Death Makes Me Stronger 4, page 8
“There’s so much of you inside of me,” she panted as we broke apart and fell onto the bed.
“Glad to oblige,” I grinned and then pulled her on top of me for another kiss.
“You are so good,” Anora gasped as I rolled over on top of her and started to kiss down the superhero’s neck. “I’m so glad that you’re mine.”
“I’m glad, too,” I said and then laughed as the exhausted woman yawned.
Anora stretched like a contented cat and then snuggled against me as I laid back down. It didn’t take long for the superhero to fall asleep, and I brushed the hair out of her face and watched as she unconsciously threw a leg over my hips like she was desperate to be near me. Golden Weaver wasn’t usually the type to show such possessiveness, and it was cute that it slipped out when the tough woman was asleep.
I pulled up her wrist to study the psychic-blocking bracelet. It looked like a normal silver bangle, but it was the difference between my partner being a pawn or being able to withstand the Mastermind. I kissed each of her knuckles and then tugged the blankets over us before I fell into a deep sleep.
“This is an announcement from the emergency broadcasting service,” a booming voice said what felt like seconds later.
“What the hell?” I grumbled as Anora sat up ready to fight whoever was in our room.
“This is an announcement from the emergency broadcasting service,” the voice repeated over the speakers, and my partner and I glanced at each other before we hopped out of bed. “New Liberty will return to work tomorrow morning. All businesses will be open. You are expected to return to your regular schedules.”
“Awesome,” I yawned as I strolled over to grab my sweats. “They woke us up for that?”
Darkness had already filled the sky outside, and the clock on the kitchenette’s stove said that it was nine p.m. It was a little late for them to announce a return to work in the morning, and my tired mind immediately filled with suspicion.
“Good evening, everyone,” the mayor’s voice took over for the robot-sounding man. “I apologize for the late notice as many of you will be returning to work in the wee hours of the morning, but the decision was just finalized. I appreciate the patience you’ve all shown over the last few days while we investigated Admiral Freedom and the Heroes Society. While some things are still being worked out, I have convinced the National Guard that my citizens don’t deserve to be punished for the crimes of rogue superheroes.”
“I can’t stand him,” Anora snapped as she tugged on an oversized shirt. “I really hope that we find evidence that he’s working with Kyle Isles, because I want to see him behind bars. Or in a body bag.”
“Wow,” I laughed and walked over to steal a quick kiss. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sound so angry.”
“He’s trying to blame all of us for the Vis problem, yet I have a feeling that their ultimate goal is to rid the world of non-supers,” the spider-like woman huffed. “He’ll lull them into a sense of complacency, and then he’ll wipe them out.”
“Sounds about right,” I replied.
“People like him are the reason that my entire family was killed,” she said. “If it wasn’t for supers who acted like they’re above non-supers, then my family wouldn’t have been seen as a threat that needed to be annihilated.”
“That’s true,” I said and then tugged her chin closer for another kiss. “I promise that we will take them both down.”
“Good evening, heroes,” Vera’s voice took over as the emergency broadcasting system cut out. “I have just received word that the National Guard is also lifting our curfew. You will be free to return to your homes in the morning. There will be an escort for anyone who feels that they need it. I shouldn’t have to remind you, but all of your licenses are still suspended, and you will be arrested for vigilante justice if you act as a superhero until such a time as the city of New Liberty reinstates you.”
The sound system cut out right as someone knocked on the door, and Golden Weaver and I turned at the same time like someone was about to attack. I took a deep breath, rolled my shoulders, and then walked over to answer as another knock echoed through the small apartment. My partner hopped into a pair of sweatpants and then nodded to let me know it was safe to open the door.
“Good evening,” Orion said with a bright smile. “I have your new and improved hoverboard.”
The tech super held up the thin metal skateboard-like device and then motioned to the extra nanobot stripes on it. The bags under his eyes were heavier than they had been in the morning, and there was no doubt in my mind that he’d stayed up all day just to finish it.
“Thanks,” I said and eagerly took the hoverboard. “Just in time for me to sneak back to my apartment.”
“My thoughts exactly,” he said and then looked over my shoulder at Anora. “No face mask tonight?”
“Not for you,” she smirked and sauntered over. “I thought that it was about time that you saw what I looked like. Especially since you resisted the urge earlier when I passed out during our psychic-blocking training.”
“I did, didn’t I?” the inventor said and puffed out his chest. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you in all your glory, Golden Weaver. Your secret is safe with me. Now, Osiris, that hoverboard does have more nanobots, and they’re programmed to be connected directly to the ones in your suit. They should follow your every command, and more importantly, they have the best elemental resistance on the market.”
“Nice,” I said and then strolled into the apartment to start packing. “That’ll definitely help. Something tells me that Kyle Isles won’t fight his own fight if there are other supers around to do the dirty work for him.”
“You confirmed it, then?” Orion asked and stood in the doorway while Anora and I got ready to leave. “I told you that I never liked that guy. Oh, I’m almost done with the laser gun. It should be done bright and early. I can drop it off at your apartment if you want.”
“You’re going to leave the tower?” Anora asked with wide eyes.
“Just for a little bit,” he said with a sheepish smile. “It’s been years since I have, but it’s suddenly starting to feel more like a prison than a haven.”
“I understand,” my partner nodded. “I can hardly wait to be back in my own apartment.”
“You guys don’t live together?” the inventor asked in a shocked tone.
“Not yet,” I laughed.
“I still have a few months left on my lease,” Golden Weaver said. “And we’ve been a little too busy with a drug epidemic to discuss those kinds of plans. Now, if you two don’t mind, my bed is calling my name.”
“Be safe,” I said. “And let me know when you get in.”
“You, too,” she winked.
Anora lifted her bag onto her shoulder and then stole a quick kiss before heading out into the hallway.
“I’m going to need your address,” Orion pulled my attention away from Anora’s round ass as she stepped into the elevator. “And you’ll need to let your doorman know that I’m coming.”
“I don’t have a doorman,” I snorted and shook my head. “But I do have a landlady that will stop you. Just tell her who you are. Don’t lie.”
“Like… my real identity?” he gasped.
“You can tell her your name is Orion,” I said and shouldered my bag, grabbed the hoverboard, and headed out. “She’ll probably know who you are. She knows everything. Oh, and can you bring two of the psychic-blocking bracelets?”
“Sure, but who exactly is your landlady?” the inventor asked and followed me toward the elevator.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said as we walked into the metal box.
The elevator slowly dropped to the first floor, but Orion still held onto the metal safety bar like we were on a rollercoaster. The inventor had never left the lab as far as I knew, and it was clear that he wasn’t comfortable in the great wide world. It would be hard for him to leave the Heroes Society if it really did shut down, and I wondered if the trip to my apartment in the morning was more to test his ability to handle the outside world than any real desire to deliver the weapon to me.
“See you in the morning,” I said as the doors opened to the lobby.
“Yep,” he said with a tight nod like he was a robot with sticky gears. “See you in the morning.”
The Watcher started to praise Orion’s bravery even before the elevator doors shut behind me, and I smiled at the sweet relationship the two had. They were definitely more secretive than anyone else in the Heroes Society, and there was no doubt in my mind that both of them suffered from social anxiety since they spent most of their lives in hiding, but there was no one better at their jobs than the tech-super and the Watcher.
“Off you go?” Vera asked as I strolled toward the back hallway.
“Yeah,” I said and glanced around to make sure that no one else had spotted me. “I figured it would be better if the National Guard doesn’t know where I live, and we both know that they’ll watch any hero that leaves here.”
“Of course,” the eagle-woman nodded and walked with me to the back door. “And I see that Orion already gave you the new hoverboard. He’s very excited about that. And the laser gun he’s making. I understand it’s more plasma than laser, but he’s assured me that it won’t hurt anyone. At least, it won’t hurt anyone who can’t handle the radiation.”
“It’s going to help a lot,” I grinned as we slipped into the back alley.
Small fireworks exploded from the rooftop next door, and excited shouts could be heard from everywhere like the entire city had started to party now that they could leave their houses. It was as if we were in the middle of a musical, complete with cheery songs that echoed down the alley like a soundtrack for New Liberty’s current mood.
“Just be careful,” Vera said. “We’ll need to discuss our plans over the next few days. But something tells me that they’re going to start the hearing again soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if they announced that it will start tomorrow morning right after we’re released.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But hopefully they’ll give us time to get back to our houses.”
“Hopefully,” the eagle-woman said and then looked up like she could see the stars through the skyscrapers. “We have a long way to go before things get better, Osiris. A long, long way to go. Even after we take down the Mastermind.”
“And I’ll be there to help,” I said and hopped onto my hoverboard.
The nanobots immediately whirred to life and wrapped around my legs to anchor me down, and I lifted into the air so that I was just a little taller than the eagle-woman. She turned her attention to me, nodded, and then gave the sky one last look before she headed inside. I watched as the door shut behind Vera and then forced myself to focus on getting through the city without being spotted.
Every building with rooftop access was filled with people as they broke out the alcohol and any leftover fireworks that they had laying around. I swerved a few times to avoid a wayward explosion, but at least the National Guard would have a harder time tracking me if they did manage to spot me. A couple of the residents waved at me, but I was already gone before they could point me out to their buddies.
It felt like an eternity before I made it to my apartment building and skirted around the back. A National Guard patrol was over near the dump like the soldiers thought that someone would try to hide in the mounds of trash, though that probably wasn’t the worst place to look, and it definitely made it impossible to slip into my bathroom window without being caught. I managed to dart around the side of the building, landed in the alley, and then trotted around the entrance like I’d snuck out and was just returning.
“Well, well, well,” Mrs. Krux huffed the second that I walked into the lobby. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
“Hey, Mrs. Krux,” I laughed.
None of the other residents were anywhere in sight, and a smile tugged at my lips when I spotted the out of service note on the elevator. Everything was exactly the way that it had been a few days ago, and a knot in my stomach unraveled as the cranky old woman in a pink bathrobe motioned for me to come closer. I quickly obliged and even offered the ancient lady a helping hand as she climbed to her feet.
“I was starting to think that you were never coming back,” she grumbled and shuffled into her apartment. “I made a few treats while you were gone. They’re all dry and old now since you made me wait so long, but it’s what you deserve. And I expect you to eat it all. You’ll get fat, of course, but you can work it out in the training room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and then waved as Junior popped his head out.
“Hey!” he grinned and waved. “Glad that you’re alive.”
“Me, too,” I said. “Oh, I have a friend coming tomorrow. He’s got the same skills as you do. Little shy, but I think you two will get along well.”
“You invited one of them to my building?” Mrs. Krux asked as she reappeared with a giant wicker basket filled with foil-covered goodies. “Is it someone that you trust?”
“Yeah,” I nodded with a motion to my hoverboard. “He made this.”
“Ooh,” Junior whistled and then held his hands up in surrender when his mother shot a glare at the tech super. “I’ll just… talk to him tomorrow.”
“After he talks with me,” the bathrobe-wearing landlady huffed. “And I’m sure that he can be trusted. Now, you take all of this upstairs, eat, and get a good night’s rest. There’s no telling what kind of nonsense those idiots at City Hall will come up with next.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said and took the massive basket.
“And just for my peace of mind,” Mrs. Krux stopped me as I turned to leave. “Admiral Freedom?”
“Innocent,” I said as the image of his corpse flashed across my mind. “But we’ll clear his name. And that friend that’s coming tomorrow will be bringing psychic-blocking bracelets for both of you. I expect you to wear them at all times. At least until this is worked out.”
Mrs. Krux studied me for a few minutes with a sour expression like she’d just sucked on a lemon, but then the old woman nodded and went back to her usual seat while Junior disappeared into his room. The two of them had become as close as family over the last few months, and the last thing that I wanted was for them to get caught in the crossfire. The bathrobe-wearing landlady may have been Lady Lightning when she was younger, but that was a long time ago, and Kyle Isles had managed to force Admiral Freedom to commit suicide, so it was better to be safe than sorry.
I took a deep breath to calm my racing mind, nodded as Mrs. Krux went back to her Sudoku, and then made my way to the stairwell. It took an extra five minutes to get all the way to my apartment with the giant basket in my arms, but at least nothing fell out. I was never more grateful for Junior’s bio-scanning locks than the moment that I tried to open the door with all the baked goods in hand, and I still practically fell into my apartment when the door swung open.
A text came in right as I plopped the basket down on my kitchen counter, and it took me a few seconds to fish my phone out of my backpack. The message was from the Heroes Society, and I sighed from the depths of my soul as I read it over again.
Vera was right.
The Heroes Society hearing would start again bright and early in the morning.
And we’d have a military escort.
Chapter 6
Buttery morning light bathed my studio apartment as I slowly woke up. It was the first time in a while that I’d been able to sleep in, though it was still early enough for me to take my time before the hearing started.
“You going to get out of bed, or are you going to skip the hearing?” a familiar voice asked as I pulled the blankets over my head.
“What are you doing here, Briar?” I asked and sat up to stare at the blonde.
My girlfriend’s best friend and her husband seemed to be at my apartment more than their own, though at least Paul had the excuse that he needed to use the home lab that the forensic scientist had set up in the corner of my small place. His wife, though, should’ve been at the history museum instead of on my couch. The goth woman flipped her long blonde hair and flashed a fanged smile like a vampiric porcelain doll, and I shook my head at the fake innocent act.
“I thought that I’d come to make sure our favorite superhero was alive and well,” she said and then picked invisible lint from her lacy black dress. “Raven says that you’ve been out and about instead of in the Heroes Society like you were supposed to be. And that you found Admiral Freedom’s body.”
“I did,” I said as I climbed out of bed. “And I saw what he did to the people in the bunker.”
“The news says that he went crazy after taking a bunch of Vis,” she said and studied me like a puzzle with a missing piece. “Raven says that he ripped out his own throat and eyes. Are you okay?”
“I’m just fine,” I laughed and then headed into the bathroom.
I took my time in the shower with the hopes that Briar would be gone when I came out, but the stubborn blonde was in the kitchen with a full breakfast complete with some of the pastries that Mrs. Krux had baked for me. Her personality was exactly like my little sister, and the petite woman even shot me a challenging glare when I went to get dressed instead of immediately eating. I moved even slower just to irritate her, and the knot in my stomach slowly started to dissolve as I played the familiar game.
“Have you figured out who the Mastermind is yet?” Briar asked when I finally came over to eat.
“Yep,” I said and then took a giant bite of a muffin, chewed slowly, and watched the blonde stew with pent-up excitement. “It’s Kyle Isles.”
“Wait… that douchebag that keeps trying to poach you?” she gasped and then snatched a piece of muffin that fell on the counter. “There’s no way. I saw that guy next to Admiral Freedom. He’s like the most normal person that I’ve ever seen. Well, he does give off politician vibes, but he’s a PR guy, that’s what they do.”
