The Legacy Superhero Omnibus Page 16

  I shook my head. “No. If I did that, the Injectors would probably just kill my parents. And that’s assuming the police would even be capable of taking down the Injectors, which I doubt they are.”

  “But you can’t just go and give the Injectors the Watch,” said Kyle. “That’s crazy. If any of the Injectors had access to the Watch, they could cause all kinds of trouble, much worse trouble than they can do now. You have to keep it.”

  I shrugged. “I would like to keep it, but I value my parents more than I value the Watch. I wish I could have both, but it seems like I have to choose one or the other, and I think you know why I chose my parents.”

  Kyle nodded, though he still had a troubled look on his face. “Man, Jack, I wish you’d told me about your superhero stuff earlier. Then I might have been able to help you somehow.”

  “No, it’s fine,” I said, waving off Kyle’s concerns. “There’s nothing you can do to help. Don’t feel so bad about it. It’s not like you’re a superhero yourself who … could … help …”

  My sentence trailed off as an idea occurred to me. The idea percolated in my mind like coffee, quickly turning into a full-blown plan whose details were rapidly becoming clear to me.

  “Jack?” said Kyle. “You look like you were just hit by lightning.”

  I looked at Kyle and smiled. “Kyle, I think I know how you can help me with this. I’ve got a plan … and I think, if we all do our parts, it could just work.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Hours later, at midnight that night, I flew through the sky, my cape flapping behind me, heading directly to the headquarters of the Injectors. It was a cloudy night tonight, which meant I was unlikely to be seen by the people on the streets below, which was good, because I wasn’t very comfortable with being seen in public just yet, mostly because I didn’t want the police to see me and try to arrest me for being an illegal superhero.

  Then again, I didn’t really enjoy flying through the clouds, because they were a lot wetter than they looked. Nonetheless, my costume and goggles kept me mostly dry, and according to the Watch’s GPS system, I was almost at the Injectors’ headquarters.

  When I first put the address which the Injector had given me into my phone’s GPS app, I had been surprised to discover that the Injectors’ headquarters was not some seedy abandoned apartment building on the outskirts of town, but rather a large, six story building in the middle of Rumsfeld itself. The building was a relatively new one called the Peter Glow Building, so named after the billionaire, Peter Glow, who built it in the first place. It was supposed to be a new office building that businesses could rent office space from, which many businesses used for that exact purpose.

  I would never have expected the Injectors to set up shop there, but at the same time, I could see the logic behind it. After all, no one would ever expect the most infamous drug cartel in town to be set up inside a legitimate business building where plenty of real, honest businesses did work. I did wonder, though, how they had managed to go so long without arousing the suspicion of the police or anyone else who used the building. I figured they had to be using a fake business name and front to trick people into thinking that they were just another business trying to make a profit.

  But it didn’t really matter to me how they had managed to conduct their business, because soon their entire enterprise would come crashing down around them and they wouldn’t even see it coming. Assuming, at least, that my plan worked.

  There. According to my watch, I was now directly above the Peter Glow Building. Pausing in midair, I slowly lowered through the clouds until I emerged from the underside of the clouds and got a good look at the Peter Glow Building itself directly below me.

  The Peter Glow Building was even bigger in person than in the pictures. Though not the tallest building in downtown Rumsfeld, its newness made it stand out in comparison to the other buildings around it that had been built much longer ago. Street lights reflected off its windows, while the words ‘PETER GLOW BUILDING’ in front of the building glowed white.

  “There it is,” I muttered. “The headquarters of the Injectors themselves.”

  TW flashed into existence next to me, a worried look on his face. “It certainly doesn’t look like the place where drug dealers would set up shop, now does it?”

  “No, it does not,” I agreed. “But that’s why they chose it, obviously. I can only imagine how they’ve managed to do business in there for so long without being caught.”

  “Drug dealers are more clever than most people give them credit for,” said TW. “But in any case, their business is about to be upended, isn’t it?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Which reminds me …”

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Kyle’s number. I only had to wait one ring before Kyle answered and said, “Hey, Jack, are you at the location?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I’m above the Peter Glow Building even as we speak. Are you ready to call the cops?”

  “Yeah,” said Kyle. “Do you want me to call them now?”

  “Of course,” I said. “It will take the cops at least ten minutes to get there, which I estimate is how long it will take for me to have my meeting with the Injectors. By the time I’m done talking with them, the police should have the building surrounded and the Injectors will be trapped like rats.”

  “Right,” said Kyle. “I’ll call my cousin. He’s pretty high up in the police department, so he should be able to get things going quickly. And he’ll definitely make sure to keep my tip anonymous to protect me from the Injectors in case things go wrong.”

  “Good to hear,” I said. “Now, I’m going to hang up, because I don’t want to be late for my meeting with the Injectors. See you later.”

  I hung up the call and put the phone back into my pocket. I glanced at TW, who disappeared back into the Watch, and then started to descend to the roof below.

  As I descended from the sky, I briefly went over in my mind the plan that Kyle, TW, and I had hammered out only hours before. It was a relatively simple plan, all things considered, but I was amazed we had managed to figure it out so quickly. I guess that’s just what happens sometimes when you only have a limited time to come up with a plan.

  The plan was this: I would go to the Peter Glow Building to meet with the Injectors. Ostensibly, I was to give the Injectors the Trickshot Watch in exchange for my parents, but in truth, I would do whatever I could to distract the Injectors long enough for Kyle to call the cops and tell them about the Injectors’ headquarters. I needed to distract the Injectors long enough for the police to arrive and surround the place. Once they did, I would not have to worry about my parents, because the Injectors would have no choice but to hand them back over to me.

  Landing on top of the Building, I briefly glanced around to take in my surroundings. There wasn’t much to look at, aside from the air conditioning units. I didn’t see anyone other than myself, which made me wonder for a moment if I had picked the wrong building. I glanced at the GPS system on my watch and saw that I was where I was supposed to be. But then where were the Injectors and my parents?

  All of a sudden, the door on the top of the building slammed open. Five figures walked out of the doorway. Three of them Injectors, each one armed with a rifle. The other two were Christina Madison, who I would recognize anywhere, and a mysterious black man with long dreads and a very professional-looking business suit. The black man in particular caught my attention, because he looked way too important to be a mere lackey like the other Injectors.

  The three Injectors spread out slightly, standing in between me and Christina and the other guy. They were probably the black guy’s bodyguards, which meant I already knew who he was, though I didn’t say that aloud just yet because I wanted to be sure.

  “Hi, there, kiddo,” said Christina, waving at me, a very fake and mocking smile on her lips. “You’re actually on time for our meeting. And here I thought you might chicken out at the last minute and run away like the scared little
boy you are.”

  “You must have a pretty low opinion of me if you think I’d just run away and abandon my parents to monsters like you,” I said. “I don’t know what your family is like, but with my family, when one of us is in danger, we always come to each other’s rescue.”

  “Whatever,” said Christina. “What matters is that you came.” She looked at the black man standing beside her. “See, Michael? I told you he would come. You didn’t believe me, but I was right.”

  “Michael?” I said, looking at the black guy in surprise. “Are you—”

  “Michael Jones,” said the black guy, his tone dull, yet dangerous. “We’ve spoken already, remember? On the phone about a week ago.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”

  “When you told me that you were declaring war on the Injectors, I didn’t quite believe you,” said Michael. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes running up and down my body. “Or, rather, I thought you were going to be more intimidating than you actually look. You’re barely more than a kid.”

  “A kid who has already put twenty of your guys in jail,” I said. “But you can call me ‘just’ a kid if that makes you feel better.”

  “A mouthy kid, at that,” Michael observed. “But it doesn’t really matter now, because you have no power here, even in your costume.”

  Michael snapped his fingers. Two more Injectors emerged from the doorway, but they did not come alone. They dragged Mom and Dad—who were both tied up and unconscious—out behind them. They immediately put their guns to Mom and Dad’s heads before I could do anything.

  “Mom, Dad,” I said. I looked at Michael. “Did you hurt them?”

  “My men knocked them out, but they weren’t hurt very much,” said Michael. “They should suffer no permanent injuries … assuming, of course, you keep your end of the deal and give us the Watch.”

  My hands balled into fists. I didn’t know how much time I had left before the police showed up, but it couldn’t be much longer. I needed to drag out this meeting as long as possible, which meant finding ways to keep them from suspecting that I was trying to stall this meeting.

  “All right,” I said, folding my arms in front of my chest. “You promise not to kill my parents if I give you guys the Watch?”

  “That’s the agreement, yes,” said Michael, nodding. “I thought Christina already explained it to you.”

  “She did,” I said, shifting my weight from foot to foot. “It’s just that I’m not entirely sure I can trust you, given who you are.”

  Michael frowned. “I understand your reticence, but trust me, I don’t like killing indiscriminately. I would rather not kill your parents than kill them, but if I must, well, then I will do what I have to.”

  I smiled grimly. “Is that why you had a bunch of your guys hijack a school bus and threaten to kill a bunch of high school kids? Because that sure seemed necessary to me.”

  “Mouthy,” Michael said. “Very mouthy. Perhaps a little too mouthy, wouldn’t you say, Christina?”

  Christina nodded. “Yep. It sure would be a problem if that mouth of his, ah, pissed you off, wouldn’t it?”

  “It certainly would,” said Michael. “And if I got angry enough, I might accidentally tell my men to kill his parents. I’ve been known to act rashly when I lose my temper and that would certainly be something I might do if I were to lose my temper just now.”

  I understood what they were trying to say. They were losing their patience. The longer I dragged out this meeting, the more likely it became that my parents would die. I still didn’t hear any police sirens below, but it looked like I had no choice but to hand over the Trickshot Watch to them.

  “All right,” I said. “Here you go.”

  I held up my hand and pressed the button on the Watch. As soon as I did, my costume vanished, leaving me in my normal street clothes. I took the Watch off my wrist and held it out toward the Injectors.

  “Here,” I said. “Take it. And once you take it, I want both of my parents back. Just to be clear.”

  Michael nodded. He said to one of the Injectors, “Take the Watch.”

  The Injector nodded in return and walked over to me. He grabbed the Watch from my hand without looking at me and walked back over to his boss. For one crazy second, I had this idea of tackling the Injector to the ground and taking the Watch from him, but I didn’t move, because I knew there was no way I would be able to survive without the suit. It made me feel weak and powerless, but it was the truth.

  The Injector handed the Watch over to Michael, who took it and turned it over in his hands interestedly. Christina leaned over toward him, her eyes locked on the Watch like she wanted it more than anything else in the world, but she didn’t take it. Maybe Michael would give her the Watch after this was over, though for some reason I didn’t think he would be terribly likely to just give her such a powerful weapon now that it was in his possession.

  “All right,” I said. “I want my parents now. I’ve upheld my end of the deal. It’s time you upheld yours.”

  Michael looked up at me suddenly, as if he had forgotten I was even here. “Your parents? Ah, right. Well, I’m not very interested in handing over hostages, because I’m aware that you haven’t actually upheld your end of the deal.”

  “What?” I said. I gestured at the Watch. “Dude, I just gave you the Watch. And it’s the real thing, too, not a fake or anything like that. The deal was that I would give you the Watch and you would give me my parents back. That’s what we agreed to.”

  “Did we agree to allow you to call one of your friends to have them call the police and inform them about the location of our headquarters?” Michael said, tilting his head to the side. “Because I certainly don’t recall agreeing to that part of the deal, unless my memory is bad, which it isn’t.”

  I gulped. “What are you talking about? I didn’t call the police and I haven’t told any of my friends about you.”

  “Liar,” Christina said. “I have contacts within the Rumsfeld Police Department who informed me of a call from a teenager named Kyle Denniger regarding a tip about the location of the Injectors’ headquarters. Of course, my contact has made sure that that information doesn’t reach the police chief, but it’s still obvious where that kid got that information from and what he was planning to do with it.”

  “I—”

  “You have no excuses, kid,” said Michael, interrupting me coolly and smoothly. “I suspected you might try something like this, because supers like you generally do. That’s why I am not going to give you back your parents, because I don’t deal with people who double-cross me.”

  Then Michael suddenly barked at the Injectors, “Shoot him now!”

  Before I could do anything, the Injectors aimed their rifles at me and fired.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Bullets struck me in the chest, shoulder, and stomach. The impact of the bullets sent me staggering backwards, my arms swinging, until my foot met empty air behind me and I fell straight down to the street below, screaming my lungs out.

  This was the end. As I fell, my life flashed before my eyes, almost like a movie in my head. From my earliest memory of eating birthday cake for my fifth birthday, to the day I got the Trickshot Watch in the mail, it all flashed instantly. It disturbed me how short my life had been, but I guess sixteen years really isn’t much.

  Not that I had time to think about my life, however. The street below was coming to meet my face and I could only hope that I would die upon impact, because I was already in more pain than I had ever been in my life. I could only stare up at the lights from the Peter Glow Building and the barely visible stars twinkling in the night sky above as I rushed toward my doom.

  I wasn’t much of a praying person, but I did pray to God that my parents and Grandfather would be safe. It wasn’t much of a prayer, given how I was screaming my head off and unable to think clearly, but it was a prayer nonetheless.

  That was when I felt something stir inside me, something th
at I had never felt before. It felt like power bubbling forth from within me, power I had never even known I had. It filled my bones and body like water, flooding my entire being and making me even more aware than I already was.

  And right before I splattered against the pavement below, I stopped. That’s right. I just stopped in midair, hovering inches above the cracked pavement below like I was being suspended from a rope.

  And it occurred to me where I had felt this before: It was how I felt when I was flying in the Trickshot suit. But how was I flying now? I didn’t have the Trickshot Watch, nor was I wearing the Trickshot costume. There was no way I should have even been able to float, yet here I was, hovering above the pavement below like I was lying on my back in a pool.

  I had no idea how that worked, but I decided not to question it. I immediately flew back up, straight toward the top of the Peter Glow Building. It didn’t take me long to reach the roof again, and by the time I did, I was more exhausted than I’d ever been in my life. I landed on the roof and fell on my hands and knees, panting and gasping for air, my lungs burning.

  Looking up, I saw that Michael, Christina, and the Injectors had already gone back inside the building. Once again, I was alone on the roof of the Peter Glow Building, but this time, I knew why. I struggled to get back to my feet, but the pain from where I’d been shot was too much. I fell back down on my hands and knees, struggling to remain conscious, but even doing that much took almost all of my conscious effort. My head throbbed and my mouth felt dry. Blood leaked out of the bullet holes in my body and darkness was gathering around the edges of my eyes.

  Great. Just great. I’d somehow managed to retain the ability to fly, but it wasn’t enough. Instead of dying as a splattered mess of bones and blood on the street, I’d just bleed out to death. Maybe my death would end up on one of those YouTube videos that likes to speculate about bizarre deaths no one can explain, which would actually be an awful way to be remembered.