As the first chunk of debris slammed down next to me, I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘why me?’
The crash drowns out the shrieks of those around me and knocks me into the iron fence bordering the walkway. That will bruise for sure. The deep blue water flowing through the Mighty Canal rushes below me. I snatch my purse before it slips off my shoulder and tumbles into the frigid waves.
“No, no, no! Not today! Not right now!” I moan and calculate the distance between me and the bridge entrance. I could make it. I could make it! The crowd scatters and I nearly follow like the sheep I am, but my need to get to the other side of the canal is stronger.
Sprinting in my only pair of high heels, I rush the bridge, sparing a single glance behind me. A hulking man in an orange jumper struts down the middle of the road. My mind clears and the world focuses with laser clarity. He picks up an empty car and chucks it. The blaring vehicle flies past me and splashes into the water. The horn cuts off as the car sinks, but I don’t stop.
I curse him and my laziness for snoozing the alarm five times this morning. If I’d left ten minutes ago when I’d planned, I’d be on the bridge right now!
My legs stretch against my black pencil skirt. My lungs strain. A slow burn builds in my thighs and a cramp pinches my rib. Running sucks! But I’m going to make it!
Whumpf!
Something smashes into the ground behind me sending out another shockwave and pebbles scattering. Unable to maintain my balance, I fall forward, scraping my knees. Ow! No problem. As long as I didn’t ruin my black skirt or get dirt on my white shirt—yes, I’m fine. Everything’s fine.
I risk a glance backward and all clarity vanishes as hunk of building as big as a car hurtles toward me completely filling my vision.
Bother. I don’t think I’ll make it to my interview.
A gray rectangular shimmer like a silver oil spill floating on water or light reflecting on a metal sheet materializes a few feet above me. The rock smashes into it, crumbling to the ground but leaving me unscathed.
Uh?
“Don’t worry, ma’am. You’re safe now.” A male voice rumbles behind me.
I startle and look behind me. A wall of gray embraces me before I’m lifted up. “Woah, wait, what?”
I watch in disbelief and misery as the distance to the bridge lengthens. No! This is the opposite of what I want. I’m so clooose! I don’t want to be save by a superhero. I want to get to my interview in an hour!
The barrage of attacks increases. More shimmers shield us from them. “We’re almost to safety.”
I focus on myself. I’m being carried over the shoulder of a tall, muscular man in a gray suit. Despite the full run, I’m barely bouncing. Wow! And hold on. Shimmer shields, gray superset….it couldn’t be!? He finally slows and ducks into an alley between two businesses. He slings me upright with a grunt and pins me with an intense gaze. My knees buckle and I instinctively reach out to grab him for support. Surprisingly, he lets me. Or maybe he doesn’t notice I’m hanging off him? Either way, my brain is short-circuiting at the superhero with the chiseled jaw.
Iron Shield.
“What a surprise. You rescued the cute damsel while I got stuck with the mothball-smelling old woman.” An even deeper voice snickers behind me. My head snaps to look. Iron Slayer holding his two electric swords. He taps them together and winks at me as they crackle and snap.
Iron Shield scoffs. “And how exactly were you going to save the damsel from a ton of concrete?”
“I would have figured it out.”
“Sure, Ru.”
“Tell him, Dev.” Iron Slayer elbows a taller, older version of himself.
He fixes them with a stern stare and a pointed glance at me. “Superhero names, boys. We’re on the job.”
He’s standing next to a woman in a green and gold jumpsuit that clings to her like a glove. She’s toned while I’m curvy with the same pale skin but straight, black hair. The power couple themselves; Iron Storm and his wife Jade Princess. I. Could. Die. How is it possible SuperGossip magazine hasn’t photo-shopped them. They just look that perfect? Life was totally unfair.
Jada notices me clinging to her brother-in-law and raises a thin eyebrow.
“Please wait an appropriate distance for you own safety, ma’am.” Her crisp, dry tone is something soothing and grating.
Ma’am? I had to be younger than her. “I am. He brought me here.”
Duh? They’d literally watched him carry me over here. But still, I shouldn’t be antagonizing superheroes. Especially not the top superhero family in New Vale City.
Iron Storm steps forward and cracks his knuckles. “This shouldn’t take long. Be useful and clear the area, brothers. I’ll handle the villain.” He’s the oldest and considered the strongest, though I don’t agree. His power is flashy and useful outside of combat that’s all. Women everywhere wept for days when he and Jade Princess married in a surprise ceremony three years ago. Not me though. I prefer a different brother. My eyes slide back to the one who saved me.
Iron Shield tenses beneath me and his jaw tightens. “The only citizen not currently fleeing is this woman. The area is clear.” He looks down at me and I see the exact moment he notices I’m clinging to him like a leech. His right brow pops up.
“Sorry. Thanks for saving me. I’ll just be on my way.” I drop my arms and my legs hold me this time. I move to follow Iron Storm after dusting off my skirt. I’ll take off my shoes and make a break for the bridge. It’s still clear with only a few chunks of building blocking the entrance. If Iron Storm can distract The Crusher, I can—
Solid arms pull me back and then Iron Shield’s chest blocks my view. “Stand back. Please remain calm. We have this under control. No need to be hysterical.”
Uh, was he just saying reassuring catchphrases?
“I’m not hysterical,” I lift my hands a few inches and turn them palm side up. “See?”
Iron Storm strides out of the alley and stretches out his hands. The bits of rebar and steel scattered about, as well as several yards of the iron fence I walked by five minutes ago, spring forward as though pulled by a magnet and snap into place in front of him forming an enormous hammer. He simply holds out his hand and the hammer melded from debris floats alongside him. It strikes and a chunk of debris breaks apart with a puff of dust. Iron storm doesn’t break his step, perfectly coifed hair, gray jumpsuit with a jagged navy blue stripe extending from his back and cutting through his the arms and legs, and a dull yellow cape fluttering behind him. Extra metal orbits him and provide footholds for Iron Slayer to run up and over them, swords outstretched.
Several SUV’s squealed to a halt nearby and more brightly colored men and women exited, rushing down the street after Iron Storm and his brother. The superheroes would never notice an ordinary girl like me, but I’d never seen them so close before. They were magnificent, and, and smaller than I’d thought? They seemed so ordinary.
A pretty woman about my mother’s age with the most gorgeous curly red hair wearing a black and green super suit, carrying two sharp-looking steel swords that gleam in the early sun, stops to nod at Iron Shield. He returns the nod and she’s off. Another van pulls up and two brave reporters rush to record the action. They don’t notice us.
My jaw is on the floor.
“Citizens should maintain a healthy distance from red zones.” Iron Shields voice gives me goosebumps.
Yep. Catchphrases. Plus, he wasn’t actually listening to me. And now he’s turned away.
“It wasn’t a red zone when I left my apartment,” I lick my lips and tug on my shirt.
He pauses and looks at me over his shoulder. His brows furrow. “You live around here? So close to the prison?”
I nod. The rent is cheap, and what is even happening right now?
He answers as if I said it aloud. Oops, I think I did. “I suggest you move as soon as you can. Crusher escaped the VCVP.” He looks down the alley back toward where we came.
Impossible. The Vale City Villain Prison is only a few miles from my apartment, but there hasn’t been an escape in almost twenty years when Black Mist took over as prison warder. But The Crusher? He is rotting in there for the last ten years. If he’s wandering the streets it must be true. I guess that explains the bright orange jumper guy I saw. What exactly were our tax-dollars paying for if they couldn’t keep a D-level villain behind bars and out of polite society? I will think up an angry letter I won’t send while I cower nearby and hope the supers caught him soon enough that I could make it to my interview.
“The Crusher.” The words slip out while I’m distracted.
He spares me another sexy side-eye. His eyes have the tiniest bit of green in them and his hair is longer with a hint of a wave. “What?”
“It makes him angrier if you forget the ‘the.’”
His dark expression lightens ever so slightly as his lip twitches like he wants to smile but stops himself. “I’ll keep that in mind. Vacate the area until we have The Crusher under control.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” Not. My eyes trail down his toned body. The Stanton brothers won the lottery when it came to looks. The fact they, and their sister, all had A-level powers was truly unfair. Their family had emerged an empire in the last ten years. And from the hint of a smirk on his face, he noticed my oogling. Crap. No! Own it, Carrie. There is nothing wrong with admiring a work of art.
He turns away and I cast another look at the bridge. Iron Shield hadn’t been seen fighting villains or crime here in over 3 years, disappearing with Iron Slayer with no explanation! And now he was back with no further explanation. SuperGossip Magazine speculated for weeks and still writes salty articles about not knowing the reason every few months. Articles which I do not read. At all. But I can’t be blamed for perusing them when Mrs. Lamborin left them on the coffee table. Sometimes I got bored when the kids were napping, you know? Like I had the day Grant Lamborins had returned home early and sat a little too close, smiled a little too much, leaned in and set his hand on my leg…
Anyway!
Jade Princes strides past me and stands even with Iron Shield. Huh? She’s holding a small child now. The boy, about two or three, had the same golden hair as his mother but the gray eyes of his father. Jade Princess wore a green jumpsuit as her name suggested and a jade circlet over her shiny, straight hair that rippled with every small movement she made. She stood so close her arm touched his. Uh. Was that normal?
Not your circus, Carrie.
I take a step back on my toes. If I loop around to the next street I can dash across and be on my way over the canal to South Vale The sounds of battle and destruction fill the air. Sirens wail louder and flashing lights surround the area on the street in front of us as police cars block access to the street and set up a perimeter. Nevermind. No time. I’ll just hide in the alley and wait for them to leave. The only thing big enough to hide me is a garbage can. At least it isn’t stinky.
“What is the Cavanaugh family doing here? HQ called us.” Jade Princess scoffed and hopped her son higher on her hip. Her voice had a slight whine to it.
“You would know more than I. The Crusher isn’t worth our time.”
“True, but didn’t he have a cell mate? Perhaps they escaped together?”
Oooh! Juicy and a alarming all in one.
Jade Princess sighes. “I’d better go help Devin, Lucas. Your brother can be as hot-headed as Marissa when he thinks another super is encroaching on his terf.”
Really? All the magazines I didn’t read said the oldest was the most level-headed of the bunch.
“Where is Marissa anyway?” He looks down at her and frowns. “Wait, you have Felix with you?”
She waved her hand. “Your parents weren’t home and there wasn’t time. Marissa wasn’t going to wait for us to find a babysitter.” She looks at him in a way I can only describe as calculated coyness. She twists and hands Felix to Iron Shield who accepts him first then realizes what she did and gives her the signature Iron Scowl. “Besides your shields can withstand a nuclear bomb, but that’s about it. This job calls for an offensive strategy. I’ll be back soon.”
“Jada! I told you I’m not—” But she’s already gone.
Rude! Iron Shield isn’t just a glorified shield. He can fight too, according to his interviews that I did not cut out and tape on my wall.
I hear him let out a frustrated grunt as he swivels on his heels trying to figure out what to do. His nephew—Felix? So cute!— cuddles into his chest and tucks his arms in, left thumb stuck in his mouth. I don’t blame you kid. I would do the same in a heartbeat. The cuddling, not the thumb-sucking.
Unfortunately, my skills of prowess aren’t as high as I’d assumed—or maybe my nosy, drama-loving self is to blame—because Iron Shield, or Lucas she she called him, spots me spying almost immediately. His scowl intensifies. “Why are you still here? And why are you hiding behind the garbage can.”
I cough and stand up. “I need to get across the bridge as soon as possible.” I don’t mention I was waiting for him to leave.
“Come back later, ma’am.”
Hmm. Not even coming from his mouth softened that blow. Ma’am made me feel so old and fussy. “I’d love to, but I have an interview—” I check my watch and my eyes nearly pop out of my head. “—forty minutes. I have to go now! I’ll be fine.”
His arm whips out and blocks my way even as he wraps it around my waist.
“That’s a no. Now go home. It isn’t safe.”
Ironic since he’s holding a child. “I’m perfectly safe at present. You’re here, remember?”
His jaw tightened. Oof, that had been the wrong thing to say. The wrong nerve after the stunt his sister-in-law pulled.
Distract him. He won’t chase me out there with his nephew. “Lucas, was it? Your hair is longer.”
The cute frown is back. “What?”
“Your hair is longer than the last time you were photographed. And I like the beard.”
He waits. Or maybe he is too confused by my incredible wit to respond.
Ugh, his grip on me isn’t loosening. Which normally would be delightful but at present is a well-meaning obstacle. “How long do you think this will last?”
“Couple of hours. I won’t be there to block The Crusher’s attacks.” A tiny spark of amusement in his eyes.
I grin then his words sink in. I groan. “Look, I can see the house I need from here!” I don’t mention the sharp contrast between the run down buildings and week choked sidewalks of North Vale and the shiny, new skyscrapers and manicured parks of South Vale, but it’s impossible not to notice. “Can’t you just—” I push against his arm. It’s as solid as steel.
He doesn’t bother to look so I can’t twist away. “Unless you can fly, ma’am, you’re not making that interview.”
“There must be something I can do. Some way to speed this up—” My eyes fall on Felix and an idea hits me like a bolt of lightning.