I had spent almost a year getting to know my co-workers, and just when I thought I had figured them out, the world changed. Everybody thought being a superhero was all glitz and glam. In truth, it was hard to maintain friendshipswhen you only knew the person they chose to show. I was the perfect case. Happy-go-lucky Drew. They saw me as the boring super with the subpar ability to change an object’s color. They didn’t know the real me. I kept that part locked away.
Ricardo shook his head. “No aliens. Not this time. After the minor hiccup with Connor’s boyfriend nearly turning the city into zombies…” Statements like this should have been alarming. Connor fell in love with an AI, and it used him to control humanity. We called that Tuesday. “The government is sending an investigator to see if I have otherbadhires.”
“Why?” Arthur asked.
Orion chuckled. “Synergy has hundreds of contracts, but its biggest is with the government. They’re especially interested in research giving regular humans abilities. No more falling into toxic waste or being bitten by radioactive spiders.”
Ricardo’s eyes narrowed. “What have I said about breaking into my company?”
“Don’t get caught?” Orion didn’t like authority.
It had been fine when it was just the four of us and Janet occasionally crashing the party. Now, we had Connor, not to mention Arthur, Wyatt, and even Orion, who had boyfriends that made guest appearances. I missed being the scrappy startup that pulled all-nighters with the guys. It hadn’t changed for the worse, but it had changed. In all theshifting, I wasn’t sure where I belonged. When in doubt, focus on work.
“I need your help.”
“I’ll do it,” I blurted out. Volunteering might not have been the best idea when I had a big meeting on my calendar. If I could help Ricardo, that’d look good to Arthur. I’d deal with the ramifications later. “What do you need?”
“I need somebody to keep an eye on this investigator. If thereisa problem, I’d like to fix it before the government finds out.” Ricardo scanned the room, quickly skipping Janet and Connor. He eyed Wyatt before shaking his head. Then onto Orion. “No.” He didn’t linger as his eyes passed over me.
I raised my hand. He judged his options. I raised my hand higher, determined to be chosen.
He conceded, rubbing his chin. “You’d fly under the radar.” That was a nice way of saying I didn’t stand out in a crowd. I tried not to let the words sting.
Arthur shook his head. “Drew has a big deal on the table.”
I smiled. “Don’t worry, boss.” He hated the term, but we used it at every opportunity. “I can do both… boss.”
Ricardo nodded. “They’re coming tomorrow morning. Meet me in my office?”
“I’ll bring snickerdoodles.” With one baked good at a time, I’d win them all over.
“If there’s not going to be inappropriate touching, I’mout of here.” Janet grabbed Connor’s hand, and they vanished down the hallway. “Call me if you get naked,” she shouted. Her lewd comments were the most normal part of our meeting.
“I’m going to fire her,” Arthur grumbled. “I guess that’s the meeting for today.” He slid his hand across the table, covering mine. “Let me know if you need help.”
That was sweet of him. I watched as Wyatt snatched the plate of brownies and tried to sneak away. Orion followed, grumbling that the meeting could have been an email. I shot Arthur a smile and did the same for Ricardo.
“You both can count on me. I won’t let you down.”
One monumental task at a time, I’d win them over. Good deeds, baked goods, and comforting support, I’d be exactly the friend and employee they needed.
POP.
His shoulder dislodged from the joint, sounding like bubble wrap. My leg stayed hooked over his neck, muffling the scream. For a henchman, he held out longer than most. He tried escaping. Tried and failed. This wasn’t my first time taking out a bad guy’s lookout. It had become standard operating procedure.
“How many are there?”
When he didn’t respond, I shifted my grip from hiswrist to his fingers. Lying on my back, I had him pinned. He couldn’t escape even if he had twice the strength. I had perfected the stranglehold. My bet was that it’d take two broken bones before he squealed on his ringleader. I jerked his pointer back.
“Three,” he shouted into my leg. I lost the bet.
“Three total? Or three and your boss?” Specifics mattered.
“Total,” he growled.
I brought my foot back, slamming the heel against his face. The henchman’s body went limp. I spun around and reached into my belt. Dragging him to the side of the alley, I secured his hands around a pipe with a zip tie. Whenever the police graced us with their presence, they’d book him. Until then,Iwas the law.
I exited the mouth of the alley. Across the street stood Vanguard National, the biggest bank in Southland. Tonight, our bad guys had decided that working for money the old-fashioned way required too much effort. While heroes flew around the Ward and the Business District, this forgotten corner of Vanguard had learned to take care of itself. When it couldn’t, that’s where I came in.
