Blue Spekter did his best to calm his mind and discreetly focused on freezing his wrists. If I can super-chill this metal, maybe it will become brittle enough for me to snap and I can get out of it. His hands, arms, and the lawn near his wrists froze, taking on the appearance of frost in the morning.
“Stand down,” a strong voice instructed.
“But, sir!” an agent argued.
“That’s an order!” Agent Eric Potter’s voice said.
Blue Spekter looked and watched Agent Potter step through the bystanders and the line of agents. “Lower your weapons; This man is not our enemy.”
Oh, thank heavens!
Blue Spekter pulled on the super-cooling rebar, but it still held fast. Agent Potter pointed at the closing hole in his chest. “Is your body healing itself?” he asked.
“Yeah, but not fast enough,” Blue Spekter wheezed.
“I thought you were bulletproof?” he asked, squatting down next to him.
“I am. But when Dark Flame and I fight, we can really hurt each other.” Blue Spekter could see the wheels spinning in Agent Potter’s mind.
“That’s useful to know. So, to stop him, you will have to hurt him to immobilize him. He’s already figured out how to do that to you.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Blue Spekter answered sarcastically. Then, fighting to stay conscious at the pain he self-inflicted, he pulled at the super-cooled rebar at his left hand with all his strength. The metal shattered with a metallic popping sound and his wrist broke free.
Finally.
Agent Potter stood and stepped back. Then, Blue Spekter focused on his right wrist and pulled. With the same metallic popping sound, his right wrist came free from the frozen rebar restraint. His arms immediately set about popping and itching as his arms healed themselves.
He took a moment to relax, then took a deep breath. He rolled to his side and pushed himself up to his feet. He looked down at his stomach and saw a gaping hole in the middle of his new superhero suit. He assumed there was a similar hole on the backside.
Dammit, I just got this thing.
Agent Potter held out his hand. “Thank you for what you did today. I’m sure you’re about to take off, so here’s my card; if you need us, call me.”
Blue Spekter nodded and noticed a number of camera phones pointed at him.
My face. Oh wait, it’s in the cowl, but still…
He smiled and powered on his eyes and they glowed bright blue once again. The crowd began cheering and applauding for him.
With Dark Flame no longer triggering his sense of proximity, he knew he would be unable to pursue him.
The day’s battle may be over, but the war isn’t. I’m not giving up on you buddy, no matter what Victor does to you. Now that I know you’re in there somewhere, I have to free you from The Order so we can destroy it together.
Blue Spekter ascended and waved to the cheering crowd, flying inland to circle around Portsmouth in hopes of finding Ana Maria.
I need to know how to stop Blake.
He flew low circles over Portsmouth, hoping to sense Ana Maria. Unfortunately, she was either not in town or masking her location.
I really need to learn that trick, too.
As he banked to fly over Leary field, an unusual idea struck him. I’ll have to catch Ana Maria later…but maybe it’s time I test my relationship with Chief Applegate.
He swung his feet down and landed in the police headquarters parking lot. He relaxed and the blue glow surrounding him faded away. With the cowl in place over his face, he was protected from identification. Several officers and city workers were cordoning off the damaged lawn and the two cars Dark Flame had flipped over in the parking lot. He recognized Lieutenant Doral and walked toward him.
The man looked at him with curiosity and tilted his head to one side, then pointed at the hole in Blue Spekter’s shirt. “I’m gonna venture a guess you’re doing better than your outfit is?”
Blue Spekter chuckled. “Thankfully, yes, Lieutenant.” He joined the lieutenant and observed the damage.
“This is going to cost the taxpayers a lot of money.”
Blue Spekter looked at the ground. “I’m sorry.”
Lieutenant Doral poked him in the arm. “Don’t be, this wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do this.”
“Yeah, but…”
“No buts, kid. You saved a lot of honorable men and women today and you should be proud of that. Now, if you really want to help a chump out, flip those two cars back onto their tires.”
Blue Spekter suppressed a laugh. “Seriously? That’s what you want me to do?”
“Yeah, don’t you have super strength? It’s gonna cost me two tow trucks and a mini-crane to flip the cars over so they can be removed.
“All right then,” Blue Spekter replied. He walked to the first car and flipped it. With his super strength, the car was surprisingly light. Then, he did the same to the second car. When it landed right-side up, its car alarm went off, then warbled and chirped as if malfunctioning. A moment later, it stopped.
He walked back to the lieutenant. “Is the chief in?” Blue Spekter asked.
The man waved a hand dismissively at the headquarters building. “Is the Pope Catholic?”
“I think so,” Blue Spekter answered.
Lieutenant Doral raised an eyebrow at him, then nodded. “She’ll be glad you’re checking in.”
“Thanks,” Blue Spekter said. With newfound confidence, he marched into police headquarters and stopped at the reception desk. It took every ounce of strength not to feel intimidated inside the police building. No normal teenager wants to visit police headquarters, but he was a hero now and these people officially looked up to him.
The officer at the desk, safe behind thick, tempered glass, stared up at him and smiled.
“Hi. I assume you want to speak with Chief Applegate?”
“Yes, please,” he answered with automatic politeness taking over. My dads would be proud.
The officer pointed to a security door. “Third door on the left once you’re in the main hallway. I’ll buzz you in.”
“Thanks.” Blue Spekter turned and approached the door. A moment later, it buzzed, temporarily unlocking so he could enter the inner sanctum of police headquarters.
Inside, officers at desks stared at him and his torn shirt with wonder. One by one, they stood and clapped in a show of appreciation and solidarity. He politely waved and counted out three doors to the left.
Chief Applegate stuck her head out of her office to check on the commotion. When she saw him, she smiled and waved him over. Then, she frowned when she noticed the gaping hole sure. “Are you okay?”
He gave her a thumb’s up and smiled. “I’m fine. The suit, not so much.”
She turned back to her office and he followed her inside. “Have a seat,” she said, probably out of habit or politeness. She walked around the metal and press-board desk to her chair.
“I’ll stand, but thanks.”
“Suit yourself, Blue,” she replied, settling into her squeaky wood and leather chair.
He studied her face. She looked tired…no, exhausted. Her hair was slightly disheveled, probably a result of Dark Flame’s explosive fireball. Otherwise, she looked like she’d been metaphorically hit by the bus.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “I thought you might have burnt your lungs when Dark Flame exploded.”
“I passed the breathing test they made me do.” Then, she shrugged. “Smoked for almost twenty years. Guess it’s gonna take a bit more than heat and fire to put this broad down.”
“Broad?” he asked, not understanding the reference.
She rolled her eyes. “Sheesh, you’re young. So, let me guess, Dark Flame got away?”
Blue Spekter swallowed his disappointment and nodded. “Yeah, I almost had him, but he pulled some new superpower out of his bag of tricks.”
She held up a hand. “Wait, I thought you understood all of your powers?”
He shoo
k his head. “No ma’am, he hit me with some kind of energy blast I had never seen before.” That must be what Ana Maria was talking about when she asked if I could channel my energy. I really need to find her.
“Where is he now?”
“I don’t know. He pinned me to the ground with rebar in Prescott Park, and well, in good old-fashioned comic book terms, he escaped.”
She leaned back and scratched her head. “You know, my wife told me I’d come around and we’d be having this conversation sooner than I expected. I wish I had listened to her sooner.”
Your wife? That’s awesome!
She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. Then, she looked him in the eyes. “But, the past is done and we can only move forward, right?”
“Right.”
“I’d like to think you might take my advice on something.”
“Go for it,” he replied.
“This town is now on the precipice of a meltdown when they learn about the battle you two had. Remember our conversation about the shit hitting the fan?”
He nodded.
“This is that moment. People could freak out, incite riots, or have some other bloody fracas we can’t predict. Or, they could put their trust in you and hunker down for safety. Whatever happens, the protection and safety of this city’s citizens is my…our…first priority.”
“I understand, Chief. I’ll help you any way I can, but my first priority is to prevent Victor and The Order from making more of us. If you think you have problems now, wait until there are more versions of Dark Flame running around. That’s what this city cannot handle.”
Chief Applegate rubbed her temples. “Yup, I figured you’d say that. I just can’t be sure of how this will unfold, Blue.”
“Put me on television,” he blurted.
She looked at him with a shocked expression.
Shoot, she thinks it’s a dumb idea. “If I told the people a little bit about me, it might help them trust me. I can pledge to protect them to the best of my ability.”
Chief Applegate frowned.
He swallowed nervously and started rambling. “I could, uh, also, um…”
She raised a hand. “You don’t have to convince me, but I’ll have to convince Agent Potter that it’s good idea.”
“Ah. If it helps, he shook my hand and offered his help to me twice today. It’s time you told him everything.”
Applegate nodded. “I’m going to debrief Agent Potter when he returns. That should bring some heat down on The Order.
“Good, but be careful, Chief,” Blue Spekter said, a warning tone in his voice. “If you guys try to capture the Seavey Island facility, you should expect them to put up a considerable fight, not to mention the potential damage you’d cause to a world-famous landmark.”
“I’ll advise him of that. Unfortunately, I won’t be in charge of those operations.”
“Will they keep you in the loop?” he asked
“Do you mean, will they keep you in the loop?” she countered.
“Sure,” he replied.
“As long as they’re not battling Dark Flame, they should be able to capture the naval prison and its subordinate buildings with little effort. Don’t forget the entire island is a naval base.”
“That’s full of civilian workers,” he added, with a cautionary tone.
“Right,” she agreed, taking another deep breath.
Quinn shifted his stance. “Recent events might encourage them to fortify the castle. When was the last time US agents stormed a castle-like building on an island surrounded by a dangerous river current?”
She chuckled. “You have a point. Let’s leave the battle strategy to the experts, shall we? You do what you have to do to stop Victor, but please minimize the damage. Whenever possible, we need to work together to secure the city’s safety from Dark Flame. He’s gone crazy. What happened today cannot happen anywhere else.”
“Chief,” Blue Spekter said, squaring off with her, “can I count you as part of my team?” Then, he extended his hand across her desk and waited.
She looked at his hand, hesitated, then looked into his eyes. “Your team?”
“Yes. But first, I need to know if I can trust you. If you have any remaining loyalty to The Order, or if you have any hesitation about doing the right thing, don’t shake my hand. However, if you are committed to serving the public trust and behaving in accordance with the Oath of Honor you swore to uphold, to protecting the city and wiping out The Order, then yes, I invite you to join my team.”
“You have a team?” she repeated, but he couldn’t tell if it was a statement or a question.
He nodded.
Her eyes traveled down to his hand, then back up to his eyes. She swallowed.
“Choose carefully,” Blue Spekter cautioned. “The last thing I need on my team is a traitor. I don’t need our plans getting back to Victor or The Order.
She briefly smiled at him. “You are well-spoken for such a young man.” Then, she stood and shook his hand. “I am finished with The Order. Any interactions I have with them will be strictly for the purpose of intelligence gathering we can use to take them down. Now, who else is on this team?”
“Patience, Chief. When the time is right, I’ll bring us together.”
17 | Aftermath
Quinn
Quinn flew several more laps around the downtown Portsmouth area, but he still couldn’t sense Ana Maria—or Blake for that matter. Giving up, he flew home and came to an abrupt stop in the air.
Oh crap.
Dad’s SUV was parked in the driveway.
He reached for the phone in his waistband and pulled it out. The super-strong fabric had protected it from damage and because it was waterproof, the river didn’t ruin it. The display told him it was two-thirty in the afternoon.
How could I have been so stupid? Shit, I’m in so much trouble.
Turning himself invisible, he flew down to the house and hovered outside the unlocked bedroom window he snuck out of. Seeing and hearing nothing, he slipped inside, hovering in the air. He quietly stripped out of his super suit and pulled on some clothes that were lying over the footboard of his bed. Then, he grabbed a heavy sweatshirt and quietly slipped outside and lowered the window.
With a heavy sigh, he floated around the house and descended to the front door. Looking around, he became visible again. With a churning stomach of nerves, he unlocked the front door and entered the house, gently shutting the door behind him, the latch clicking behind him.
The house was silent for several seconds until the heavy and angry-sounding footsteps of his father, Tim, echoed throughout the house, his dress shoes striking the floor with determination.
He’s pissed.
Do I go upstairs? Do I greet him? Do I pretend like nothing is wrong?
Realizing his father was seconds away, he froze, unsure of what to do.
Do I tell him I’m Blue Spekter?
Dad rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks when he saw Quinn. The look on his father’s face told him everything he needed to know about what was about to go down.
“Hi,” Quinn answered, his voice cracking like an eleven-year-old.
Dad folded his arms across his chest and planted his feet firmly on the floor, his eyes glaring at him with hurt and anguish.
“You told us you were sick.”
“I…yeah, I was.”
“Did you lie?”
Quinn swallowed. I don’t want to lie right now.
“Why were you at Prescott Park?” Dad asked. “Were you skipping school with Keegan?”
“How did you know I was at Prescott Park?” Quinn asked, astonished.
“I pinged your phone and pulled up your location, Quinton. Tell me why were you at Prescott Park.”
Ouch…he used my full name. Quinn sighed and swallowed nervously. How could I have been so stupid…our phones are set up so we can locate each other.
“I uh, um…”
Dad scanned him from head to toe, t
hen frowned at his face. “You know what, it doesn’t matter to me right now, Quinton, because I’m too angry and hurt, I don’t want to hear another lie today. A couple months ago you skipped school with Blake and we let it slide. Today, you clearly lied to us and you look like you’ve been wrestling in the dirt. Did you go off-roading or something?”
Right, the cowl covered my face but I must look like a mess.
“Dad, I…” Quinn paused and looked at the floor. No matter what I say, I’ll just dig a deeper hole for myself.
“I left work early to come home and check on you, but you weren’t home because you weren’t sick. I decided to wait, because surely my son wouldn’t lie to me, but I was wrong.”
“Dad, please” Quinn said, tears forming in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. I’m too afraid to tell you the truth…My life has changed so much, if you knew what’s really going on, you wouldn’t be safe any more…dammit, this is like coming out all over again.
His father extended his arm and pointed upstairs. “Go to your room and reflect on your poor choices. You’re grounded.” Then, his father turned on his heel and walked back to his office. “And take a shower,” he called out. “You’re covered in dirt. That ought to be a good story when Aren gets home.”
Aw, shoot; Daddio doesn’t know yet? Quinn put his shaking hand on the bannister and climbed the stairs, unable to fight the emotions that welled up inside him.
I hurt my dads today, but it hurts me so much more…I was so confident with Chief Applegate, but now I’m a total mess and a complete ass because I’m hurting the people I love. Being a superhero is too much…I’m sixteen and I can’t handle this anymore. I’m just too stupid or excited to accept that my world has fallen apart and these powers are to blame…this curse I have to carry.
Tears fell to the stairs and the hallway floor as he fought his emotions and stormed into his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed, allowing himself to sob into a pile of dirty laundry.
I can’t take this anymore.
❖
Blake
Dark Flame approached the closed door to Victor’s office and listened, his shoulder resting on the metal door.
The Rise of Dark Flame Page 27
