Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
The late afternoon sun caused sweat to trickle down Joan’s back inside the rubbery material on her black-and-red Spark outfit. She wriggled as she sat on the roof across the street from Melvin’s favorite weekday hangout. Tapping her heels against the brick ledge, she watched him pose to the delight of the eight women inside the brightly lit fitness center.
Well, manufactured delight. Brainwashed delight. Through Joan’s eyes, Melvin was a dorky short guy in his strangely mauve-tinted Trick getup with fake muscles built into it. He could trick the norms, but the Villains knew he was not a big, buff dude.
A perky blonde squeezed one of his biceps and danced with glee. The other women cooed in admiration. Melvin grinned and said something that was clearly more mind control because everyone in the fitness center laughed heartily. Joan shook her head. Trick had the power to do some real damage but mostly went around making people think he was a stud. His ego was the most dangerous thing about him.
He could actually work out. Put in the reps to get the physique he desired. But no. Melvin only came to the gym to pretend. To lie. It was annoying to watch, but it was the best time to catch him without Irving and Ethel around. Mel gave them Mondays off from henching. Plus, he’d be too preoccupied to overreact to what she was about to do.
Joan scratched at where her facemask rubbed on the bridge of her nose, waiting for him to finish so they could talk. He hadn’t stopped bugging Perry, and thus Perry hadn’t stopped bugging Joan about telling Mel they wanted out of his schemes.
This place had an upscale clientele. Hot, rich women in designer workout wear. The sort of place Joan imagined when she told people she worked at a gym, though she saw herself more with the guys pumping iron in the back. Even if they grunted and postured way too much. Which was why she preferred to work out in the warehouse with Mark, sparring and using their powers on each other when they got frustrated.
Or mixing it up with Greta, not using her powers against her oldest friend (and honestly, her only true friend). Greta would absolutely take her down if Joan so much as even tried.
She leaned forward, bracing her gloved hands on the ledge. She needed to text Greta after this. It’d been a while since they’d hung out. She could pick her pal’s brain about Sadie. Greta was one of the few norms Joan had allowed into her life, so she had that outside perspective. Although it was coated in a thick layer of criminality. Greta was hands down the best thief in Vector City and loved her chosen career. They never could see eye-to-eye on that versus Joan having no alternative.
Seriously, though, what to do about Sadie? She’d seemed interested in Joan’s nerdy admission to being a foodie. (Only she hadn’t let on just how nerdy she was about it.) And Sadie clearly wanted her to stop by Vector City Coffee for a sweet treat. She hadn’t been subtle about that double meaning. Enough time had passed for it to be safe to stop by.
A smile tugged at her mouth. Sadie seemed so genuine, so sweet. Cute and creative and helpful. It’d be nice to talk over logo designs for a food truck. But neighborly flirting could only go on for so long before Joan had to either do something about it or put a stop to it.
It’d been pretty awkward having Sadie pick up on Joan’s cut of the gold bars clanking in her bag. The hand weights story had been a good cover-up. Plus, she really did have a metal water bottle in there.
She wanted to get to know Sadie, but that brought the risk of Sadie wanting to get to know her. And she would think she’d be hanging out with a personal trainer who most certainly did not spend her time sitting on rooftops waiting to talk to Trick. Not exactly a great way to start things.
Ugh, enough already. This could go on all night. She pushed off the ledge and shot just enough fire from both palms to glide down to the sidewalk. She waved them out just before landing in a crouch. When she straightened, the flowing hair on her dark wig flopped over her face. She batted it back. Damn thing had a mind of its own.
She stepped into the street. An oncoming car braked sharply. The driver laid on the horn, then stopped when the woman in the passenger seat slapped the guy with both hands.
“That’s Spark!” the woman screeched loud enough for Joan to hear through the open windows.
“Oh, shit.” The guy raised his hands off the steering wheel.
Joan resisted rolling her eyes and continued to the fitness center. A deliveryman in a parked white truck jerked the brim of his ballcap low, like she wouldn’t see him because he couldn’t see her. Norms sure could be weird.
She pulled one of the glass doors open. The thumping beat of upbeat music filled the large space. Mel was still holding court by the treadmills. He did have one advantage over Spark: People weren’t afraid of him when he used his powers.
He caught sight of Joan from his circle of admirers. Irritation flashed across his face. “What are you doing here?” he whined in his nasal voice.
“I need to talk to you,” Joan said.
“Can’t it wait? I’m busy.”
“No.”
The women stared blankly at her. People looked creepy under mind control.
Melvin changed his stance so he could show off his back. The women sighed and petted his Trick suit. Three weightlifter dudes nodded appreciatively from across the room.
Yuck. She had to get out of there. “I have an answer to your proposition.”
Mel stopped posing and grinned. The women sighed again. “Why didn’t you say so? Ladies, give us some privacy. Go back to what you were doing.”
He waved a dismissive hand. The women moved away in a zombie-like daze.
“It’s a short conversation,” Joan said. “We’re not interested. Leave us out of whatever you’re planning.”
Melvin crossed his arms. “Breeze must not have explained things the right way.”
“No, he explained it. You want to lord over the city and then take the show on the road.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s not our style. We’re not interested.”
“Now, Spark…”
She took a step back, signaling this was over. “We’ve never had grand plans of domination. We don’t want that kind of attention. We like being in the shadows.”
“We shouldn’t have to be in the shadows,” Melvin said. “Look what we can do. What we can get if we work together.”
He gestured around the gym. It was like a scene out of a horror movie with all the people exercising at a steady, monotonous rhythm.
Wrinkling her nose, Joan said, “Yeah, no. This is disturbing. Taking away free will isn’t cool.”
She turned to go. Mel hastened to get in front of her. “Stealing isn’t cool, but you do it all the time. Breeze has taken chunks out of half the buildings in the city. That’s not cool. We work with the skills we have.”
Joan kept walking. “I don’t have to justify our decision. Just wanted it to be clear.”
“But you haven’t heard about my magnificent plan!” Melvin cried, falling in step beside her.
“Not interested.”
His nostrils flared, which meant a tantrum was coming. “This is all your fault. All your idea.”
Joan sighed and told him, “It’s all three of us. Get Hide and Volt to do your dirty work.”
“You’ll reconsider when you hear about my plan.”
She paused her stride long enough to guess, “First you take over Vector City, then you mind control your way into taking over the other big cities. Even though you’ll have to get through all their Supers and their Villains, which is honestly ridiculous.”
“That’s where Spark and Ice and Breeze come in.” Melvin gave his dorky grin.
“We’re gonna be wherever we want because we won’t be the most wanted Supervillains in the world. It’s ludicrous and unsafe, and we want no part of it.”
“You’re just having the jitters.”
“I don’t get the jitters.” God, talking to him was like reasoning with a six-year-old.
“Urgh, damn it, Spark!” Melvin growled.
Three of the women shook their heads. Mel was too distracted to direct his power. They comprehended that Supervillains were standing right by them and screamed in fright. The rest of the women came to, shrieking and running in all directions to get away.
Melvin waved his hands and said, “Look what you did!”
“This is because of you, numb-nuts.” Joan ducked as the blonde flailed her arms.
“Don’t hurt us!” she begged. “Please! I have a child!”
She was screeching so loudly, Joan covered one ear. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Stop screaming.”
The weightlifters moved toward them, cautious but intent. Joan moved into a fighting stance, ready to throw a couple of punches if need be.
Melvin narrowed his eyes at the men, and they stopped. Then he held out a hand, moving it across where the women scampered about. “Let’s have no more of that,” he told them. “Settle down.”
They quieted, going slack.
“Everyone was having a good time until you showed up,” Melvin said.
“Can’t you get your jollies doing something else?” Joan said, relaxing her stance. “They’re not your playthings, Mel?—”
She halted before saying his name. There were some things that just weren’t done. No exposing true identities, (mostly) not using powers against each other. Honor among thieves.
Melvin sneered at her. “I would’ve liked to get in on that shipment of gold bars you hauled in last week.”
Figures that he’d found out about that. “We don’t share everything,” Joan said.
“ Gold bars ,” he emphasized. “That’s something you share.”
“Maybe if you showed up to one of Breeze’s weekly meetings once in a while…”
“They’re boring.”
“That’s fair,” she had to agree.
“I’ll come if we can discuss my plan. You three are an integral part. It only works with all of us.”
“Then think of a new plan.”
“I’ll bring donuts,” he said, like that would make everything right.
The women inched closer, drawn to him, and gently pawed at his shoulders and arms. A camera flashed through one of the windows. Shit, there were non-mind-controlled people gathering outside.
“Can we get out of here?” Joan said. “We’re drawing a crowd.”
Narrowing his eyes at the front windows, Melvin said, “Way to ruin my fun.”
He started to raise a hand to direct his thoughts, only the door flew open to Catch demanding, “Stop your wrongdoing this instant, Trick and Spark.”
Great. Darlene was the literal worst.
She stalked toward them. Joan fisted her hands while Melvin pushed the women in front of him and ran for the back exit.
“Really?” Joan yelled at him. Then she said to Catch, “Go after him. He’s the one?—”
Catch weaved between the women, intent on Joan.
“I’m not doing anything. Trick’s the one messing with people.”
“What do you want from these honest citizens?” Catch said.
“To get away from them,” Joan said. The women were coming out of their stupor and would start screaming again. She took a step back to prepare for Darlene’s onslaught and?—
Shit! Her foot caught on the base of a tall exercise machine and she tumbled into it, slamming her shoulder on the way down. Pain shot through her, making her swear.
She tried to straighten and barked at Catch, “Go get Trick. He ran out the back.”
“Your diversion doesn’t fool me.” Catch held her palms out ’cause she’d take any flames thrown at her and give them right back. Totally unfair.
“What diversion? Look at these people. They’ve obviously had their minds messed with.”
Sure enough, the women got all screechy about Spark and yay that Catch was there. So much for keeping a low profile.
Her shoulder throbbed with a sharp ache. Joan pushed away from the machine and leapt over the cushioned bench. The women shrieked.
Darlene chased after her. Just the thing Joan wanted to do today—have it out with a Super because Melvin sucked. Perry could damn well talk to him from now on.
They burst into the alley. Catch did some fancy jump and tackled Joan to the ground. Her shoulder smacked the blacktop so hard, she saw stars.
Anger flared fast. Her hands burned to release the fire bubbling under her skin. She pressed them on Catch’s chest. It wouldn’t hurt her but was hot enough to make her loosen her hold.
Joan twisted and scampered away. “Chill out. I was trying to get him to stop.”
“Like I’d believe any of your lies,” Darlene said as she stood.
“It’s true. Now you’ve lost him. Nice work.”
“Two Villains gathered together means you’re up to no good.”
“Sometimes it just means brunch.” Joan scanned the alley. A dumpster with one side open, a pile of garbage bags down a ways, three closed second-floor windows to the right, four to the left.
Darlene did her palms out thing again. “Hit me with your best shot. You know you have no effect on me.”
“Yeah, and you know shooting fire back has no effect on me.”
“I’m not letting you escape justice.”
“I’m really not in the mood,” Joan sighed. “Rain check? How’s Thursday? Around noon?”
“Accept the consequences of your actions, Villain.”
God, she was so overdramatic and annoying. Everything was black or white, right or wrong. “How do the other Supers put up with you?” Joan said. “Nobody talks like that.”
Darlene charged ahead. Joan vaulted up to the covered side of the dumpster. “You’re picking a pointless fight,” she said.
“You’re a Supervillain scaring people and putting them in harm’s way.”
“I’m about to put you in harm’s way.”
She jumped off the dumpster and tried to make a run for it. Darlene caught her and spun her around, holding tight to steal some fire. Joan shoved her hard. Hot flames formed between her hands. The same happened between Darlene’s palms.
“Why don’t you ever listen?” Joan snapped. “I’m not working with Trick anymore.”
“You’re bad apples who belong together.”
Her flames crackled in irritation. The staunch Superhero would never listen to a Villain. Not when she thought they were all the same. Might as well give Catch what she wanted from Spark.
“Well, I’m in the mood for a fight now,” Joan said.