Jenny gulped hard and stumbled backward, running into a desk as she tried to back away. The rest of the class covered their mouths, hoping that none of the bullies would see them stifling their laughter.
Mermaid turned her head toward Lucy, her expression changing from the cold sternness she was shooting toward Jenny, to a warm, embracing smile.
“Hello, Lucy.”
Lucy tried to speak, but she couldn't breathe.
“My name is Eleanor Abraham, but you might know me as Mermaid.”
Lucy nodded her head.
“I'm here today representing the Alliance of Heroes, and I'd like to speak to you about an exciting opportunity within our organization.”
“Yeah,” another voice mumbled, “me too.”
There was another series of gasps as everyone's gaze turned to the doorway again. Leaning against the frame, more interested in her own nails than anything else, was none other than Replica. She was wearing her signature pink spandex costume with a neckline so low you could almost see her belly button.
One boy nearly fainted.
Mermaid smiled down at Lucy when she saw her shocked stare toward the other celebrity in her classroom. “Are you familiar with-”
“Of course,” Lucy said, finding her words much easier. “My friend has a poster of you on his ceil-” She stopped herself and corrected her sentence before she embarrassed her friend. “-in his room.”
“Great,” Replica said as she smacked her gum.
“Would it be okay if we took you out of class and talked with you for a bit?” Mermaid asked.
“Of course!” Lucy said, turning back to Mermaid when she remembered there were two superheroes in the room.
“Wonderful.” Mermaid motioned toward the door.
Replica waved at the students and said, “Later,” as the three of them walked out.
Giggles and sighs of true love cascaded across the classroom.
Mermaid led them through the halls of the academy, past the library and through a door labeled “Private.” Inside was a small table with a MajesTech tablet laying on it. Two chairs sat on one side, and one on the other. Other than that, the room was completely blank, with stark white walls and an overhead light that made the room blinding.
“Please, have a seat,” Mermaid said, motioning toward the single chair.
Mermaid and Replica sat on the other side. Replica yawned and leaned back on two legs of her chair while Mermaid picked up the tablet and scrolled through the pages.
“First of all, I want to say how impressed we are with your test scores. Your general education has been quite admirable, and you've been excelling with your adaptation to your growing powers.”
Lucy was trying not to stare at Replica, but she could not believe how attractive she was. She was even more beautiful in person than she was on TV, and Lucy didn't think that could be possible. She wondered if anyone would think she was that beautiful if she was in the Alliance. She wanted Replica to replicate, just so she could see the power up close, but she knew it would be weird to ask. Probably.
“Lucy? Honey? I need you to pay attention.”
Lucy blinked and tore her gaze away from Replica. Replica chuckled and Lucy felt her face turn red.
“Sorry. I'm not used to... I mean, I'm like... a huge fan. Of you both.”
“That's sweet, dear. Really,” Mermaid said. “Now, we can look at your school records all day long, but I want to know how you feel you've been adapting to the change. Seeing an increase in powers like you've been experiencing, in such a short amount of time. That can be traumatic for some people. If you had developed your powers at a younger age, there would have been people to train you, to help you through the process. Unfortunately, you were tagged as having only a minor super power.”
Lucy shrugged. “I mean, dealing with my power is no big deal. Really. It's just about like... focusing, not letting my mind wander too much. If I do that, my vision can zoom in pretty far. It takes me a minute to get my eyes to like... refocus back to normal vision, but it's no big deal.”
Mermaid nodded. “Interesting. But it says here that you've been able to use both telescopic and microscopic vision?”
“Yes, ma'am. X-ray vision too. But that like... just started.”
“And you can switch between these rather easily?”
Lucy shrugged again, uncomfortable talking about her ability with two people who had such powerful SPMDs. “I mean, sure. It's no big deal. I sort of lose my peripheral vision when I do it. Like... my brain can't take in that much information or something. I just focus on the one spot I want to look at, and everything else disappears.”
Mermaid slid a small stylus out from the side of the tablet and made a note on the screen. “Fascinating.”
“Yeah,” Replica said as she continued to chew her gum with an open mouth. “Real thrilling, kid.”
Mermaid shot Replica an angry glance.
Replica rolled her eyes. “What? We know a girl that can create portals. We know a guy that can grow a hundred times bigger. This kid can see good. I don't understand why you're so enthralled with that.”
Mermaid looked back at Lucy and smiled in her most grandmotherly way. “I'm sorry, dear. You're going to have to excuse Replica. Sometimes she doesn't always see the amazing potential that the rest of us can see.”
Lucy shrugged again. “It's cool. I get it. I don't understand why you guys are interested in me either. I mean, Jenny has like... spider powers. She might be a-” Lucy stopped herself, reconsidering using that kind of language in front of two legends. “She might be a bad kid, but she's got to be more useful than me.”
Mermaid nodded. “I understand your confusion. A lot of people think we go around looking for the person with the most destructive power, the person that can win a battle for us, but that's not the case. We run all our applicants through a rigorous vetting process. Their power is important, don't get me wrong, but there's also their mental aptitude and psychological profile. How does one deal with stress? How does one deal when faced with danger, or the suffering of another individual? Did you see any of your classmates step in when you were bullied today?”
Lucy shook her head.
“No. And that's going to be a big red mark when we look through their applications. Trust me, honey, everything you've done since you started at the academy was logged and rated so that when the time came, we would have the most thorough profile of how you would fit into our organization.”
Lucy nodded, but she couldn't help herself from continuing her question. “I still don't get how I'm going to be of any use to you. I figured you'd place me in like... some lab somewhere with a shortage on microscopes, or in an observatory looking at comets. You guys fight supervillains. How do you expect me to do that?”
“I'm not telling you that we're going to send you out into the field tomorrow. This is a huge undertaking that will require months, maybe years of training before we put your specific abilities to use. But you have to trust me when I tell you that there is a place in our organization for you. We will help you hone your ability into something great. Something powerful. Take me for example. I can create water. Not that big of a deal. When I first discovered my ability, I figured people would mock me. Call me 'The Leak' or something.”
Replica chuckled.
Mermaid pointed her finger at Replica and spoke with a clenched jaw. “If you ever repeat that, I will destroy you.”
Replica tried to purse her lips to stop smiling and held up her hands in surrender.
Mermaid turned back to Lucy, smiling again. “So there I was, figuring maybe I could be of use in places where there's a drought. Not a bad life. Certainly something I could be proud of. But then I discovered that I could create water at higher and higher volumes. I kept pushing myself and pushing myself, training my ability every day. Pretty soon I could flood city streets. I could propel myself into the air with jets of water. I could cut through steel with tiny streams of high pressure water.” Mermaid
closed her eyes for a moment like she got lost in the memories of her youth, then opened them with pure excitement flashing across the table. “That's when I realized I could be a superhero.”
Lucy couldn't hide her excitement. If Mermaid was right, and they could find some use for her ability that she couldn't imagine, was it possible her dreams were coming true?
“If you think I can like... help people, save lives, be a superhero. I'd do anything for a chance at that.”
“Finally,” Replica said with a groan, pushing away from the table and standing up. “We done here?”
Mermaid nodded. “Finish your classes this week. Spend the weekend with family and friends. I'll return on Monday with the paperwork and we'll get you settled in at the tower next week.”
“Next week?” Lucy asked, her eyes growing big. “I'm going to move into Power Tower next week?”
“You're only a few months away from graduating. There's no time for advanced power classes here at the academy. We'll start your training at the tower. If that's alright.”
Everything was happening so fast, it was overwhelming. Thirty minutes ago Lucy was worrying about her pop quiz in history and getting shoved around by a bully. Now the Mermaid and the Replica were inviting her to live with them. She did her best to pretend like she had everything under control.
“I'll be ready.”
“Good,” Mermaid said, standing up from the table and holding out her hand. “Welcome to the Alliance, Lucy.”
Lucy stood up, wiped her sweaty palm on her pants, and shook Mermaid's hand. Replica gave her a halfhearted wave as she walked out the door.
As Lucy walked down the empty halls of the academy, she had a hard time caring about the class she was missing or the bullies or even the upcoming school dance. That time in her life already felt like the past.
She was moving forward.
She was moving upward.
She was going to be a superhero.
8
ESMERALDA
The elevator smelled like pine-scented cleaner mixed with the perfume Hector had bought her for her birthday. She rubbed her finger across the railing that lined the interior of the elevator and took note of the lack of dust. The maids were doing a good job. That made her happy. She was a bit of a germaphobe and had strict rules for the cleaning staff. She didn't want to spend any more time firing yet another person who thought something was “clean enough.”
That was what was wrong with society. Nobody had any pride anymore. Everyone shuffled their feet and stared at the floor, never holding their chins up. Nobody thought they deserved anything better than what fate had handed them. If their genetics didn't hold some super power, they just relegated themselves to a life of misery. It was pathetic. She and Hector felt like the last two people on Earth that remembered what human ingenuity was capable of.
She had always stood against the diseased, trying to take them out with her giant robots and evil plots. She kept her role in everything a secret, of course, never leaving any evidence of her connection to the attacks.
But Hector still managed to deduce it was her.
At the time, he was fighting alongside them, many thinking he had powers himself. That was how good he was. She should have known it would be Knight Wolf sneaking into Majesty Tower while she slept, bypassing her security and pressing the barrel of a gun to her forehead. Fortunately, he was willing to listen before pulling that trigger, and she was a master at convincing people to see things her way.
She held her wrist up to her nose and inhaled her perfume. The smell was awful, like a cherry-flavored candy mixed with a wintergreen-flavored toothpaste. But it made her smile, because it made her think of Hector. He would never waste his mental acuity learning what perfume should smell like. He filled that part of his brain with detective skills and assassination plots. And that's why she loved him.
The elevator doors opened to a flurry of activity in the boardroom of MajestTech tower. Men and women were arguing with each other, pointing at screens and comparing the data with stacks of papers all around them. But the raised voices became silent as soon as Esmeralda entered.
“Mrs. Majesty!” her assistant said, declaring her arrival. “I thought you weren't-”
“I wouldn't miss this for the world, Gayle.” She pulled out her chair at the head of the table and folded her arms in her lap. “Now then, shall we begin?”
“Begin?” one of the older men said, blowing the hairs of his mustache out from his lips with a burst of boisterous air. “We began an hour ago. Where were you? In fact, perhaps you'd like to explain where you've been for the last four meetings? Do you even know what's going on in your own company?”
She smirked at the old man. “I receive detailed updates on every meeting.” She pointed at the camera mounted in the corner of the room. “As well as a live feed when I am able.” Her smile fell from her face. “And I must tell you, I don't appreciate the names you've been calling me.”
The old man looked shocked, but he tried his best not to look afraid. He glanced around at the other board members, waiting for someone else to back him up, but no one would make eye contact.
A young woman cleared her throat, making an obvious attempt to take a different approach toward Esmeralda. “I believe what Jim is trying to say, ma'am, is that while we appreciate everything you've done for this company, we can't just sit back and allow-”
Esmeralda held up her hand. “Let me stop you right there, Jeanine. A couple of points. First of all, if you ever call me ma'am again, I'll throw you out that window.”
The young woman stiffened in her chair.
“Secondly, I'm glad you appreciate everything I've done for this company, namely inventing every piece of technology that we profit from. Really, that's sweet of you.”
“Ma'am,” the young woman started, but quickly corrected herself, “I mean, Mrs. Majesty, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just saying-”
“I understand perfectly what you were saying, young lady. And if you interrupt me again... well, I've already mentioned the window.”
Esmeralda stood up from her chair and began circling the table. Each board member looked nervous as she passed behind them, stiffening as if they were preparing themselves for an attack from behind.
“Thirdly, you said you can't allow me to do what? This is not a democracy, people. You are not a council member for the Alliance of Heroes. I am the boss. I am MajesTech. You are my subordinates. Do you understand me? You are lucky to be sitting at this table, lucky to receive the mindless busywork that I don't have time to deal with.”
She stopped behind Jeanine and placed her hands on the young woman's shoulders, leaning in close to whisper in her ear, “And if I ever hear you say the word 'allow' to me again, that window will seem like a much better alternative.”
The young woman shut her eyes tight and nodded with intent. “Yes, Mrs. Majesty.”
“Good!” Esmeralda said, patting the woman's shoulders. “Now perhaps someone would like to explain to me why you dragged me away from my work and brought me all the way down here?”
A young, attractive executive stood up and straightened his tie. He pulled out his MajesTech mobile phone and tapped the screen.
“I'm a straightforward guy, Mrs. Majesty. So let me tell it to you straight. Profits are down. By nearly twenty percent since last quarter.”
Esmeralda sat down in her chair again and slid the pad of paper in front of her closer. She pulled a pen from her breast pocket and began to scribble something down.
“Now, here's the thing,” the handsome executive continued, “sales are up. Way up. The MajesTech mobile platform is outselling the Oshiro mobile devices by at least three to one. Somehow, your designs are more desirable than the inventions of a domini with super intelligence. So why then, one might ask, are we losing so much money?”
He tapped the screen on his phone and the large display on the wall blinked to life. Data scrolled down from the top of the screen, showing graphs an
d account listings. Esmeralda continued to scribble on the notepad.
“Here's the answer to that question,” he said, slapping his finger against the large display, pointing at one specific account. “This. The sector of MajesTech you refer to as Umbra. A thousand military applications we've designed over the years, with more being designed every day. A literal goldmine of cutting edge technology. Except it's completely illegal for us to actually develop any of them.”
Esmeralda did not respond.
Another young man leaned forward in his chair. “We're not trying to accuse you of anything. We're sure you have a plan, some way this will all pay off in the long run, but we need to scale back if we're going to keep our company afloat. You have more technicians, more programmers, and more engineers working in Umbra than you do in any other sector of the company. Including the ones that are actually making money.”
Esmeralda continued to scribble.
The board members glanced at each other, showing signs of complete disbelief in her reluctance to respond.
“Mrs. Majesty!” the older man growled, slamming his fist on the table.
Esmeralda made one last slash across the piece of paper and placed the pen back in her breast pocket.
“Just so we're clear,” she said, folding her hands back into her lap, “I pay everyone in this room outrageously well. Correct?”
The board members looked at each other, silently asking each other if the question was rhetorical or not.
“The answer is yes. No matter what your profit sharing bonus is at the end of the year, I pay you all a salary that will keep you in your suburban homes, far away from the scum of the city. You will still be able to afford to lease a new car next year, maybe even install that pool your kids have been clamoring for. You are all titans of industry in a world of refugees clawing at each other for table scraps. Your concern for my company begins and ends with your own greed.”
The Super Power Saga (Book 1): Super Powers of Mass Destruction Page 7
