Chapter Four #2
Chips flew off the shelf behind her as another blast of silver light roared after her.
She vaulted over the checkout counter and huddled there as bottles of caffeine shots from the counter display rained on top of her head.
Teeth gritting, she focused on an illusion that made her look exactly like the display of cigarettes for sale behind the counter before standing, practically invisible, to see what Shawn was doing.
He strode forward, hands in front of him.
Behind him, though, someone stalked him in turn.
Mythcreant’s illusion rippled, momentarily exposing his actual face beneath it. His mouth curled into a vicious smile. Cold gripped Apparition’s chest. This was what he’d been waiting for. This wasn’t just a robbery: it was a trap for Surge.
As much as she’d known that her father’s goal was taking Surge down, she hadn’t really considered it since she’d met him ... met Shawn. Now as her father drew a long blade from his belt, her heart gave out.
She leaped over the counter and sprinted towards the emergency exit. Spinning about, she returned to her purple-haired, body suit wearing illusion. “Hey, Flashbulb Boy!”
Shawn jerked around.
“Come and get me!” She threw up a smoke illusion and dove out the back door.
The fire alarm blared as she exited. She paused in the alleyway.
She could see cop cars on either end, their lights flashing.
If she put up an illusion quickly, she would be able to melt into the shadows before the police converged .
.. but then Shawn might go back after her father.
They might fight. He might get hurt—either he. She just couldn’t deal with that yet.
Let him follow me. Please let him follow me.
Shawn burst through the door into the alley. Apparition grinned, waved, and took off towards the end of the alley and the waiting police blockade.
“Stop where you are!” one of the officers shouted.
Visualizing what she wanted to appear, she flicked her fingers forward.
Flames raced down the streets like fire zipping down a fuse in an old timey cartoon.
The flames rose to tower over the police cars, roaring and crackling.
The police ran for cover. Apparition ran straight into the center of the fake inferno and paused to look back.
Shawn hovered a few feet off the ground. “What are you?” he stammered.
She winked at him. “I’m Apparition, baby, and you’ll never forget it.”
A shadow crossed the still open doorway they’d just exited. Apparition’s heart sank. Mythcreant hadn’t given up. She threw a burst of flame over Surge’s head and pushed onward, through the fleeing police officers.
SHAWN DUCKED AS APPARITION’S fire burst over his head.
Who is this girl and what is up with her powers? They’re all over the place.
While he was watching, she ran right through the flames she’d just summoned, escaping the police barricade as the panicked officers tried to evade the fire. Shawn rocketed over the fire. However, when he was halfway across it, the entire inferno disappeared.
So weird.
He zeroed in on her sprinting form, her dark hair streaming behind her, almost mist-like. She glanced over her shoulder at him before sliding to a halt. Her body shimmered and shifted, then like a TV turning off she disappeared.
Shock radiated through Shawn. He landed hard in a crouch on the wet pavement.
“What the—”
The light reflecting on the asphalt shifted ever so slightly. His eyes narrowed. His power buzzed beneath his skin for a moment, then he threw his energy forward.
A high pitched shriek pierced the air, and Apparition reappeared, flying backwards across the street. She crashed into a pile of boxes in a nearby alley, disappearing under a mountain of cardboard.
Shawn glided over as the cardboard rustled and shook. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Some sort of illusion powers? Am I right? You can’t actually hurt anybody with them, I’m guessing. Just confuse the heck out of people, yeah?”
She burst from the pile of trash with a growl. A wave of water rose before her then slapped down over him, wet and freezing. He gasped in horror and surprise. His whole body shivered. So cold! He stumbled back a step as she rose before him, lavender eyes flashing.
“Oh, I can hurt people,” she hissed. “I can hurt them badly.”
His blood turned to ice, and it took all his willpower just to stand up straight.
She lunged towards him, her hands crackling with lightning. He pushed off the ground, leaped over her, landed, and spun. A wave of energy blasted from his fingertips, knocking her to the ground.
She shrieked and flipped over, trying to rise. Shawn jumped on her, pushing her arms over her head and pressing her down.
“Stop it!” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t let you get away.”
Her eyes widened, and her face rippled. He drew back, somehow managing not to lose hold of her wrists.
What the heck?
She squirmed beneath him. Shawn squirmed too, but internally. Forcibly holding a woman down in the middle of a city street wasn’t exactly what he’d imagined when he’d decided to go into superheroing.
“Hold still!” he ordered. He glanced down the street, hoping that back up of some sort was coming. Even normie police officers would be a relief at this point.
Ignoring his orders, she grew more frantic.
Her appearance started to strobe, flickering between images like a television flipping channel.
Her features changed too quickly to track, then out of nowhere they snapped into a solid form, one that he immediately recognized.
Pale skin, freckles, pretty blue eyes, and vibrant red hair—
“Nikki?” he stammered.
She screamed and let forth a blast of fire. The heat pushed him backwards, and he rolled away from her, throwing his hands over his face. She kicked out, her toe connecting with his eye socket. Pain jolted through him, and stars danced before his eyes. He grunted.
She hopped up and stood over him, body shaking, face wavering between Apparition and Nikki.
Before he could orient himself, her expression changed to a mocking grin.
“Oh, you know this face, don’t you?” she teased.
“I’ve been watching you, handsome. You like your girls sweet and pliable?
Easily impressed?” Her hair shifted back to its original black violet hue, her eyes turning a glowing pale purple.
“Not into girls who can actually kick your butt? You like the helpless ones who can’t even protect themselves? ”
His heart pounded. She knew about Nikki. What would she do to her?
“Leave her out of this,” he said, his voice sounding more frightened than he’d intended. “She’s a good person, and she has nothing to do with whatever this is. I won’t let you hurt her. If it takes every ounce of my strength, I swear, I won’t let you harm her.”
Apparition’s lower lip dropped ever so slightly.
Shawn drew on his powers, ready for another bout. If Nikki was in danger, he couldn’t let Apparition escape. That wasn’t an option.
A police siren wailed in the distance. Shawn’s eyes shot towards the flashing lights racing towards him.
Simultaneously, smoke exploded from Apparition’s location.
He flinched, and when the haze cleared, Apparition was gone.
He stood and suddenly realized his hair and uniform weren’t even wet.
It was as if the water had disappeared completely.
The police car’s brakes squealed. An officer jumped out of the car.
“Are you all right? Where’d the villain go?” he called out.
Shawn looked around. There was no sign of Apparition. He exhaled. “I’m not sure. Are the hostages all right?”
“Everyone is safe,” the police officer assured him. “And you? Are you hurt?”
Shawn put his hand to his eye which still throbbed painfully. “I think I’m okay. A little bruised, but I’ll live.” He sighed. How had he gotten himself into this mess? If his so-called heroism had put Nikki in danger, he’d never forgive himself.