It was mere seconds before only Beleth remained. I grunted, suddenly aware of the pain coursing through my body. I should have slumped to the ground and called it a day. Being a hero meant doing therightthing, not the easy thing.
I jumped into the air, landing on Beleth’s back. Kneeling, I reached back before driving my fist into the creature’s shoulder. The demon had turned into an almost dense liquid, bits pulling free from his body and sucked into the portal. Fishing around inside the beast, I found what I was looking for. With a yank, I jerked William’s limp form free.
Rolling off Beleth, I tossed William to the side. I had tosave him, not be gentle with the creep. With a wave, I watched as Beleth lost the battle with the circle, pulled into the depths of Hell. The portal vanished, and it left me unconvinced that the fight was over, that we had won.
Then the cheering started.
Bruised eardrums made it almost impossible to hear. I rolled over to see Hellcat standing in front of me, a hand held out. The fire vanished as I clutched her forearm. I ignored the circle and instead focused on the heroes of Vanguard. Men and women were thrusting their fists in the air.
She shouted at me. “You did this!”
But the victory was short-lived as they returned to those unable to stand. As if the curse had been lifted, those that could fly rose into the air. Holding their fallen comrades, they flew toward Vanguard. A blur of red flew down the street as Zipper helped usher the wounded to hospitals.
The heroes of Vanguard City had returned.
My chest swelled, filled with pride. I might have led the charge, but this wasn’t a victory of one. As Shrieker hobbled to my side, I patted the kid on the shoulder. They would remember this moment as the moment Vanguard’s heroes proved it wasn’t powers that made a hero.
“So, my training,” Shrieker shouted. The kid stuck a finger in his ear, wiggling it about. He held his nose and puffed his cheeks as he tried to speed up recovering his hearing. “When do we start?”
I held his shoulder as I watched the best of mankind do what they do best. For the first time, I finally understood what it meant to be a hero. I could already hear Griffin’s voice in my ear as I ate humble pie and changed my opinion about superheroes.
“We already have, kid.” With a step forward, I stumbled. Hellcat held me upright, putting my arm over her shoulder. With a nod, I smiled at my designated mentor. “We already have…”
EPILOGUE 1
“…and the incident in the subway?”
I let out a growl as I squeezed the cushion in my lap. Three months of saving people, three months of mastering my abilities, despite that, a B-rate villain had got the drop on me. When Dune got away, turning to sand and fleeing through an access panel, I had lost my temper.
“He’s not even agoodvillain. I can’t believe I let him get away.”
The man sitting opposite of me, across a dark-colored coffee table, pulled the glasses from his face. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, a sign that I was about to receive a lecture I had already heard. Sliding his glasses into his pocket, he relaxed, taking a deep breath while he studied me.
“Xander.” Therapist to the heroes. The man knew all ofour identities. One person housed enough information to shake the entire superhero community. Thankfully, he might be the only secret more closely guarded than our own identities.
“What am I about to say?” He rested his hands in his lap, leaning back in the leather chair. Ugh, he was about to do it again. Doctor Solaris wanted me to do the work myself. I think he might be the only person more aggravating than Shrieker. Tim was by far the most talkative man on the planet, and training him required the patience of a saint.
“I can’t expect to win every battle. That I need to stop putting the pressure on myself to be perfect. Some victories aren’t instant.”
“So youdolisten to me.”
“Once in a while.”
“Now stop being stubborn and apply it.”
If the pillow was a person, I’d have choked the life out of them. The man was right. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he had a superpower of his own. What I couldn’t decide, was it easing heroes’ psychological burdens or aggravating them into submission. The verdict was out for the moment.
“Fine.” Yes, I was being a giant man-child. But for three months, he had taken the time to understand me. He wanted to help, and I couldn’t deny his ability to cut through my crap and get to the source of my problems. I wouldn’t tell him that, but it was true.
“Same time next week?”
“About that…” I set the pillow aside, patting it as if I was asking for forgiveness. “I’m supposed to be at the bridge dedication. Can we move it back a day?”
He reached for his day planner, flipping through the pages. With a snap shut, he nodded. “Thursday it is. Now, go put in the work.”
I would have gladly engaged in a verbal duel and explained all the work I had been putting in. If he knew how the number of times I took a deep breath while saving the city, or reminded myself to let go of anger when Alejandro stole my last piece of bacon, he’d have been impressed. Instead, I eyed the door leading out of his office. He glanced over his shoulder and returned with a smile.
“Again?” Dr. Solaris asked.
