Quinn looked at him with great interest.
“Even if you were to destroy the Rangeley facility and the Seavey Island facility at the naval prison—which by the way, would piss off a lot of locals—we have no idea where the other reactors are or where they could be working on super-powered experiments. I wish we had a contact with amazing technical abilities.”
“Do you mean a super hacker?” Quinn asked.
“Well, that would be illegal but yes, that’s what I was thinking.”
“I might be able to arrange that,” Quinn said.
Ron looked at him, surprised and confused. “Have you been holding back on computer hacking superpowers?”
Quinn laughed. “No, but, remember the Stratotanker I saved from crashing into Portsmouth?”
Ron nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Well, I recently bumped into the pilot again. We talked, and he offered his help.”
“But you can already fly,” Ron said, grinning.
Quinn rolled his eyes. “No, silly. He said he had access to special teams and equipment. Specifically, he said, ‘really smart computer people.’ I think he thinks he owes me a debt because I saved his life, so he might be useful.”
“Do you know how to get in touch with him?”
“Of course. I have his business card.”
Ron chuckled “Wow, you’re already building up this little team of people to help guard the city, maybe even the planet. I think we’re going to need a code name for ourselves.”
Quinn laughed. “Yes! Now all we need is a special hang out or a secret base and our superhero life will be complete.”
Ron smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “Wow, wouldn’t that be so cool? The closest thing we have is the empty field behind Sagamore Hill and the roof of the 100 Club—but let’s face it, none of us mere mortals can get up there.”
“True,” Quinn said. They turned on to Marcy Street and made their way into Prescott Park. Most of the leaves had fallen from the trees, but that didn’t stop a few people from enjoying the afternoon sun.
“By the way, have you told your dads yet?” Ron asked.
Quinn shook his head. “No. I’m waiting for the right time, it just hasn’t come up yet.”
“Well, since you take my counsel seriously, don’t wait too much longer. You’ve been very lucky with the accidents and late nights, not to mention sneaking out of the house at night. That’s going to catch up with you one way or the other. Now, you’ve got another superhuman to contend with, and a potential plan for creating a team to take down The Order. You need to realize this is quickly becoming a full-time responsibility.”
“Well, I don’t play hockey so it’s not like I have athletics eating my time up right now. I still get out and run.”
“Quinn…”
“I know, I hear you,” Quinn said.
Across the park, people screamed with panic and surprise. Even without super hearing, Ron cocked his head toward the sound “Oh, sounds like you’re needed somewhere to save the day,” he said.
They looked at the commotion and saw people pointing toward the river. Quinn saw something big and white in the water.
“What the heck is that?”
Ron, who was a little taller, gasped. “Oh geez, it’s a capsized boat. Looks like it flipped over completely because I can see the centerboard sticking up. Go save them, Blue Spekter,” Ron said.
“I need my suit, Ron! I can’t just take off here in broad daylight!” Quinn protested, surprised by his mentor’s advice.
“You didn’t have a suit when you saved Hector from falling from the bridge tower, so why would that stop you now? If you get a running start, those people won’t die of drowning or hypothermia. I’ll walk in the other direction, so nobody can harass me about being with you.”
Quinn shrugged and looked at the river and the boat. The current had already pulled it ten feet downriver.
“The outgoing tide is fast, Quinn, get to it,” Ron said. “Go save those people.”
“Here goes nothing,” Quinn responded.
Ron turned and walked away as Quinn ran toward the water. With everyone’s eyes focused on the action in the river, nobody saw him ignite with blue brilliance and jump into the air.
Blue Spekter swooped over the docks at the edge of the park and flew toward four screaming, panicking people flailing in the water who were unable to swim against the fierce current. Two people were hanging on to the right side of the overturned, medium-sized ocean-faring sailboat, and two other people were clinging on to each other. None of them wore life vests. When they saw him, they reached up and screamed for help. Blue Spekter dove toward the two people holding each other and lowered his arms; he grabbed a young man with his right hand and a young woman with his left. He recognized them as seniors from high school, but he didn’t know their names.
He pulled them out of the water, looped around, and flew back towards the park where he dropped them off, so bystanders could help them. “Call 911 and get an ambulance here right away, these people need medical attention.”
“I’m on it,” someone in the crowd yelled. Blue Spekter spun around and flew out to the fast-moving boat. The current had pulled it fifteen feet farther, a testament to the river’s power. He swooped down and grabbed the last two people from the side of the boat. He ascended, pulled them out of the water, and flew them back to the park.
“I think Peter is still in the boat,” the girl in his right hand yelled, her teeth chattering. “We didn’t see him fall into the water when the boat flipped.”
“I’ll get him” Blue Spekter replied. He dropped them off then flew back to the boat which had been pulled out even further.
Blue Spekter scanned the flowing waters but didn’t see anyone.
He must be trapped under the boat.
Blue Spekter flew to the edge of the boat and thrust his hands and arms into the water until he grabbed the edge of the boat.
Yikes, that’s cold.
Then, he willed himself up and lifted the edge of the boat out of the water. A bell to his right caught his ear and he realized he was about to crash into a metal buoy.
Oh no!
Rather than smash into the buoy and wreck it, he dropped the boat, jumped up and over the buoy as the boat passed by it, then dove down and grabbed the edge of the boat again. He struggled to right the capsized sailboat because it had taken on a lot of water and it was much heavier than he expected. He strained and pulled until the boat flipped over and righted itself. It floated low in the river because it had taken on a lot of water.
“Is there anyone in here?” Blue Spekter shouted at the boat, flying over it and searching for signs of life. “Hello? Hello?”
He quickly grabbed the front of the boat and pulled it toward the shore, securing it to one of the larger buoys with the anchor rope. Then, he flew back to the middle of the river and ascended, so he could see into the water better.
I don’t see anyone.
He looked back at the shore and shrugged, gesturing with his hands and arms to show his confusion.
The four rescued teens dramatically pointed back to the water and shouted, “he’s in the water, he’s in the water.”
Blue Spekter turned around and studied the water again. He looked ahead toward New Castle Island and wondered if the fast-flowing tide had pulled Peter out more rapidly than he anticipated. He flew forward over the river and looked for a body under the water, using his super vision to pierce the churning, dark waters.
A minute passed by, but he saw nothing. He was about to give up when something white caught his eye. He immediately recognized the texture of wet clothes clinging to a body.
“Oh my gosh!” he exclaimed, then panicked. He put his hands together, took a deep breath, then flew into the water as fast as he could, completely forgetting about his ability to manipulate water. Instead, he cried out when the cold water surrounded his body and soaked through his clothes. He grunted when the undercurrent unexpectedly tugged a
t him.
Holy crap, they’re not kidding. This water is dangerous, even for me.
Not quite having the knack of flight-like-swimming underwater, he willed himself forward and pushed through the cold, angry river. He slowed his approach as his arms wrapped around the torso of the unconscious teenager. The last name on the back of his varsity jacket identified him as one of the high school’s star senior football players. Then, the undercurrent grabbed him and yanked him sideways, rolling him upside down.
You gotta get out of here, Pete’s not gonna have a chance if he’s down here much longer.
He lost his sense of direction and couldn’t figure out which way was up. The fast-moving water tugged him down and out to sea faster than he thought possible, despite the numerous warnings and stories he had heard growing up in the famous harbor town. He felt the water pressure build against his inner ear, so he knew he was moving downward.
You can control water, dummy!
Still holding his breath with remarkable ease, Blue Spekter reached out with his mind and slowed the water near him, forming a nearly-motionless bubble of water around him. He looked around and spotted the sunlight. There’s our escape.
He pointed his free hand toward the light and separated the waters above him, opening a tube of air for him to fly through. Then he pulled the water away from him and Peter.
Hang in there, Pete; you’ve got a few more games to win.
He flew up and rocketed out of the river with blue brilliance flaring around his body. He gasped for air as the waters below him splashed in on itself. He banked left and circled over the river toward the park. He coughed and sputtered as water made its way out of his sinuses.
People below him cheered and waved as he flew over the crowd to the arriving ambulance at the Court Street park entrance. He brought his feet down and landed in front of the ambulance.
“What’s the situation, Blue Spekter?” one of the EMTs said, jumping out of the ambulance.
“This guy was knocked overboard and was underwater for several minutes. He’s not breathing, and his name is Peter,” he responded, landing on his feet.
“Set him down!” the EMT instructed, pointing to the ground. The other EMT radioed something back to headquarters.
Blue Spekter complied and stepped back, allowing the EMT to begin CPR—a skill he didn’t have.
Please don’t be dead…
Behind him, people ran across the park to get a better look at what was going on.
Seconds ticked by, but they felt like minutes. The EMT counted out thirty compressions and two breaths while her partner readied some other equipment. Water sprayed out of Peter’s mouth and the EMT turned his head, thinking he was coming to.
“Come on, Peter, spit it out!” the EMT yelled.
Please don’t be dead…
Peter didn’t respond, and the bystanders and the four seniors he rescued arrived at the scene but kept their distance.
“Oh my god!” one of the girls cried out, giving in to shivering hysterics in her friends’ arms. They were soaked and looked cold, their lips having turned blue from their short time in the river.
They need help, too. Blue Spekter stood tall and watched, though he felt like throwing up at the idea of losing a schoolmate.
The EMT counted out another thirty compressions and two breaths while her partner stood by to switch out. Peter coughed, and water sprayed out of his mouth again, but he didn’t wake up.
“Sheesh, you must have sucked down half the river. Come on, Peter, I need you to breathe!” the EMT said sternly tilting his head once more. The unconscious senior still didn’t respond.
“How long was he under water?” the second EMT asked.
“I’m not sure; at least three minutes, maybe,” Blue Spekter responded, deepening his voice to disguise it from his peers. The EMT checked his watch and frowned.
The crowd became quiet as seconds turned into two minutes. His schoolmates cried softly to themselves as sirens suggested the approach of other emergency vehicles. Though the sun was warm, the air was cool and the four soaked and shivering teenagers would catch hypothermia if untreated for much longer.
Suddenly, Peter coughed up more water and the EMT rolled him onto his side for a third time.
“That’s it, Peter, spit it up,” the EMT instructed, her voice now soothing and full of encouragement.
Blue Spekter used his mind to discreetly move the spit-up water away from Peter’s mouth and nose, hoping to help clear his air passages. The boy coughed again and then gasped for air.
“You’re doing great, Peter, let’s take it nice and easy. You sucked in half the river and you’ve almost coughed it all out,” the EMT commented. A second ambulance and a police cruiser arrived on scene. The second set of EMTs brought blankets and wrapped them around the cold students.
Finally, Peter relaxed, and Blue Spekter sighed in relief. Then, he noticed the people around him staring at him with amazement. It was the closest the general public had gotten to him since he became the talk of the town.
“What happened?” Peter asked.
The EMT looked at Blue Spekter. “Um, I’m not really sure.”
Blue Spekter spoke. “Your boat capsized, and you fell into the river. I pulled you out and brought you here.”
Peter looked up at Blue Spekter with wide eyes and smiled.
“This guy saved your life,” the EMT announced, jerking a thumb at Blue Spekter. “What do you think of that?”
“Thank you,” the four friends said, their faces expressing relief and gratitude. He nodded at them.
As the EMTs rolled him onto the backboard, Peter nodded and gave him a thumb’s up. “Thanks, Blue. You’re pretty cool in my book.”
Blue Spekter nodded back and then ascended, smiling behind his brightly glowing eyes.
❖
“I’ve got something for you, can I come over now?” Keegan asked.
Quinn stifled a yawn and checked the wall clock in the kitchen. “Yeah, sure, I’m just home with my dads. Dinner will be ready in an hour or so.”
“Cool, see you in a few minutes, handsome man.”
Quinn grinned and pushed his phone into his back pocket. Then, he grabbed four dinner dishes from the cabinet and brought them to the table. “Keegan’s coming over early and he said he has something for me.”
“Oooh,” Daddio intoned. “Your boy’s bringing presents! How exciting!”
“It’s been a while since someone brought me presents,” Dad said sarcastically as he set utensils on the dinner table.
Daddio feigned shock and horror. “After I slave over every meal to keep you well-fed, this is how you treat me? With lies and false accusations, Counselor?”
Dad laughed. “Okay, since you two are busy until dinner I guess I’m going to put off doing boring legal work and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race without you.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Quinn and Daddio exclaimed simultaneously, laughing together.
“How about we watch the show after dinner with Keegan if that’s something you’re comfortable with?” Daddio asked, regarding his son with mild caution.
Quinn smiled as he brought four water glasses to the table. “I think I can handle it, but thanks for asking.”
Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. “I got it!” Quinn shouted, then ran downstairs to greet Keegan. He noticed a mischievous look on his boyfriend’s face.
“Hey, are your dads around?”
“Uh, they’re in the house somewhere, but…”
“Good.” Keegan interjected, a wicked smile on his face. Quinn blinked in surprise as Keegan put his hand on Quinn’s chest and pushed him backward to the wall behind him.
“Oh!” Quinn exclaimed in a hushed voice. Half a second later, Keegan leaned forward and kissed him deeply. A wave of excitement surged through Quinn’s body, and he whimpered.
Then, Keegan pulled away. “That’s all.”
“That’s not fair,” Quinn said, making a playful frown.
Keegan bounced his eyebrows. “Taste of what’s to come?”
Quinn smiled knowingly and bounced his eyebrows. “I hope so.”
He looked down at Keegan’s right hand, which held a small red box. “Whatchu got there?”
“Can we go to your room?”
“Sure, let’s go.” Quinn led the way upstairs to his room, then shut the bedroom door behind Keegan. A moment later, the boys sat cross-legged on Quinn’s bed, facing one another. Keegan sat the box beside him.
“So, what’s up?” Quinn asked, sensing his boyfriend’s nervousness.
Keegan scratched his head and cleared his throat. “So, um, I had this crazy idea and I don’t know if you’re into it, but I thought maybe you would be, I mean, I know that I am, so I figured I would do it anyway and just, uh, see what you said.”
“Okay,” Quinn said. He’s so adorable when he’s nervous.
Then, Keegan reached out and took Quinn’s hands in his, and a spark of excitement zipped through his body. Quinn’s heart thumped in his chest as his skin warmed to Keegan’s touch. His boyfriend smiled and said, “Quinn, we’ve been dating for about a month now, and I wanted to let you know how happy I’ve been.”
“I’ve been very happy, too, Keegan,” Quinn responded.
Keegan smiled, picked up the red box, and held it in his hand. “So, I got us these. I was hoping we could each wear one.”
Quinn looked at him with lovable amusement and then reached for the box. Keegan held the bottom in place and Quinn pulled the top off. Quinn’s heart melted when he saw what was inside. “Awww, Keegan! They’re beautiful!”
Quinn placed his hand under Keegan’s hand and pulled the box closer. Inside, Quinn set his eyes on two silver rings, each inlaid with three, transparent, brightly-colored squares. One ring had red, orange, and yellow squares, and the other had green, blue, and purple squares.
“You like them?” Keegan asked, nervously playing with his lip.
“I do, I really do!” Quinn pulled out the green-blue-purple ring and studied it.
“Don’t worry, it’s not an engagement ring.”
Quinn snorted and laughed. “Okay, then what is it for? Wait, how come each ring doesn’t have all six colors of the rainbow?”
The Guardians Omnibus Page 60
