans. “You really didn’t know? Like, I used to be a fairly big name in the business but I guess that was a few years ago, around ...” He stopped. The thoughtful look on his face morphed into a slightly disturbed look. “Dang ... actually, I guess I haven’t been in the life since you were probably around Ruby’s age. Thanks for making me feel old, kid.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jake shot him a crooked smile.

  Fade considered him, humphed, then said, “Seven and three quarter inches. Write that down.”

  Jake obeyed. “So you were really a villain?”

  “From when I was a little younger than you until about my mid-twenties.” Fade fished in his toolbox before pulling out a pair of wire cutters. “Get me the chicken wire.”

  Jake put down the notepad and got out the roll of wire from his bucket. “Why’d you stop?”

  “Got caught.” Fade took the wire from Jake and unrolled a section of it. “Hold this for me while I measure ... you might want gloves. Edges are sharp.”

  Noting that Fade wasn’t wearing gloves, Jake ignored this advice. “So, that’s it? You got caught and switched sides?” Jake couldn’t imagine doing that. It seemed like a betrayal, even if Fade didn’t have a gang and a family in the business like Jake did.

  “There was some time in a holding cell thinking about my life choices first and an offer of a second chance from someone who thought I had the potential to be more than I’d been up until that point. It was touch and go for a few years.” Fade measured a section of the wire then reached for his clippers again. “It’s not as simple as just deciding one day you’re not going to be a villain anymore. Every day is a series of choices you have to make about sticking it out vs going back to how things were, and there were moments I almost buckled under it. If I hadn’t had someone who believed in me, who kept me accountable, I probably wouldn’t have made it through.”

  Jake nodded slowly. “Prism?”

  “No. We didn’t actually meet until about three years ago when I was—well, that’s a long story. It was actually her dad, Kevin Powell. He was the mastermind behind the first SVR and my mentor.”

  “His name was Powell? Like yours?”

  “Yeah, well, at the time I was technically ‘Curran,’ but I never had much attachment to that name and had pretty much stopped using it in favor of just using my handle.”

  “I guess I never bothered to ask what your actual name is. Even Prism seems to call you Fade.”

  “Because Fade is my actual name. I had it legally changed from Greg Curran to just ‘Fade’ during my twenties and then added on the Powell when Lucia and I got married.”

  Jake squinted at him. “You really don’t look like a Greg.”

  “Tell me about it.” Fade cut out a section of the wire larger than the area he was trying to patch. “According to the video you can twist these ends around the existing chicken wire and then use staples to secure the rest. Hold this for a second.” He put the wire up against the fence and paused, looking at Jake.

  Realizing what Fade wanted, Jake held the wire in place. Fade took a hammer and a handful of large metal staples out of the bucket. He put one in place where the wire patch crossed over part of the wooden framework of the coop and hammered it in. He repeated this a few times before holding the hammer out to Jake. “Your turn.”

  “Really?” Jake took the hammer. It was heavier than it looked, but he squared his shoulders, not wanting Fade to notice that he’d noticed.

  “Yep. If you’re here, you’re going to be useful.” Fade took over holding the wire in place, watching Jake examine the hammer.

  Jake pressed a staple into the wood just enough that it stayed put then swung with all his might. The hammer clinked against the staple which dislodged and went flying, right towards Fade ... no, right through Fade. Jake gaped as the staple passed through Fade’s body as if he hadn’t even been there.

  “What the—” Jake reached out and touched Fade’s arm—or tried to. His fingers only encountered shimmering energy. “Whoa—” He withdrew. The energy dissipated, and when he reached out again, his hand met with Fade’s once again solid arm.

  Fade picked up the staple. “Hit it lightly a couple times first, until
it’s set. Then you can really whack it.” He passed Jake another staple.

  “So that’s your power?” Jake asked.

  “It’s a little more than that.” Fade took the hammer from Jake and pushed it through the board in front of him. When he released it, it stayed put, like a knife sticking up in Jell-O.

  Jake tried to wiggle it free, but it stuck. “Cool.”

  Fade laughed quietly then pulled it back out. “It’s handy in a fight, not being able to be hit, but I guess I didn’t need to tell you that.”

  Jake swallowed. “Yeah, it is.” He glanced down at his disruptor anklet. He’d almost learned to ignore its irritating energy, but it still irked not to be able to use his powers whenever he wanted.

  “It’s like missing a limb, isn’t it?” Fade said. “I remember. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit in one of those damn things.” A thoughtful look passed over Fade’s face, and he set down the hammer. “I want you to try something for me. The disruptor, is it totally blocking your powers or can you feel them? Like they’re still present but just pushed down?”

  Jake eyed Fade. “Why?”

  “Humor me.”

  Jake fixated on the ever present energy of his powers. It flickered around his bones and in his chest and hands ... pretty much everywhere except for from the knee down on the leg with the disruptor cuff. “Pushed down.”

  “Okay.” Fade crossed his arms over his chest. “Focus on drawing them out in a small section of your body. Hands are easiest, so start there. Concentrate on your fingertips. Try to channel your energy there and nowhere else.”

  Jake had used his powers just in his hands and feet before, of course. Sometimes a full dematerialization wasn’t necessary, so why waste energy? Now, though, he had the disruptor, so wasn’t it pointless?

  Curious, though, he obeyed. His power fizzled in his hand like a match encountering wet paper.

  “It’s not doing anything.”

  “You’ve barely tried,” Fade persisted. “Use your mind. Superpowers are the manipulation of energy within your body, energy unique to you. It’s tied into your brain and to some extent your soul.”