Hero Reborn (Keepers of Justice, Book 3) (2 page)

Maybe we’re not meant to have girlfriends.

***

It’s nine PM when I enter my parents’ room. Well, they’re not my
biological parents. My biological parents dumped me at the League when I was a baby. They probably saw I looked like a gummy bear and decided I wasn’t good enough. I was adopted by a childless couple here at the League, Anna and David Mason, whom I consider my real parents. They’re awesome.

Mom’s reading a book and Dad’s watching
a soccer game.

“Hi.” I sit down.

Dad smiles. “Hey.”

Mom looks up from the book. “Are you hungry?”

I shake my head. That’s all she’s been doing since I came back. Keeps asking if I’m hungry or tired. I know she and Dad worry, just like I do. Maybe the Blades will regret their decision and kill me. It’s like they own me or control me. Like I’m in their debt or something.

I just want to be treated the same. I want Mom to scold me for dirtying the kitchen (I do that a lot, which pisses the
League housekeeper off). I want Dad to laugh every time my limbs are out of control. They want to spend more time with me because life’s short. I died suddenly, and my friends told me my parents took the death really hard. They couldn’t even live in the mansion anymore. Couldn’t take it. Now that I’m back, I’m happy to hang out with them.

I guess one good thing came out of my dying.

The next day, the three of us are in X’s room. He’s the only kid without a roommate. Speed used to share the place, but he couldn’t handle living in such a dirty room. X doesn’t take care of it. I’m not sure he takes care of himself much. I don’t like that. I’m worried.

Kale looks at me. He sometimes reads our minds. Or our thoughts enter his head if they’re strong enough. Or maybe he’s just being Kale and messing around. It sucks that he knows what I’m thinking, but I don’t have much to hide, anyway. He knows all about Furball and that I fear the Blades will come after me.

I’m worried about X, too
, he says.
We need to get Stealth back
.

How?

He puffs his cheeks. X is sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. His arms are crossed over his chest and he’s scanning around the mansion. Because of his power, he can see through everything and long distances. He likes to keep an eye on things around here. His eyes get black when he uses his ability and it freaks the hell out of Kale. Me, not so much.

“Okay,” Kale says. “What are we doing about Stealth?”

“Freeing her,” X says. “We find the Blades, kill them, and get her.”

I never met Stealth, but she’s important to X. The only person who can make him happy. Kale told me that. So even though it’s dangerous, I want to help.

“How do we find the Blades, though?” Kale asks. “Last time we tried to do that, they tricked us. Played us like idiots.”

When X was hunting Vlayne
, seeking revenge for my death, he came across a group—the Black Nightmares—who were trying to get recruited into the Blades. He got an idea to send someone undercover to join the group, then eventually the Blades. Stealth volunteered. Back then, no one knew she was Vlayne’s daughter. So Vlayne pretty much screwed the League over. Probably laughed behind our backs.

“I don’t know,” X says. “But we’ll find them.”

It’s freaky how determined he is. “Okay,” I say. “But X, be careful.”

“
I’m going to find Vlayne and kill her. I’m going to save Stealth. She deserves better.”

I look at the floor. “Sorry.”

“For what?” X asks.

“If not for me she wouldn’t have had to make that deal with Vlayne.”

He shakes his head. “No. Don’t be sorry.”

“It wasn’t right for her to sacrifice herself for me
. It would have been…you’d be happier with her here instead of me.”

He gets up and walks around the room. To the window, his T
V, dresser, back to the window. “Don’t say that.” His voice is low.

“Stretch,” Kale says. “What’s up? Why
are you being weird?”

“I don’t know. I just…I don’t like to see him like that. It’s ‘cuza me, so…”

X turns around. “Don’t feel that way. All that guilt isn’t healthy. And it’s not true about...” He shakes his head and sits down on the floor.

He won’t say it
, Kale tells me.
But you have no idea how happy he is that you’re here. You’ve got no clue how much our friendship means to him. Your friendship.

That makes me smile, but I still feel responsible for Stealth having to be a Blade. I don’t want her to suffer because of me.

The room’s quiet. I grab a few chips from the bag between Kale and me and munch. Kale plays with the laces on his sneakers. X’s eyes are still roaming the mansion.

“So…” I say. “What’re we doing?”

Kale pulls the bag to him and shoves some chips into his mouth. “Good question. X?”

X looks away from the walls and shrugs. “I’ll think of something.”

“Maybe we can think of something together,” I say. “Like brainstorm.”

X doesn’t say anything for a bit. Then, “I don’t want
you guys to get hurt.”

“And you?” Kale says.

“I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not seriously risking your life again.”

He shrugs.

“X
,” I say, crumbs spilling out of my mouth and landing on my jeans. I swipe them off.

“It’d be better if I do this alone
.”

Kale and I exchange a glance.
Hell no
, Kale says.

I nod.
“We’re not going to let you.”

X doesn’t respond. His arms tighten across his chest and he won’t
look our way. Kale has a satisfied smile on his face, like he won an argument. Since X hasn’t said a word, I’m not sure if that means he’ll let us help him.

“Good,” Kale says. I guess he’s taking it as we’re in. “So we’ll have to—”

Andrew,
Cindy says in my head. She’s a telepath and can communicate through her mind.
Please come to Samson’s office
.

I glance at the guys. They look
from me to each other. Must have gotten the message, too. I widen my eyes to Kale, asking what his dad wants from us, but he raises his hands like he’s got no clue.

Shrugging
, I get to my feet and follow him and X into an elevator, where we take it to the top floor. My palms get clammy. Tight spaces freak me out. Dr. Evans, the League shrink, thinks it’s because I was in a coffin for four months. I don’t know how much of that’s true, since my brain was dead and I can’t remember being buried.

The doors beep
open and we head for Samson’s office. He and Cindy are sitting at his desk. When he sees us, Samson motions for us to take seats near them. Kale and I do, but X leans against the wall.

They don’t say anything.
Or move. Only their eyes do. They go from X, to Kale, to me, to X again, and so on. I’m not counting how long this takes, but it feels like years. I peek at the clock. Eight PM. The seconds don’t seem to be moving, or if they are, they’re
really
slow.

Finally, Samson clears his throat. “What are the three of you up to?”

I look at Kale, who looks at me. None of us utters a word.

What do you think he means by that
? I ask Kale.

Don’t know.

Do you think they know about—?

“Kale,” Cindy scolds. She know
s we’re communicating like this.

Kale laughs sheepishly. “Sorry.” He turns to his dad. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Samson leans forward. “The three of you have been spending long hours in Ray’s room. Whispering.”

Again, Kale and I exchange a glance.
He shrugs. “Just catching up, Dad.”

“Yeah,” I say. “There’s so much I missed and stuff…”

Samson eyes us carefully. “You aren’t by any chance discussing how to help Stealth escape from the ShadowBlades, are you?” His eyes move to X, whose expression is indifferent.

Sweat gathers on my forehead. They’re on
to us.

“
Kale?”

He doesn’t answer.

“I don’t want to resort to reading your minds,” Cindy says. She doesn’t do that unless it’s necessary.

Kale sighs. “
Maybe we were.”

Samson runs his hand down his face. “
Why are the three of you constantly looking for trouble?”

X pushes off the wall. “We’re not looking for trouble. Stealth needs our help.”

Samson walks over to X and places his hand on his shoulder. “She made a decision. She was aware of the consequences.”

X shrugs Samson’s hand
off.

“Have you considered what would happen
as a result?” Cindy asks. “There’s no telling what Vlayne would do. Attack the League. Kill Andrew out of spite, anger. You don’t want to put everyone’s life at risk, do you? Do you want to put Andrew’s life at risk?”

X looks at me for a second, then
at the floor. “She won’t do that.”

“How can you be certain?” Samson says. “You can’t play around—” He stops talkin
g as his gaze meets Cindy’s. Her eyes are huge, confused, and a little worried. They’re talking to each other telepathically. After a bit, Samson blinks. “Where’s Lindsay?” He turns to Kale, who shrugs. “She was supposed to be at therapy over an hour ago, but Dr. Evans just informed us that she failed to show up. Where is she, son?”

“How should I know?
” Kale mutters, avoiding his parents’ gaze. They look at one another with furrowed eyebrows.

“I don’t sense her,” Cindy says.
She touches her head and shuts her eyes, using her telepathy to read Lindsay’s thoughts and locate her. “She’s not in the house.”

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Kale asks
, looking around like he’s trying to sense her, too.

“You haven’t spoken to her?” Samson asks
him.

“
No.”

Samson exchanges a look with his wife
again. I bet he doesn’t believe Kale. I mean, why should he? Kale lies to them like all the time. We’re always getting into trouble.

But this isn’t Kale’s fault. He’
s sitting in the chair, all hunched. It probably hurts him so much to be reminded of what happened between him and Lindsay. Not to mention how worried he must be, now that she’s missing.

“
They broke up,” I say.

Kale’s eyes move to me in a “thanks.” I smile a bit. I know he’s grateful I was the one to tell
his parents. He’d be too embarrassed to tell them himself.

“You and Lindsay broke up?” Samson asks. “When did this happen?”

“Oh, sweetie.” Cindy pulls him into her arms. “I’m so sorry.”

Kale pushes off. “I’m fine.
Where is she? We need to find her.”

“Why did you break up?” Samson asks.

“Dad—”

“We need details if we’re going to
find her.”

Kale slinks down in his seat. “She was scared she’d get me sick again. I told
her that’s screwed up, but she didn’t listen.”

“
Why didn’t you tell us the two of you broke up?” Samson asks.

“
Seriously?”

“
There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Cindy takes his hand.
“Kale, you know very well that Lindsay isn’t a typical teenage girl. Her emotions are so volatile. She can be very dangerous.”

“It’s not like this is my fault or like I knew she’d run away!”

His mom rubs his arm. “Let’s relax, okay?”

Samson looks from Kale to Cindy. “This is a delicate matter—”

“I said, I’m fine.”

“
But we need to focus on locating Lindsay,” Samson continues. “Kale, did you say or do anything to hurt her?”

“I didn’t do anything.
She
broke up with me.”

“If she ran away because of your breakup…” Samson stands up and paces around the office. He buries his
face in his hands.

“You
…you think she’ll blow up the world because of our fight?” Kale asks.

“
Not likely. Andrew, Ray, did she say something to either of you? Where she was going?”

I shake
my head. I didn’t really know Lindsay. Wish I did, but I was murdered before Kale stopped her from blowing up Earth and her joining the League. Then she and Kale broke up, so she didn’t talk to me, out of association with the Ex.

“Ray?” Cindy asks.

“No,” X says. “She didn’t talk to me.”

Samson continues to pace.
He goes to the large window, then to the wall that’s got all our trophies and awards. They’re reminders of our acts of heroism.