The First Superhero Books 0-3 Box Set Page 15

  I opened them just in time to see the Moon come zooming up to meet me.

  I slammed into its rocky surface hard and skidded across the ground, sending a plume of lunar soil shooting out in every direction. I rolled over onto my back and gasped for air, but there was none. I couldn’t move. My body felt weak and screamed for air. I looked out at the Earth. All the air I would ever need was right there in front of me, but I couldn’t find the strength to stand. I felt paralyzed. All the energy left in my body was being used to keep me alive.

  I wanted to scream and yell and curse everything, but I couldn’t. All I could do was look upon the Earth as it spun around peacefully in front of me, oblivious to the fact that its savior was fighting to stay alive on its Moon.

  I took one last good look at Earth—at home. I gave up trying to get up; I simply didn’t have the energy to fight. I took comfort and solace knowing that the Earth was safe from Richter. I’d done my job. I’d saved my family, my friends, my people. My work was done.

  My eyes closed, and this time, I didn’t try to fight them.

  Born for the Grave

  September 19th, 2078

  Mrs. Andrews looked at the clock and realized how late at night it was. She’d talked well into the late afternoon, and had to do a bit of cleaning before she retired for the night. “I’m sorry,” she told Mr. Renner. “But that’s all the time I have. That’s the end of this story, anyway. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself.”

  Leopold Renner looked at her, his eyes wide and filled with glee. “Oh, yes, of course, ma’am. I’ve had a wonderful time. Hearing Tempest’s story told from his perspective like that was incredible for me personally. I’ve always been fascinated by the Supers, and this is going to make one hell of a story. With this piece, Tempest will be in the spotlight once again, I guarantee it.”

  Mrs. Andrews stood, as did Leopold. She shook his hand and gave him a warm smile. “Thank you, Mr. Renner. Kane would be so proud that the whole story is being told.”

  Leopold nodded. “I can’t wait to get everything together.” He knocked on the tablet in his hand. “I’ve got everything recorded right here. It’ll take a few more weeks for me to gather all the information I need, but once my piece of Tempest and the Supers has been published, I’ll make sure you get the first copy.”

  “I’d like that,” Mrs. Andrews said as the two of them walked to the front door. She opened the door for him, and Leopold stepped out. “If you have any more questions, feel free to call me. I want to make sure you have everything you need.”

  “Yes, of course,” Leopold said.

  “I have many more stories to tell as well. If you ever find that you need inspiration, stop by any time. I’d love to sit with you and speak more about Kane if you’d like.”

  Leopold smiled. “I’d like that as well, Mrs. Andrews. You have a nice day,” he said as he turned and walked down the steps of the front porch.

  Mrs. Andrews stood at the front door and watched until Leopold had driven away. Once he was out of sight, she shut the door behind her.

  She walked through the museum, past the many artifacts that Tempest had gathered through his Super days, to the back portion of the house where she lived. She walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

  She reached behind her ears and pulled two small silver devices from behind them. Suddenly, her reflection in the mirror changed. She was no longer a frail old woman, but instead, a beautiful young lady. She pulled her black hair out of the net it was in, and using a band she grabbed from one of the drawers, pulled her hair pack into a ponytail. She stripped out of her old dress and stockings and put on a black V-neck T-shirt.

  She then opened one of the bathroom drawers and pulled out a black and silver earbud. She placed it in her right ear, then clicked it on. “Call headquarters,” she said. She realized she still had the voice changer on, so she still sounded like an old lady. She tapped her throat and felt a click as the voice changer embedded into her neck turned off.

  Connecting to headquarters, the voice in her ear said.

  “Verify,” a man’s voice at the other end of the line said moments later, coming through her earpiece crystal clear.

  “Agent Cassidy, identification code seven seven Charlie Alpha Omaha five two.”

  “Okay, identity confirmed. How did it go today, Agent Cassidy?” the man asked.

  “I did everything I was told. I told Leopold Renner everything that happened between Tempest and Richter, verbatim from what we gathered from Tempest’s memory banks.”

  “Good. And Mr. Renner is going to the press with the story?”

  “Yes. He seemed very eager,” Cassidy said. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and fixed her eyebrows.

  “Excellent work, Agent Cassidy. It seems everything is going according to plan.”

  “How’d Agent Damien’s mission go?” she asked, her heart fluttering at the mention of his name.

  “Agent Cassidy,” the man growled. “Stay focused on your mission. We are entering phase two and cannot have any distractions. We only get one shot at this, and I will not have your personal feelings screwing this up, do you hear?”

  Cassidy cowered, ashamed and angry that’d she’d asked. “Yes sir, I understand.”

  “What were you born for?” the man asked.

  Cassidy looked into the mirror, her green eyes staring back at her. “I was born for the grave,” she answered, the same answer she’d been giving since she was a young child. The phrase that had been forced into her and all her classmates.

  “Exactly. Don’t you forget that.”

  She sighed. “Before I go, you have protection for Leopold, right?”

  “Don’t worry. Leopold is the most important person in the world right now. We have our people surrounding his apartment. The Underground won’t get to him tonight.” The man paused before continuing. “Get some rest. You’ve done well today. Your time jump is at 1800 hours tomorrow. See you then.”

  The line went dead and Cassidy pulled the earpiece out. She put her hands down on the bathroom counter and breathed in and out. She was dedicated to the cause, more so than most people. She wanted nothing more than to see the plan of her masters carried out. Still, she couldn’t help but fight the fleeting feeling in her mind that she’d just made a terrible mistake.

  LEOPOLD RENNER PULLED up to his apartment and got out at the curb. He sent his car to park and walked inside. He ignored the greetings from the doorman, and the one from the woman behind the front desk. His mind was focused on only one thing: getting to his apartment and continuing to work.

  He couldn’t believe the information he had on his tablet. It was a story that he’d always wanted to know, even if most of the population had forgotten about it. Who was the man behind Tempest’s mask? Now he knew, and soon the rest of the world would know exactly who Kane Andrews was.

  He got into the elevator and punched the holographic button for the seventh floor. He felt as if the elevator was moving in slow motion. When it finally opened its doors, he practically ran out, heading straight for his apartment. He scanned his thumbprint and the door opened.

  “Welcome home, Leopold,” the voice of Miranda, the computer software that ran his apartment, said as he walked in.

  “Thank you, Miranda,” he said. “Get some coffee brewing for me, please.”

  “Of course, Leopold.”

  Leopold set his tablet down on his desk and made an upward hand gesture, causing the holographic screen on his desk to spring to life.

  “I want all articles mentioning Tempest and the Supers from the time of his last fight with Richter to a year later.”

  A flood of Internet and newspaper articles filled the screen. While they loaded, he got up and grabbed his cup of coffee.

  He returned to his desk and began skimming through the articles, looking for one to catch his eye. After a bit of searching, he found one that did. The headline read:

  NO SIGN OF RICHTER OR TEMPEST SIX MONTHS AFTER DISA
PPEARANCE. THREE MORE SUPERS EMERGE IN MEANTIME.

  “Miranda, turn off all notifications. I don’t want any interruptions, okay?” Leopold said.

  “Yes, sir,” she said. “Should I power down as well?”

  “No,” Leopold said. He grabbed his coffee mug and lifted it up a bit in the air. “I’ll need you to keep these coming.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Leopold took a sip of his coffee and settled into his chair. He had a long night of reading ahead of him.

  The Siege of the Supers

  The Siege of the Supers © 2015 by Logan Rutherford

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical mean s, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Art by Damonza

  Copyedited and Proofread by Carol Davis

  Fragments & Fictions

  The Return of Tempest

  The Man at the Door

  September 20th, 2078

  Agent Cassidy opened the front door to the Tempest Memorial Museum and saw Leopold Renner standing there, clutching at the bloody bullet wounds in his torso.

  “Leopold!” she breathed as she bent down to catch the man as he slumped to the ground. She brought a finger up to her earpiece. “Mayday, mayday. This is Agent Cassidy speaking. Epsilon is down. I repeat, Epsilon is down. Requesting extraction immediately.”

  Agent Cassidy dragged Leopold into the foyer of the museum, shutting the door behind her. She locked it, then returned to Leopold’s side. His heavy, wet breathing struck panic into Cassidy with every breath. She put pressure on the wounds, doing her best to stop the bleeding.

  Leopold grabbed Cassidy with a bloody hand. She looked into his crazed eyes, unsure of what more to do. She was trained on how to take a life, not save one. She didn’t have the tools necessary to keep him alive. All she could do was hope extraction would come soon. She clicked her earpiece again. “I repeat, mayday, immediate extraction requisition. Epsilon is do—”

  “Y-y-you’re n-not Mrs. Andr—”

  “—Leopold, stop speaking. We’re gonna get you out of this, okay?” Cassidy said.

  Leopold nodded his head. His eyes focused on the ceiling as he concentrated on his breathing.

  “Hello?” Cassidy screamed into her earpiece. “Epsilon is dying here!”

  “Agent Cassidy?” a voice said.

  Her heart fluttered. “Damien?”

  “Yes. Omaha Delta Foxtrot nine five.”

  “Charlie Alpha Omaha five two.”

  “Identity confirmed. Cassidy, we’re under attack up here. We’re trying to get to you as fast as we can. Whatever you do, keep Epsilon alive. We’re doing what we can on our end. We’re trying to get to you as fast as we can, but we’re taking heavy fire.”

  “Damien, I don’t know how much ti—”

  “—Cassidy I have to g—oh, shit!”

  An explosion came through the radio. “Damien!” Cassidy screamed.

  “Cassidy! Get out of there!”

  The line went dead.

  “Damien? Damien?” Cassidy spoke into the earpiece. Nothing but silence.

  “When are you all going to learn that I hate red? It just doesn’t look good on me,” a familiar voice spoke from across the room.

  Agent Cassidy looked up. Standing in front of the crimson Tempest headpiece stood the man himself. Nineteen-year-old Kane Andrews turned and faced her.

  “Hey there, Cass,” he said with a sly smile. He was wearing a red t-shirt under a tan leather jacket, and a dark pair of jeans. Very different from what she usually saw him in—his Tempest outfit.

  Cassidy stood, and instinctively thrust her arm out to her side, activating her powers. But the purple lighting didn’t course across her arms like it usually did. In fact, nothing at all happened.

  Kane chuckled. “Aw, that was kinda pathetic.”

  Cassidy cursed herself silently for looking like a fool in front of Kane. “What do you want, Kane?”

  Kane took a step forward. “I’m taking Leopold. Stand aside, Cassidy. I don’t want to have to fight you.”

  Cassidy planted her feet in front of Leopold. “You’re not taking him anywhere. Epsilon is property of the UHA.”

  Kane continued walking forward, still confident. “Help isn’t coming, Cassidy. My people are keeping yours occupied. You know very well what we’re capable of.”

  “You know very well what I’m capable of, Kane,” Cassidy said.

  “I know very well,” Kane said with a smile.

  She thought back to the last time they’d fought. It hadn’t ended well for Kane, and he clearly remembered that.

  “But your powers don’t work here, Cassidy.”

  “Neither do yours. We’re even.” She moved into a fighting stance. “You’re not taking Epsilon.”

  Kane sighed. “So that’s how it’s going to be?”

  Cassidy said nothing.

  “Very well.”

  She lunged at Kane before he was ready, and planted her fist in his cheek. He stumbled back, but put his hands up to block her next punch.

  Now he was ready, and their fight began.

  Crash Landing

  January 24th, 2016

  My eyes cracked open as I inhaled a deep breath.

  “Oh, shit, he’s awake!” I heard someone shout into their radio over the loud roar of an engine.

  “Hit ’em with neutralizer! I’m almost at the landing strip!”

  My eyes shot open. Facing me were two people wearing uniforms with NASA insignia badges on the chest.

  Time slowed as an arc of purple electricity came right for my chest. My instincts took over.

  I shot straight back, the purple electricity barely missing me, and slammed into the rear of the aircraft. The back half of the plane flew off when I impacted, and I shot out into the night sky.

  I went tumbling through the air, dodging objects that were being sucked out of the hole in the plane. I could see the people inside holding on for dear life as I righted myself in the air, gaining my composure.

  “We’re going down!” the pilot shouted.

  The plane began spiraling toward the ground. The plane had a weird shape to it... and that’s when I realized it wasn’t a plane. It was a space shuttle.

  I watched it as it continued to fall. My mind was hazy, and my body ached. I looked at my surroundings, and couldn’t see a thing. It was pitch black, and the farther away the crashing space shuttle fell, the more quiet it got.

  Soon, the only sound I could hear was my own breathing. I hovered in the air, trying to put together the pieces. Trying to figure out what was going on.

  The screams of the people in the shuttle reached my ears, jolting me into action.

  I’m Kane Andrews. I’m Tempest. I’m a superhero. And even though I wasn’t sure what was going on, I had a job to do.

  I flew toward the space shuttle as it spiraled toward the ground. There was a pop behind me as I broke the sound barrier, traveling faster and faster toward my target.

  The shuttle lit up the night sky, flames shooting out from the hole I’d created. I flew toward it at super speed, the wind whipping past, filling me with life. Everything was becoming clearer and clearer.

  I slowed as I reached the shuttle. I flew through the back of it and grabbed the two people who had been sitting next to the bed they’d had me strapped into.

  I flew back out, the flames from the shuttle licking my skin. The people I held—a man and a woman—screamed as I flew toward the ground. I flew fast, as I was going to have to go back up to the shuttle and get the remaining astronauts, and the shuttle was getting closer and closer to the ground.

  I hit the ground as softly and gracefully as I could,
and set the two people down in a large wheat field. I jumped up, flying right back into action.

  In the time it took me to save the first two people, the shuttle had increased the speed of its descent, and it was now just a few hundred feet from slamming into the ground.

  I flew as fast as I could, the stalks of wheat in the field below blown back as I hit supersonic speed not far from the ground.

  The shuttle was hundreds of yards away, but I reached it in a matter of seconds. I flew in and grabbed the pilot and co-pilot from their seats as they struggled to gain control of the shuttle.

  We were just a few stories above the ground, seconds away from slamming into it and turning into a huge fireball.

  I flew out of the shuttle, moving away from it as fast as I could—but I was unable to reach top speed since my passengers wouldn’t be able to handle it.

  I turned my back to the shuttle and did the best I could to shield the pilots with my body.

  The shuttle hit the ground in a massive explosion. My supersensitive eardrums ruptured with a pop, and blood trickled from them. I felt my body immediately get to work repairing them. The flames licked at my back, followed closely by black smoke.

  I continued to fly away toward the field. I found where I’d dropped off the first two astronauts and dropped their pilots off with them. They were radioing for help when I returned. They all looked at me, dumbfounded and afraid.

  “Is help coming for you?” I asked, shaking my vocal cords to disguise my voice.

  The female astronaut nodded as she pointed at the radio on her belt.

  I wanted to say something more, like a one-liner or something. But I didn’t have the energy. My mind still felt hazy, and my body ached. All I wanted was to clear my mind.

  I turned away from the four astronauts, leaving them in the wheat field. I flew over the flaming wreckage of the space shuttle, and toward the most peaceful place I knew.