Hero complex, p.19
Hero Complex, page 19
Bronte was wearing a body camera and they all had earpieces. Athena wasn’t sure where Spero had gotten those. She didn’t ask. Athena had been joking about superheroes and saving the world so long it had actually seemed like a good idea. Watching them walk into danger now was causing her to reevaluate. She’d been outvoted when she’d said she wanted to go with them. Given that she was the only one without some kind of extra power, she finally had to back down.
“Athena, you there?” Bronte sounded nervous.
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Athena’s leg bounced wildly under the desk.
“I appreciate that. More than you know.”
“Save it for later, you two. Are we on some weird foreplay stroll or are we out here to go after Bard’s blood supply?” Galen stuck her face in front of the camera and glared.
“What I think you were asking, Galen, is whether the building you’re targeting still looks good, right?” Athena stuck her tongue out even though Galen couldn’t see her.
“Sure, whatever.” Galen moved out of camera range. “How’re we looking?”
Athena looked at the other window open on the computer. It was a traffic camera feed across the street from the supply house. Spero had reviewed the footage he’d recorded since this time yesterday and unless someone was inside that never left, there were only three of Bard’s men in the building.
“Unless I’m missing something, no one has come or gone from the building.” Athena checked and rechecked the screen. She stared at it until she saw a car drive past so she knew the picture wasn’t frozen.
“Are you missing something?” Galen sounded less annoyed and more scared.
“Hey, lay off.” Bronte on the other hand sounded pissed. “We’re all a little scared, no need to take it out on Athena.”
“I can tell you’re scared. He’s his usual blank slate. My emotions are my own business.”
Athena could see Galen again on the camera. She looked agitated as she pointed to Bronte, Spero, and herself. It was an odd perspective to follow the three of them on the traffic cameras and other CCTV feeds along their route while also seeing Bronte’s body camera view.
“Are you two done bitching at each other?” Athena cut in. “This might be your first mission or operation or walk in the park, but anyone want to show a little professionalism? For the folks who do this sort of thing for a living?”
“I think those folks only exist in comics, babe.” Bronte chuckled.
Athena’s mouth went dry. Had Bronte casually called her “babe” in the middle of the most stressful thing they’d ever been a part of? Athena banished all endearments, terms, acts, and whispers now and in the near future from her thoughts. She had other areas that demanded her attention. Like comic book characters.
“Those folks were only in the comics. Now there’s you three. Do ’em proud.” Athena was glad they couldn’t see the sweat beading on her brow or how often she had to unclench her jaw.
“Yes, Arm Fall Off Lad, the Whizzer, and Fruit Boy have set a high bar.” Galen looked directly into the camera again.
Bronte swatted her away. “Dude, it’s weird that you keep staring at my chest.”
“No, it’s not,” Athena and Galen said together.
“Can we focus please?” Bronte cleared her throat a couple of times.
Galen popped back on camera one more time. “She’s bright as a strawberry.”
Athena could picture it. Bronte’s easy blush was adorable even if she’d never tell Bronte. She refocused. “You three ready? Go over your assignments one more time for me.”
Spero looked back at Bronte and flashed his screen. He lifted his middle finger in what Athena could only assume was extra emphasis of his preparedness.
“I’m emotional surveillance. If I sense anything squirrelly, I’ll alert the others. I’m also in charge of getting into the building and stealing as many blood samples as I can from inside once the two big lugs here start hitting people.” Galen sounded less nervous than she had before. “I wore my freeze-proof underwear so I can shove it all in my drawers.”
“I guess I’m one of the lugs. Spero and I will draw out Bard’s men, subdue them, and buy Galen time to get inside and get the samples. I really hope nothing goes in her underwear. She’s free to steal anything else after that. When she’s done, regardless of what she finds, we’ll plant the spyware Spero built to infect the rest of the network and destroy everything else at the storage facility.” Bronte sounded like she was reading a price list for spare lawnmower parts.
Athena’s body was weirdly amped up and deadly calm. Her legs and stomach were doing the jitterbug, her heart was thumping out a loud bass beat from a hip-hop hit, and her brain seemed hell-bent on playing improvisational jazz. She took a couple of deep breaths and shook out her hands.
“Okay, I’m your benevolent overlord. I’m going to walk you through the tricky bits. You guys can do this. Hold on. Don’t turn that next corner.” Athena leaned closer to the monitor as if she could pluck the group of men she saw gathered a few hundred feet from her friends and fling them away. One of the men was part of the group that attacked Galen.
“Bard’s men. They’re around the corner. You have to hide.” Athena’s voice was calmer than she expected. Her friends couldn’t see the whole picture, but she could. Bard’s men, nearly fifteen of them, were checking buildings and looking carefully in alleyways. They weren’t leaving any stone unturned as they searched. Athena could guess what they were looking for. Her friends needed her to get them home.
“What do you mean?” Galen leaned into camera view on Bronte’s body camera. Every line, strain, and grimace on her face gave away how she was feeling.
“I’ll get you home, but you need to hide. Now.” Athena knew some of her own worry seeped into her voice.
The body camera footage moved wildly. She could see on the other camera feed that Bronte was scrambling to squeeze behind a dumpster. Galen and Spero were similarly trying to disappear from sight.
Athena stifled a scream when she realized they were too late. The group of men turned toward them like hunters after prey. Spero and Bronte seemed to come to the same understanding. They exited their hiding places and looked ready to fight. When Bronte turned in Spero’s direction, Athena could see his screen flashing menacingly.
“Where’s Galen?” Athena searched the monitor for her. Finally, she saw her, partially hidden behind a trash can, doubled over, holding her head in her hands. “Galen, what’s going on?”
“We’re right by a strip mall. I can see two fast food restaurants from here. There are too many people.” Galen fell to her knees, still holding her head.
“Well, what do we have here?” One of Bard’s men sneered at Galen on the ground. “We were just looking for you. Where’s the little nurse? She’s the last piece we need to collect.”
“You’ll stay the fuck away from her.” Bronte lunged at the man, but she was sent flying by an unidentifiable wave or blast or field coming from short metal sticks wielded by each of Bard’s men.
“Tell us where you’ve been hiding and I might consider letting the little hotty go. Bard won’t of course, but I’d at least consider it.” The man laughed. It was a cruel laugh.
Athena watched as Bronte crawled to Galen. Spero was still on his feet, and he moved protectively in front of them. Bronte jabbed Galen’s shoulder and pulled her back to standing. “Come on, Galen. All hands on deck. We’re in a bit of a pickle here.” Bronte sounded one notch below panicked.
Spero glanced over his shoulder then flashed his screen as he turned back to Bard’s men. He caught one of them looking and sent him to the ground in a pool of tears.
“Galen, listen to me.” Athena leaned close to the screen as if that might help her get through to Galen. “This is like a noisy bar. When you’re in a bar you can always pick out the voice of the hottest girl in the room, right?”
Galen nodded almost imperceptibly but Athena was willing to take that small step forward.
“This is the same thing, except we’re not looking for hot women, you’re looking for the safety of your friends and what they’re feeling right now. All you have to do is look for their unique emotions. Focus on looking for those instead of tuning out the others. I know it’s like a fire hose for you and it’s overwhelming. Can you sense Bronte and Spero? Focus.” Athena was standing now, her nose practically pressed to the monitor.
Athena watched Galen stand on wobbly knees. “I think so. I feel like I’m drowning.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet, Doc.” The seeming ringleader of the group of men nodded to the others and they closed in around Bronte and Galen. Their advance forced Spero to retreat until the three of them were back-to-back in a desperate triangle.
Athena watched helplessly as the first punches were thrown. The fight looked like a video game because she was safely here, in the warehouse, away from harm. Galen was crouched again, barely deflecting the blows coming her way. Bronte’s metal skin was fluctuating in and out. She was fighting back but was clearly distracted by the zeptobots.
“Bronte, work with the zeptobots.” Athena sat and pulled close to the desk. She was not going to let her friends die out there. The calm she depended on as a nurse settled in, allowing her to focus through the panic.
“I’m trying. What are they playing at?” Bronte grunted. The camera shook wildly. Athena assumed she’d been hit in the torso.
“Last time you were in a fight, they had to take charge. Don’t fight each other. You’re more than capable now but you need their help. Let them know that. Work together.” Athena turned her attention to Galen. “Galen, listen to me. You can’t sit there and get the shit beat out of you. Either start swinging as well as you throw verbal jabs or get off the ground and run.”
Galen didn’t move.
“Galen! On. Your. Feet.” Athena used her most commanding nurse voice.
It did the trick. Galen shot off the ground and started swinging madly at anyone within range. She almost took Spero’s head off in the process, but she connected solidly with a few of Bard’s men as well.
“Spero, can you help get some of these guys off our back?” Bronte was back to full metal and dispatched one guy about ten feet away with a punch.
When Spero turned, his screen lit and his eye caught the sun, Athena thought he looked like a wolf caught in the midst of the hunt. He shook his head and turned back to his next foe. Athena watched as Spero fought him.
“Bronte, Spero can’t make use of his screen with anyone not in his direct line of sight. Most of Bard’s men are avoiding facing him, which means they know who and what he is. His best weapons right now are his fists.” Athena wanted to throw something. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. Instead of toasting a victory later she was hoping they wouldn’t be pouring one out for a fallen friend. “Can you regroup and retreat? You were ambushed and there’s no way you’ll have any element of surprise now. No blood sample’s worth any of you getting captured or killed.”
She could see only half the men who’d started the assault were still in fighting shape, but that still outnumbered her three friends. Even on the grainy surveillance video she could see Galen’s surge in energy was flagging. It likely wouldn’t be long until she was swamped by the onslaught of emotions once again.
Spero signaled “one minute” toward Bronte and the camera. He fought his way to Galen, grabbed the small container she’d brought for the blood sample, and he sprinted away. Three men followed after him, but he never slowed.
Bronte started to follow. Athena reached for the screen as if she could hold her back. “No, Bronte, you have to stay with Galen. There are too many of them and I don’t know for sure if more are coming.” Swallowing felt difficult, like she was trying to get past her heart stuck in her throat. What she wanted to do was tell Bronte to run back to her, to get to safety, but she couldn’t ask her to leave their friends. Athena’s job was to sit safely in the warehouse and watch her friends succeed or fail, possibly even die, without being able to do a damn thing about it. It was a shit job.
She chewed a fingernail as she watched Bronte turn back to Galen in time to engage two of Bard’s men. At least the zeptobots seemed to be working with Bronte a little more consistently.
Time passed slowly as Athena stared at Galen’s mostly internal, occasionally external battle, and Bronte taking on all comers, until Spero finally returned. Bronte swung around in time for Athena to see Spero grab Galen by the shoulders and flash a joyful emoji on his screen. The change in her was instantaneous. She socked a guy in the nose singing a song from the B-52s at the top of her lungs.
“Did you get what we need, Spero?” Bronte turned to Spero.
Before he could answer the camera looked like it was floating and then was facing skyward. One of Bard’s men came into view from above.
“We’ve heard all about your games, metal head. You were stupid to come out of your hidey-hole. Ms. Verstrand will always be ready for you. She’ll always be better than you.”
With that the man unzipped his jacket to reveal a flexible screen across his chest. It was already lit and flashing words, pictures, and emojis. Athena stared at the screen, unable to look away. She expected to feel the effects, but felt nothing. She heard Bronte cry out.
“Don’t like that, do you?” The man pulled a remote from his pocket. He clicked a few buttons. “How about this? Better?”
New images flew across the screen. Bronte moaned.
Athena squirmed in her chair. Her stomach contents flipped and flopped like a small boat in a large storm. Why had this guy waited so long to torture her? Was he waiting for Spero to return so they’d all be together when he incapacitated Bronte? Did he have a plan for Spero too?
“Bronte, listen to my voice.” Athena knew she sounded desperate. “You’re stronger than he is. Let the zeptobots take care of this. Remember what happened when Spero was training with you.” No answer. “Galen, Spero, can one of you help?”
“No can do. We’ve got a bit of a situation ourselves.” Galen sounded like she was in pain.
Athena couldn’t tear her eyes away from Bronte long enough to check on Spero or Galen. “Bronte, you can do this. Listen to my voice. Focus. You’re stronger than he is. Do the thing you did when you were training.” Athena stood and gripped the side of the desk until her fingers were white and cramped.
Finally, Bronte answered. Her breathing was short and ragged. “I am stronger.”
Athena watched Bronte’s glowing fist rise in front of the camera and connect with Bard’s man. He flew back as if hit by a bus. Athena was a bit motion sick as Bronte got back to her feet and the camera swung crazily.
Bronte’s offensive was over in a matter of minutes. Bard’s men were groaning on the ground as Bronte, Spero, and Galen sprinted away.
“Where did you go?” Bronte sounded annoyed as she turned to Spero.
Athena watched Spero wiggle the storage bag a little. He lowered it again and kept running.
“You really got a blood sample? Seriously?” Bronte didn’t sound like she believed him. “You didn’t do anything else insane like wire that storage facility to blow, did you?”
Athena’s stomach dropped at the look on Spero’s face. It was a cross between glee and resolution.
Bronte stopped and turned back in the direction they’d come from. “There are people in there, Spero. I don’t care if they’re Bard’s men, I’m not letting them get blown up.”
Something stopped Bronte from running back into danger. Although Athena appreciated her morals, she was glad Bronte wasn’t running headlong into yet more chaos. She wasn’t sure her nerves could take much more. Not to mention her tooth enamel, if she hadn’t already ground it all off clenching her jaw.
Bronte turned back and Athena saw Spero patting the air in the universal sign for calm down.
“So you didn’t rig the place to blow?” Bronte sounded skeptical.
Spero held his index finger and thumb an inch apart. Then he waved Bronte forward as he took off running again.
Bronte didn’t follow right away. Finally, after Spero and Galen were half a block ahead, Bronte followed. She muttered as she took off after them. “No one better die.”
Athena kept tabs on the surveillance cameras as the three made their way back to the warehouse along the path Spero had charted for their return trip. They stopped frequently to check for tails and doubled back often if they suspected anything amiss. Athena provided a wider range view. Bard’s men had spread out. Some, those limping or staggering, had retreated in the opposite direction. A few had hopped in a nearby car and were slowly moving street by street, but Athena had the advantage of steering her friends clear.
The rest of the men were on foot, once again searching buildings and alleyways in the direction Bronte, Spero, and Galen had run. Spero’s route had taken them initially away from the warehouse before doubling back so Bard’s men on foot were methodically searching in the wrong direction.
The closer her friends got to home the more Athena was able to relax. So many emotions started bubbling up she felt like Spero was toying with her. She didn’t expect to feel elated and scared and on the verge of tears. Would that have happened even if she hadn’t been watching someone she cared about as much as she did Bronte out there fighting?
She should have anticipated this side effect of letting herself care. She’d been so worried about getting tied down and how that would impact her wild, carefree ways, she didn’t think about how wild Bronte’s life was about to get and what that would mean for her. Being the one watching from the sidelines was hard and brought her back to her younger days when she watched every other kid living their lives without her. Except she wasn’t that kid anymore and she wasn’t watching someone else live the life she wanted. She was a part of the team and she got to decide for herself if she wanted to stay or go. Could she see herself happy in this life? What about a life with Bronte the person, not just Bronte the hero? They weren’t the same and she had to be okay with both if she wanted a future with her. That’s what scared her. She’d never pictured domestic bliss for herself. What if she could only say yes to one?
