“Nothing much. Just doing my usual patrols. I heard the woman scream and zipped over.” Swifte eyed me. “And you were on the scene.”
I froze. Had Swifte seen me take out those goons? Had he seen me use powers? Oh God, was he going to expose me as I’d exposed so many superheroes? For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. That’d be some karmic retribution all right.
“Yeah. I got lucky.” I made my voice light and cheery, as though I tackled would-be rapists every day. “I’ve been taking karate lessons, you see.”
“Karate. Right.” Swifte started to lean against the side of the building but thought better of it, given his shimmering, white suit. “What you did back there looked like superpowers to me. Some sort of fancy telekinesis or something.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” When caught, deny all knowledge.
“Of course you don’t,” he said.
We stood there in silence. Finally, Swifte spoke again.
“There’s been a lot of talk about you lately, Carmen. The incident at the ice cream factory is all that anyone can think about these days.”
My mouth dropped open. “How do you know about that?” Nobody in the media had any idea what had really happened at the factory. Even SNN hadn’t broken the story. Police officials, including Chief Newman, had blamed the explosion on gas leaks.
“Word gets around. Most of us superheroes know how you saved the Fearless Five and that Malefica was really the one who killed Tornado. You’re no longer public enemy number one among the crowd.”
“Word gets around? Or just you?”
Swifte smiled, and his eyes glittered. “Both. But it was good of you, saving that woman. Who knows? Maybe I’ll see you around again. Your karate skills would come in quite handy in certain organizations in Bigtime. I hear the Fearless Five have an opening. But you already know that, don’t you, Carmen?”
I opened my mouth to deny once again that I had any sort of superpowers or connection to the Fearless Five, but Swifte sped off before I formed the first syllable. Damn, he was fast.
I did the same. I scurried through the deserted streets to my apartment, shut the door behind me, and locked it. I sank onto the sofa and stared into space. The enormity of what had just happened hit me. My hands trembled. My knees quivered. I’d used my power to save someone else. I’d acted like, well, a superhero. Reckless and daring and unconcerned for my own safety. One false move, one lucky shot from those men, and I could have been raped or worse along with that other woman. But I hadn’t been thinking about myself. All that had concerned me was saving her. Making sure she didn’t get hurt.
It had felt good, right, like what I was supposed to do with my life.
It felt like karma.
My karma had lightened in recent days. It had gone from deep black to a misty shade of gray. Even though Malefica had been the one who had murdered Tornado, I would always feel a deep sense of guilt, of responsibility for his death. After all, if I hadn’t exposed him, then Malefica would never have been able to target him. My inner voice whispered a surprising thought to me, one I had never considered before.
Perhaps this was a way to atone for my many sins. To become the very thing I had vowed to destroy—a superhero. I let out a bitter laugh. Karma was funny that way. Just when you thought you had everything worked out, something totally unexpected happened. Like being dropped into a vat of radioactive liquid and getting superpowers.
But did having powers automatically make me a superhero? Was that all it took? I didn’t know the answer to that question.
All I knew was that I had to find out. One way or another.
I picked up the phone.
“Talk to me.”
*
I met Lulu the next day in our usual spot by the fountain in the park.
“Sister Carmen, it’s good to see you.”
“You too, Lulu. You too.”
We made small talk for a few moments. I smiled as Lulu gushed about what a great guy Henry was and how thrilled she was I had introduced the two of them.
“I knew you two would like each other,” I said in a smug voice.
“Really? How?”
“Oh, it was just a feeling that I had.” I wasn’t ready to tell Lulu my secret. Maybe someday, but not today. “By the way, I want to thank you for leaking the information about Malefica to the press. Everyone is having a field day with it. Morgana Madison can never show her face in this town again, if she’s even still alive.”
Lulu grinned. “It was my pleasure. I’m just glad that you’re all right. When I didn’t hear from you, I was a little concerned. Of course, if I’d known you’d gotten bonked in the head and that the Fearless Five had taken you in, I wouldn’t have worried quite so much.”
I winced. “Sorry about that. But in my defense, I was unconscious for over a week.”
“Just don’t let it happen again. Now, down to business. What can I do for you today, Sister Carmen?”
“I need you to find out where the Fearless Five are going to be tonight. Who’s on their to-get list.”
Lulu arched an eyebrow. “Why do I get a strange sense of déjà vu?”
“It’s not like that. I’m not going to expose them. I just want to...thank them for everything they’ve done for me. That’s all.” I crossed my heart. “I promise.”
“All right. Only because it’s you, and I need another reminder about the riding program put in the newspaper.”
“Consider it done,” I said.
Lulu’s fingers moved over her keyboard, reminding me of Henry. Documents and files flashed up on the screen and then disappeared just as quickly. I could have called up Henry or the chief and gotten the info myself, but I didn’t want them to know I was coming. I needed to be sure before I did anything drastic.
“Looks like the Five aren’t too happy with the Westsiders. They’re a bunch of gangbangers who run drugs and gambling. They’ve been trying to muscle in on the Southside crew’s turf since that big drug bust a couple of months ago. Some of them have some minor superpowers, but nothing the Fearless Five can’t handle. The Westsiders are having a little get-together tonight to elect a new head honcho. The last guy got gunned down last week. The Fearless Five might try to bust up the meeting.” Lulu rattled off an address.
I wrote it down. “Thanks, Lulu.”
“Anytime, Sister Carmen. Anytime.”
*
Lulu zoomed off to meet Henry for coffee, and I strolled through the thick pines to Bigtime Cemetery. Row 17. Plot 325. I made my way to Travis aka Tornado Teague’s grave. Sun bounced off the white marble, which shimmered like a star.
“Well, I suppose you know why I’m here. I’ve decided to give this superhero thing a whirl. I’ll never be as good as you, but I have to try.”
A bee buzzed by, and a flock of pigeons cooed nearby. A chipmunk skittered up a tree.
“I’m sorry for what I did to you. For what Malefica did. If I’d known, well, things would have been different. But I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you and the Fearless Five. I’m going to be the best superhero I can be. I swear.”
Travis’s ghost didn’t appear to tell me I was doing the right thing. No triumphant music played. Lightning didn’t crisscross the sky. I didn’t even get a warm, fuzzy glow.
But my heart felt a little lighter, my karma a little brighter. It was enough.
I said my goodbyes to Travis and walked back to my apartment to get ready for tonight. I did the usual routine. Shower, clothes, makeup. I stood in front of the dresser in the bedroom and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. My eyes fell on my jewelry box, and my inner voice murmured.
I unlocked the bottom drawer and pulled out the engagement ring Matt had given to me all those years ago. It was a square diamond set in a gold band. I held it up to the light and turned it around. The ring looked smaller than I remembered. Dimmer. It didn’t hurt me to look at it, as it once had. Matt and I had had some good times, before the e
nd. I would remember those.
I put the ring back in the drawer, but I didn’t lock it away. I didn’t need to.
My heart belonged to Sam now. The superhero would take better care of it than Matt had.
I was counting on it.
Chapter Thirty-Two
That night, I was once again on Good Intentions Lane, despite my own best intentions. Or rather, because of them. I shifted. Something squeaked in the trash can next to me, and I inched away from it. I didn’t want to see the foot-long rat staring at me from the piles of rotting garbage. I could see the waves of energy radiating off its body. That was more than enough.
At the stroke of midnight, the Westsiders appeared, just as Lulu had said they would. The Westsiders were men in their early twenties and thirties dressed in baggy pants and expensive sneakers. They climbed out of black SUVs and low-riders that blared rap music. The men slapped hands and did those complicated handshakes I could never follow.
Suddenly, a silver sword sailed through the air, just as it had so many weeks ago, and planted itself into one of the tires on a particularly large SUV. Striker leapt out onto the hood of a car and launched himself into the crowd. Moments later, Fiera and Mr. Sage appeared. I even spotted Hermit in the mix. The superheroes waded through the gangsters like a chainsaw cutting through butter. In less than a minute, half the gangsters were down. In another minute, the ones who could still move were running or crawling away.
My eyes focused on Striker. He punched a Westsider and lashed out at another one with his booted foot. He moved with deadly grace, just like always. He looked even better than I remembered. Even better than in my most vivid dream. My heart leapt at the sight of him. There was just something about that tight, black leather suit that drove me crazy.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone sneaking up behind Striker. The superhero was busy battling two other Westsiders. A ball of lightning glimmered in the hidden man’s hand. I reached for the gray waves of energy around him. The ball fizzed out, and I used the ambient energy to throw the man into a nearby wall. He didn’t get up.
Striker finished pummeling his foes. He whirled around, not quite sure what had happened. I stepped out from the shadows. He spotted me immediately.
“Carmen.” His eyes brightened, burning into me.
Striker opened his mouth to say something, when Hermit came over.
“Carmen! It’s good to see you!” He clapped me on the back.
“You too, Hermit.”
Fiera and Mr. Sage joined us. Westsiders groaned and moaned on the ground.
“So what brings you down here? Other than helping us out again,” Hermit asked. His goggles gleamed in the dark night.
I took a deep breath. “I want to join the team. If you guys will still have me.”
“Of course we will. We’d be honored,” Striker said in a low, hesitant voice. “If you’re sure this is what you really want. We don’t want to pressure you into anything.”
“I’m sure. This is where I need to be. I can feel it.” I gave him a tentative smile, which Striker returned. My heart pounded.
“Excellent. Most excellent,” Mr. Sage said, pumping my hand. “Welcome aboard, Carmen.”
“Thanks.”
Hermit smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. I looked at Fiera.
She stared at me. Finally, she nodded her head. “Welcome to the team.”
I let out a breath. “Thanks. I won’t let you down. I promise.”
“We’ll see about that.” Fiera stalked around me, her blue eyes hot and thoughtful.
I shifted under her probing gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just sizing you up,” Fiera said.
“Why?”
She put her hands on her hips. “So I can make your costume, silly.”
*
I rode back to Sublime in the van with the Fearless Five. Once everyone had showered and changed into their regular clothes, we went upstairs to the kitchen. We ate junk food and talked and laughed and joked late into the night. Finally, though, the conversation turned to me and my new job as a superhero.
“There are several things we need to take care of,” Chief Newman said. “First of all, we’ve got to work on your power. You’ve got a good grasp on it, but I think you could do more with it.”
“I need to plug her into all the computer systems, not to mention get her set up on all the communication equipment,” Henry added.
“She needs a costume and a mask,” Fiona said. “I’ve got that covered.”
“Carmen needs her own room downstairs too,” Sam finished.
The four of them exchanged awkward glances. I knew what they were thinking.
“No,” I said. “Tornado will always be with you guys. I can’t take his place, and I don’t want to. I’ll use another room.”
Fiona squeezed my hand so hard I thought she was going to break my fingers. Somehow, I managed not to wince at her firm grip. Too much.
Finally, we said good night. I went up to my old suite and sat on the bed, waiting. A knock sounded a few moments later. My inner voice whispered. This was it. The big moment. The one I’d been waiting for all night.
I opened the door. Sam stood outside. For once, the superhero wore a pair of loose jeans and a black T-shirt. Maybe my bad habits were rubbing off on him. He looked as yummy in them as he did everything else, and my hormones kicked into overdrive.
“Hey,” I said in what I hoped was a cool, collected voice.
“Hey, yourself.”
He stood there in front of me. So close. So far away.
I stepped back. “Come in, if you want.”
Sam didn’t hesitate. He stepped inside, and I closed the door behind him.
“We need to talk,” he said, settling on the couch.
“I know.” I plopped down on the other end. I didn’t trust myself to get any closer to him. Not yet. Not until I knew the answer to my question.
Sam raked his hand through his dark hair. “I don’t know how to start.”
“Just start,” I said. “We’ll figure it out.”
He nodded. “That day in the garden when you asked me what I wanted, I didn’t handle things well. You were going through a lot. I should have understood. I should have been more patient.”
I shook my head. “I’ve been meaning to apologize to you. I was going through a lot, but I shouldn’t have flipped out like that. I shouldn’t have accused you of just wanting my power. I should have known better.”
“No,” Sam said. “I’m sorry. I sprang that on you with no warning, without even thinking.”
“And what do you want now?” I asked, breathless.
“You, Carmen. Just you.”
My heart soared.
“Even if you don’t stay with us, even if you decide one day you don’t want to be a superhero, I still want to try and figure out what this thing is between us. I care about you, Carmen. More than I’ve cared about anyone in a long time. I don’t want to lose you. Ever.” He took a deep breath. “I wanted to die when Malefica dumped you in that vat. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to fight. I only wanted to save you. The truth is, I love you, Carmen. I have for weeks now—”
That was all Sam got out before I threw myself at him. I pressed him down onto the sofa and rained kisses on his mouth, his cheeks, even his eyelids.
He laughed and caught my hands in his. I kept on kissing him. “Well, this wasn’t exactly the response I thought I’d get, but I’ll definitely take it. Does this mean that—”
“It means I love you too,” I said. “I love you, Sam Striker Sloane.”
Our lips met. Happiness swelled my heart until I thought it would burst. Not to mention the liquid fire Sam ignited deep within me.
The kissed ended, and I drew back. “Now that we’ve gotten those pesky declarations of love out of the way, why don’t you carry me over to that big, beautiful bed and make love
to me?”
“Why walk all that distance?”
Sam pulled me closer, and I melted in his arms.
*
Two days later, I sat in the underground library. Swatches of color littered the wooden table in front of me.
“Which do you like better, flamingo or fuchsia?” Fiona asked.
“How about something a little less…flamboyant?” I said. “I’m not really an over-the-top sort of girl.”
Fiona had kept her word. She was outfitting me with a superhero costume. We’d been looking at color swatches and samples for more than an hour, each one more outrageous than the last.
Fiona waved her hand. “Sure you are. You just don’t know it yet. Being over-the-top is what being a superhero is all about. Do you have a name picked out for yourself? I was thinking of something bold, something daring, something that looks good in neon pink.”
I could barely contain my shudder of revulsion. Neon pink? Ugh! “Actually, I have a name for myself, one I think is quite appropriate.”
“Really? What is it?”
I smiled. “Karma Girl.”
“Karma Girl? What kind of superhero name is that?” Fiona scoffed. “It doesn’t say anything about you. It doesn’t even say what your power is.”
“You’re wrong,” I said. “It says everything about me.”
After much haggling and some heated words, the two of us agreed on a color—a nice silver that didn’t have too many sparkles in it. Now, I could only pray I’d actually fit into the catsuit Fiona was designing for me.
A few hours later, I stared at myself in the mirror. “I look ridiculous. Like a giant snowflake come to life. Or an oversized disco ball.”
“You look fine,” Fiona snapped. “After all, you’re wearing a Fiona Fine original. Put on the mask.”
I dutifully pulled on the mask. I barely recognized myself. Silver spandex covered me from head to toe, and the mask obscured the top half of my face. Chunky boots encased my feet, and a pair of gloves completed the look. Fiona wanted to add a cape to my new superhero ensemble, but I refused. I wasn’t wearing a cape. No way, no how. I might be a superhero, but I had to draw the line somewhere.