Hero Reborn (Keepers of Justice, Book 3) (9 page)

I shake my head so fast I end up
wrapping it around my neck. Quickly, I fix it before anyone sees.

“
What if they recognize us?” I ask.

“
We’re wearing hats and glasses,” Kale answers. “Besides, I’m willing to risk our safety to help these people.”

“
Same,” X says.

The sc
reaming intensifies. Wuss or no wuss, I can’t let these people die. I don’t have to attack, just bring the humans to safety. I can do it. “I’m in,” I say.

X says,
“Whatever you do, don’t use your powers. Kale, knock them out from a distance so they don’t see you.”

“
Yep. Now go.” Kale gives us a shove. X and I rush to the action. My legs feel like they’re turning into pudding, but I clear my mind and focus. I’m a superhero. It’s my job to protect the normies.

We’re not close to the
villains, but their laughter is so loud it nearly bursts my ears. Normies are running toward us. X shouts for them to follow us, and we lead them away.

“
No, you don’t, you little…!” a rough, freaky voice shouts. It sends goose bumps down my back.

Glancing
behind, I catch one of the big guys following me as I help a family of four. Oh, crap. He’s going to smash us! So much for my being a hero. These people are going to die because of me.

They’re screeching. I’m screeching, too,
probably louder than them. He stomps so loud I feel the ground vibrating beneath my feet.

Dropping to the
ground, I throw myself over the family, stretching myself to protect them. Hopefully, I’m not too wide to be noticed.

The stomping’s getting close. Our shouts are deafening. This is it. My second time dying.

Suddenly, the monster of a dude drops to the ground with such a bang we fly up a few feet. His huge friends crash to the ground, too.

Kale did it.

I jump to my feet and lead the family to a safe area. The mom grabs me. Hugs me tight. She thanks me over and over, and I just nod. Then I run to help more normies. X rushes back to where the villains are unconscious, and helps a woman and two kids, who are severely injured. A nearby cop takes them, thanking X.

When everyone’s safe, we return to
Kale, who’s waiting a few blocks away. I slide down to the ground, breathing heavily. That was the most heroic thing I’ve done in a while. It felt really, really cool. X and Kale lower themselves down next to me. “Good job,” X says to us.

Kale smiles. “
You, too.”

People talk as they pass us.
“I bet the Keepers would have been there in less than a second,” a man says. “They would have killed those villains.”

Another snorts. “
Nah, the Keepers would let those poor people die.”

“The Keepers sent them.”

The guys and I exchange glances and shrug. Looks like people are still torn about what to make of all this.

“
The cops think we’re regular people,” X says. “He thanked me like I was a hero.”

I poke his shoulder. “
You
are
a hero.”

“
You see what’s going on?” X says. “Now that the Keepers are done, all these villains are causing trouble. They used to fear us.”

Kale raises an eyebrow. “
Didn’t know we were so scary.”

“
So…what do we do?” I ask. “Fight villains or go after the Blades?”

X
looks around. “We do both. After we rescue our members, we battle villains. We’re not the only ones fighting crime.” He tilts his head. “A few blocks down, there are many heroes dressed in costume. They’re patrolling the area. They have it under control.”

“Keepers?” Kale asks.

“No. They should be able to protect the humans while we go after the Blades.”

“
And then what?” Kale asks. “We spend the rest of our lives being vigilantes?”

X shakes his head li
ke he’s got no clue. “For now, all that matters is protecting the humans. But let’s get back to the car. We need to plan our attack on the Blades.”

We wait until it’s dark out. X found a gun in a safe in the basement, so he’s going to use that in case something goes wrong. I know a gun would probably be useless against the Blades, but who knows—it could come in handy.

I
don’t want to die again. I trust my friends, I really do, but I’m worried we’ll screw up like the last time. It does ease my mind a little knowing that only a few Blades will be there, but I’m pretty sure Vlayne has a close watch on them. Hopefully, we’ll rescue our League mates and escape before she and the rest of the Blades have a chance to go after us.

We get into the car. We’re dressed in black clothes and ski masks. I drum my shaky long fingers against the glass window. Kale’s
hands are folded in his lap. X seems preoccupied with driving.

I want to say something, but I don’t know what. All that comes out of my mouth is a low squeak. Kale turns around. “We’ll be okay.”

I nod, trying to believe him.

X
looks at me through the rearview mirror. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Promise.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you want to back out?” X asks. “You can still change your mind.”

He
asked me that over and over when we got back to the house a few hours ago. I was so tempted to say yes, but how can I? I’m not going to let the guys do something so dangerous on their own.

“I’m…I’m good.”

X doesn’t look so sure. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“
Are you serious?” Kale says. “We can save our League mates. Save Lindsay. Who the hell knows what they’re doing to her?”

“I know,” X says. “
Just second-guessing everything.” His gaze flicks to me again. I think I know what he’s thinking. He spent the last four months seeking revenge on my death, and now I might die again. I can’t put him or Kale through that again.

If something goes wrong, I’m going to make sure we escape. I’ll make my arms long and scoop them up or something. I don’t know. But I’m not going to let them down, either.

“Kale will knock out the Blades from a distance,” X says like he’s reassuring himself. “Then we’ll quickly grab the captured Keepers and flee.”

“Yep,” Kale says.

X stops at a traffic light. Except, it’s not red. It’s green.

“What the hell?” He presses on the gas, but the car doesn’t move. N
o other cars are on the streets. “It won’t go.”

“Crap,” Kale mutters, looking around. “Crap.”

“You sense any—”

I can’t finish because the car is being hurled back, like it’s
wrapped by an invisible rope. “Guys, someone’s out there!” Kale shouts. We all look around, but can’t see much. There are no streetlights.

The car is still being pulled back. I turn around, only to see no one there.
Oh, wait. “A shadow.” It’s a man. That’s all I can see.

“Who is it?” Kale’s
voice is panicked.

“Dunno!”

The car’s being yanked further and further back. Soon, a light shines over us. There are many streetlights around now. I see the guy better. He’s tall and broad. He’s wearing a full head mask and a black, spandex costume. His hands are held out in front of him as the car inches closer to him.

The car stops, doors open, and the three of us
are thrown out. I don’t land on my butt, though. I’m standing in place.

His hands are still raised. An invisible force clamps around my chest. The next thing I feel is my body being
hauled toward him.

Oh, crap. He’s going to kill us! We’re getting closer and closer. I shut my eyes,
prepared to be sawed in half.

“What the hell do the three of you think you’re doing?” a familiar voice shouts.

We stare up at him.

“Dad?”
Kale says.

Kale jumps into his dad’s arms. “You’re alive.”

Samson holds him
close, sighing in relief as he buries Kale’s head in his chest. He reaches for X and me and hugs us, too.

Kale pulls off. “
Where’s Mom? Where have you guys been all this time? The Keepers…Vlayne…the virus…”

Samson
strokes the top of Kale’s head. He looks from X, to me, to Kale. “We have a lot to talk about.”

A lot to talk about? What’s that mean?
I’m about to ask, but Samson eyes each of us closely. “Anyone want to explain what the hell you’re up to?”

We
don’t say anything. My eyes are on the ground.

“
Going after the ShadowBlades? Are you looking to get yourselves killed?”

I don’t like when he
yells like that. It’s really embarrassing. He makes me feel stupid for doing what we were about to do, but I guess that’s the point. It was pretty dumb.

“Dad, we were just going to free Lindsay
and the others. The Blades have them. We went to see Scar and—”

“
Scar
?”

“
Yeah. I saw—”

Samson cuts Kale off by l
ifting us all in the air, so fast the wind bashes against the exposed skin on my face. Samson’s using his telekinesis, and we’re flying. Zooming. Like a jet. I knew he was quick, but not like this. I don’t know about the guys, but I’ve never seen him like this. He doesn’t have to touch us in order for us to fly, like my mom had to. His telekinesis is moving us.

We’re
very high up in the sky. Too low for airplanes, but too high to be seen. No one’s around, but he’s being careful.

“Dad—?”
Kale can barely get a word out due to the wind.  It’s so strong, I can’t breathe. I cough and gasp. I’m spread out on my stomach, looking down. I can’t see anything, just a blur. Lifting my head, I make out Kale and Samson flying ahead of me. X is on my right.

I
don’t know how many minutes pass before we’re dropping to the ground. It’s like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. I’m going to hit the ground and my bones will smash into a million pieces.

Trying to screech, I only manage to swallow more air. The ground’s getting closer and closer.
My arms flail around. I’ve lost control of my limbs, stretching like taffy. Then, suddenly, I feel myself getting pasted back together. Samson’s pushing my limbs in place.

I
’m stopped a few feet above the ground. It’s like I’m attached to a chord and it snaps back right in time. Slowly, I’m lowered to the ground until I lie completely flat on the cement.

X, Kale, and Samson are next to me.
Samson pulls us to our feet, using his power, and leads us toward a manhole. He lifts his hands and tears the thing off with so much force it cracks in half.

I gulp and stare at the guys.
Their eyes are wide. Samson motions for us to follow him inside and takes his mask off.

“
What’s going on, Dad?” Kale asks. “Are we in—?”

“SCAR!” Samson bellows.
The place shakes. Kinda feels like an earthquake. The lights flicker, water splashes. I’ve never heard him shout so loud. It makes my shoulders move back and my head drop toward my chest. I quickly put myself together.

We reach the wall to the sewer house.
It doesn’t lift, and Blaze doesn’t come out to greet us.

“Scar!” Samson raises his hands toward the wall, tearing it off.
Oh, man.

Samson steps inside. Everyone’s huddled in a corner. A few peek out from the inner halls. Scar’s in the center of the room. He looks totally confused to see Samson. Samson sweeps his hand,
and Scar crashes into the nearby wall. Blaze and the bicep guy lunge forward to take Samson down, but our leader uses his other hand to crush them against the wall.

“How dare you put my son and his friends in danger again,” Samson demands. Each time another guy from the sewer inches closer to Samson, he throws them against the wall.
He doesn’t hurt them, though, but they get the message.

“You sent them to their death once,” Samson continues. “Do you want to do it another
time?”

I have not—

Samson’s eyes fill with rage. He presses Scar further into the wall. Any more and he’ll be flatter than a pancake.

“Dad, stop!”

“One was murdered because of your recklessness!” Samson yells. “I forgave you once, but I won’t do it again. Sending three children into the ShadowBlades? Unarmed? Unprotected? Nobody puts my son and his friends at risk.”

Kale jumps to his dad and puts his hands on his, trying to lower them. “Scar didn’t send us.”

Samson’s eyebrows knit. He doesn’t lower his hands. “What are you talking about?”