Blaze of Glory

by Sheryl Nantus

  A one-two energy punch from my hands had the two attackers bouncing away, letting me get closer to the woman. Only dressed in a raggedy T-shirt and jeans, she let out a cough and dropped the shield as I grabbed her arm.

  “Thanks.” Turning her head to one side, she coughed out a broken tooth, letting it fall into the water under us. “They don’t fight fair.” The younger woman looked at me. “They call me Blockhead.”

  “Stupid name. I’m Jo.” Extending one hand towards her, I used the other one to chase off a pair of twins threatening Limox where he stood atop the alien ship. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Linda. Yeah, well…” She spun away to send a series of glowing orange balls thudding into the returning punks, encasing them in a bright orange globe that fell towards the ocean. “Won’t kill them but it’ll take them out of the game for a bit. Thanks.”

  She shot off towards the hapless Peter who was busy dealing with a flock of seagulls that were doing a pretty good job of harassing the fighters. The huge sturgeon ferrying him around the water under the fighting had become the target of one of the more perceptive aliens who figured that the kid riding the big fish might have something to do with the aerial attacks. Linda let out a handful of bright yellow bolts that might have been lightning strikes. I’d never caught her act before. Either way they chased away the single fighter who turned to see who this new menace was, arcing up to smash his fists right into her face before she could react. I spun around to lay down some suppressing fire, give her a chance to put up that shield.

  Except I couldn’t, due to the sudden trio of thugs who appeared on my left side, announcing their arrival by laying a punch into my ribs that had to have come from Slammer’s gift. The stabbing pain shot up through my lungs and into the back of my head as I spun around and around, laying down a series of blasts while trying to figure out what to do. The water raced up towards me as I spiraled away, out of control.

  I managed to pull up at the last second, fingers skimming the surface of the water. My ears were popping while I gained altitude, still spinning around, gathering power from the waves emanating off of everyone and everything.

  A low static started in my head, rising in intensity as I gasped for air.

  “Everyone…” I wheezed. “May’s about to lay down something. Get ready.” I suppose I should have explained further for those supers new to the battle, but all I could think of was how many ribs must be broken to cause this much pain and how the heck I was going to keep these punks off my back, literally.

  The mental noise got larger, sort of like a boil getting ready to burst. It’s not a pretty image, but the only one I could think of as I rose, shooting over the ship in an attempt to outrun the attackers long enough to recharge and get my breath back. Below me I could see Limox, palms pressed against the surface of the ship as he tried to burn through the thin shield that had kept us from damaging it back in Pittsburgh. A pair of warriors was charging towards him, undeterred by Speedster and other supers who were trying to draw them off.

  It was going to be a massacre. As far as I could tell there had been few victories over the aliens, if any, and they had been just as quickly replaced by reinforcements inside the ship, waiting their turn for glory and fame in battle. It was New York City all over again, and this time there weren’t going to be any more chances. In the back of my head I heard Jenny’s voice saying that one of the team would die before the end, and I wondered for a second if she had grossly underestimated the number.

  A psychic yell went off in my head, so loud I clapped my hands over my ears instinctively, letting out a scream as the pain overrode anything I was thinking or about to think or even breathe. Instinctively I discharged the last of my energy in a series of waves emanating from my body, pushing away anyone or anything within thirty feet of me. Mike had taught me that trick, told me that it’d be helpful to have something like that in reserve. In theory that should have kept the three attackers off me for a few more minutes.

  Except they were plummeting towards the water, limp bodies dropping out of the sky, spiraling past supers who hovered in the air with shocked looks on their faces. I spotted Slammer, his hands crimson and dripping, falling back towards our landing zone with glazed eyes, his mouth opening and closing as if he were praying.

  Peter began to zip back and forth between the floating bodies on the surface of the water, the now-large school of fish under him straining to keep up with the requests. The identical men didn’t move, didn’t stir. He rolled them over to show blank, lifeless stares. They kept their stolen human forms even in death.

  Clutching my side, I flew over to where Kol’tak had gotten back to his feet, but May was now lying on the ground. As I landed in a clumsy heap, Slammer reached out to me with one bloody hand. His eyes were filled with tears.

  “May.” The emotion in the one word shot through me like a laser.

  Crawling over to where the elderly woman lay, I looked up at Kol’tak. His face had healed itself, but there was an unfamiliar frown now.

  “Mal’tor has been defeated.” He stared down at May then at me. “I have taken control of the battle group as per our customs.”

  Ignoring him, I studied May’s face. The dark-haired woman was bleeding from her nose, her eyes, her ears…a bloody trail that ran down over her translucent skin into the thick grass. Her eyelids fluttered once, twice, and then opened to reveal scarlet orbs without any pupils.

  “Hunter?” she whispered, her left hand rising into the air. Her Guardian was already there, kneeling beside her. He wrapped his hands around her fingers with a gentle squeeze.

  “I’m here.” He leaned down, brushing a few strands of hair away from her sightless eyes. “I’m here.”

  “Jo?”

  I looked at Hunter for a brief second before taking hold of her other hand. “You really went all the way this time, eh? You’ve been holding back on us, you sly old fox.”

  She smiled, her lips a scarlet shade you’d never see in a store. “I decided to let it all out. See exactly what I was made of.” A raspy breath with a rattling sound came out of her mouth. “Did it work?”

  “You have destroyed all of Mal’tor’s rebels.” Kol’tak’s voice rumbled over us. “I have accepted the ship’s surrender from the few who remained inside. The fleet is waiting my orders, and as we agreed I shall take them back to my home world and explain the…misunderstanding.”

  “Good.” A bloody bubble burst from between her lips. “That’s what I wanted.”

  I turned my head towards a small cluster of supers who had landed nearby, one of them the red-haired Speedster. “Get some medical help.” The words tore a new pain in my side. With a silver flash he disappeared from sight.

  Helicopters began to close in on us, both the media and the military trying to figure out what had just happened…and how much credit they could take for it.

  “May, hang on.” Hunter squeezed her hand again, leaning in close. “We’ll get you to a hospital and they’ll fix you up just fine.” He repeated the words. “Just fine.”

  “No.” There was no question in the statement, just an acceptance. “I’m done with this, Hunter. Done with all of this. Thank you for everything, but I think it’s time for me to go see Hal.” With a visible effort she drew her hands together over her chest, pulling both of us with her. “Jo, you need a Guardian. And you’ve got a good one here who’s going to need someone soon.”

  Her hands moved around ours, pressing Hunter’s palm against mine. “Just…just don’t let this happen again. Don’t let anyone control us.” A labored wheeze. “I’ll be really pissed if I have to come back and haunt you both.” The low whisper dissolved into silence.

  “Oh, May…” Hunter laid his head on her chest, tears running down his face. His hand remained in mine as the rest of the team landed around us, forming a protective circle. Limox let out a low sob as he leaned against Stephen, his legs giving out under him. Peter knelt beside us, openly weeping as the German Shepherds licked
his face.

  Chapter Twenty

  “I have to leave now.” Kol’tak looked around at the angry faces of the supers who hadn’t been privy to our deal. They were holding back, but just barely, as they watched the scene play out in front of them. I caught some mumblings over the link as Limox and Stephen filled them in, both men choking on their words until they faded out completely. “I thank you again for this resolution to our dilemma.”

  Releasing Hunter’s hand, I got to my feet, wiping my eyes. “Look, just tell them not to believe everything they see. Just…don’t. If you want to send an ambassador in a few months or something, I’ll do what I can to get him a hearing in front of our…well, something like a world council, but you’ll have to give us time to adapt and understand all this.” I waved my good arm around at the dozen or so people, keeping the other one close to my side to help dull the pain. “We’re not sure what’s going to happen now.”

  “I understand.” He paused, looking down at May’s body. “I shall make sure to mention this warrior, the bravest one of us all. Take care, Jo Tanis.” Kol’tak nodded to Hunter and leapt into the sky. Within seconds he arrived at the now-silent ship and slipped inside an opening. The alien bodies floating in the water disappeared, vanishing from sight. The ship folded up again, the origami-like disappearance startling some of the spectators. It was gone. They were gone.

  Limox moved closer, his clothing torn and charred in places. “So now what?”

  “We saved the world.” I let my breath out slowly. “Now we have to remake it.”

  Hunter got to his feet, grabbing me around the waist as I limped precariously to the center of the circle. “My name is Jo. You used to know me as Surf. You all became real heroes today. Now let me tell you how we’re going to stay that way.” A stabbing pain started in my side. “But first, I’m going to need a bit of medical attention and some good drugs…”

  An ambulance rolled up nearby, the siren screaming. A pair of paramedics raced over with a stretcher, pushing through the crowd of uninjured supers. They looked at me, then at the body on the ground and then around at the men and women in various forms of hurt.

  “Who’s first?” the first medic squeaked out, his face flushed.

  “Check her out.” I gestured at May. “I don’t think she’s… I think she’s gone. But do what you can. Please.”

  Hunter helped me sit on the ground as more medical personnel showed up, a long line of ambulances and emergency vehicles filling every empty space. I didn’t see any coroner wagons. I was sure we’d need some.

  “Peter.” I waved him over. “Make sure all the bodies are out of the water. We don’t leave our own behind.”

  He nodded. “Right.” Taking a few steps back, he gazed into the sky, probably calling for help.

  After a few minutes of trying to administer CPR, the paramedics moved May’s lifeless body onto the stretcher. They looked at me, as if asking permission to take her away.

  “Give us a minute.” I nodded at the two supers nearby already getting attention for their wounds. “Slammer, Meltdown—go with her when you’re done.” I slumped against Hunter, the world spinning around me for a few minutes. “Keep her safe.”

  When I came to Hunter was cradling me in his arms. “Your turn. They already took care of the boys.”

  “Just my ribs. Tape ’em up and go help the others.” I sucked in a breath, feeling the stabbing pain in my side start to subside as the female medic pulled my tattered shirt off and rolled some gauze bandage around my bare chest. I wasn’t too proud to worry about giving the boys a show at this point. “Keep her safe,” I repeated.

  Stephen nodded, his bloody hands already wrapped in more bandages than I’d ever seen in my life. Limox climbed into the back of the ambulance beside the body, which was now covered with a sheet. He covered his pale face with both hands.

  “We’ll take care of her.” Slammer looked at the two paramedics. “Is it okay for us to ride in the back? I don’t want her to be alone.”

  “Sure.” The first medic nodded. “It’s cool.”

  His partner glanced at Limox. “Might be a bit bumpy.”

  Limox sniffled, a wan smile on his face. “I think we can deal with it.” He nodded at me as the paramedics closed the doors and climbed in the front of the ambulance.

  As they pulled away I nodded to the woman still tightening the bandage. “Thanks.”

  “You should really get an x-ray,” the brunette murmured. She gave a sideways glance at Hunter, noting my lack of enthusiasm. “Seriously. I recommend it.”

  “How bad are the others?” I gestured with my good hand. Here and there small groups had formed, gathering at a hastily constructed first-aid station at the back of an ambulance.

  “The majority of them are looking good—no more than cuts and bruises, the odd concussion and maybe a few requiring stitches. I’m hearing about a few fatalities, but for the most part it’s positive.” She looked at me directly. “We’re going to St. Mike’s, if you’d like a lift. We took your friends there.”

  “She would.” Hunter dragged me to my feet and helped/pushed me into the ambulance. “Look, you’re not going to be any good to anyone if you’re laid up for months.” After snapping a fast kiss on my lips, he climbed down to the ground. “I’ll get things organized here.”

  Before I could even start to protest he slammed the doors shut and pounded on them. The ambulance raced out of the crowded chaos.

  St. Mike’s was one of the original Toronto hospitals, constantly trying to keep up with the expansions and rebuilds that downtown buildings needed to stay current and alive. Climbing down from the back of the ambulance, leaning none too lightly on the large orderly’s arm, I made my way into the emergency room and towards one of the few empty beds.

  The waiting area held a handful of civilians, mostly dealing with cuts and bruises, the inevitable result of having mass amounts of people trying to move out of the city. A few supers mingled among them, smiling as they were recognized and, in some cases, hugged and thanked. Some seemed honestly surprised at the attention, usually the villains.

  I couldn’t lie down on the stretcher, the pain wouldn’t let me. Besides, I knew that it wasn’t over. Nothing ever ends.

  A young doctor scurried over to me, grabbing the tag off my arm. “You’ll need x-rays.”

  “No thanks.” I tilted my head towards the overflowing waiting room. “I’ll come back if it gets worse, but save it for the really hurt people.”

  “Your call. Here’s some pills for the pain.” The harried doctor who was at least a decade younger than me scribbled frantically on the clipboard. “Any idea who we get to bill for all this?”

  “Send it to me.” Outrager stood in the doorway of the examining room, his arms crossed. “We’ll be glad to take care of all the costs.”

  “Good. Leave your details at the front desk.” The doctor nodded to me. “Thank you and go home and rest. Come back if you feel worse and we’ll do those x-rays.” He scurried out of the room before I had a chance to say anything.

  Outrager moved in, letting the door slide shut behind him. “So…I guess you’re proud of that little stunt you pulled out there.” The grey-haired man crossed his arms over his chest.

  “That stunt resulted in the death of a fine lady.” I hopped off the table. Sucking in my breath to dull the pain, I stood up as straight as I could. “A better person than I, you or anyone in this fucking city.”

  “Whoa.” He held up a hand. “Don’t vent at me ’cause you lost a member of your team.” His expression softened, the hard edges disappearing in front of me. “Mike was right—you are a tough old broad. You came through when you had to and we appreciate that.”

  “You’re not cutting her up.” The words sawed through my chest as I wheezed them out. “You’re not doing any autopsy on May.”

  “Why would we?” He tilted his head to one side. “You don’t think we did enough tests on her when we were in charge?” Straightening his tie, he s
hifted back into business mode. “Which brings us to our next question—what do you want to do?”

  I blinked wildly for a second in silence.

  His wrinkled face split apart in a grin. “You didn’t think you were just going to walk away from all this, did you?” One hand pointed towards the television sets easily visible through the windows of the examination room. The huge plasma screens were filled with images, both stills and captured cell-phone videos, of our battle. “You’re a hero, Jo. Now you get to go to Disneyland or something, but then you wake up.”

  My mouth opened, but nothing came out.

  “Go do the speeches, give your little mantra and enjoy the cheering while you can.” The man brushed imaginary lint from his arms. “Then give us a call and we’ll see what we can arrange regarding the future.”

  “The future?” I croaked.

  “Jo, you’ve just put Earth on the intergalactic frikking map.” Outrager smiled. “You think there’s no one else out there who’ll want to visit us? Good and bad? We got lucky this time. Thanks to Mayday. But you’ve got to start thinking about the next time.” He tugged at his ponytail. “Streets are going to be a mess with everyone coming back and all. Might be useful to get an escort back to your home base, as it were. Unless you want to try and fly…”

  The pain in my side had subsided to a dull ache, not unlike the one behind my eyes. “I’m not really in the mood to screw around. You want to work a deal, give it to me here.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Get fed and watered and take those drugs. You want to be awake when we discuss this.” Opening the door with one hand, he gestured out into the hallway.

  The supers milled about in the front lobby of the hospital, giving Outrager and his two subordinates a series of glances ranging from wary to outright hostile. I saw more than one beginning to power up, talked down quickly by their companions. Others began to filter out the doors, returning to their anonymity now that the job was done.