Teen Superheroes Box Set | Books 1-7

by Pitt, Darrell

  ‘Vietnamese.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Chinese?’

  He lets out a string of words.

  ‘Wow,’ he said, his eyes wide. ‘I speak Chinese!’

  It wasn’t so much his Chinese that impressed me, but his English. It was good. Almost perfect except for a slight singsong inflection.

  ‘You know,’ he mused. ‘I can remember streets too. Streets that aren’t from around here.’

  ‘Are they in China?’ I asked.

  ‘I think so.’

  As he started talking about distant places, my own mind began to drift. An image came to me: a golden-brown field of wheat, blue sky, a farmhouse.

  The image faded.

  It was the first time something had come back from my past life, from the time pre-now. I tried to bring more of it back, but there was nothing.

  I began. ‘You’ve made me recall—’

  That’s when the shot rang out. It pinged off a pole to the left. Uh oh. The two guys that Brodie had knocked out back at Cygnus Industries were charging down the street after us.

  We ran as another bullet whistled past. I spotted stairs leading down to a subway. Pointing towards them, we took the stairs two at a time, pushed through the turnstiles at the bottom, and raced down another flight.

  A train had pulled into the platform. We sprinted towards the first carriage just as the doors began to close. We squeezed in between them as the train started to pull away from the station.

  Yes!

  Exchanging glances, we burst out laughing.

  ‘We did it,’ Brodie said. ‘Next time I’m hitting those guys even harder—’

  Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Gunfire raked the side of the carriage. I shoved Brodie and Dan to the floor as I caught a glimpse of the men on the platform. They’re firing machine guns at the carriage. Glass exploded as people dived to the floor. The train picked up speed and disappeared into the tunnel.

  We got lucky; the carriage was sparsely populated. The few people it contained, although stunned, had miraculously not been injured. I turned my attention to the driver’s cabin. The cabin door had a small glass panel through which I could see inside. He was slumped backward over his seat.

  Oh no.

  ‘What is it?’ Dan asked.

  ‘The driver’s dead,’ I said.

  The train continued to pick up speed as one of the passengers joined us. An older man, he had gray hair and mustache.

  ‘What’s happening, son?’ he asked.

  ‘It looks like the driver’s dead,’ I told him.

  ‘But we’re still picking up speed,’ the man said, confused.

  Brodie peered into the glass window, wincing at the sight of the dead man. ‘Shouldn’t there be a failsafe switch?’

  ‘Maybe it was damaged by the gunfire,’ Dan said.

  Brodie tried the door. ‘We can’t get in,’ Brodie said. ‘We better move everyone towards the back of the train.’

  The man nodded and started directing passengers towards the next carriage as the train accelerated. It started rocking from side to side.

  ‘We’d better join them,’ Brodie said. ‘We can’t do anything here.’

  We started back, but Dan stayed at the tiny square of glass, his eyes fixed on the driver. I gripped his arm gently.

  ‘We can’t do anything for him,’ I said.

  ‘I know.’ Dan glanced up at me. ‘But I think I can help.’

  The train emerged from the tunnel and barreled along an elevated track, apartment blocks flying past on both sides. I was afraid. Even with the people taking refuge in the rear, this would be an almighty accident when it crashed. We wouldn’t just slide sedately off the tracks. We’d fly off the elevated line at high speed.

  ‘You can help?’ Brodie said. ‘How?’

  Dan stood back from the door and held out his hands like a magician doing a magic trick. For a moment, I wondered if he’d lost his mind. Then I saw the door shuddering. It wasn’t just the movement of the train. It was more than that.

  It was Dan.

  He was doing it with his mind.

  Chapter Ten

  The hinges started to bend outwards. Then the door began to curve towards us as if a giant hand was pulling it away from the frame. I glanced at Dan. Sweat had broken out on his brow. His hands were shaking. I didn’t know how he was doing this, but somehow he was achieving the impossible.

  Brodie stared at him, wide-eyed before turning to me.

  I shrugged.

  Beats me.

  The hinges finally snapped, and the door floated free and bounced once before settling against the wall. Dan dropped his hands. There were a million things I wanted to say, but this wasn’t the time. I stumbled into the driver’s cabin, trying to ignore the blood-spattered remains of the driver as well as the scenery zooming past the window.

  My brain refused to think. We were hurtling along at a terrific speed. The whole carriage was shuddering from one side to the other.

  Which control stops the train?

  Then—

  That’s it.

  The control was obvious now that my brain had kicked in. The dead man’s switch operated only when the driver’s hand was on it, but a bullet had hit the metal housing and locked it in place. Grabbing it, I pulled back. At first, nothing happened. Then it suddenly released, dropping into the off position, and the train began to slow.

  The carriage still rocked wildly from side to side, but at least now, we were in no danger of flying off the tracks. Just as well, too, because at that moment, we were heading for a bend. The train continued to slow. Finally, just as it reached the curve, it gave a final lurching shudder and stopped.

  Until then, I’d been holding my breath. Now I let out an explosive sigh as Brodie grabbed my arm.

  ‘Well done,’ she said.

  ‘Well done?’ I repeated. ‘I didn’t do anything.’

  We both looked back at Dan, who was still staring at his hands.

  ‘Do you want to explain all that?’ I asked.

  He peered up sheepishly. ‘I probably should have mentioned it before,’ he said. ‘It started not long after I woke up. I was on a park bench when I saw a coin on the sidewalk. I thought of how I really needed some money—and then it started sliding towards me. I thought I was possessed.’ He laughed nervously. ‘After some practice, I realized it was metal objects I could move. I started with small things like coins and later moved onto larger objects.’

  Brodie spoke. ‘And you didn’t mention this because…’

  ‘I didn’t want to seem like a weirdo,’ Dan said, shrugging.

  ‘You’re not a weirdo,’ I said. ‘You’re a…superhero.’

  I thought about what I’d said to Brodie earlier. She and Dan were the same, but different. She had her martial arts, and he had his ability to control metal.

  ‘You’re super…Dan,’ Brodie finished lamely.

  ‘Super Dan,’ he said, his eyes lighting up. ‘I like that. Real catchy.’

  ‘Let’s worry about names later,’ I said. ‘We should get out of here before the authorities turn up.’

  We made our way down the length of the train. By now, the fire brigade, ambulance, and police had all turned up. A fire ladder had extended to the elevated line, and people were being helped down one at a time. We reached the footpath below where cops were directing people into a diner. It looked like they were interviewing everyone about what had happened on the train. We glanced about for a means of escape, but the only way seemed to be running at full pelt down the road.

  Not a good plan.

  Everyone crowded into the building. We positioned ourselves into a booth at the end, unsure about what to do, but then the older man from the carriage wandered over.

  ‘You kids seem quiet,’ he said.

  ‘Uh, yeah,’ Brodie said.

  ‘You saved the day.’ The man looked confused. ‘You haven’t told the cops?’

  We looked at each other in silence.


  ‘We’d rather keep a low profile,’ I said. ‘We don’t want to attract any attention.’

  The man nodded thoughtfully. ‘I suppose we owe you our lives,’ he said. ‘If that’s how you want it…’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘Okay.’ He glanced towards the counter. ‘There’s probably an exit through the kitchen.’

  ‘What are you suggesting?’ Dan asked.

  ‘Just be ready,’ he advised.

  Sauntering down to the door where the cops were located, he started speaking to them amiably enough but soon started raising his voice, yelling about equal rights and freedom of passage. The altercation grew louder.

  Then he clutched his chest and grabbed both the cops as he slid to the ground.

  ‘Come on,’ Brodie urged. ‘Now’s our chance.’

  The old guy’s performance was so impressive that I’d forgotten it was all an act. As the crowd grouped around him, Brodie led us around the counter and into the kitchen. A black-haired woman was there cutting up tomatoes. Looking at us curiously, she said something in Spanish.

  We just smiled and exited out the back door into an alley behind the diner. Just as we started away, a voice yelled out, and two cops hurried towards us. They’d spotted our escape.

  ‘You kids were on that train, weren’t you?’ one said.

  ‘What train?’ I asked.

  His partner frowned. ‘I think we’d better have a little talk to you.’

  Dan frowned at them. ‘You don’t need to talk to us.’

  Both the men stared at him. For a long moment, it was as if time had come to a halt. They looked mesmerized. Finally, one nodded in agreement.

  ‘You’re right,’ he said emotionless. ‘We don’t need to speak to you.’

  ‘We weren’t on the train,’ Dan said.

  ‘You weren’t on the train,’ the other cop said.

  My mouth fell open. I don’t believe it! Dan was somehow brainwashing the cops into following his instructions! This is another power he had in his arsenal.

  But what was it they said about the corruption of power?

  ‘We’re not the droids you’re looking for,’ Dan said, now enjoying himself. He gave us a broad wink.

  ‘Star Wars?’ I murmured. ‘You’re giving us Star Wars?’

  ‘They’re not the droids we’re looking for,’ the cop repeated, although even he seemed puzzled.

  ‘May the force be with you,’ Dan said. ‘Always.’

  The cops nodded, turned, and disappeared down the alley. Brodie and I confronted Dan.

  Brodie grabbed his arm. ‘You can control minds?’

  ‘Did it occur to you to mention this?’ I asked.

  ‘I was about to,’ he said. ‘I didn’t get a chance—’

  Brodie looked furious. ‘Don’t you ever use that on me!’ she said.

  ‘Me neither,’ I added.

  Dan held up his hands. ‘I promise,’ he said. ‘I’ll never do anything to you guys—ever.’

  He seemed sincere, though I could understand Brodie’s anger. Manipulating someone against their will was horrible, like using someone like a puppet.

  ‘Where to from here?’ I asked.

  Dan smiled. ‘Wherever you want.’

  Chapter Eleven

  The view was fantastic. Even I had to admit it. But that wasn’t too surprising; we’d just rented the entire penthouse suite of The Robison, a hotel on Madison Avenue. It wasn’t the best hotel in town, but it was close.

  Sure beat living on the streets.

  I kept remembering back to the image of the wheat field. The more I thought of it, the more I was sure I wasn’t from New York. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, I got snatched from a farm and got dumped in one of the world’s biggest cities.

  I leaned back in my seat. At least we weren’t roughing it anymore. The penthouse of The Robison was as good as you could get. The apartment had six bedrooms and an open plan living area with leather lounges and television in every room—including the bathrooms.

  Renting it was easy, though I can’t say I felt relaxed during any part of it. We simply went up to the front desk, and Dan asked for the best apartment in the building. The man looked down his nose at him before Dan produced a wallet full of imaginary money and handed him a wad of equally imaginary notes.

  They’d later check their takings and find they were down by several thousand dollars. I didn’t feel good about it. Neither did Brodie, but it was better than another night in the warehouse.

  Room service had already delivered pizzas, chips, and cold drinks three times. That’s after we’d already cleaned out the contents of the minibar. Dan suggested sampling the extensive range of alcohol, but I vetoed it. We needed to be clear-headed in case guys with guns come knocking at the door.

  Of course, Brodie and Dan were both super-powered. Brodie was super-fast, strong, and had martial arts abilities. As well as what we already knew of Dan, he also seemed to be able to eat huge amounts of pizza and guzzle copious amounts of Coke. Oh, and play a computer game called Planet of Hell while lying horizontally on the sofa and carrying on a coherent conversation.

  ‘Is this the life—or is this the life?’ he asked.

  ‘This is the life,’ I agreed.

  ‘But is it ethical?’ Brodie asked.

  ‘What does that mean?’ Dan said, frowning as he killed a demon and took another quick bite of pizza.

  ‘Ethical. Moral. The right thing to do.’ Despite having broken the law herself over the last few days, she looked more than a little annoyed. ‘Aren’t we supposed to be using our powers for good?’

  ‘No one gave me an instruction manual.’ Dan looked at me. ‘How about you?’

  ‘No,’ I admitted, although I wasn’t technically in the superhero club. ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with doing this for a while. Then we can look at our options.’

  ‘Which are?’ Brodie asked.

  I sighed. It was a good question and one to which I didn’t have a good answer. Where to from here? We’d found nothing at Cygnus Industries. Brodie had told us she had an image in her head of a city near a harbor, but unfortunately, half the cities in the world were next to water. She could be referring to Sydney. It was on a harbor. She even had a memory of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, but she could have gotten that from a tourist brochure.

  We seemed to have hit a dead end.

  I pulled out the blank book again and leafed through the pages.

  ‘What’s that?’ Dan asked.

  I explained to him about the book. He examined the pages without comment before checking the spine. His eyes narrowed.

  ‘There’s something in the spine,’ he said.

  He was right. The spine was thick. A lot thicker than any regular hardcover book. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed before.

  ‘Get me a knife,’ I said.

  A moment later, I was cutting carefully along the edge of the spine with the others huddled around. An object slipped into my hand.

  ‘What is it?’ Brodie asked.

  I’d never seen anything like it. It looked vaguely like a memory card, but much thinner. When I held it up to the light, it sparkled like an opal, flashing shades of red and yellow and green.

  ‘I have no idea,’ I said.

  At that moment, room service arrived with more pizza, so I put the object into my pocket and decided to give it more thought later.

  We sat and ate and watched a rerun of The Simpsons. After a while, I wandered out onto the balcony where the day was giving way to evening. Clouds had swallowed the sky again, and I hadn’t seen the stars since—well—I didn’t know when. As the sky darkened, the city lights slowly came to life. It was a beautiful sight.

  I wondered about Brodie and Dan’s powers. It seemed strange that they’d inherited abilities, but not me. I’d asked about the needle marks on their bodies. Like me, they’d both ended up like human pincushions with hundreds of pinpricks all over their bodies. Unlike me, they ha
d superpowers.

  Those pinpricks had disappeared now, but they had to mean something. I pointed to one of the planter boxes.

  Rise, I thought.

  Nothing happened. A sound came from behind me, and I turned to see Brodie bent over with laughter at my efforts.

  ‘Laugh all you want,’ I said. ‘I will have my revenge.’

  ‘Good luck with that.’

  Leaning on the railing, we looked across at the city. She was so close her arm was almost touching mine. I wanted to touch her hand, but I knew it would freak her out. Instead, I gave her a small smile, and she smiled back.

  ‘Aarrgh.’

  The yell came from the living room.

  Dan.

  He stumbled onto the balcony; his hands clasped tightly over his ears as if trying to shut out the noise.

  ‘What is it?’ I asked.

  He looks at us fearfully. ‘I can hear voices,’ he said. ‘Two kids like us. They’re screaming.’

  Brodie and I exchanged glances.

  ‘They’re screaming,’ I echo dumbly.

  Dan nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘They’re being tortured by that man Ravana.’

  Chapter Twelve

  My blood ran cold.

  Ravana.

  I’d successfully driven him from my mind for the last few hours. Maybe my brain was trying to shield me from what had happened. The truth was that I’d never forget him. Not for as long as I lived.

  ‘Two kids? Ravana?’ Brodie said. ‘How can you be sure?’

  Dan shook his head. ‘I have no idea,’ he said, wincing. ‘It comes and goes. One second, I’m here, and then I’m in their heads. Ravana is using that…probe on their hands. It’s a girl and a guy.’

  The probe.

  I felt like throwing up. Swallowing hard, I tried to calm myself. We needed to help them if we could, but I had no idea how.

  ‘Do you know where they’re being held?’ Brodie asked.

  Focusing for a minute, Dan gazed across the city. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘I get a feeling the building is that way.’ He pointed east. ‘That’s it. That’s the direction.’

  Fortunately, we had another car, this time a late model convertible, also thanks to Dan. All it had cost us was a copy of the daily paper that the man at the car dealership thought was twenty thousand in cold, hard cash.