by R. J. Ross
LIFE LIGHT
by
R. J. Ross
Life Light
Amazon Edition
Copyright © 2015 by R. J. Ross
All Rights Reserved
Cover design by 336Love Books
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
~Other works by R.J. Ross~
Belle and the Dragon's Curse * Sundance's Syn * Missing: Witch * Destiny Thread
The Winstead Files Series
Courting the Beast * Snow White, Snow White * The Sleeper * Stiltskin
Arcadia Gamers Series
Croc Skins * Coyote Falls
Seasons of the Fae Series
Raven's Return * Death of a Dryad * Water Wielder
Cape High Series
Super Villain Dad * America's Grandson * Hello Kitty * Don't Know JackDaddy's Girl * Aces Wild * Steampunk Time * Fire Hazard * Ditto Ditto * Sunny Daze * Life Light
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER ONE
There’s actually an underground website that has hacked into Hero TV's "Heroes Only" channels. Not many people know about it, and the chance of actually getting on it is one in a million--much less getting on it more than once, especially since the Central Hall got Technico. Technico shuts it down on a regular basis. But there’s one night a week that he lets norms that know about it get on and scan through a few different “episodes.”
It’s a highly guarded secret and the night changes every week, but for those that are serious about it, they find it. That’s what’s going on right now, midnight, North Kansas City. It’s a small suburb neighborhood, where everyone goes to bed around ten o’clock. The houses are all similar colors of bland. The dogs are safely tucked inside so they don’t wake people up with barking. The house in the middle of the street is just as silent, save for the sounds from a computer that’s lighting up a dark room. The watcher is female, fifteen, and still shaking slightly from the day. Her hand comes out and touches the mouse, bringing up the video she’s watched a million times.
A long moment after the video stops playing, she brings up her email. Slowly she starts to type.
***
“So we’re going up to visit your grandparents,” Liz says as she shoves yet more clothing into her massive suitcase. “Pack heavy, because it’s going to be cold! Do we need to go shopping again?”
“Liz?” Emily says. “We’ve already wiped out three stores. We don’t need more clothes--and even if we do, I can always teleport back, right?”
“We don’t want to strain you too much,” Liz says, digging through her closet.
“She’s still nervous about Tatiana,” I say. Emily and I are already packed, and have been for days. It’s just Liz that’s overreacting. “Plus, Liz, you don’t get cold--you’re part electricity, and all S-class.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be prepared!” Liz says, still digging. “And of course I’m nervous about Tatiana--this could be a ruse to get us out in the middle of nowhere and take me out.” She pulls out of the closet, looking at us. “If anyone could take me out, it’s definitely Tatiana.”
I look at Emily, Emily looks at me. The same look is on both of our faces, I’m sure. Liz is in her paranoid mode again. “Look, if she starts looking like she wants to kill you, we’ll tell them I’ve got pressing business at the ER and Emily will teleport us all home. Okay?”
“Taurus said she almost broke his back with a hug, saying he was her future son-in-law,” Ditto says, popping into existence with an ice cream in her hand. “I REALLY doubt she was talking about Nico marrying him. Nico’s got Summer, right?”
“Exactly,” I agree. A faint blush crosses Liz’s face, which she promptly hides by going back into the closet to find something.
I should explain, shouldn’t I? My name is Aubrey Shetler--I’m the foster daughter of Liz Masters, AKA Firefly, and foster sister to Emily Dreyton, AKA Divine Justice. They’re super heroes. Well, actually, Liz is a super hero, Emily’s going to have her debut once we get back from our “grandparents” place, and then she’ll be a super hero, as well. The grandparents in question are Superior and Tatiana--both legends in the super world. Superior actually “died” some twenty years ago. I just accidentally brought him back to life a while back. It’s--well, it’s a long story. Let’s just ignore that as I tell you what I am.
I am not a super hero. If I were, I would have to pick a side, right? I can’t pick a side--I’m a healer. I heal whoever comes to me, whether they’re a hero or a villain. In fact, I’m dating one of the biggest names in teenage super villains around, Cold Steel. So really, I guess you could call me a neutral super. I’m also not as strong, or as fast, as the other super teens. Physically I’m almost exactly like a normal seventeen year old girl. I’ve got brown hair, brown eyes, and a body that wasn’t built for spandex. I have a ton of healing ability, (Nico says I’ll be Specialized S-class when I’m fully grown, I’m close to it already!) and one faulty, hard to control, attack ability. It’s so hard to control that I’ve only used it once--and it bounced back off of Jack and hit me. I haven’t been able to use it since.
Now you know about my family and my boyfriend, and what’s going on. So you should understand why I’m feeling a bit worried about going all the way to the Arctic just to see foster grandparents. No? Well, let me list the reasons. First, I’m leaving the Hall ER without a healer. They might have worked without a healer for years and years, but I still feel guilty for leaving. Second, my boyfriend is a bit stupid. Oh, I still love him, but I’ll be the first to admit he’s not the brightest--and there’s a little girl named Keliah in our school that has a major crush on him. Sure, she’s way too young for him--
“Aubrey,” Emily says. I blink as I realize she’s standing in front of me. “Earth to Aubrey!”
“I--um, did I zone out?” I ask sheepishly.
“Yep. When was the last time you got some sleep?” she asks.
“I think I got a few hours the other night?” I offer. I tend to work whenever I can to make up for the fact I’m in school during the daytime.
“Go get some sleep. I’ll deal with Mom.”
I nod, noticing Liz’s look at that statement. “I do not need to be ‘dealt with,’ thank you!” Liz complains. “Do you think this shows too much skin?” she asks, holding up a full length parka.
“No,” Emily and I say dryly. “Where did you even get that, anyway?” Emily asks as she shoves me out of the room. Ditto waves goodbye as I go past, still eating her ice cream.
“I spent a week working in the North Branch,” I hear Liz answer, “during winter. I transferred back as quickly as I could.”
I head for my bedroom, thinking a nap might do me good, only to stop as someone knocks on the door. There are only a handful of people that it can be. The apartment building’s security is strong enough that even S-Class supers can’t get through without permission. I don’t bother peeking through the peephole before opening the door.
“W
e have a thing,” Max says, holding up a piece of paper and waving it in front of my face.
“A thing,” I repeat blandly. For a super villain that’s held the Super Bowl ransom before, he sure gets excited over the strangest things.
“An anonymous email from someone in the area,” he says, pushing the paper into my hand when I just stare at it blankly. “They want to meet you.”
“What?” I ask, looking at the page finally. “Why me? Is the person dying or something?”
“That’s the thing,” he says, walking right past me and to the couch. He taps on the controller next to it, bringing up the big screen on the wall and grabbing the keyboard. “Let’s see... Username, Mastermental, password--” he types a bit, bringing up what looks like the Central Hall’s main database.
“Max, is there a reason you’re breaking into your dad’s information?” I hear Nico yell from the floor above us.
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
I stare blankly at him--I would stare at Nico, but he’s a floor above, so Max gets all of my stares right now. “You two are insane,” I say, when he doesn’t seem to notice.
“Oh, I do this all the time at home,” Max says shamelessly. “So this is what I have--first off, whoever sent the email has to be one of the ones that know about the hidden HTV website. I checked the IP against all the hero and villain IP’s in the area, it isn't one of them. She--or he, possibly--is going through a private network, which means it’s probably from her home. There’s a small chance it’s from someone with powers.”
“Why do you think that?” I ask.
“Because of the letter,” he says. “You still haven’t read it?”
I skim the letter, my eyes tripping over and stalling on one line, “I need to meet her, I have to meet her. I feel so alone.”
“If she wants to meet me so badly, why didn’t she give us a name?” I ask as I finish the letter. “Or an address? Did she at least leave an email?”
“Yeah, I’ll forward the email to you,” he says, tapping on the keyboard. My phone tweets at me. “There. This way you can email her--but be careful,” he says, a bit abruptly. “I don’t think it’s a trick, but you can never be sure, right?”
“You should have thought of that before bringing it to my attention,” I say, bringing out my phone and staring at the email. My heart is pounding against my chest. My hands are slightly clammy. This is it--this is a chance to find someone like me. I know exactly how the writer feels, actually. I want to know I’m not alone, as well. “Can we--can we have Nico find out who it is?” I ask.
“Sure, I can do that,” I hear Nico say over my phone. When did he--oh for crying out loud. It’s like living with Big Brother sometimes. (I love Nico, I really do--I spent a lot of time working with him on Jack. But he could at least ASK before hacking my phone! I’m just so grateful that Jack’s not an Internet boyfriend--can you imagine how awkward that would be with Nico around? I can.) “Huh...” he says.
“What?” I ask.
“Why don’t you email back and forth for a little while?” he says. “I’ll look into the details while you’re at Superior’s place.”
“What did you find out?” I ask.
“It’s an entire family--there are two kids and parents. It’s hard to tell which one of them sent the email right off the bat. I also want to see if there’s any history of supers in their bloodline.”
“Okay,” I say. “What gender are the kids? How old are they?”
“A boy and a girl--the boy is seventeen, the girl is fifteen,” he says. I’m not sure I even want to know how he found out all those details. “Don’t worry about that. Weren’t you supposed to be getting some sleep? You have to be at the airport at five tomorrow morning.”
“We do?” I hear Liz yelp.
“You told me to book you a plane, remember?”
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR!” she wails.
I head for my room. A nap sounds better than ever, now. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep, though. I’m too excited by the idea of another healer.
Is it wrong to hope it’s the girl?
***
It’s around ten at night. I finally managed to get a little sleep, but not much. I just don’t want to miss saying goodbye to Jack before I head off, so I’m standing at the Styles’ door with Emily and Ditto beside me. I knock on the door, not surprised to see it swing open. Jeanie pulls all three of us into a massive hug before we manage to say a word.
“Oh girls, I’m going to miss you so much!” she says, hugging us. “You’ll make sure to call every day, right? And change your socks on a regular basis, you don’t want to catch a cold! And make sure you write, too--”
“Jeanie, we’re only going for a week,” Emily says, squirming in the tight hold. Jeanie’s a tank. Her hugs can be deadly if she’s not careful. “And we can always teleport back,” she yelps as the hug gets a little too tight.
“Well of course you can, but I still feel like I’m losing my babies!” Jeanie says, letting go. “I’m so excited for you, though! You have to tell me all about Duplicitous, okay? She sounds amazing!”
“Yeah,” Emily says, grinning.
Ken gently nudges Jeanie out of the way, and we’re dragged into another hug. “You two be good, okay?” he says, grinning as he pulls back. “And take lots of pictures. We want to see everything, got it? We’re going to be doing double time to cover for it, after all.”
“Both of you?” I ask. Just one of them is enough to cover for Liz being gone! And Central Hall has the smallest group over-all, but the largest amount of A and S-class heroes of all the Halls--
“They didn’t tell you?” Jeanie asks, looking surprised.
“Tell us what?”
We both look up as a loud thump comes from outside. I head for the door, peeking down the hall, only to stare at Taurus. He’s got a full hiking pack that’s bigger than me--he just dropped it on the floor, which explains the thump. “What--Taurus?” I ask.
“You packed yet?” he asks me, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m all set to go.”
“Taurus is going with you,” Ken says from behind me. “I’m taking over gym class for the week.”
I let out a happy little squeak and race down the hall to hug Taurus. “This is going to be AWESOME!” I say. He catches me easily even though I throw myself at him. I’m not surprised when Emily and Ditto pop up, joining the hug. “How did you talk Liz into it?” I demand.
“She invited me,” he says, hugging all of us. “I get the feeling she doesn’t want to face off with Superior and Tatiana alone.”
“It’s a family visit, not a battle,” I say, rolling my eyes. “But I don’t care, I’m glad you’re coming!”
“Our first family vacation!” Emily says excitedly. “This is going to be SO COOL!”
“Freezing, even,” Taurus agrees with amusement. “I was really hoping for someplace warm, but hey, you take what you can get.”
“Oh! We’ve got to tell the guys goodbye,” I say abruptly, remembering what we’d originally set out to do. “We’ll be back,” I tell Taurus before heading back to the Style’s apartment. This time Jack and Trent are standing at the door, looking impatient. I head straight for Jack, looking up at him with a frown.
“What?” he asks.
“No taking food from people whose name you don’t know,” I say, poking him in the chest. It hurts my finger more than it hurts him, and we both know it. “No shoving ANYONE’S head down the toilet, and no bullying the zoo kids at all. Understand?”
I might love him, but like I mentioned earlier, he IS a super villain. He’s also a bit of a bully when he’s in a bad mood. “Hey, now--” he starts out.
“Promise me, Jack,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and staring him down. “I heard how snappy you got when I went to Texas, we will NOT have a repeat of that.”
He sighs. “Fine,” he says reluctantly. “Except Max or Trent! You can’t make me swear anything about those two.”
/> “Those two can handle themselves,” I agree.
“And Ace!”
“Nuh uh. You don’t get to bully Ace,” I say. “You can tease him, sure, and if it’s a legitimate fight, you can fight him, but no bullying. He’s doing Emily a huge favor by being her debut villain, and we’re going to thank him by being nice to him, got it?” Technically the summer camp is over, but the boys have kept up their little game of “points” as they call it. I’m not sure they’ll ever stop, honestly, because they talked Nico into turning the game into a phone app. Even Sunny said he'd still play once he gets back from Texas, according to Jack.
“Oh come on, Aub, Ace can take care of himself, too!” Jack protests. I give up, hugging him instead of arguing. He wraps his arms around me lightly, resting his chin on my head. “I already miss you,” he mutters. That has got to be the sweetest thing he’s ever said to me. Well, one of them. Every once in a while he sneaks in a really sweet moment.
“Me too,” I say, almost feeling the urge to cry. It’s silly, I’ll only be gone a week. I sigh, cuddling closer and resting my head against his chest. I can hear his heartbeat, strong and steady. “Hey,” I say, pulling away and looking up at him, “I’ll bring home souvenirs, okay?”
“Can I have a polar bear?”
“Absolutely not,” I say firmly.
“Not even a little one?”
“Not even a little one.”
“Then I’m good,” he says, grinning at me. I reach up, kissing him lightly.
“We need to get back to our apartment,” I tell him. “There’s no point in trying to sleep, but we can at least close our eyes for a little bit. We’re leaving in four hours. You need sleep, too, you’ve got school in the morning. So... This is goodbye,” I say, pulling away. “I’ll call you, okay?”
“Okay,” he says, reaching up and touching the metal rose hanging from my neck. It shifts, changing into his super symbol. I can’t help but roll my eyes. “What? Can’t have the supers up in the Arctic thinking you’re free,” he says.
