The Superhero's Summit (The Superhero's Son Book 3)
Page 15
So far, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Looking around, I saw High Fly, one of the NHA Leadership Council members, flirting with some cute female Brazilian heroes I didn't recognize, while Big Muscle—who had survived the poison dart shot into him, thankfully—was deep in conversation with a large Japanese guy who looked like a sumo wrestler. I also spotted a team of Japanese heroes who kind of looked like the Power Rangers, in addition to a British guy walking around wearing a suit that looked like the Union Jack.
But I didn't recognize most of the international heroes because I wasn't as familiar with them as I was with the American ones. I was aware, of course, that neoheroes could be found all over the world in nearly every country, but seeing so many different heroes from so many different cultures made that fact a lot more real in my mind than it had been before.
I raised my suit-up watch to my mouth and whispered, “Guys, see anyone acting suspiciously yet?”
“Nope,” came Stinger's voice from the watch. “Shell and I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Well, Mr. Miner seems to be drunk, but he always gets drunk at events like these, so that's pretty normal.”
“Same here,” said Treehugger's voice. “Well, Talon is flirting with a couple of Spanish guys from that Mexican team whatever-their-name-is, but aside from that, I haven't see anyone up to anything suspicious yet.”
“Good,” I said, glancing up to look at the crowd again. “I haven't, either, but we should still keep our guard up. This is their last chance to spark a war between the INJ and the NHA, so I bet they're going to go all out today. We can't let them do that. Call me again in ten minutes with another report.”
“All right,” said Stinger.
“Sure,” said Treehugger.
I turned off my watch just as someone shouted, “Bolt!”
I looked over and saw Strike walking toward me, making his way through the crowd, although he kept stopping because other heroes kept wanting to shake his hand or have him give them his autograph. I had forgotten just how popular Strike was, which suddenly made me jealous again, even though I knew better than that by now.
Strike wasn't alone, either. Dizzy was following right behind him, though no one seemed as excited or interested to see her as Strike. She didn't seem to mind, though, because she looked perfectly at ease with the way everyone kept trying to talk with Strike, probably because she was used to it due to having served under Strike for a while now.
“Sorry,” said Strike as he and Dizzy finally managed to beat off the last person trying to get his attention and get over to me. “Just a lot of heroes around who really wanted to meet me.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” I said, keeping the jealousy out of my voice, which was harder than I expected. “Is the rest of the team here?”
“Yeah,” said Strike, nodding. “Slime and the Lightning Triplets are keeping an eye out for anyone who seems to be up to something no good. How about your team?”
“Same thing,” I said. “Everyone is ready for anything that our enemy might try to do to mess up the event.”
“Great,” said Strike. He looked around and frowned. “Say, where is that ice girl on your team? Blizzard, I think her name was? I saw your other teammates around here when I arrived, but didn't see her.”
I just shrugged. “Mecha Knight told her to stay at the House. He said he was worried that she might lose control of her powers and harm the Summit attendees. It's not a problem, though, because I think that the rest of us can handle whatever is going to happen without too much trouble.”
“Why would Mecha Knight think she could lose control of her powers here?” said Dizzy curiously. “Is he expecting trouble, too?”
I shook my head. “I don't know. But that seems likely, given everything that's happened recently. Mecha Knight doesn't like to take unnecessary risks.”
“Wonder what kind of security precautions he's taking,” said Strike. “I saw that guy at the entrance, Brainwave, who said he was reading the minds of every person entering just to make sure that they were not planning anything. And then there was that living metal detector guy, too, who made sure we weren't bringing any dangerous bombs or anything in here.”
“Yeah, the NHA has beefed up security since the last two attacks,” I said. I took a sip from my punch and glanced at the crowd but still didn't see anything suspicious. “The possibility that someone with intentions to start something actually entering Hero Hall are extremely small. I suspect that the Summit will go off without a hitch.”
“Unless the government decides to send their alien super soldiers after us, of course,” said Dizzy.
“Their what?” I said, looking at Dizzy.
Dizzy, however, did not seem to hear me, because her attention was suddenly drawn to the refreshments on the table. “Oh my gosh. They have nachos!”
While Dizzy started piling her plate with nachos, Strike said to me, “If you think that the Summit will go uninterrupted, then why did you ask me and the others to help you guys keep an eye out for people acting suspiciously?”
“Because I'm not convinced that this security will be enough,” I said, ducking when some hero I didn't recognize who had angelic wings flew past us. “Consider how this person has managed to get past our security before without anyone, even our AI systems, noticing, it's entirely possible they will get in here and try to cause trouble despite all of our security measures.”
“Right,” said Strike. He glanced at the crowd. “But even if they do get in, they'll have to deal with hundreds of powerful and experienced superheroes from all over the world. I imagine that any villain who attempted to cause trouble here would be taken down so fast that even the Black Blur would have a hard time following it.”
“I know, but—” Once again, I was interrupted by someone shouting “Bolt!”
This time, I instantly recognized the voice and looked over to see Dad walking over to me. He was in full Genius costume, making his way through the crowd toward me. Like Strike, a lot of people tried to talk to him, but Dad, being Dad, basically ignored them or just said something to them that I couldn't hear but which made them leave him alone.
“Dad?” I said as Dad stopped in front of me and Strike. “What are you doing here? I thought you were celebrating your anniversary with Mom.”
“Yes, but I decided I could pop in for a couple of hours and catch up with some old friends,” said Dad. He sighed. “I have to admit, though, that it has been a long time since I've been around so many people like this. It's rather draining and I haven't even spoken to many people yet.”
I nodded, but then noticed that Strike was looking at Dad with an odd look in his eyes. He almost looked annoyed, but I wasn't sure why, because Dad hadn't even noticed him yet. Then again, maybe Strike was a fan of Dad and was annoyed that Dad hadn't noticed him yet.
“Hey, Dad, this is Strike,” I said, gesturing at Strike. “He's the leader of the New Heroes. I've told you about him before.”
“Hmm?” said Dad. He looked at Strike. “Ah, yes. I've heard of you. Pleased to meet you, Strike.”
Dad held out a hand and, for a moment, I thought that Strike wasn't going to shake it.
But then the moment passed and Strike shook Dad's hand, saying, “Pleased to meet you as well, Mr. Genius. I've read all about you and your adventures, such as the time you helped expose Senator Jame Lee's connection with the supervillain Judgment. An amazing bit of detective work.”
“Thank you, Strike,” said Dad. “It wasn't especially hard to do, because Senator Lee wasn't as careful as he could have been, though Judgment was hard to catch once he was exposed. Anyway, we can talk more later. I'm going to search for some of my old friends and see if I can talk with them before the Summit officially starts.”
“Okay,” I said. “See you later, Dad.”
Dad nodded at me and then made his way back into the crowd, leaving me and Strike alone by the table. I noticed that Strike was watching Dad leave, almost like he wished Dad had stayed.
“Yep,” I said. “Where are your own parents? Were either of them superheroes?”
Strike suddenly looked away and shrugged. “No. Nor were they very supportive of my decision to become a superhero. I take it that your dad is supportive of your decision to become a superhero?”
“Sort of,” I said. “He wanted me to live a normal life, but I think he's accepted that I'm a neohero and that this is the life I'm going to live now.”
“I see,” said Strike, but he still sounded jealous to me. But then he shook his head and smiled at me, though the smile looked forced. “But let's focus on other things for now. I don't like talking about my parents; besides, we have more important things to worry about.”
“I agree,” I said, though secretly I was wondering if Strike was actually jealous of me for having a superhero father. It seemed weird to me, because Strike was a lot more popular than I was and didn't have anything to be jealous of in my opinion, but I supposed that everyone can be affected by jealousy, whether it makes sense or not.
Then Dizzy suddenly appeared carrying a large plate of nachos. A portion of her helmet slid away to reveal her mouth, which was where she put the nachos. “Hey, guys, was that Genius who you were talking to just now? I thought he was retired.”
“That was him,” said Strike, nodding. “He's just going to be here for a few hours, though, and then leave.”
“Aw, man,” said Dizzy. She stuffed some nachos into her mouth. “I was hoping to get to meet him, but the nachos called me and I couldn't deny their call.”
I was about to say that she might still be able to find Dad in the crowd if she really wanted to talk to him when a sudden hush fell over the crowd. Everyone was now looking toward the platform at the back of the room and I looked and saw that the entire leadership of both the NHA and the INJ were now at the table up there.
From a distance, it was hard to see everyone, but both Omega Man and the Midnight Menace were pretty obvious. Omega Man wore his usual red costume and cape, while the Midnight Menace looked like a long, yawning shadow sitting upright. He actually looked uncomfortable with all of the attention, which made sense, because the Midnight Menace usually operated by night and in secret. There were four other people sitting near the Midnight Menace, who I assumed were the other leaders of the INJ, but they were too far away for me to see clearly.
“Is the Summit starting?” Dizzy whispered to us.
Strike nodded. “Looks like it. I think that Omega Man and the Midnight Menace are going to start it with their opening remarks.”
I immediately raised my suit-up watch and whispered into it, “Everyone, keep your eyes open. If there is going to be an attack, it will probably happen very soon. Don't hesitate to confront anyone who looks suspicious.”
I turned off my watch again and lowered my hand before anyone could respond, because at that moment Omega Man rose from his chair and walked up to a microphone on the platform. He looked as heroic and strong as always, but I kept worrying that he might be the target for another attack—either him or the Midnight Menace, because of their positions as the leaders of their respective organizations. If the real villain was going to attack, they were most likely going to do it now.
Omega Man stopped in front of the microphone and then spoke into it, saying, “Welcome, my fellow neoheroes, to the tenth annual Neohero Summit. I am Omega Man, but some of you may know me as John Waterson. I am the President of the Neohero Alliance and the head of the Leadership Council.”
As Omega Man spoke, I looked at the foreign heroes. I noticed that nearly all of them had communicators in their ears that appeared to be translating Omega Man's speech into whatever their native language was. I wondered if Dad had invented those translators.
“As some of you may know, this is the first year in which the Independent Neoheroes for Justice has chosen to join us,” said Omega Man. He gestured at the INJ leaders sitting down behind him. “Behind me sit the leadership of the INJ: the Midnight Menace, Samurai, Blast Fist, Beautia, Roadrunner, and Red Seer.”
Each of the INJ leaders nodded when Omega Man said their names, but no one applauded them, probably because this wasn't that kind of event. Again, I looked around the crowd, but did not see anything that indicated that anything dangerous was about to happen.
“At this Summit, it is our hope that the NHA and the INJ will be able to put aside our differences to figure out how to work together to fight the various menaces and threats to our world today,” Omega Man continued. “While we may have our disagreements, both practical and ideological, in the end, both the NHA and the INJ wish to defeat evil and make the world a safer place for everyone. We also wish to raise awareness of the challenges facing superhumans in the modern world and discuss ways both organizations can work together to address them.”
Again, I looked around and still saw nothing out of the ordinary. Based on the fact that none of the other Young Neos or New Heroes had yet to contact me, I figured that they hadn't seen anything unusual or suspicious, either. It made me think that maybe nothing bad was going to happen here at all, that maybe the person who had tried to set the NHA and the INJ against each other had given up.
“Now, I will let the Midnight Menace speak and give his opening remarks,” said Omega Man. He stepped aside from the microphone and gestured for the Midnight Menace to come forward.
The Midnight Menace rose from his seat and moved over to the microphone. Even from a distance, it was hard to tell if he was walking or floating over to the microphone, which made me wonder if he had any legs. I noticed, though, that he didn't quite look toward the crowd, like he was shy, which seemed at odds with the aggressive, accusatory person I had met back in the Cavern.
Standing in front of the microphone, the Midnight Menace looked over the crowd and said, “Hello, all. Most of you, I think, know who I am already, even though most of you have never met me. I will not rehash what Omega Man has said; he stated the purpose of this Summit quite well. Instead, I will tell you a little bit about the history between the Neohero Alliance and the Independent Neoheroes for Justice.”
I glanced at Strike, who was staring at the Midnight Menace with interest. Then I looked around the crowd of watching heroes, but I couldn't see Dad anywhere. I supposed he was with one of his old friends, though who, I didn't know.
“As many of you know, I was once a member of the NHA,” said the Midnight Menace. He gestured at the Hall. “I was here when the Hero Hall was constructed and I spent many days on this island, working together with other heroes to fight for justice. And then, for reasons I think we all know, I quit the organizaition and formed the INJ.”
The Midnight Menace hardly seemed like the most interesting speaker to me. Then again, I wasn't paying very careful attention to what he said, because I was trying to make sure that no one tried to disrupt this event.
“The INJ has grown in size and numbers over the years, becoming larger than I ever thought possible,” the Midnight Menace continued. “We have fought and defeated many threats on our own, but now I believe that the INJ's size has reached its limit.”
“Limit?” I heard Strike mutter, while the rest of the crowd also started muttering among each other about what that meant.
“I mean that the time has come for the INJ to work together with the NHA,” said the Midnight Menace. “Despite our … differences in methods and philosophy, it is clear to me that the two organizations cannot act effectively if they are in opposition to each other. Both of us have knowledge and strength we can offer to the other. That is why we came to this Summit, so that we can expand and strengthen each other in ways we could never achieve alone.”
The Midnight Menace sounded almost as idealistic as Omega Man, which kind of surprised me, because the Midnight Menace had struck me as being cynical and distrusting. I looked at Strike, but Strike didn't
seem particularly shocked by this; maybe the Midnight Menace had talked with him about this before.
At that moment, I heard static on my wristwatch and Stinger's voice came from it. “Bolt? You there? I see something weird.”
“Weird?” I repeated, though it was in a whisper because I didn't want to interrupt anyone's listening of the Midnight Menace's speech. “What do you mean?”
“Blizzard is here,” said Stinger. “I saw her enter, but she looks sick. Her skin is really pale and she seemed to be struggling to walk.”
“Blizzard?” I repeated. “What is Blizzard doing here? Mecha Knight told her to stay in the House.”
“I know, but I didn't get a chance to talk to her,” said Stringer. “She's trying to make her way to the platform where the INJ and NHA leaders are.”
“Why?” I said.
“I don't know,” said Stinger. “But she seems really urgent, like she has an important message to deliver to someone.”
I looked up, trying to spot Blizzard in the crowd, but the crowd was so thick that I couldn't spot my short teammate anywhere. “I don't see her. Do you?”
“No, but I saw her slip into the crowd and I know she's making her way there,” said Stinger. “You might want to try looking for her. I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Sure,” I said.
Just as I lowered my suit-up watch, however, Blizzard suddenly appeared on the platform where the Midnight Menace was still giving his speech. Even from a distance, she looked sickly and tired, but I noticed that her hands were starting to glow white.
I wasn't the only one who noticed her. Whispers went through the crowd and people started pointing at her, while the leaders at the table all looked at her quizzically. Even the Midnight Menace stopped speaking to look at her, though his expression was impossible to read due to his mask.
Blizzard stopped several feet away from the Midnight Menace. Her hood was over her face, which alarmed me because Blizzard never wore her hood like that.