Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
Joan’s phone buzzed with an incoming text. Her heart skipped a beat as she sat up straight at the table in the warehouse lair. Maybe it was Sadie.
No, just Greta. Nice to hear from her, but still.
Got the word out you’re not with M. You’re welcome. Hang out when you’re done moping
That wasn’t happening anytime soon. Joan was turning moping into an art form.
Mark hunt-and-peck typed on his laptop. Menu ideas for Hot and Cold. What they were busying themselves with while laying low. It was no fun without Sadie’s enthusiasm and encouragement and her big brown eyes and beautiful smile and her low-cut shirts and?—
Another text popped up.
Her heart stopped.
A photo filled the screen. Sadie zip-tied to a tall metal pole on a flat rooftop, mouth covered with duct tape, eyes red and raw and filled with fear.
Words appeared below it. Not from her—from fucking Melvin.
I have something you want. Give me what I want.
“That fucker,” she ground out.
Mark looked up.
“Melvin has Sadie,” Joan said, her voice shaking with anger.
He swore under his breath and peered at her phone screen. “He didn’t have a bargaining chip, so he…”
Fiery rage surged through her. She stood so forcefully, her chair flipped. “He picked the wrong person to fuck with.”
Nobody messed with the people she cared about. Especially not the woman who’d captured her heart. She stalked toward their changing room, Mark on her heels.
“We’re going to the Supers.” Joan raked a hand through her hair. “Damn it, why didn’t we already do that?”
Mark didn’t say anything. Probably ’cause he could feel the fury radiating off her. Sadie was in danger, and terrified. Exactly what Joan had been worried about. She should’ve been more proactive about this Melvin thing.
This was all her fault.
“He better not hurt one hair on her head,” Joan growled.
“Hey, buddy.” Mark tugged her arm. “Let’s go in our civvies. If we bust in as Spark and Ice, they won’t listen to a word we say.”
“I’m fucking pissed. And scared for Sadie’s safety.”
“I know. That’s why we have to go in without guns blazing. We’ll bring our outfits. I’ll drive, okay?”
“Shit.” Joan instructed her phone to call Perry as they hurried to gather their gear. It went to voicemail. “Fucking Melvin kidnapped Sadie. We’re on our way to make a deal with the Supers. Meet us there. Or I’ll let you know where Mel’s keeping her. Stay close to your phone.”
It didn’t matter what Perry wanted. Sadie needed them. Needed Joan to step up.
She went to reply to Melvin’s text. She wanted to ask if Sadie was okay. To talk to her. To reassure her everything would be all right and they were coming for her. That she was sorry for everything and would do whatever it took to make things right.
Her internal fire blazed with a roiling inferno of emotion. Melvin didn’t need to hear any of that. Asshole only needed to know one thing.
I will end you for this.
* * *
The Vector City Superhero headquarters was a modern concrete structure with imposing columns at the front. Like it dared evildoers to fuck around and find out.
Joan shot up several fireballs to be seen through the high windows along one side. Mark sent a few large chunks of ice. One bumped the glass and broke into pieces.
She checked her phone again for anything from Perry (probably too busy afternoon napping) or Melvin (definitely too busy being an asshole).
Someone raced onto the sidewalk in a red jumpsuit. Wait—was this Zee? She’d never seen them unmasked. They had flat features set in warm undertones, full lips and tousled straight black hair.
“What are you doing?” they said.
“We’re ready to make a deal,” Joan said.
“We know what Trick’s up to,” Mark added.
Zee studied them for a long moment. “You’re not here to cause trouble, right? If I let you in?—”
“He’s taken someone hostage,” Joan said. “He wants us to join him and kidnapped someone I care about. A civilian. The people you’re supposed to be protecting.”
“All right.” Zee nodded. “I’m vouching for you. If you do anything?—”
“We don’t want to be here any more than you want us here,” Mark said. “We have to stop Melvin once and for all.”
Zee didn’t say another word. Just led them to a nondescript entrance around the back. They settled their hand on an electronic pad, which opened a small section of the concrete wall.
It was surprisingly bright and airy inside. Light colors on the walls, an Art Deco-style crystal chandelier. The spacious lobby was filled with plush furnishings.
“What the hell?” Mark muttered, taking it all in. “This puts our janky warehouse to shame.”
New Sidekick hustled down the wide marble staircase. “You don’t have any meetings scheduled today,” he said, looking up and down from a tablet. “Are these citizens in need of help? I just saw some fire and ice.”
Zee glanced at the twin sources of fire and ice. “They’re here to help with something.”
“Welcome.” New Sidekick gave them a polite smile. “I’m Ward. Can I get you something to drink? Mineral water? Fair trade organic coffee?”
Sidekick Ward walked over to a beverage station. Zee shook their head and said, “This is time-sensitive. I need you to look for signs of activity from Trick.”
“Yes, Mx. Race.”
Zee walked ahead of them up the stairs. The quartet reached a richly carpeted landing. Joan snorted at the paintings—actual paintings —of each Super along the wall. “That’s a bit much.”
Zee made a vague shrug. Farther down both sides of the hallway hung paintings of former Supers from the past hundred plus years, retired or dead. The one of Amazing Woman, young and perky and blonde with a 1960s flair, looked like it’d been torn at some point.
Ward headed to a partially open door to the right. “Whom shall I say is here to see the Supers?”
“Spark and Ice,” Mark said.
The sidekick’s eyes bulged behind his glasses. “Wait, what?”
“I’ll go in first,” Zee said.
“By all means.” Mark did a broad arm gesture.
Joan’s pulse kicked up another notch. This better not backfire. Sadie needed her. Getting detained would waste precious time.
She followed Zee into a large, well-lit room. The other three Supers lounged on couches and armchairs, also in casual wear. Flight read a book while Catch and Lunk played on their phones. It was a bit jarring to see them so relaxed.
“I’m terribly sorry,” Ward said from the doorway. “Spark and Ice somehow got in.”
The Supers quickly jumped to their feet. Joan conjured a fireball by habit.
Darlene fisted her hands. “What are they doing here?”
Zee held their arms between Mark and Joan and an approaching Lunk. “I said to give them a chance. Let’s listen to what they have to say.”
Flight soared above them, his bald ebony head shining against a nearby light. “You’re not welcome here,” he boomed in his mighty voice.
“Yeah, no shit,” Joan said. She kept her focus on Catch, who looked every bit as prissy as she’d imagined with her pinched face and brown hair slicked into a high ponytail.
“We know what Trick is up to,” Mark said. He shot a spray of snow at Lunk. “Did you miss me, sweetie?”
Kade looked like a big, confused, curly-haired palomino.
“Stop,” Zee said. They held a hand up to Flight. “You, too. All of you.”
Darlene fixed her intense gaze on Joan. Joan gave it right back.
“No powers,” Zee said. “Everyone.”
Shit. Joan had to be the one to make a good faith gesture. She stepped back and waved out her fire.
Zee gave Flight a look. Flight—Otis—glided slowly to the laminate floor.
Darlene crossed her arms. “Why should we trust you? We believe in justice. You don’t believe in anything.”
I believe in Sadie.
“We don’t want anything to do with you, either,” Joan said. “But Trick needs to be stopped.”
“What is his grand plan?” Otis asked, crossing his arms.
Kade looked at his cohorts, then crossed his bulky arms, too.
“He doesn’t have one,” Joan said.
The Supers erupted in disbelief.
“He wants me and Mark to come up with something. He can’t think of anything, so he needs us to do it for him. He tried to get us to join him. When that failed, he kidnapped someone close to me.”
“Do you honestly expect us to believe that?” Darlene said.
“It’s the truth,” said Joan.
“If he kidnapped someone close to you, that person is obviously a criminal.”
Angry flames flared from both palms. Catch lunged at her, but Zee stepped between them and speed-waved Joan’s flames out.
Joan pointed at Catch. “Fuck you, Darlene. She’s a harmless norm who’s in danger.”
“Anyone who consorts with the likes of you has no integrity.”
“ Look. ” She pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and brought up the photo from Melvin.
Darlene was only marginally interested. Zee took a look, thin eyebrows drawing close in concern. “Who is that?” they asked.
“Her name is Sadie Eagan. She works at a coffee shop. We’re… She’s my neighbor.”
“They’re more than neighbors,” Mark said, “but it’s a bit complicated at the moment.”
“She’s a good person who doesn’t deserve any of this.” Joan held the phone out for Otis and Kade. “We have to save her.”
Otis eyed her warily. “If we allow you to work with us, what will you give us in return?”
Joan shared a What the fuck? look with Mark. “If we work together , we take down Trick, Hide and Volt for good,” she said.
“You have our word we’ll put aside our differences,” Mark said.
Darlene snorted. “What good is the word of a Villain?”
Joan turned to Zee. They’d already had this argument. The only way forward was to trust each other.
“I’m not comfortable working with those two,” Darlene continued.
“Let’s hear them out,” Zee said.
“We believe in justice .” She punctuated the word with a fist to her opposite palm. “We stand for justice .” She did the fist hammer again. “If we let them go, justice will not prevail.”
“Oh my god,” Joan groaned. “I can’t believe Sadie thought I was you.”
Darlene’s face scrunched in confusion. “What?”
“Who’s Sadie?” Kade said.
“Your mom,” Mark and Joan chorused.
Otis floated in front of them. “We can work together to defeat a common enemy. But you have to give us something in exchange for?—”
“Mark and I are out,” Joan said. “We’re done with villainy. We’re retiring.”
Darlene snorted again. “You can’t just retire. You belong in prison.”
“If we help you, we walk away. For good.”
“No.”
“Then we can continue making your lives a living hell,” Mark said. “ Or we can go live quiet, normal lives and give you three fewer bad guys to keep track of.”
“Breeze is in for this as well?” Otis made a big deal out of looking around the room. “I don’t see him here.”
“Sure, yeah, of course he’s in.” Mark waved a hand like that was guaranteed.
“He’s doing stuff back at our HQ,” Joan said.
Otis made a face, and Darlene was winding up to rebuff everything, and Kade was probably still trying to figure out who Sadie was. Damn it, they were wasting time.
“This is what we always wanted,” Joan told them. “The life we could’ve had if you’d given us a little support back in the day. Do your jobs and give us that fucking support now.”
Zee tilted their head at their fellow Supers, eyebrows raised like She has a point.
Darlene wandered in a tight, stick-up-her-ass circle. “How does this grand plan Trick has been preparing not exist? All we’ve been hearing is how he’s going to take over the city.”
“The dude does mind control,” Joan reminded her. “He’s got the norms worked up into thinking something big is coming. But he can’t come up with anything. We’re the ones with all the great ideas.”
Mark leaned close and said, “Maybe not the best place to bring that up, sis.”
“You know he’s full of shit.” Joan looked at the Supers. “He controls people. That’s what makes him dangerous. He’s been framing us for things we didn’t do. I swear to you, Mark and Perry and I want him put away.”
“Irving and Ethel, too,” Mark said. “They suck.”
Otis did his Look at me, I’m a Superhero arm-crossing again. “And then you’ll leave villainy? Perry, too?”
Joan gave him a firm nod. “Yes. Gladly.”
Anxious energy blazed through her bloodstream. If they said no, she’d go all gangbusters and rescue Sadie herself. Even if it meant a lot of destruction.
Zee seemed to pick up on her vibe. “I vote yes,” they said.
“I vote yes,” Otis said.
Kade looked between them. “I vote yes, too,” he said.
“Thanks, sugar.” Mark winked at him.
“Huh?”
Everyone turned to Darlene. Her nostrils flared, and she clearly wanted to do anything but agree. Her gaze settled on Joan.
“His hostage,” Joan said quietly. “Sadie. I’m way into her. She makes me want to stay on the straight and narrow.”
“Aww,” Kade said.
Zee cracked a tiny grin.
“Do it for love, Darlene,” Mark said.
Darlene pursed her lips. “I’m doing it for justice. I vote yes.”
A tiny thread of relief cooled some of Joan’s rage. “Let’s find where Sadie’s being held and get her and take those assholes down.”
Otis held up a finger. “We need to coordinate a plan of attack.”
“That wasn’t a fully thought-out plan?”
“Made sense to me,” Mark said.
“Ward?” Otis addressed the sidekick.
Consulting his tablet, Ward said, “There have been multiple reports of activity on the roof at Thirty South Mansfield. Trick and Volt, which suggests Hide is there as well.”
“To the control center!” Kade announced.
Darlene made a beeline out of the room, Ward hurrying after. The other Supers surrounded the Villains down the hallway. Any other day, it would’ve been unnerving.
Mark bumped Joan’s shoulder with his own. “We’ll bring her home.”
“We will,” Joan vowed. Sadie would never forgive her after this, but right now, only her safety mattered.
They walked into a darkened room filled with monitors showing live feeds from all across the city. One big touchscreen had SuperWatch on it.
“You guys seriously use SuperWatch?” Mark snickered.
“It’s the best way to get the word on the street,” said Zee.
Ward typed on the expansive keyboard. Otis sidled up to Joan. “What exactly is Perry doing?”
Joan checked her phone. Still no word. She couldn’t think of a good excuse, so she admitted, “I think he’s taking a nap. Which he’ll need if he’s gonna help us.”
“How did you get him to agree to this?”
Uh, I didn’t? “Trick’s giving him a bad name. He wants it cleared so he can pursue legit business ventures.”
“An art gallery,” Otis said, almost like he’d remembered something.
“Yeah.” Joan turned to face him. “How did you know that?”
One of the monitors zoomed in on a rooftop with Trick pacing and swishing his fugly purple cape. Ethel marched dutifully behind him. He had a few armed guards because of course the coward did.
The Supers gathered around the screen, Mark and Joan following. The camera panned and caught Sadie tied to a tall pole, squirming and trying to get free.
An orange haze blurred Joan’s vision. She had to shut her eyes before fire shot out. That didn’t erase the horrible image from her mind’s eye.
“Is that her?” Zee asked.
Joan opened her eyes. The haze was still there. “That’s her.”
Darlene cleared her throat. Joan made a fist, ready to pop off at her.
The Super nodded at Joan’s hand and said, “I have a plan.”