Hero's Revenge (Keepers of Justice, Book 2)

by Dee J. Stone

  She appears on my bed. Beside me, over the covers. “Ouch, what the heck?” She pulls my cube out from under her back. “What’s this?”

  “Just a puzzle.”

  Her eyes bore into mine. “No. It means something deeper to you. I want to know what.”

  “We all want a lot of things we can’t have.”

  “Really? What do you want that you can’t have?”

  I stare at the “X” pattern on my blanket. An old Elite League member who died two years ago knitted these blankets. I’ve never yearned for much my entire life. When I was a kid, I wanted to be normal. When I was on the streets, I wanted a home, a family. I got that in the sewers, but it wasn’t enough. So I ended up here. Couldn’t ask for a better life. Until…

  I’ve never wanted something as badly as I do now. To have Stretch and Glen alive again. I barely step foot in the foyer because I can’t stand the sight of Stretch’s portrait above the fireplace.

  “You okay?” she asks. “You’re crying.”

  She’s right. I didn’t realize. “No.” I run my arm across my eyes. “I’m all right.”

  She brings her hand to my face and strokes my cheek. “Your eyes are so dark and mysterious, but I see so much in them.”

  I pull away, causing her hand to drop. “Let’s talk about tonight.”

  She frowns, her fingers dancing across my cheek again. “You’re so tense and serious. Let’s talk about something else. Loosen up. Have some fun.”

  I can’t. I need to focus.

  “What are your powers like?” she asks. “Can you see through everything or are you limited like Superman?”

  “Limited?”

  “Yeah, he can’t see through lead. Don’t you know?”

  “No.”

  “Oh,” she says. “My father was a comic book maniac. I couldn’t get any books, so I read his comics. Pretty interesting. I’m so glad the mansion has a library. I love reading.”

  “Why couldn’t you get books?”

  She’s quiet. Plays with the hem of her T-shirt. “Are you limited or not?”

  “Not. I can see through everything, and that’s why many people here are uncomfortable around me.”

  “Why?”

  I look at her. “You’re not answering my question, so I don’t see why I should answer yours.”

  She smiles a little. “Okay, let’s play a game.”

  “Okay.”

  “Asking each other questions. Do you want to get to know me a little bit?”

  I do. I nod.

  “Okay, me first. Why are they uncomfortable around you?”

  I hesitate. She already knows the answer to this, thanks to Air, but I fear that if I tell her, she’ll hate me, too. I don’t want to lose…this.

  “I think it’s better if you don’t know,” I say.

  She cocks her head to the side. “You have to answer. Those are the rules.”

  “I choose not to answer.”

  She crawls under the covers and pulls it up to her chin. Her body is so close to mine, so warm. “If you don’t answer this, you get a penalty. I get to ask you as many questions as I want, and you can’t ask me a thing.”

  I think about this for a bit. Stealth already knows the answer to my question, and I don’t want to lose my chance of getting to know her better. If she’ll despise me, I’ll have to deal with it.

  I swallow. “Some girls feel uncomfortable because they think I watch them take showers.” I keep my attention on my bed.

  “Do you?”

  “No.”

  “So why would they think that?”

  I shrug.

  “Do you watch me?”

  My gaze flicks to her. “Not while you shower, but it’s hard for me to hold back from peeking into your room. I fight it constantly.”

  She’s quiet.

  “Do I disgust you?” I ask.

  “No.”

  “I’m screwed up.”

  “No more than me.”

  Our eyes meet. “Tell me about your past,” I say.

  She shakes her head, placing her finger on my lips. “The game, remember? Ask a specific question.”

  “Tell me about your past,” I repeat.

  She laughs a little. “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.”

  She sinks down on my bed. Moves her head closer to mine to share my pillow. I want to touch her hair. “My parents kept me locked up in the cellar most of the time. They let me out only to steal. Everything I know about this world is from newspapers and TV.”

  “You seem to do well around people, having been locked up all these years.”

  “I went to school until I was eight. I was taught to be civil for when we had company. It wasn’t often. Also, I don’t feel threatened by you.” She grabs my chin. “That was two questions.”

  “All right,” I say, my gaze locked with hers. “Ask me two.”

  She takes my cube and throws it in the air. I leap to catch it before it drops on the bed.

  “I want to know the story behind this,” she says.

  I shake my head. “Ask me something else.”

  “No.”

  “Please.”

  She sighs. “Why do you stay here if you think everyone hates you?”

  Good question. I’m not sure I know the answer. “I think I want to let go of my past.”

  She sits up. “What past?”

  “You don’t seem too affected by what your parents did to you,” I say.

  “Ray, why do you keep avoiding my questions?”

  I don’t know. I don’t deal with my emotions well.

  “Repressed memories,” Stealth says. “Therapy helps, I guess.”

  “Does it?”

  “Yeah.”

  Hmm.

  She takes my hand, sending shivers up my back. Electricity. Lightning.

  Lightning who killed Stretch.

  I pull my hand away and climb out of bed. Run my hand through my hair. I’ll never get over this. All my thoughts lead to him, to what happened.

  “Ray?” Stealth is behind me, her hand on my back. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” I whisper. “My best friend was murdered.”

  Her hand springs off my back. “W-what happened?”

  I slowly turn around to face her. Shake my head. “I can’t.”

  She moves forward and wraps her arms around me. “Is he the guy hanging in the foyer?”

  I nod, choking back tears. I hate being this weak. She’s making me lower my guard, making me vulnerable. I don’t like it.

  We stay wrapped in each other’s arms for a while. I press my mouth and nose to her hair, inhaling her scent. It relaxes me, calms me.

  I didn’t realize how much I need this.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Stealth mists us to the location and we drop behind the planks. “Okay,” she says. “I’m going in.”

  “Wait.” I reach for her hand, but since I can’t see her, I grab air. “Kale, scan their minds to make sure this isn’t a trap.”

  A few seconds tick by. The Nightmares are sitting around an old, broken table. Some talk while the others tap their feet on the floor. “Nope, no trap,” Kale says. “They want her. Like really want her.” He pauses. “They think her power is kickass and can’t wait to introduce her to the Blades in two days.”

  “Two days?” Lindsay says. “Are we ready for that?”

  “We will be,” I say. “Okay. Kale, connect us. Stealth, go.”

  “Wish me luck!” She mists under the door and materializes on the table right in front of the leader. She smiles brightly, her eyes playing with them. Teasing them.

  She places her hands behind her on the table and leans back. Turns her head toward the leader. “Missed me?”

  She’s so good at this, Kale says.

  Yeah, she is. When we first started this, I thought Kale or I would have to coach her on what to say. But she’s handling this well on her own. Hell, she’s more than handling it.


  The leader gets up and circles the table. Stealth doesn’t take her eyes off him. “Are you affiliated with any other group?” he asks.

  “No.”

  “Do you have ties to anyone?”

  “No.”

  “Partners?”

  “No.”

  “Friends?” he asks.

  “I don’t do the friend thing.”

  He’s quiet for a bit. “How many humans have you killed?”

  The question doesn’t throw her off. She doesn’t blink. Doesn’t hesitate. “Over one hundred.”

  “And heroes?”

  “Plenty.”

  “Impressive, for a kid,” one of the other guys says.

  Stealth shrugs. “Humans and heroes piss me off.”

  The guys nod to one another. The leader continues to pace.

  “Oh, wow,” Lindsay whispers. “He’s not convinced. I hope they take her.”

  “Nah,” Kale says. “She’s in. They’re just testing her.”

  The leader continues to walk around. All eyes are glued to him. I’m about to ask Kale what he’s thinking, but the leader says, “Mistress of Death.” He stops to stand before her. “We have decided to accept you as a member of the Black Nightmares.” He holds out his hand, and Stealth shakes it.

  He introduces everyone and their powers. He’s called AeroKrow and can turn into a flock of crows. The two brothers are The Acid and Ammo Man—who shoots bullets from his palms. Another, Glider, who can fly. Searing Pain manipulates fire. And the last one is Shrill. He can yell so loud it kills.

  Apparently these abilities are not good enough for the Blades.

  “No hard feelings about yesterday,” Stealth says to The Acid, whom she nearly killed. He shakes his head, but his lips are pressed in a firm line.

  AeroKrow starts to ask her questions about the ShadowBlades. Stealth claims not to know them personally, but she’s heard great things and is dying to be part them.

  “We’ve been trying—unsuccessfully—to join them,” AeroKrow says. “For many months now. We have no worth to them.” His lips curl up. “Until now. You, Mistress of Death, are rather extraordinary.”

  Stealth shrugs. “So I’ve been told.”

  AeroKrow’s expression gets serious. “You gave us your word that you will make sure the ShadowBlades accept us as well.”

  Stealth nods. “If they don’t take all of us, they take no one.”

  All six seem pleased.

  “Idiots,” Kale mutters. “You can’t threaten the Blades.”

  “Yeah, they’re idiots,” I say. “But we can use that to our advantage. We need them to truly believe they need Stealth.”

  AeroKrow explains to Stealth that they need to train. A representative from the ShadowBlades is due to drop by in two days, and they’d like to introduce her to them. He’s so excited, it’s perfect.

  They take her to a room where they practice their abilities. They’re going to fight her, one vs. six. Stealth, always cool and confident, transforms into mist and whooshes around, knocking them off their feet, destroying everything in her path. She avoids the acid, fire, and bullets. She leaps in the air and knocks AeroKrow and Glider to the ground. All six lie on the floor, barely able to lift their heads.

  She’s crashing into everything and manages to crack a few holes in the thin walls. AeroKrow gets to his feet and goes for round two, but she throws him to the ground before he has a chance to touch her.

  He’s breathing heavily. “Stop,” he says.

  Stealth pops in front of him and hauls him to his feet.

  “So quick, so ruthless,” he breathes. “Amazing.”

  Stealth shrugs. “So I’ve been told.”

  The other guys slowly get to their feet, clutching their aching body parts.

  “Where are you living?” AeroKrow asks.

  “Here, there, everywhere. I have no home.”

  “Your living arrangements are not my concern.” He hands her a phone. “When we text you, you come here. No excuses. I don’t care where you are or what you’re doing. You come when summoned.”

  She glares at him. “Don’t order me around. You need me, remember?” She takes it from him. “But okay. I’ll come when summoned. Sir.”

  She mists away and is at our side a second later.

  “You did great,” I tell her. Her hand roves around me for a bit until she finds mine and clasps it.

  “Thanks,” she whispers, her hand trembling a little. I squeeze it.

  We watch the Nightmares for a bit. They’re discussing Stealth, talking about how they need to prepare her for when the Blade comes. After twenty minutes, they leave.

  “What do I do about this phone?” Stealth asks. “It probably has a tracking device on it or something. They can track me in the League.”

  “We need to hide it somewhere,” I say.

  “Somewhere in Brooklyn,” Kale adds. “And you’ll need to mist to the location and check on it every so often. You’ll also need to move it around because you told them you don’t have a set home.”

  “Okay. I’ll find a place to put it for now,” Stealth says. “Be right back.”

  She returns faster than any of us expect and tells us she hid it in a cemetery a few miles away. She’ll have to charge it in a café but no one will catch her because she’ll be invisible.

  When we’re back in my room, Lindsay bounces on my bed. She pulls off her mask. “Oh my God,” she says, smiling to Stealth. “I would never have been able to do that! How are you so calm? Aren’t you shaking inside?”

  Stealth lifts her mask on her forehead. “No, not really. It’s not a big deal. They’re babies.” Her gaze moves to each of us and she shivers. “Okay, maybe I’m a little scared…okay, a lot. But I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask.

  “Yeah. Don’t worry.”

  “I would die,” Lindsay says. “You’re so brave.”

  “Thanks.” Stealth slides down to the floor and pulls at her uniform. “I’m terrified to meet the ShadowBlades, but I can’t show fear.” Her eyes slowly meet mine. “You never really mentioned why you want revenge on the Blades.” She looks from Kale to me. “Are they the ones who killed your friend?”

  I nod while Kale says, “Yeah, and Glen, too. Their leader screwed up his mind and he died.” He puffs out some air and sits down near Lindsay on my bed. She takes his hand.

  “I’m sorry,” Stealth says.

  “It’s okay,” I say. “The important thing is that we’re working on avenging their deaths.” I join her on the floor. “Are you nervous? Want to talk about it or plan?”

  She’s quiet, then says, “I don’t know if there’s anything to plan.”

  Kale laughs a little. “Yeah, you just gotta keep being kickass.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  After taking a shower and throwing on my League uniform, I contact Kale through my mind. He’s resting from this morning’s simulation. I missed it, due to my rough night. Thoughts and memories of Stretch, Glen, Stealth, and the Blades didn’t leave my head.

  Come with me? I ask.

  It’s too painful to tell him where I want to go, and I’m glad he can read my mind.

  Sure. He makes a move to get up, but stares at his door. You sure you want to do this?

  I need to.

  Okay. Meet you outside.

  I head for the back entrance. We usually exit through here when we’re not in uniform. Even though I’m wearing mine, I don’t want to leave through the front because I don’t want any normies or reporters to see us. They don’t lurk out back because we don’t allow it. The security beams would detect them.

  Sitting down on the grass in the backyard, I look around. I haven’t been around here much, haven’t really enjoyed the outdoors. I’ve been too focused on the mission. I’m nervous for tomorrow—for what awaits Stealth, but I can’t think about that now.

  Footsteps approach. It’s Kale. I expected him to bring Lindsay along, since he does that each time he visits Str
etch’s grave. But he’s alone now.

  “Hey,” he says.

  “Hey.”

  “You sure you’re okay with this?” His voice is filled with concern.

  I nod, because I fear my voice will crack.

  We grab our bikes from the garage and head toward the cemetery. All the superheroes are buried there, in their uniforms. Stretch and Glen included.

  It’s a long journey, about an hour and twenty minutes. The League mansion is located in upstate New York, free from civilization where we can live without harassment from normies. The cemetery is also in upstate New York, but closer to the normies because it wouldn’t be right not to let them visit their favorite heroes’ graves.

  I’m glad you’re doing this, Kale says.

  I nod again.

  We’re quiet as we pedal. Normally, I like the silence, but I need to distract myself from these thoughts and feelings. Visiting Stretch and Glen’s graves for the first time feels like someone’s wrapping his hand around my heart. I think I may pass out.

  We can stop to rest,” Kale suggests.

  I shake my head. Let’s do it. I might lose my nerve.

  As we pass the normies, some wave, others clap. Some who are on bikes follow us, probably assuming we’re off on a mission.

  We zoom by more normies and a few take pictures and videos. A group of kids playing in the sprinklers in the park take sight of us and chase us. They can’t be more than seven years old.

  I don’t want an audience as I visit my best friend for the first time. Kale turns his head and frowns. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do about that.

  Sorry, Kale says. It’s never this bad. Probably because it’s summer and school’s out.

  Yeah.

  We reach the cemetery and bike inside. There are quite a few people in here, all around various graves. Kale points his thumb to the left and I follow him down a narrow path surrounded with flowers and grass. The place is pretty nice for a cemetery. No spider webs. It’s not creepy-looking.

  Turning my head, I realize we have lost most of our audience. They must have figured going to a grave was less interesting than witnessing an act of heroism.

  Some curious kids from the park trail us, along with some older kids.

  Kale stops us before a white grave. It’s very long, most likely because Stretch’s body was stretched out when he died and he couldn’t fit into a regular sized coffin. As I study it, I swallow and blink repeatedly to prevent tears. I didn’t realize how hard this would be. I doubt I’ll last long before breaking down.