by Simon Archer
I smiled confidently and activated my power. Before anyone could say anything to stop me, I shot forward and easily tripped up two of the closer bandits as I slid forward to sweep their legs. They tumbled with the grace of blind ostriches, and their knives clanked down the concrete steps out of their reach.
The next guy was just as easy. He never saw me coming as I rushed up behind him. I reared my foot back the tiniest bit and tapped the muscled man in the back of the knee, restraining my power so that I didn’t obliterate his leg. His shriek filled the night air, and he gasped for breath as the sheer pain took hold of him. I didn’t see a weapon on him, but I was certain that the police would apprehend him before he recovered from our one-sided dance.
Two more goons took off towards the west parking lot, having hopped the bushes instead of following along the sidewalk. These two were smart, well, as smart as bandits tended to be, but they weren’t going to get away. I rocketed through the bushes, leaving a Nick-Gateon-shaped hole in them.
One was about as tall as me and a little less chiseled, but the other guy, he was a true tank. He stood at least another foot taller than me and was about twice my width. The best part was that he was the one wielding the club. For some reason, that elated more almost as much as the chase itself.
I shot my hand out to knock the shorter man to the pavement, but my fist hit something hard, rigid, and seemingly impenetrable, but that wasn’t all. A violent backlash roared back into my arm as if my own force had been channeled back at me. It was like the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. The impact stopped me dead in my tracks, and pain shot through my knuckles as a couple of them split.
“What the hell?” I gasped, but by the time I had gotten my bearings, they were already on the move again.
“Nick!” I heard Kristen’s voice from the other side of the parking lot. She was fending off a duo of lanky fighters with knives with ease, dragging them around by their metal weapons with her magnetic powers. She was probably toying with them long enough to get my attention. “The big one is their leader! He has the hostage!”
I whipped my head back around toward the fleeing bandits, and I felt a rush of adrenaline surge through my veins. I really had no time to waste if that was the case. I shot a quick nod of thanks to Kristen before I launched myself after the bandits again. This time, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake as before, however.
No, I would head them off. I knew I had the speed on them, and I wanted to avoid whatever my fist had connected with the first time until I figured out what was going on. At least one of them had powers, so deciphering what they were and how they had managed to thwart my first attack was crucial to taking these guys in.
I flew over an old, decrepit chain-link fence that separated the bank from a rundown auto parts store, and I rounded the corner of the building so quickly that I left a dirt cloud in my wake. As I turned and reined in my burst of speed, I planted myself in front of one of the bandits. Where had the big one, the leader, gotten off to? I had only taken my eyes off of him for two seconds, all the more evidence that he was the one with the powers.
“Your fight is with me.” The goon in front of me chuckled and produced a handgun from his back pocket.
I guess these guys had no idea who they were dealing with. Not at all worried about this guy, I took a fighting stance once again. Maybe it was a bit odd for someone to stare down the barrel of a gun and not flinch, but I wasn’t just anyone. I was Nick Gateon, a super with unfathomable powers, and this was going to be a piece of cake.
The bullet went off. I heard the snap of the trigger as it was pulled. Time moved in slow motion as I leaned out of the way of the bullet, and I felt as though I watched it pass by before it smacked into a nearby street sign. The bandit's face turned, and his eyes were a mixture of shock and anger. His teeth gritted, and his lip curled with a snarl as he began to pull the trigger again.
I hastily stuck my hand out and clamped it around his wrist like a vice. His scream tore through the air as it snapped. At the same time that the bullet went off. It flew astray, which was fine by me, so long as whatever it hit wasn’t alive, or something that could explode.
Before the bandit could retaliate, I forced the gun from his hand and tossed it aside. I was sure there was some protocol about heroes handling weapons, but if there was, I didn’t know of them. Either way, the man was now unarmed. Instead of incapacitating him and leaving him out in the open for the police to collect, I gathered him into my arms.
“What the fuck, man?” he squealed as he squirmed. “Let me go!”
“Not today, dude,” I grunted, then lifted him above my head and tossed him just far enough that he landed and rolled right in front of the feet of two officers. They looked at him with surprise, then to me. I waved to them before I set off after the leader. I’d already given him enough of a head start.
I scanned the area from left to right in my immediate line of sight, but he had already slipped away. I knew he couldn’t have gotten far. After all, Alexandria was a big city, full of congestion and tall buildings, at least, in these parts. There was only so far he could run. Still, I would need a higher vantage point. My powers only lasted so long, and I wasn’t going to waste them on a wild goose chase.
I darted down a nearby alley and used the buildings to wall jump to the roof of what looked to be an executive branch of some kind. I was sure they wouldn’t mind the scuff marks on the pristine windows in light of the situation at hand. When I reached the top, I sprinted around the perimeter to check for any signs that the leader and the hostage were anywhere near the area. I didn’t find them, but I did find some broken glass shards on the ground with my enhanced vision. Upon closer observation, I realized that there was a storefront with a giant hole in the display window, and the security light was blinking erratically. The bandit must have tripped the alarm, but there was no siren following the breach. It was likely that he disarmed it, that or the system was faulty.
No sooner had I readied myself to fly after him when he showed himself on the rooftop across from me. He stopped running, and I ducked behind an old-style electrical unit before he could spot me. If he felt safe, then he would likely camp out there out of sight of the police, giving me the opportunity to sneak up on him, which was exactly what I wanted.
Just what the hell had happened inside of the bank in the first place? Judgment should have apprehended the leader first thing. That had been the whole point of him flushing them out of the building so that he could focus on the main mastermind. Had he played us? No, Judgment wasn’t the type to put innocent lives at stake for the sake of a lesson, was he?
I didn’t have the time to dwell on my questions. I would be sure to voice my concerns after we had taken care of business here. My power timer was ticking down second by second. I had to make my move soon if I was going to come out on top and rescue the hostage.
As I peeked around the corner of the box, I saw the goon put down the journalist hostage. She was gagged, and her limbs had been tied together like a hog about to be roasted. Anger boiled in my blood seeing a woman bound like that. It was one thing in the bedroom in a consensual, safe place, but it was another thing entirely when it was against their will.
The bandit paced and watched over the side of the building as cops patrolled the area. It was only a matter of time before the choppers were called in or they realized that the storefront had been broken into. He was also short on options, so this was going to be an interesting altercation.
I came out from hiding, and as quietly as I could, I glided from one rooftop to the other. I landed swiftly and snuck over to where he had dumped the journalist. We locked eyes, and I put my finger up to my lips to signal her to keep quiet. She glared at me but nodded as I crept over to her. I pulled the gag from her mouth, and she bit back a gasp as I undid the crudely tied knots.
As soon as her limbs were free, I pulled her up and steadied her against me. She was a pretty girl with cerulean hair and stunning
violet eyes that I could stare at all day and be absolutely okay with. She was thinly built, not at all an athlete, but she had curves for days.
She opened her mouth to speak, but I pressed my finger to her lips. We still needed to be quiet. I just wanted her to get to safety before I apprehended the bandit that took her in the first place.
“Yer wastin’ yer time, Hulk.” The bandit laughed deep in his belly and turned to face us. His club was long gone. Maybe he dropped it in favor of securing the girl? “I’m just the decoy.”
I spun around and shoved the girl behind me, putting myself in front of her as a shield. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Da guy you really want is still in da bank with da shadow man,” he explained with a toothy grin that was too shiny to be natural.
Shadow man? He must have been referring to Judgment. “What did you do with him?”
“Me? Nothin’!” He chuckled again and smacked his fat belly. To my surprise, there was no jiggle to the motion despite his size. Was that normal? “You can take da girl. It was the hero we was really afta, anyway.”
Ice ran cold through my veins. “What do some backwater good-for-nothing bandits want with Judgment?”
“Them? Couldn’t tell ya, but they were real eager to help out once I offered my services,” he explained further. He rolled up his sleeve, and for the first time, I was able to see that his skin wasn’t skin. Rather, it glistened in the moonlight and sparkled like a gem. Beneath the odd armor was a marking, a tattoo with an upside-down triangle and a closed fist facing out and punching through it. “Name’s Diamond by the way since you weren’t nice enough ta ask. And you are?”
So his skin must have been what I’d struck earlier when I went to punch his comrade. Diamond must have used his superpower and blocked my strike. A man that could turn himself into diamond, one of the most impenetrable substances in the modern world, was amazing... but also could be problematic, but there had to be more to it than that. If he were just diamond, it wouldn’t have recoiled like it did and actually caused some damage. I’d have to figure out a way to break it somehow without the backlash hurting me or the man himself. Even powered, my fist stopped on a dime when it connected with it, and though I could put more power behind it, what would happen if I shattered his arm or something more important?
I hesitated to give him my name, unsure of what Diamond’s deal was but seeing as I had a hostage on my hands, it would be better to play along with him. “Nick Gateon.”
“No shit! Lord Inferno’s boy himself!” Diamond cackled.
“What about it?” I growled, and I narrowed my eyes on him as I clenched my grip around the girl’s wrist.
“Wha? Nothin’! It’s just funny!” Diamond laughed. “Yer pops was a real inspiration ta me. Gave me da stones ta wanna do somethin’ bigger with my power.”
“Charming,” I replied flatly. “Listen, Diamond, let’s make this easy. Just come quietly, and we can sort out the details down at the station.”
Diamond grinned wickedly and clicked his tongue as he shook his head. “No can do, kiddo. I got a promise ta keep.”
“And what promise is that?” I asked tersely. I was growing bored with this banter, and I needed to make the arrest and get the journalist attached to my arm to safety. Diamond was wasting my time.
“Ta keep ya busy,” he replied simply, and he looked back over the side of the building, clearly unphased that I was still there and powered and could drop him over the side if I’d really wanted to. “Da guys I’m workin’ for got some beef with dat hero in there. Gotta let them do their job.”
“What job?” I asked frantically.
“They’re gonna kill ‘im!” Diamond cackled. “Just my luck that I came across some boneheads with a bone to pick with the guy I came to kill myself!”
That icy feeling shot back through me, and my power died down. Panic crossed my eyes, but I wouldn’t let my fear of failing this mission show. I bucked up and squared my shoulders. I had to get as much from him as I could.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked stonily.
Diamond shrugged. “I guess because it isn’t going to matter. You’re Lord Inferno’s kid. No one will ever believe you simply let me go.”
“And what makes you think I’ll let you go?” I snarled.
There was a crack in the air, followed by a loud boom and smoke coming from the bank.
“Holy shit…” the girl behind me finally spoke, and we stared at the growing flame that encompassed the building and the debris that had scattered over the streets.
“What the hell did you do?” I yelled furiously, but when I turned my eyes away from the wreckage, Diamond was gone. We were alone.
9
“You kind of suck at this, don’t you?”
The words barely registered in my mind as I stood frozen in place. Diamond was gone, and the bank had gone up in flames. I could distantly hear the screams of the policemen below trying to bellow unintelligible orders over the sirens of fire trucks as they arrived. From where we stood on the rooftop, I could see that several officers had been injured from the blast. I hoped they would be okay, but they weren’t my main concern. I was certain paramedics would treat them the best they could.
What concerned me was that there hadn’t been any sight or sign of Kristen or Judgment. Last I’d known they would have both been in the blast radius. It was likely they were injured and needed help. I was without my powers now, but I was surprised that there wasn’t as much of a kickback as there normally was. I was usually exhausted and ready to crash, but my training seemed to be helping curb that. Still, I had to do what I could to help. That was what a true hero did.
“Hello? Earth to Kidferno.”
I whirled around at the use of the nickname. Only Andie ever called me that, and it stung that she wasn’t the one standing there when I turned around. The reporter that had been taken hostage was still standing with me, her arms crossed over her bosom and looking me up and down with a bored expression.
“That was the lamest rescue ever,” she scoffed. “What are they teaching you at that Academy, anyway?”
“How did you know about that nickname?” I cut her off dryly.
“I have my sources,” she answered quickly. “So, first day on the real mean streets instead of in a stadium?”
I rolled my eyes. “Something like that.”
“I mean, it’s pretty obvious. I know you heroes like to listen to the villain monologues and all, but did you really glean anything from that whack job?” the journalist chastised.
“You know, a thank you would suffice,” I argued, not in the mood to be interviewed. “Who are you, anyway?”
“Margo Wicker, ALX22’s most promising intern reporter,” she answered proudly, “and yes, I suppose I should thank you.”
“Intern, huh?” I asked with a bit of a laugh. “Sounds like it was your first day on the job yourself if you managed to be taken hostage.”
It sounded a little harsh, but the jab was totally worth watching Margo puff out her cheeks indignantly and splutter. Good to know that it was easy to get under her skin.
“Maybe I did it on purpose,” she countered. “After all, I was inside. I know a few things.”
I chuckled dryly, but she held my interest all the same. There was a spark in her violet eyes that made me think that maybe she was on to something after all.
“What do you know?” I asked with a bit of desperation. Judgment and Kristen were still missing. Anything she had to offer as far as information went could lead me to some answers.
“Sorry, Kidferno--”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Fine. Sorry, Nick,” Margo corrected, “but I can’t reveal that so easily. You’ll have to try harder than that to get anything out of me. Besides, how do I know that what Diamond said about you wasn’t true?”
I shook my head. “What are you talking about?”
“You are Lord Inferno’s son, aren’t you? Maybe
you’ll take my information back to your daddy, and you’ll have the upper hand in taking Alexandria.”
The more Margo explained, the iller I felt. The father’s legacy was truly going to follow me forever. Was it really so impossible for people to see the good in him? I guessed so. He was an evil mastermind, so it made sense that people feared him. Still, I might be his son by blood, but the part of him that was left in me was the good side, the side that fought for justice, not the one that ruled over his own brainwashed kingdom.
“What would I have to do to get you to tell me the info you have?” I asked desperately.
“An exclusive one-on-one interview,” Margo answered immediately and stepped close enough to me that I could see the smattering of light freckles just beneath her eyes. “Let me get a peek inside of who the real Nick Gateon is, and I’ll tell you everything that I know.”
She batted her lashes at me pleadingly, and I knew right then and there that she was going to be a problem because I didn’t think I would ever be able to say no to her with a look like that. I sighed, then nodded.
“Right, okay. I mean, I can’t really do it right this second because I have to find my friend and teacher, but I can soon?” I thought that was reasonable, and after watching Margo’s face twist and her nose scrunch adorably, she agreed.
“I guess I can wait, but it has to be soon. Like, later today soon,” she bargained.
“Okay, great. Later today.” I offered her my hand, and just as she was about to take it and shake on our agreement, a swirl of shadows appeared beside us. Margo leapt behind me in shock, but I was relieved.
Judgment stepped out from the portal clinging to Kristen. Both of them looked worse for wear, but for as much blood and dirt they were covered in, nothing looked like it was too serious on the surface. That was a good sign, I thought.
