Chapter 9 #2
His back straightened. I grabbed him by the shoulder.
I was focused on the single diamond stud in his right ear.
The way his lab coat hung on his back made me suspect he hid the technology in a backpack.
He spun about with a snarl, his arm trying to bat me away.
He could try to get out of my grip, but he’d find himself dealing with above-average strength.
“You have something that doesn’t—”
The lab coat shredded. Silver flashed. Two metallic tendrils shot upward from his back before coming down and grabbing me by the shoulders.
Two more arms flew out, slamming into the floor and crushing cement.
The clamps tightened around my shoulders, pushing on an already bruised collarbone.
I growled, fingers tightening. No, not here.
They couldn’t find out I had powers, or Arthur would kill me.
“Get away from him, you—”
Booker, shoulder down, rammed into the scientist. The clamps released as the scientist slid along the floor.
Instead of jumping to his feet, the synthetic arms stopped his slide, forcing him upright.
Okay, prototype-whatever meant robotic arms. Got it.
We had a super-level threat and a superhero unable to do superhero things.
I didn’t like those odds. The thought of Arthur angry… or worse, disappointed. I held still.
“We might have made a tactical error,” Booker said.
Supported by two arms, Paul rose into the air.
The ends of the remaining tendrils were like claws, snapping away like hungry critters.
For a moment, he eyed the door. He could escape, and we’d be powerless to stop him.
When his attention returned to us, the snarl returned.
I knew that face all too well. Paul didn’t want to get away—he wanted to cause mayhem.
“Get behind me.”
Booker had his fist raised, as if he spent his days battling six-armed supervillains. I’m not sure his training as an interrogator would do us much good. Despite the danger, he turned into a human shield. I didn’t know if I should be moved or insulted. With him, I’d pick the former.
“We need to run,” I said.
“You’re under arrest,” Booker shouted. He might have handcuffs on him, but enough for six limbs? “You’re not getting out—”
“Who’s going to stop me?” Paul laughed. “You?”
Booker didn’t flinch. The first arm sped forward.
Booker threw his hand back, knocking me out of the way before he dove out of the way.
As I dropped to a knee, none of the onlookers ran away.
Spectators took out their phones. The lack of survival skills had become the bane of every superhero. Somebody was going to get hurt.
An arm tried batting Booker to the side. He ducked, trying to advance before Paul dropped to his feet. All four metal arms raised overhead, ready to strike.
With a blink, I could blind him. If there weren’t onlookers, I’d have already pivoted and spun my way through those arms. My knuckles would already have connected with flesh. Every fiber of my being wanted to unleash Hellion. I fought my instincts, remaining the always helpless Drew.
“Think you’re a hero?”
Booker didn’t have time to respond. Screams filled the lobby as two arms shot outward, claws grabbing bystanders by the throat. Dammit. I got off my knees, fingers wrapping into fists. Arthur would have to understand.
“Hey!” I shouted. “Pick on somebody your own size.”
He scoffed. “Oh, two of you?”
I recognized one of his hostages as the barista who made my coffee every morning.
After Arthur fired me, I’d need free coffee.
I stood next to Booker. Instead of stepping in front of me, he raised his hands into fists.
When I did the same, I caught a quick side-eye. He hadn’t anticipated me willing to—
Glass shattered. “Booyah!”
I recognized the booming catchphrase. I spun, grabbed Booker, and jumped away from Paul and his hostages.
Mr. Supreme landed with a thud. I’d need to thank Connor for sending backup.
The scientist didn’t stand a chance against Wyatt’s might.
Not even cybernetic arms would dent our favorite strongman’s hide.
“Bad man!” We needed to work on his dialogue. While he talked, I stayed put, half-draped over Booker. “Put down the squishy humans.”
“Any closer and I kill them.”
Arthur wasn’t going to be amused. Despite Janet urging us to always charge into a fight with a battle cry, we taught him to wait when humans were in jeopardy. Wyatt glanced over his shoulder, looking for directions while Paul continued waving his victims around like puppets.
Paul tried stepping forward, but the two lower arms slammed into the lobby floor. He squirmed, held in place by his own tech. Wyatt hadn’t come to fight. He had been the decoy to slow down our insidious bad guy while the rest of the team did their job.
“What are you doing?” Paul shouted.
“Him?” Wyatt pointed up. I glanced at the skylights to see Orion hovering in midair. “I brought a friend.” Wyatt gave me an exaggerated wink. Add it to the list of things we’d have to talk about.
“Paul Redford.” Orion dropped his voice an octave. He’d never admit it, but he liked playing the hero. “It appears you possess something that doesn’t belong to you.” He waved his hand in the air, tapping on his invisible computer screens.
“You can’t do this!” The mechanical arms set the hostages down and even straightened their shirts before retracting. “I didn’t sign up for this.”
Paul slammed a hand to his chest. Something hissed, and the backpack with the arms released. He bolted, leaving the mechanical arms as a lobby statue. “You’ll never catch me!”
Wyatt could have moved and superspeed and stopped him without effort. Orion had enough gadgets on his suit that he could have restrained every person in the lobby. Neither moved. Paul picked up his pace, getting close to the—
“Booyah!” An arm shot out from the crowd, catching the man by the throat. He backflipped before his cheek smacked against the tile. Janet stood over him, unleashing a roar that made the employees take a step back. “That’s how you do it!”
“Your secretary is terrifying,” Booker muttered.
“You have no idea.”
He didn’t know that she operated as a member of our superhero team. Janet didn’t let the lack of power deter her. More than once, she had taken down a supervillain as if it were just another Tuesday. We’d be hearing about this at tomorrow’s staff meeting.
“Authorities are on their way,” Orion said.
“Farewell, humans!” Wyatt shot into the air and vanished through the skylight.
Orion gave a slight nod of the head before he followed.
Janet, on the other hand, remained, doing a victory dance over an unconscious Paul.
A few employees checked on the former hostages, but with the threat gone, they resumed their exit from the building as if nothing had happened.
I glanced down at Booker to see the smirk on his face. “My hero?”
I rolled off him quickly, looking away to hide the red in my cheeks.
It was one thing to save the day when I wore the leather uniform, but in business clothes?
Drew wasn’t a hero, not in the least. All the excuses came flying in at once, ready to explain what had happened.
Instead of asking questions, he sat up, patting me on the back.
“We make a good team.” He stood. When he offered his hand, I paused. A simple gesture, and yet, it was the one I needed. For the first time, I felt we were in this together. “Let’s make sure Paul isn’t getting away.”
He swept my rescue under the rug as if nothing had happened. His ability to dodge uncomfortable questions and move forward? Maybe that was his superpower? Orion would call them suspicions, but with Booker, I had curiosities.
Eventually, I wouldn’t be able to ignore them.