body
armor, despite how much I love it on Tabitha.
***
The girls ran around the small backyard,
throwing fire at the minions and practicing shielding against water
balloons.
Evan held up his last trinket against the
setting October sun: a dark gray handgun. The Neanderthals who
called themselves superheroes would never realize the true threat
the weapon represented—at least he hoped so. Feeling a twinge of
fatalistic ennui, he loaded everyone into the minivan. Hert
strapped himself into the passenger seat.
“Are we clear on the plan?” Evan asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” the girls chorused.
At least it was Halloween. They didn’t look too
out of place. Yet. He glanced at Hert.
“Yes, Master. The minions are in place. The area
has been fully explored and we’ve set up the ‘distraction’ for
local law enforcement.”
Running a hand over the lump in his pocket, Evan
took a deep breath. “Very well then. Ladies, let’s make this a
night to remember.”
The twenty minute drive to the warehouse
district where the minions had tracked Tabitha to lasted just long
enough for Evan to regret everything he planned to do, but not long
enough to think of an excuse to back out. He parked across the
street and adjusted the cuffs of his Dior suit. “Hert, send in team
one.”
With a curt nod, Hert sent the outer perimeter
team of minions scrambling into place.
“Ladies?” Evan twisted in his seat so he could
see the girls, their costumes squashed by their booster seat
straps. “You stay with Hert. Move to the upper deck, and locate
Mommy. Blessing—”
“Curse,” she corrected from under her red
hood.
“Of course, excuse me. Curse, you take this, and
drop it on the floor in front of Mommy.” He handed her a round
sphere of purple glass with the antidote to the lotus poison. “The
fog from that should clear Mommy’s head. Then I want Strike to lay
a line of fire between everyone in the building and Mommy. It’s
okay if I’m on the other side. Rage?” He looked over at Angela.
“Keep them confused. And, Locke, you keep the doors open. Once
Mommy is with you, get back to the car. Don’t stop for
anything.
“I’ll go in and keep them distracted.” And it
would probably hurt. But how else could a man prove his love?
He stepped out of the car, snagged his
sunglasses, and gave himself one last look in the side mirror.
Devastating. Doctor Charm, dressed to break hearts. “Give me five
minutes to get their attention, then start the fireworks. Hert,
keep them safe.”
“Yes, Master.”
Striding across the empty road, Evan tried
to remember the logic behind this insanity, if there’d been any in
the first place. Save Tabitha, keep the girls safe. At least the
goal remained beyond reproach. Alas, noble didn’t mean actionable . So he was winging it. Taking
it on the fly. And really hoping he’d get a chance to punch the
Rainbow Dane in the balls.
The door swung open with ease. All the
superheroes had assembled, dressed in full costume this time. To an
outsider it probably looked like a regular Halloween party—if you
ignored the fact that the punch smelled of lotus flowers, everyone
looked tense, and the conversation was less than convivial. Phrases
like, “Kill them all, it’s doing the world a favor,” floated past
and made his blood boil.
Angler Girl nodded to him vaguely, as if she
couldn’t quite place his face. Rolling Shock scowled in confusion
and whispered something to the Rainbow Dane.
Hempman pivoted. “Doctor Charm? Where?”
Evan smirked. They deserved everything he was
here to dish out.
The Rainbow Dane turned around. “You?” he
roared. “What are you doing here?”
“Me?” Doctor Charm asked with an easy laugh. “I
was in the neighborhood. The Peerage asked me to stop by to welcome
you to town.” He held out a hand to the Rainbow Dane.
The Dane scowled at him. “Who are the
Peerage?”
“Why, my dear boy! The Peerage are the criminal
royalty. The movers and shakers of the
armor, despite how much I love it on Tabitha.
***
The girls ran around the small backyard,
throwing fire at the minions and practicing shielding against water
balloons.
Evan held up his last trinket against the
setting October sun: a dark gray handgun. The Neanderthals who
called themselves superheroes would never realize the true threat
the weapon represented—at least he hoped so. Feeling a twinge of
fatalistic ennui, he loaded everyone into the minivan. Hert
strapped himself into the passenger seat.
“Are we clear on the plan?” Evan asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” the girls chorused.
At least it was Halloween. They didn’t look too
out of place. Yet. He glanced at Hert.
“Yes, Master. The minions are in place. The area
has been fully explored and we’ve set up the ‘distraction’ for
local law enforcement.”
Running a hand over the lump in his pocket, Evan
took a deep breath. “Very well then. Ladies, let’s make this a
night to remember.”
The twenty minute drive to the warehouse
district where the minions had tracked Tabitha to lasted just long
enough for Evan to regret everything he planned to do, but not long
enough to think of an excuse to back out. He parked across the
street and adjusted the cuffs of his Dior suit. “Hert, send in team
one.”
With a curt nod, Hert sent the outer perimeter
team of minions scrambling into place.
“Ladies?” Evan twisted in his seat so he could
see the girls, their costumes squashed by their booster seat
straps. “You stay with Hert. Move to the upper deck, and locate
Mommy. Blessing—”
“Curse,” she corrected from under her red
hood.
“Of course, excuse me. Curse, you take this, and
drop it on the floor in front of Mommy.” He handed her a round
sphere of purple glass with the antidote to the lotus poison. “The
fog from that should clear Mommy’s head. Then I want Strike to lay
a line of fire between everyone in the building and Mommy. It’s
okay if I’m on the other side. Rage?” He looked over at Angela.
“Keep them confused. And, Locke, you keep the doors open. Once
Mommy is with you, get back to the car. Don’t stop for
anything.
“I’ll go in and keep them distracted.” And it
would probably hurt. But how else could a man prove his love?
He stepped out of the car, snagged his
sunglasses, and gave himself one last look in the side mirror.
Devastating. Doctor Charm, dressed to break hearts. “Give me five
minutes to get their attention, then start the fireworks. Hert,
keep them safe.”
“Yes, Master.”
Striding across the empty road, Evan tried
to remember the logic behind this insanity, if there’d been any in
the first place. Save Tabitha, keep the girls safe. At least the
goal remained beyond reproach. Alas, noble didn’t mean actionable . So he was winging it. Taking
it on the fly. And really hoping he’d get a chance to punch the
Rainbow Dane in the balls.
The door swung open with ease. All the
superheroes had assembled, dressed in full costume this time. To an
outsider it probably looked like a regular Halloween party—if you
ignored the fact that the punch smelled of lotus flowers, everyone
looked tense, and the conversation was less than convivial. Phrases
like, “Kill them all, it’s doing the world a favor,” floated past
and made his blood boil.
Angler Girl nodded to him vaguely, as if she
couldn’t quite place his face. Rolling Shock scowled in confusion
and whispered something to the Rainbow Dane.
Hempman pivoted. “Doctor Charm? Where?”
Evan smirked. They deserved everything he was
here to dish out.
The Rainbow Dane turned around. “You?” he
roared. “What are you doing here?”
“Me?” Doctor Charm asked with an easy laugh. “I
was in the neighborhood. The Peerage asked me to stop by to welcome
you to town.” He held out a hand to the Rainbow Dane.
The Dane scowled at him. “Who are the
Peerage?”
“Why, my dear boy! The Peerage are the criminal
royalty. The movers and shakers of the
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