by J Bennett
Then it downloads. Surface suction gloves. A lot of capes use them.
Cape. Hero. And it just so happens the guy who owns my house came out of villain retirement this afternoon.
I watch the silhouette climb, placing each hand flat against the brick. As he gets closer to the top of the house, the diffused light from the windows shows me glinting yellow armor. Two objects hang at his waist.
I recognize the Blazing Lantern and Torch Whip.
Shine is here. Now I see two small cam drones hovering behind him, capturing the entire caper for his adoring fans.
I let this all sink in for a moment and then swivel my head around. Beacon can’t be far behind.
Beacon! The greatest hero in the city is about to break into my home. Highest viewership, most Stream followers. Even my cynical heart pounds with excitement at the thought of meeting her, until I realize what’s happening.
They’re going after The Professor. Someone must have tipped them off about the location of his lair. I peek out again. Shine climbs slowly. The suction gloves keep him adhered to the side of the house, but it’s still a lot of work to pull himself up and re-adhere each hand. He also makes an effort to avoid the windows.
Where is Beacon? There’s no way Shine would take on The Professor alone, unless…
A grim smile hits my lips as a new realization dawns. If I’m right about what’s happening, then Shine is all alone.
The famous sidekick reaches the roof. He pulls himself up and over and then lays flat between the solar panels, probably to catch his breath.
My first instinct is to warn The Professor. My hand moves toward my Band, but I pause. Why should I help? I’m not his henchman. Let Shine sneak in and ruin his whole operation. It’d be an iconic victory for Adan. True spinoff potential. With such a quick defeat, The Professor’s show would flounder. Viewers don’t like a loser. This could be the end for him and for Leo.
Good.
Except…
An idea hits me.
A drooling stupid idea. Extra on the stupid.
But that’s the thing with desperation. When you’ve got nothing left to lose, even the tallest cliff is worth leaping off if there’s even a chance of water below.
I move.
Better to not overthink this lobotomy plan.
Keeping to the trees, I make my way around to the back of the mansion. I take a deep breath and then dash from to woods to the back door. It seems like it takes forever for it to recognize my Band and slide open.
As soon as I’m inside, I clamor up the moving stairs, almost slipping as the stairs churn under my running feet. At the top, I ricochet off the wall as I hurtle down my hallway.
My heart bangs insistently against my rib cage. Breathe, breathe, breathe, I silently chant to myself.
Inside my apartment, I bark commands to Bob, and he searches the free, open-source 3D schematic database until he finds what I want. Lysee’s fabric cartridge is still in the Anders 3D printer. I start the machine and send it the schematic. I’ll pay her back later.
In my room, I pull on the black stretchy pants I wore on the last day of tryouts and add a black tank top. I dig through my recycling and find my gray mask. The white ribbons Lysee wove into my hair are still on my dresser. I grab one and weave my hair back into a sloppy braid. My hands tremble.
“Stop that,” I tell them.
Something’s missing from my ensemble. I charge into Lysee’s room. Her closet is already open, frills and polka dots spewing from the cavity. I dig through the mounds of clothing, elbowing past metallic vests and skirts covered in bows until I find it what I’m looking for. Carefully, I wind up the lasso and heft it onto my shoulder.
In the living room, my newest piece of clothing is cooling at the printer station. It’s a deep crimson hue. Hmm, probably should have checked that the 3D wasn’t loaded with a mono-color cartridge before I programmed the print, but it’s too late now. I tug it on while it’s still warm from the printer. The material is thin, the shoulder seams a little too low, but the lab coat will do. There’s no time to print and sew on buttons.
I’m ready. Almost.
Just as I’m about to walk out the door, my gaze catches on an object lying forlornly in the corner of the living room, as if it had been thrown against the wall in a fit of rage. I pick up the cracked science goggles Lysee wore to the first day of tryouts. Green plastic jewels glitter along the frame, and the smoky gray lenses will obscure my identity.
They are much more glam than my mask, and, more importantly, they make me look like one of The Professor’s henchmen. I yank off my mask and prop the goggles on my forehead.
Just one more stop.
I pound on Leo’s door. The muscles in my legs twitch.
He’s not in. Of course he isn’t. If I can’t find him, my plan is doomed.
The door slides open. Leo’s Goggs are pushed up on his forehead, and I can see their indent on the bridge of his nose. I must have interrupted him recording or editing. Still no kitchen table in the room behind him and nothing on the walls except for that single framed photo. I crane my neck just a little. He must use the second bedroom as his editing studio. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any other producers coming and going; could Leo be the only one? Gerald did mention that the show’s budget was tight. I’ve heard that more and more producers are working with teams of cheap freelancers from Central America.
Leo’s amber eyes appraise me, and I realize that I’ve been staring past him into his apartment, not saying anything.
“I need all your cam drones outside on me,” I blurt out. So suave.
He’s noticed my outfit: the flimsy red lab coat, the goggles on my forehead. “May I be so boorish as to ask why?”
“Is The Professor downstairs in the secret basement?”
His eyebrows lift in surprise, but then he regains control over his expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“’K. He’s down there. Good. Good. Cam drones. Put them on me.” I point to myself to clarify.
Leo purses his lips. At least he isn’t laughing. “What are you up to, Alice?”
I gift him with a million-watt smile. “I’m giving you another chance to make me a henchman, and this time you’re going to get it right.”
Chapter 18
Be bold. The unexpected gets lens time.
Tickles the Elf, The Henchman’s Survival Guide
Outside, the night chill cuts through my flimsy red lab coat and into my bones. Since I don’t own surface suction gloves, I have to make my way up to the roof with slightly less glam. I find the ladder Gerald never bothered to put away after cleaning the solar panels. It lies sideways in the grass, and I heft it up, trying to bump it against the roof as quietly as possible. When it feels secure, I start climbing.
If Shine hears me coming, he could defeat me just by kicking the ladder away from the roof.
Did I mention that my plain is drooling stupid?
Just as I reach the final rung, a noise behind my shoulder makes me flinch. The ladder wobbles. Buddha’s gallbladder! It’s only Leo’s cam drones churning the air. I notice that only two hover behind me. I know he’s got at least four.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
I make it to the roof. It would be more canny if I could do a cool roll or something from the ladder to the roof, but instead, I very gingerly make the transition. My breath plumes white in front of me.
When both feet hit the roof, I let out a sigh. A small victory is still a victory. Now, for the question of the day. Where is Shine?
No doubt he saw or heard me coming. I wasn’t exactly quiet about my big entrance. I scan the roof. My heart hammers so hard I think it’s trying to bail on this whole endeavor.
“Not so close,” I hiss to a cam drone after it almost lops off my braid with its propellers.
I don’t see anything up here except a layer of dead leaves and the solar panels. I almost blurt out a profanity, but I remember the cam
s. I need to be in character now. On the outside, I’m controlled. Cunning.
In my mind I rage. What if I’ve lost Shine and let this one last crucial chance slip through my fingers?
I cautiously move across the roof. Where could he have gone from here? Is he working with someone from the inside? Could one of The Professor’s henchmen have already betrayed him? I could def believe Mermaid would immediately turn on him. What about Gold? No, he needs some fame first. He’ll want to build up his Persona on the show and grab as much lens as possible before making his iconic breakout.
I turn in a slow circle and then see the answer, which would have been completely obvi if my brain weren’t churning like an overheated server.
I walk over and study the shattered skylight. Not exactly subtle, but it worked. The skylight would let Shine into one of the two penthouses on the top floor, and I know exactly which one this is.
Shine has at least 15 mins on me since I saw him get to the roof. There’s no time to make my precious way down the ladder. Instead, I use my boot to kick in some of the remaining glass.
“You’re lobotomy,” I whisper to myself. This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.
Nope, that was forcing my brother to sign up for The Ends of the Earth with me.
Second dumbest thing, then.
I jump through the shattered window.
I have no doubt that Shine’s boots include impact cushioning mini-thrusters. Mine do not. I land hard, dropping right onto the pile of shattered glass and falling backwards. I’m up on my feet immediately, casing the room, even as I feel a hot burn in my thigh followed by the wetness of blood. My cracked rib throbs with a deep, angry pain. But there’s no time to worry about that. A figure enters the room, and my body automatically shifts into a fighting stance.
“Could have just pinged me,” Matthew says laconically from the kitchen doorway.
“You have been injured,” Betty says from the other side of the room. “Would you like me to fetch the medical kit?”
The robo holds a broom and dustpan. I note that she has acquired a British accent since the last time I saw her, as well as a noticeable dent in her left boob. I shift around, searching the mostly immaculate living room, and then turn back to Matthew.
“Have you seen anything unusual? Anyone unusual?” I demand.
“Hmm,” Matthew purses his lips. “No, can’t say that I have.”
“I have,” Betty speaks up. “I have seen something very unusual. An intruder damaged my outer plating.” She points to her boob dent. “And he broke the skylight.”
“Oh, him. Medium height. Bright yellow costume. Handsome chin dimple. That what you mean?” Matthew asks innocently.
I stare at him. “That’s exactly what I mean. Where is he?”
“What are you doing?” Matthew is suddenly serious.
“I think I can make the show if I bring in Shine.”
Matthew shakes his head. “You’re better than this, Alice.”
I used to think that, too. Then reality happened.
“I need the dollars,” I tell my friend. I touch the point of pain in my thigh and pinch a small piece of glass. I pull it out. The blood trickles faster from the wound, but it doesn’t feel too deep. My ribs are worse. The pain drums through me with every breath.
Matthew scratches at the side of his face. On the wall, an ep of Andor’s Realm is paused on the holo-screen. A half-eaten sandwich rests on a plate on the coffee table. Grilled cheese. No crusts.
“I can loan you money,” my friend says.
I give him a look to tell him exactly what I think about that. “Where did Shine go?”
“Downstairs, I imagine,” Matthew says. “Not a bad guy. Apologized for the skylight. Promised to send payment.”
“Did you tell him about the entrance to your dad’s lair?”
Matthew shakes his head. “Didn’t come up. Our convo was rather brief.”
That’s interesting. If Shine didn’t ask about the secret entrance, he must already know where it is.
Matthew gazes up at the cam drones that followed me through the skylight. “Leo, you’ve got to cut all this” he says to them. He looks at me. “I made Dad promise to keep me out of the show.”
A thought flickers in my mind. Shine must not have recognized him, otherwise Matthew would have been a valuable hostage. Not surprising — Matthew hardly looks like the beguiling little sidekick America fell in love with so many years ago.
“You really want to do this?” Matthew asks me. I hate the disappointment in his voice, but those are his demons. Not mine.
“You’re stalling,” I say.
He saunters over to his door, and it slides open. I cross the room and walk into the hallway. Each step brings a twinge of pain in my thigh, but it’s manageable.
“Shining luck,” Matthew says, irony laced in his words.
“Shining luck,” Betty adds warmly.
I lock eyes with Matthew. “It’s just a gig,” I tell him.
He turns, and the door slides shut. I’ll have to repair that damage later, but right now I’ve got serious OotH — Opportunities on the Horizon — that require my attention. Well, one yellow-suited opportunity in particular. Ignoring the pain in my thigh and the steady ache of my ribs, I rush down the stairs to the first floor. This is where Shine must go if he has any hope of getting into The Professor’s secret lair.
I can either be quiet or fast. I choose fast. If Shine finds a way into the secret elevator, my plan will be dead as steering wheels. As soon as I hit the bottom floor of the mansion, I spot Shine; he’s not easy to miss with the glowing armor.
The famous sidekick stands in the corner of the sitting room behind a huge potted plant and fiddles with the door to the secret elevator. Blessed be Buddha’s beautiful bald head that he doesn’t seem to have the code.
His head snaps in my direction when I step off the stairs, but then his hand relaxes on the handle of his Torch Whip.
Blight! The smoke-tinted goggles are still perched on my forehead. I forgot to put them on, giving my identity away to the enemy.
Canny start to the villainous career, Alice, I congratulate myself. Leo will have to put a filter over my face, assuming this footage makes it into an ep.
“Uh, citizen,” Shine says, “pay no heed. Official hero business.”
I walk toward him. I don’t say anything. Guilt fills my gut, heavy and sour, but it doesn’t stop me. I remember Leo’s words. This is a villain show.
“Look, it’s not really a good time for an autograph,” Shine says. “If you want a quick selfie, that’ll be fine.”
I’ve only got one chance. Just one.
I walk right up to Shine, give him a big smile, and then punch him in the face as hard as I can.
Chapter 19
You're going to get your ass kicked. A lot. Accept it. That's what henchmen are for.
Tickles the Elf, The Henchman’s Survival Guide
The helmet. His damn helmet. I’d aimed my punch at Shine’s chin, but he must have jerked his head down when he saw my fist coming at him. My knuckles explode in pain as Shine’s head rockets back. He stumbles, and I grapple with the lasso, trying to unwind it from my shoulder. My right hand is ringing, my fingers slow and numb.
Shine recovers quickly. Too quickly. I get the lasso loose and heave the open loop at him, but Shine steps easily away.
“What are you doing?” he demands.
I only had one shot at surprise. I failed.
WLE – Worst Launch Ever.
Some stubborn, angry thing inside of me refuses to admit it’s all over. I drop the lasso and grab for Shine. As soon as my fingertips touch his shoulders, he brings up his arms, breaking the hold, and pushes me back, hard. Even without his nearly impenetrable costume, Adan is clearly the better fighter.
“Are you working for him? For The Professor?” Shine asks, incredulous. He finally takes in my cheap lab coat and the goggles on my forehead. He looks quickly around the fir
st floor to see if other henchmen might be lurking behind the potted plants.
My throat is tight. Tears sting the corners of my eyes, but I keep them at bay. No matter what happens, I need at least this tiny shred of dignity left.
“Just thought I’d take you up on your offer to spar,” I say. That jab, at least, catches. I hear the sharp intake of his breath. He’d probably convinced himself that I didn’t really know his true identity.
I move in again, and there is a helpless fury in my attack. Shine blocks the thrust of my palm, but then I land a solid elbow to his chest. A blow like that would knock the wind out of a normal man, but all those little interconnecting scales of Shine’s costume disperse the impact. He steps back with a small grunt. I duck low and try to hit at his kidneys. He spins fast, grabs my braid, and flings me be back as if I weigh nothing. I stumble, barely keeping on my feet.
Sharp pain lances through my ribs with each gasping breath I take.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Shine says. “You’re trying to get on his team? Is it money? I can pay if you know the code to the elevator.”
His voice holds pity. And compassion.
It’s the compassion I can’t stand.
A despo, messy plan sprouts in my mind.
With a cry of rage, I throw myself at Shine. My arms are wild as I assail him with sloppy blows. I stomp on his foot. He probably doesn’t even feel it through his shielded boots, but at least I make him mad.
“Stop!” he demands. His punch is a little slow, a little hesitant, but I don’t try to block it. His fist lands solidly in my stomach and the next one crashes into my temple. I drop to the old, linoleum floor as the room pulsates with black edges. Curling into myself, I wrap my arms around my stomach and allow a soft whimper to escape my throat.
“Blight.” Shine’s voice is soft now. “I didn’t mean to. You were swinging.”
I curl my knees. The pain is real enough.
“I… I need you to tell me about the elevator,” he says behind me.
My shoulders shake with held-in sobs. Shine drops down onto his knees behind me. I wait, every hair rising along my arms.
