Only then did Jeff become aware of the police, cameramen, and reporters witnessing his victory over the vampire who had killed Erica.
Chapter 13
The aftermath of the battle lasted longer than the battle itself. Jeff met with EMTs and dictated police reports to Detective Costner, but declined to comment to reporters. He still didn’t feel ready for that quite yet.
It was past eleven by the time Jeff got home. Too tired and aching from his many bruises, he didn’t bother to climb up the fire escape to his room. Instead, he threw street clothes over his armor and took the elevator.
Entering his apartment, he could hear the television blaring the nightly news.
His father, still dressed in his welding overalls, snored on the couch. Three beer bottles stood empty on the coffee table in front of him.
“In astonishing news tonight,” the anchorwoman said. A video of him battling the burning vampire played on the screen behind her. “The city’s new Force, formerly Cadet Trainee Alpha, defeated the Vampire Lavinia, who had killed his predecessor as well as business owner Lee Wiley and several others. And while the city mourns the loss of Erica McCreary, it looks like we are in good hands with the Force stepping in to fill her shoes.”
Jeff turned off the TV, headed to his room, took off his gear, and packed it all into its compartment.
Detective Costner had told him that Erica’s equipment and resources would be made available to him, but Jeff didn’t want to get into that tonight.
Jeff looked at his face in the mirror. The bruises would be gone by morning, but his world was changed forever.
He pulled out a tissue to wipe off some excess blood. As he was about to drop it in his trash bin, he noticed the family picture he’d dumped in there just the day before.
After a moment of thought, Jeff picked it up and placed it back on the bureau. Maybe the photo didn’t show the family he still had, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a family. Force had the whole city, didn’t he?
Jeff dove onto his twin bed and picked up his chemistry book, flipping to the page back where he’d left off studying the night before. His exam was tomorrow, after all.
Three pages in, Jeff fell into a deep sleep.
Superheroes Kill Vampires Page 4
