by J. Judkins
Their masks prevented easy identification, but their unprofessional mannerisms and muscular body shape—combined with the lack of any other potential suspects whatsoever—put Kim in mind of the security goons at Brookings Pharmaceutical. She hadn’t thought of them as anything other than normal humans before, but now, she couldn’t help but wonder. Had they been hiding their full potential? Were they aliens like Naomi, pretending to be human? The desire to blend in seemed to be a defining characteristic.
Kim took a closer look. Their formfitting black clothing rippled as they moved, as if rigid were its natural state. It looked like nothing of Earth manufacture. This confirmed it in her mind. They had to be aliens.
A chill ran down Kim’s spine. If these guys are as strong and fast as Angel, we’re in a lot of trouble!
Angel’s features were determined and grim. She fell back a step. “We need to find someplace defensible.”
“This way.” Kim hurried into what passed for a side corridor. Boxes formed an impassable barrier on one side, with heavy construction equipment on the other. Angel followed after and turned to wait just inside the entrance. The minions wouldn’t be able to come at her from opposite sides. It left no room for escape, but that couldn’t be helped.
The minions stopped just beyond hand-to-hand range. There were no words exchanged between them. One moment, they were standing there, sizing each other up. The next, Angel had launched herself into the fray, using the wall in an impressive, flipping display that would have made any parkour enthusiast proud and disappearing into a whirlwind of blinding attacks too quick to follow.
Kim refused to be regulated into nothing more than a spectator, though. The aliens had to have some sort of exploitable weakness. All comic book heroes and villains were vulnerable to something, even if that something were common or mundane. If the minion aliens were the same species as Angel, Kim should already have an idea of what that weakness could be.
What are Angel’s weaknesses? Nothing came to mind. Angel’s was a list of benefits and advantages. Speed, strength, durability, agility. All as superhuman as one could get. Angel’s weaknesses were social, not physical. A screwed-up sense of time. An incomplete memory. A subconscious desire to blend in. That was it. Certainly nothing a potential enemy could exploit.
But were those last two even weaknesses? Whenever Angel did something superhuman in the past, she’d been able to get away with it simply because she hadn’t known normal humans weren’t capable of doing the things she could do. Her faulty memory became her strength in that regard.
Even more advantageous, Angel had recently embraced her alien background. She was still blending in, but now, she was blending in as an alien combat monster with a license to kick ass. Her physical limitations were self-imposed.
But wait . . . something wasn’t right. Angel’s opponents were clearly just as strong, but shouldn’t they be doing their best to blend in as ordinary humans with human limitations? How were the minion-aliens keeping up with Angel, a woman fighting well beyond maximum human potential?
Kim had her answer at once. The minions had started out believing Angel to be nothing more than a typical human. Angel had inadvertently thrown away her advantage by fighting to the best of her ability. They matched her in speed and power, never realizing their opponent wasn’t pretending to be ordinary.
Playing human. That was the key. How could she twist this information into an advantage?
Naomi had figured it out. Her supervillain persona gave her free rein to utilize her alien technology as much as she wanted.
But that didn’t apply to her minions. They were still in the dark. Still vulnerable to self-imposed limitations.
“Don’t kill them, Angel!” Kim called out. “Remember, they’re just ordinary people. You’re much stronger than they are!”
“They’re not weaker.” Angel’s response was ragged as she ducked under the arm of her current attacker, looped her hand up and around the back of his neck, and effortlessly flipped him onto his back before moving on to the next. They continued their relentless exchange, neither one giving ground before the other.
Kim couldn’t help but smile. Guess some habits are hard to break. Angel only breathed to keep up appearances, she knew, and the fact she appeared short of breath confirmed her theory. I could probably drop a smoke bomb on them and call it poison gas, and they’d fall all over themselves with their legs kicking in the air.
Kim hammered the point home. “They may be as fast as you, but all you have to do is wear them down. They’re only human, Angel. You’re not!”
The next two seconds were decidedly one-sided and brutal. The aliens fell victim to their own psychological limitations. Their pressing need to blend in transformed them into little more than ordinary brutes with ordinary human limitations. They appeared to grow tired. They stumbled, their punches and kicks slowed, and they couldn’t seem to catch their breath as they gave ground before Angel’s relentless assault. Finally, they simply turned tail and ran back the way they’d come, disappearing into the darkness.
Angel didn’t follow. Whether this was done out of mercy or because she was unwilling to relinquish her strategic advantage, Kim couldn’t say. But her eyes were alight with wonder as she stood, gasping for breath, watching as Kim stepped out from behind the construction equipment.
“Later,” Kim promised. “I’ll explain later.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kim absently stirred the ashes with her shoe. Naomi’s attack had not only obliterated the box, it had also melted away a small portion of the concrete floor beneath. “Nothing. It’s all gone.”
“We should help her,” Angel said.
“A little bit late to play hero, don’t you think?” Kim replied sardonically. “The two of them are long gone. Besides, I don’t think that particular hostage needs saving. You said you recognized her from Brookings?”
“I was referring to helping Naomi, not the hostage.”
Kim raised an eyebrow. “Naomi? You want to help her?”
“Correct.”
“You want to help the psycho receptionist? That Naomi? The very same woman who just now tried to kill us?”
“Capture us, not kill,” Angel corrected. “And yes, that one.”
“Hmm . . . let me think.” Kim held a finger to her head. “How about . . . no? I distinctly remember her bragging about a world domination scheme. She needs to be stopped, not helped.”
Angel walked to the main door, but didn’t open it. “If you remember our first meeting, Naomi told us she wanted independence. That implies she wants to break away from her people.”
“Okay, I admit it did surprise me how she seemed to like your optimistic ‘love conquers all’ explanation, but then she ruined it by trying to kill us.”
“Capture,” Angel said.
“My point is, why would she do that if she wanted our help?”
“Perhaps she had no choice in the matter? Several times, she’s stated her desire for independence. This implies that she isn’t free to assist us on her own. That she’s an unwilling part of a group.”
Kim’s expression turned sour. “And your solution for helping her achieve that independence . . .”
“Is for Naomi to fall in love,” Angel finished for her. “Then her old loyalties won’t matter.”
“I don’t see that happening,” Kim said at last. Easy for Angel to cast old loyalties aside. She can’t even remember them. There’s no way her solution could possibly work.
“Why not?”
Kim decided to dodge the question. Open doubt would make Angel think she didn’t believe her. “So, what are you thinking? You want us to help her find independence, then hope she’ll be grateful enough to join our side?”
“That’s correct.”
“Why? Why is any of that necessary? We’ve made progress, haven’t we? We found . . . that thing we found.”
“I’ll grant you that the advanced engineering behind the construction of the sex toy
does represent advanced technology, but its embarrassing nature prevents us from turning it in.”
Kim’s face burned at the reminder. “What about the cardboard box? I don’t suppose you managed to snag a copy before Naomi nuked it?”
“No. The box and all its contents were burned to ash.”
Kim opened the outer door and glanced outside. The parking lot remained as deserted as before. From what she could see of the city streets just beyond, there was no activity.
She stepped outside into the cloudless, crisp night air, following the original path they’d taken. Angel followed closely behind.
“You’re allowing yourself to be sidetracked,” Angel said. “I think we should focus on helping Naomi achieve her personal goals. She implied that her people were close to finishing their mission.”
Guess she’s not giving up on this. “Got anybody in mind for her to fall in love with?”
“What about the woman she brought with her from Brookings Pharmaceutical?”
Kim stopped where she stood. “You mean the hostage?” she asked, incredulous.
“The two seemed attracted to each other,” Angel said.
“As I recall,” Kim said snidely, “Naomi threatened to blow hostage-girl’s head off!”
“True, but hostage-girl seemed genuinely surprised when it happened.”
“Being surprised doesn’t prove anything.”
“I have further evidence. Naomi said she needed a beautiful hostage. This implies attraction.”
Kim started walking again, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this. You’re seriously suggesting we forget all about investigating and start playing matchmaker?”
“Why are you against it?” Angel countered. “You wanted a new way to investigate. I’m offering one.”
“I just don’t see how getting the two of them together would help,” Kim said, still hoping Angel would drop it. “What about running down the supervillain idea? If Naomi is locked into the role, she may have picked up a supervillain’s vulnerabilities. We could exploit that.”
“I don’t see how attempting to encourage her to engage in criminal activities would benefit us.”
“That’s not what I meant. She’s an alien woman disguising herself as a supervillain. It’s pretty freaking obvious that no one’s sat her down and explained supervillains don’t exist. Until she figures it out, we can turn it to our advantage.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we can encourage her to monologue her evil plans, or something.”
“Naomi became a supervillain because it offers her the unique freedom to act.”
“Freedom to do what?”
“She’s like me, Kim. I’ve explained it to you.”
“Explain it to me again.”
Angel sighed.
They’d reached the second intersection. Kim’s car was now visible, parked a short distance away. There were no businesses open at this late hour, but Kim found herself craving a late-evening snack. Roast beef sounded good.
“This goes back to my earlier point,” Angel said. She took Kim’s hand as they started across the walkway. It wasn’t until they’d reached the far side that Kim realized she’d been grinning to herself the entire time, simply from the warm feeling of Angel’s hand in her own.
“Naomi wants independence,” Angel continued. “That’s her personal goal. She’s told us this several times. I’m convinced she doesn’t like her job, but still feels compelled to work for her people. I admit, I vehemently disagreed when you suggested she become a supervillain. But in retrospect, I see the benefits. The role of supervillain allows her freedom to act in ways she otherwise couldn’t.”
Kim subtly tightened her grip. “Are you saying this is my fault?”
“Nobody’s blaming you, Kim. I’m only suggesting that you’re directly responsible.”
“You are saying it’s my fault!”
Angel sighed again. “You were the catalyst. That can’t be denied. But how is it a matter of blame, when the end result is to our benefit? You gave Naomi hope, Kim! Hope is a positive thing. Naomi didn’t become a villain because she’s evil, greedy, megalomaniacal, or has a pressing desire to destroy Superman. She embraced the role of a villain because it allows her the freedom to act. It’s a useful tool. Nothing more.”
“And you’re suggesting we encourage it, somehow.” Kim pressed the button on her key fob. Parking lights flashed as her Corolla’s doors unlocked.
“I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t,” Angel said. “If Naomi truly desires independence and thinks we’re the means to achieve it, she’ll welcome our assistance. She won’t risk killing us in the most horrific manner possible unless we refuse to help.”
Kim’s mouth went dry at the thought. “Not convincing me.”
Angel opened the passenger side door and slipped inside. She waited for Kim to take her own seat before replying. “Do you remember when I suggested that a mastermind wouldn’t deign to get their hands dirty? She agreed with me. Why would she do that? She took my suggestion to heart by refusing to become personally involved.”
Kim inserted her keys into the ignition, but didn’t start the car. “So?”
“A true villain wouldn’t have cared about established comic book villain tradition. A true villain would have taken the path of least resistance, killed us both, and then recovered the sex toy at their convenience. I maintain that she only plays the part of the villain because she hasn’t yet achieved independence, and is still a part of the group.”
Kim ran a hand through her hair. “Assuming you have a point, what are you suggesting we do?”
“We help her achieve full independence.”
“And you want to help her do that . . .”
“By helping her fall in love.”
“If she could be turned,” Kim said, in her best Vader impression, “she would become a powerful ally.”
“Then you agree?”
“Not at all. Just quoting Empire. I still think it’s a bad idea.”
“Kim . . .”
“Listen, Angel.” Kim turned in her seat. “It doesn’t matter if she’s a villain with world domination on her mind, or an alien pretending to be a villain, thinking she’s got us all fooled. In the end, she’s still doing the exact same things she’d normally be doing. That hasn’t changed.”
“I disagree. She’s no longer acting in secret.”
Kim groaned. “So, you’re saying I’ve made it worse.”
“No,” Angel said gently. “You’ve changed Naomi’s behavior, certainly, but not for the worse. I suggest that we take her new persona into account and work with it. Employ my solution. Help her by helping her fall in love.”
Kim grimaced anew. “I just don’t see myself as some sort of romantic matchmaker. There’s got to be . . .” She stopped. Angel looked stunned. “What?”
“I’m not certain how to respond to that,” Angel murmured, half to herself. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve seen nothing but romantic potential in me. Between the two of us, there’s no contest. You’re the one most qualified to bring them together.”
Where does Angel get these ideas? “Sorry, Angel. I don’t see that happening.”
“But what about—”
“Short of throwing Naomi and her potential girlfriend into dangerous situations so they’ll realize what they mean to each other and confess their love, how could it possibly work?”
Angel blinked.
“I don’t think it could work any other way,” Kim continued, hoping to let Angel down gently. She twisted the key in the ignition and glanced at her mirrors, then gave her belt a quick tug to ensure it was fastened correctly. “Forget the list for now. What we need to do is focus on that tourist attraction place. Do some research.”
“I only saw the cover. ‘Ravenwood. Remember the fallen.’”
“There you go.” Kim nodded in encouragement. “If it’s a city or town, that’s a good place to start.”
; Angel also nodded, looking thoughtful.
“I know it isn’t what you wanted.”
“Don’t worry,” Angel said. “I’ve got a few ideas. I can work with this.”
Kim frowned, suddenly struck with the notion she’d somehow missed something.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Naomi grinned at her sullen companion and spread her arms wide. “We’re here.”
“And where, exactly, is here?” Melanie asked, the sour expression on her face remaining.
“We’re in a technically abandoned warehouse. Welcome to my new secret lair!”
The warehouse was filled with miscellaneous auto parts. Calipers, rotors, brake pads, and everything else an ailing car needed to stay in good repair.
From what Naomi could tell, her former hostage didn’t seem particularly impressed. “‘Technically abandoned’?” Melanie absently rubbed her right arm. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That means it hasn’t been abandoned for very long.”
“You’re not worried the owners might come back?”
“Not at all. I own it. Again, technically.”
“Meaning?”
“The building became mine after I took control, in other words.”
“Then how could it be abandoned?”
Naomi leaned against the metal framework that passed as shelving. “I consider it abandoned, as I have yet to inform any of the employees working here that they’ve been fired and need not come in to work tomorrow morning.”
Melanie seemed horrified. “Do you even know these people?”
Naomi silently expelled a portion of air to more effectively draw it back in again in a gasp of surprise. “What? You don’t think getting to know them before firing them seems unnaturally cruel?”
“Why fire them at all?”
“Oh. I see. You make a valid point.” Naomi stroked her chin to indicate deep thought. “After I fire them, I suppose I could re-hire them as minions.”
“Or you could let them keep their jobs?”
“Then the warehouse wouldn’t be abandoned.”
Melanie sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Why do you even need a secret lair in the first place?”
