King of Superheroes 3, page 5
I jumped over the railing and took a moment to catch my breath. Then I looked down at the rest of my body and confirmed that my invisibility had completely worn off.
I didn’t know how long I needed to recharge it, so I had to find somewhere where I wouldn’t be detected while I figured it the fuck out.
I was prepared to kick ass the old-fashioned way, but the added leverage of concealment really upped my odds.
As I premeditated my next move, a light shone through the balcony door, and a shadow walked across. It seemed whoever was here was able to block my mind reading somehow, like the hacker. I reacted quickly and darted out of view, and then I waited until the footsteps sounded far enough away before I turned the handle to the balcony door.
Locked. Of course.
I used my telekinesis to feel for the lock body and locate the internal spring-loaded pins. Then I forced them to retreat into the plug and turned the handle. The door opened with ease, and I peered around it to see if the coast was clear.
It was, so I slipped through the door. The balcony opened into a bedroom, and I was relieved to find it was empty. I took a second to gather myself, and then I focused on exercising my telepathy again to determine how many people were in this damn house.
After a few moments of mental exertion, I realized I still couldn’t get a reading. Maybe I needed to move further into the building to extend my range, so I headed to the bedroom door and pressed my ear against it.
Clear.
I pulled it open slowly in the hopes of minimizing any noise that potentially unoiled hinges might make. Then I poked my head into the hallway and checked in either direction.
Clear.
Still, I shut my eyes to enhance my focus and tried to activate my invisibility.
To my surprise, I felt the familiar cold wash over me.
Thank fuck.
I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to keep it up, so I exited the room and quickly descended the stairs that opened into a grand foyer.
There was a set of two doors on the left, and a set of three more on the right.
I darted into the nearest room on the left.
With the added mental boost from my invisibility, I focused very intently on picking up on any minds I could latch onto, and my head was quickly filled up with the sound of someone else’s thoughts.
He better come alone. We’ve waited far too long for this not to work. Once I’ve taken out the Omega, then Pyro will finally see what I’m capable of, and I’ll get the recognition I deserve.
I was able to match the voice to the men in the video and realized it belonged to the taller one out of the two. I was also surprised to find he was thinking of me, which meant one thing.
I’d been baited, again, by Antis, and this was a much larger operation than I had anticipated.
I thought back to the video and their vague demands, and I focused harder, so I could figure out what I was up against. After a few seconds, I heard another voice.
Time’s running out. Where is this kid?
Again, I could tell by the voice that this was definitely the shorter guy from the video, which meant there were at least two people I needed to take down, for now. Depending on their powers, I felt pretty damn confident even though I was flying solo.
It was either now or never.
I exhaled deeply, and then I quickly left the room I’d taken refuge in.
I kept close to the wall as I inched closer toward the murmured voices until I was outside the open door. Then I turned to enter the room.
But my luck was up along with my invisibility streak, and my body flushed with warmth as I came face to face with the two men from the ransom video.
The two men, still dressed in balaclavas, were armed and stood on either side of the mayor, who was still tied to a chair. The mayor’s eyes widened as soon as he saw me, and he struggled underneath the tape to call out in distress.
My whole body buzzed aggressively with adrenaline.
The taller one reached for his earpiece, but I intercepted his movement as I telekinetically ripped the firearms from the two men and sent them flying across the room. The guns hit the ground with a loud crash, and then the kidnappers from the video jumped into action.
I dodged out of the way, and I used my telekinesis to force the mayor to the other side of the room away from the chaos. Then I activated my Conduit ability, and I immediately felt fire coursing through my hands before I blasted it at the taller kidnapper.
What I expected to be a devastating blow was quickly dispelled as he instinctively raised his arm and created a shield of light that deflected my attack.
“It’s gonna take a lot more than that,” the smaller kidnapper sneered and menacingly cracked his knuckles.
Then he threw out his hand and unleashed a forceful wind that caused me to fly backwards.
I crashed into the wall behind me and slid down it, and the kidnappers darted across the room toward me.
I quickly scrambled to my feet. Then I launched another fire blast at the assholes as they were midrun. They didn’t have enough time to react and shield themselves again, so they staggered backwards.
I seized the opportunity and sent out another blast. It collided with the two and sent them on their backs.
Before they had the chance to get up, I telekinetically forced the large coffee table to move through the room, land on top of them, and pin them both to the floor. Then I used my super strength to shove the legs of the table through the wooden floor, and the two kidnappers wriggled like two bugs stuck on their back before I knocked them out with two swift punches.
Once I was sure the assholes were down for the count, I darted across the room and turned my attention to the mayor. As soon as I reached him, I pulled the tape from his mouth with as much care as I could.
He was lucky he was clean shaven, or it would’ve hurt like a bitch.
“Thank you,” he said through short, rapid breaths.
“Let’s get you out of here,” I said, but before I could cut him free, I heard a commotion behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder to see one of the kidnappers wiggling extra hard, and when he caught my eye, a vicious sneer spread across his face.
“Long live the Omega,” he mocked, just as I realized he was reaching into his pocket.
His fingers pulled out a small silver cylinder with a red button on top, and before I could react, he jammed his thumb into the button.
A beeping sound echoed through the air as I whirled to face the mayor, melted the rope restraining him, and yanked him to his feet.
“Wha--” the mayor started to ask, but there was no time, because the beeping was getting louder and faster, and it was coming from beneath the chair I’d just freed him from.
So, with an arm still tightly looped around the mayor, I charged us toward the huge window at the front of the room, just as the bomb exploded with a deafening boom.
We dove straight through the glass, and it suddenly felt like we were moving in slow motion. I telekinetically grabbed hold of the mayor and raised him slightly in the air to minimize the impact of his fall so he didn’t crash onto the driveway, and we tumbled on the concrete as shards of glass and debris rained down around us. As we scrambled to our feet, another explosion sounded. This time, it was further away and seemed like it had come from the back of the house.
The whole place was gonna come down, and we needed to get as far away from it as possible.
As soon as we set foot on the cobbled driveway, the pressure of another, even bigger explosion sent us flying forwards.
“C’mon.” I helped the mayor to his feet again, and we urgently headed down the long driveway. “We gotta keep moving.”
They’d completely rigged the place with bombs, and I didn’t know when the next one was due to go off, nor did I want to find out.
I used the communication device Amanda had fitted into my supersuit and made contact with Dahlia. I let her know both the mayor and I were unharmed and were heading across the lawn. She informed me that she was waiting outside with officers that had just arrived on the scene.
We eventually reached an iron gate, which I telekinetically forced open since I was still using my arm to help the mayor walk steadily.
Sudden deafening blasts sounded one after another for a good minute, and the ground shook violently as we fled. I looked over my shoulder and watched as the explosion caused the building to completely cave in until it was a mass of rubble and exposed beams.
We hurried forward and exited through the gate. As soon as we did, we were rushed by a group of attending officers. They greeted the mayor, and then he was promptly swept away into the back of an ambulance to check him over for any injuries.
I followed behind to answer any questions they had.
“Thank you so much, son,” the mayor said as he perched on the edge of a stretcher. “I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am for what you’ve just done. You saved my life.”
“It’s what I do.” I smiled, and he shook my hand.
“You’re a hero!” the mayor exclaimed. “We are lucky to have you walking among us, and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure the authorities are offering you as much protection as possible.”
“I appreciate that,” I said. “I’m just glad I got us out of there in time.”
An officer approached while I answered the EMTs questions as they checked me over.
“Were the suspects still inside?” an officer asked me.
“They were in the first room on the left,” I said. “Well, whatever is left of them.”
With a nod, he quickly hustled past me with another officer. I scanned the growing crowd and saw Dahlia pushing her way through as she rushed over to me.
“Are you okay?” she asked, and her brow furrowed with concern. “We had no idea it was going to be that big of an operation, we would have been better prepared if we did. The police said they believed it was just amateurs--”
“Dahlia, I’m okay, I’m alive,” I cut in with a smile. “That’s a lot more than I can say for those guys.”
My joke didn’t seem to reassure her, and she pulled me into a hug that took us both by surprise.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Her words were muffled as she buried her head against my chest, but she quickly broke away. “What happened in there? Did you find out who did this?”
“I’m pretty sure they were Antis, I heard them thinking about me and Pyro, but I don’t know what they were trying to achieve here,” I said as I glanced back at the ruined mansion. “It seems like they were willing to take me out at any cost, even by sacrificing a couple of their own. Which goes to show how dedicated they really are.”
“They’re bad people, that’s for sure,” Dahlia agreed.
“But why would they want to take out the mayor?” I asked. “Just for the shock and awe effect?”
“My guess is he stands in their way, just as much as you do,” Dahlia explained. “If he’s out of the picture, then the city is thrown into chaos. They also probably knew that with the stakes involved, it was highly likely you would be put on this mission. So, they were probably hoping you would either die in the explosion or fail to save the mayor, which would turn public sentiment against the Omega.”
“I probably shouldn’t be shocked by the extremes they’re willing to go to, at this point.” I shook my head.
“They’re getting bolder.” Dahlia sighed. “I’ll make sure these missions are better vetted before we send you out. That was far too close of a call, and we can’t risk losing you.”
“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen,” I reassured her. “Besides, I’m not going anywhere.”
We walked back over to where Dahlia had parked her van and stopped beside it.
“That’s the third time they’ve tried to take me out and failed,” I said. “Not that I’m keeping score.”
“And you’ve amazed me every time.” A proud smile spread across her face.
“Thanks, boss.” I grinned at my mentor and began to fill her in on the gritty details of what had happened, but we were quickly interrupted by an officer.
“I’m Chief Anderson.” He extended his hand out for me to shake. “You must be the new Omega.”
“Nice to meet you.” I took his hand and shook it firmly.
“Great work out there tonight,” the chief said. “You have shown undeniable tenacity and determination. You’re already a credit to society.”
“Just doing my job, sir.” I smiled and gave a dismissive wave of my hand.
“Your humility is admirable, son,” Chief Anderson said, and he plucked at the cuff of his shirt. “And I’d like to offer you a private contract.”
Chapter Four
“I’m flattered,” I said as a warm sense of pride filled my chest. “I’ll definitely give your offer some thought.”
It felt really good to know my efforts had been recognized, especially by someone so high up in the police department.
With the potential rise of the Antis, the threat of Pyro, and reading about the impending protest, I’d felt a bit of pressure to prove myself. But this confirmed that I was definitely making headway and had a little less to worry about.
It was crazy to think how much my life had changed in just a matter of weeks. I’d gone from working a dead-end job to becoming a man with a destiny to fulfill and, not to toot my own horn, but I was absolutely crushing it.
“If it makes your decision any easier, you’ll be compensated extremely generously for your services.” Chief Anderson nodded, and then he turned on his heel and rejoined the crowd of arriving officers attending the scene.
“Let’s get you back to the academy before the reporters turn up.” Dahlia graciously pulled open the passenger door and gestured for me to get in. “You must be fried.”
“I’ve always got energy,” I said as I shot her a wicked grin.
“At least enough energy to flirt,” she laughed as she walked around to the driver’s side and got behind the wheel.
I followed suit and hopped into the passenger side.
“The team’s waiting for you back at the academy,” Dahlia said and turned the ignition over. “I’ve given them a rough idea of what’s happened, but thought I’d leave the best parts to you.”
“Appreciate it, Dahlia,” I said and couldn’t help but notice how good her name felt on my tongue.
The attraction between us was still very much unspoken but completely undeniable. And there was still some notable apprehension between us when it came to toeing the line between mentor and mentee.
It didn’t bother me, at all, if anything it turned me on. Not because she was in a position of power, but because it was a testament to the amazing woman that she was, and I could feel myself getting more and more attracted to her by the day.
She was level-headed, determined, and extremely caring. And those were all qualities I really appreciated in a woman that made them even more attractive in my eyes.
And I obviously couldn’t ignore the fact she was smoking hot.
She, on the other hand, probably needed to be a bit more careful because of her position in the academy. It didn’t bother me, though. I liked the chase, and it also worked absolute wonders for the sexual tension I thrived on.
After a short drive, we’d arrived back at the academy and headed up to the fifteenth floor. The doors opened to the common area that was pretty much empty apart from a couple of fledglings and my friends who were lounging on a couple of couches.
Hannah and Rhiannon perked up when they saw me and ran across the common area to greet me. They both threw their arms around me, and I was quickly entangled in a three-way hug.
“Ah, it’s good to be home,” I sighed, and I kissed the tops of their heads as they continued embracing me.
My girlfriends unraveled themselves from me and pulled me over to where Danny and Frank were lounging on the couches. They shoved me onto a couch of our own and flopped down on either side of me, and Dahlia followed behind and perched on the end.
“Tell us what happened!” Rhiannon enthused.
Frank and Danny eagerly leaned forward to hear about my day, so I gave the team a quick rundown on the events leading up to my solo mission before getting into the evening’s antics.
“That’s enough of me, what did you guys get up to?” I leaned back and put an arm around Rhiannon.
“Nothing as exciting as you,” she said and nestled into me.
“Yeah, nothing major.” Danny yawned.
“Turns out Hannah is terrible at table tennis.” Frank grinned at my Dreamer girlfriend.
“Turns out Frank is a deflector,” Hannah retorted and stuck her tongue out.
“Thought you’d be good at getting your head in the game, with the mind reading and all,” Frank shot back.
“Good one.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately, there’s not much to read between your ears.”
“Hey,” Frank pouted.
“Oh!” Rhiannon interjected. “Me and Hannah can’t stop talking about moving into the mansion.”
Just then, Dahlia slipped away and answered an incoming phone call, but no one besides me seemed to notice.
“I’m so excited,” Hannah said and squeezed my knee, which brought me back to the conversation.
“It’s going to be so much fun.” Danny nodded.
“Can’t wait,” Frank said and kicked his feet up onto the table.
“Me, too,” I said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Mori is pretty adamant that we still gotta see this year out--”
“Mark,” Dahlia interrupted as she returned. “I’ve just spoken to Somnia and Mori.”
“Oh, yeah?” I asked and straightened in my seat. “Is everything okay?”
“More than okay,” Dahlia assured with a smirk. “They were extremely impressed with your work today and wanted me to pass along their thanks.”
“That’s really good to hear.” I smiled. “But I’m just fulfilling my duty as the newly appointed Omega.”
