The First Superhero Books 0-3 Box Set Page 4

  “I doubt it. The government is probably looking for me right now. I’m the only thing that’s been proven to work against him.”

  “You’re not a thing,” Mom said under her breath, her voice quivering. “You’re not a thing. Don’t ever call yourself a thing.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom. You know what I mean, though.”

  Mom pushed her plate away and stood up from the table. “I need some fresh air,” she said. She walked away from the table and out the front door.

  My eyes lingered on the door before I returned my gaze to Dad. He looked at me, his eyes saying so much. He was scared, worried, confused, and whatever other things you feel when you find out your son has superpowers.

  “I’m going to go check on your mom,” he said as he stood up from the table.

  “Okay,” I said.

  He walked out of the room, and at that moment, I’d never felt more alone.

  Excuses

  I turned my car off in the parking lot of the high school. I took a moment and closed my eyes, breathing in and out slowly, trying my best to keep my hands from shaking. I looked up, and my eyes wandered to the police tape around the part of the parking lot I had taken off from. There was a small crater there, a stark reminder of what I’d done. I couldn’t help but smile a little. I had to admit it was really freaking cool, although equally terrifying.

  I got out of my car and took another deep breath as I made my way into the school. I was scared of what might happen when I got inside. What if someone recognized me? What if Macy recognized me? The thought was scary. I didn’t know what I’d do.

  Speaking of Macy, I was so caught up in my own personal developments that I’d kinda forgotten to be worried about her. However, that came to me in floods as I walked inside the high school, making up for lost time. It’d been a day since the big event, and that definitely wasn’t enough time for her to recover. I questioned whether or not she’d even be at school. I cursed myself for not thinking about that earlier, and began searching the crowd for her signature red hair.

  One thing that shocked me as I searched the crowd was how calm everybody was. I was expecting there to be a ton of commotion, unrest, something. Instead, everyone was sitting around in silence, a palpable sense of fear lingering in the air. It was the not knowing that scared them the most, I was sure. Not knowing why Richter had come to Ebon—which I myself was wondering—or who I was, and whether or not I was bad. If only they knew that the guy who was on the minds of every person in the world was only a few feet away from them. How would they react?

  Alright, stop thinking about that, I told myself. Find Macy.

  “Kane, what the hell!” I heard Drew whisper to my right.

  I turned and saw him walking toward me, with Michael towering by his side. “Hey, guys,” I said as I held out my hand and offered a fist bump. They gave me one, but then Drew proceeded to scold me.

  “Where have you been?” he all but shouted. “I’ve been calling, texting, everything! I even sent you an email, for crissakes. An. Email. You know what it’s like traveling back to 2008? It’s not fun.”

  Michael and I both laughed at Drew. “Sorry, man,” I said. “I didn’t have a phone signal out on the farm. Besides, I was glued to the television.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Michael said. “I didn’t even realize Drew was trying to get hold of me until nine last night.”

  “I shouldn’t have had to!” Drew shouted, flailing his hands in the air. People turned to look at us, and Drew shrank down a bit and whispered. “I shouldn’t have had to,” he repeated. “Did you not notice a certain redhead being thrown through the air on live television?”

  My mind swirled. What was I going to tell Drew? I should’ve gone and checked on Macy, and I felt bad for not doing so. Still, I was a little distracted. Besides, I was the one who’d saved her, so I was pretty sure she was alright—but nobody else knew that. I’d only had my secret identity for less than twenty-four hours, and already I was about to blow my cover.

  “I was out of town at my grandparents’. I didn’t get back until this morning. I sent her a text, though,” Michael explained.

  Drew nodded, satisfied with Michael’s answer. He turned to me, and I dreaded every second of what was coming. “What about you, Kane?”

  “I just forgot to.” Shit. That was an awful answer. I mentally gave myself one of my signature uppercuts.

  Michael and Drew looked at me with blank faces.

  “Well, I mean...” I needed to think of something fast. “I think I can get a free pass on this one, right? I mean, it’s been less then forty-eight hours since my house was broken into and my parents were almost killed right before my eyes, so I—”

  “WAIT. WHAT THE HELL?!” Drew shouted, eliciting nasty looks from bystanders.

  “Alright, start from the beginning right now,” Michael said.

  I looked at the two of them, confused, before I realized that the whole “becoming a superhuman” thing had happened before I got the chance to tell either of them about the break-in. Yet another thing that had slipped my mind.

  I filled the two of them in on the whole story, but when I got to the part where I’d used my superpowers for the first time without even realizing it, I told them that Dad and I had gotten the jump on the intruders. Had I told them that I’d done it myself, they wouldn’t have believed me, even if I offered them the adrenaline theory I’d originally believed. They knew me too well.

  “Holy shit,” Drew breathed once I had finished my story.

  “Yeah, bro, seriously, holy shit,” Michael agreed. “That’s insane. How are you doing? Holding up alright?”

  I nodded. “This has been a crazy couple of days. But I really wanna check up on Macy—explain myself and everything.”

  Drew nodded. “Yeah, of course. She’s not staying here anymore, though.”

  “She and her sister got put up in the Ilan downtown,” Michael said. He practically bounced on his feet, he was so excited.

  The Ilan was the only five-star hotel we had in Ebon, and it was quite the anomaly. There were a few blocks of office buildings downtown, but nothing huge. Definitely not skyscrapers by any stretch of the imagination. Then there was the Ilan, a tall hotel that towered above the rest. It was like a resort, which was strange, because Ebon was a town of, like, 100,000 tops. There was really no reason why you’d want to go to a resort in the middle of small-town Indiana. Especially not when Indianapolis was nearby. And an airport to take you someplace other than Indiana—because literally anywhere would be a better place to go on a vacation than here.

  “Wow, the Ilan. That’s pretty cool!” I said.

  Drew nodded. “Yeah, for sure. We’re about to head to the hospital to help her pack and get her stuff moved over to the hotel.”

  “Sweet. Let’s go,” I said.

  The three of us turned around and walked out the high school doors, and for some reason, my stomach twisted.

  A Surprise Visit

  From Macy’s window, I looked down at the horde of news crews camped in front of the hospital. They were desperate to get any morsel of information from Macy, even though she’d said she didn’t remember much, and most of what she did remember was just her fearing for her life. Still, the reporters wanted more. There were multiple guards stationed at her door and at other places around the hospital, as reporters were desperate and would do whatever it took to get a few seconds alone with Macy. If only they knew that both Macy and the superhuman who had saved her were standing in the same room together. There was no telling what they’d do to get the scoop on that story.

  “I’m really sorry about all you had to go through,” Macy said from behind me.

  I turned from the window to face her. She was sitting up in bed on top of the covers, while Drew and Michael were sitting in two chairs next to the bed. “It’s fine,” I said as I sat down on the foot of her bed. “Really. You’ve been through a lot, too.”

  She grinned and brushed some strand
s of hair behind her ear. “I guess we can just call it even.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, even.”

  From the corner of my vision I could see Michael elbowing Drew, who was in the middle of an overdramatic eye roll.

  “So, when are you getting out?” I asked.

  “Well, I could leave today if I wanted. I’ve had lots of hotels and apartment complexes offer to let me stay there for free for the publicity. The hospital director told me I could stay here until they needed my room, since all the people at the hospital make it a safer place and less of a target.”

  I tried to hide my wince at hearing her describe herself as a “target.” It didn’t seem right.

  “But Madeline hates staying here, so I think we’ll take one of those apartment complexes up on their offer this weekend.”

  “You’re so lucky,” Michael said. “Getting a kickass apartment and not having to pay any rent? That’s so nice.”

  Macy nodded. “I’m definitely not complaining.”

  “I wish you were going to take the Ilan up on their offer like I thought, though. Still, you gotta let us come over and check out your new place,” Drew said.

  “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Well, you’re all big and famous now. We don’t want you to forget about us little people, is all,” Michael said.

  I chuckled, but not at Michael’s joke. I was laughing at the fact that one of the most famous people on the planet was sitting right across from him, and he had no idea.

  “It’s so crazy, though, isn’t it?” Michael said.

  “You’re going to have to be more specific,” Drew scoffed. There were way too many crazy things happening to choose from.

  “Like ... why here, you know? Like, why Ebon of all places? It’s crazy.”

  I zoned out for a moment as I thought about it. I guessed it really was weird that Richter had come to Ebon, of all places, and it happened to be the place where I was living. It all seemed so strange.

  Before I could question it further, the door opened, bringing me back to the present. We all turned to see who it was. In walked Madeline, Macy’s older sister, the only family she had. She had bags under her dark brown eyes, and her brunette hair was in a messy bun, with strands hanging down around her face. Madeline was twenty-four years old; she worked as a graphic designer in Indianapolis while also taking care of Macy. Not that Macy needed someone to take care of her, but still, Madeline was there to support her when she needed it.

  “How are you boys doing?” she asked. She walked over to the table next to the bed and set her purse down on it.

  “Men,” Drew corrected her with a smile. “And we’re doing good.”

  “Well.” This time it was Madeline’s turn to correct him. “You’re doing well, Michael.”

  “Actually, I’m Michael,” Michael said as he raised his hand. “He’s Drew.”

  “My apologies. All I know for sure is that he’s Kane,” Madeline said, pointing toward me.

  I looked at Macy, whose eyes met mine. She blushed, and she quickly turned her attention to Madeline, shooting her a dirty look.

  Madeline gave her a teasing smile, then sat down next to her on the bed. “Oh, there’s someone else coming up here. Another one of your friends. I can’t remember his name, but I see him hanging out with you all the time.”

  I knew exactly who it was, but before I could ask to be certain, the door opened, and in he walked.

  It was Brian, the guy who was in love with Macy, who’d hated me my entire life, but even more so now that Macy liked me instead of him. Well, allegedly liked me.

  “Hey, Macy,” he said. He gave Drew, Michael, and me a disgusted look. “I didn’t realize you had company.”

  “Hello, Brian. Yes, I do. Is there anything I can do for you?” Macy said with a cold tone in her voice.

  Brian pulled one of his hands from behind his back and revealed a bouquet of flowers. “I wanted to bring you these, and see how you were doing.”

  I exchanged a look with Drew and Michael. It was clear we were all taken aback by Brian’s uncharacteristically kind gesture, and I wondered what it was he had up his sleeve. Brian always had ulterior motives. He never did something from the kindness of his heart, but always because there was something for him to gain from his actions.

  “Can I have a moment?” he asked. He looked at me, anger flashing in his eyes. “Alone.”

  Macy thought about it for a moment before coming to a decision. “Well, you did bring me some flowers. You can have your moment, but I’d like for my sister to stay in the room, if that’s okay with you,” she said.

  Brian nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

  Macy turned to us. “This shouldn’t take long.”

  I gave her a look that showed my disapproval, then stood up from my seat on her bed, as did Michael and Drew. We walked to the door, and before I closed it, I turned to Macy. “If you need us, we’ll be right outside.”

  “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.” She bit her lip and held back a laugh, causing my heart to skip and a huge smile to break out across my face. Brian stood there, quietly fuming, trying his best to contain his temper.

  Drew, Michael, and I stood outside the hospital room, trying to hear what was going on inside. We couldn't get too close, however, since two police officers were standing on either side of the door.

  We gave up on eavesdropping and did our best to stay out of the way in the hall, which was easy to do, since it was very wide. A few doctors and nurses walked by occasionally, but for the most part it stayed pretty quiet. Macy was staying in a part of the hospital that wasn't very busy, I guessed because the busy parts were occupied by people who actually needed medical attention.

  “So what are you gonna do about your competition?” Drew asked, elbowing me.

  I gave him a glare. “Brian isn't competition. He's just being a dick and using her situation for his own gain.”

  “Maybe so, but still, you gotta admit that the flowers were a nice touch.”

  “Yeah, Kane,” Michael chimed in. “I didn't see you bring her anything.”

  “Well, it's not like I had the time to or anything,” I said, defending myself. Plus, I'm the one who saved her life, so there's that too, I thought. I think that's worth more than a bunch of flowers that'll die in a few days.

  I heard a door behind me open, and I turned around as fast as I could. Brian exited Macy's hospital room and slammed the door behind him. The two police officers went on alert, their hands lingering around their Tasers.

  “I'm sorry. I didn't realize how light the door was,” Brian said in a rush.

  “Either way, the exit's that way, son,” one of the officers told Brian. He raised a finger and pointed down the hallway past my group.

  “Yeah, alright,” Brian mumbled.

  His eyes bored into mine the entire time he walked toward us. I stared right back into his, not afraid for a second.

  “You're gonna regret thinking you’re better than me, Kane,” Brian said as he walked by, making sure to stay quiet so the officers wouldn’t hear him.

  “And you're gonna regret thinking you were good enough for Macy,” I spat back at him.

  “The hell you say?” he all but shouted at me, stopping in his tracks. His chest was puffed and his arms were flexed, ready for a fight.

  “Hey!” one of the officers shouted as they walked over to us. They grabbed Brian by the arms. “Let's go, punk.” And with that, they escorted Brian out of the hospital.

  I made sure to give him a little wave before he disappeared around the corner. It wouldn't be long until Brian Turner would no longer be a problem.

  A Happy Accident

  I walked out of the Burger Shack, a sack full of food in one hand and a holder of drinks in the other. I walked down the street just a few blocks away from the hospital, breathing in the fresh summer air. I needed to cool down after my confrontation with Brian, so I had volunteered to go get burgers for everybody while the rest of the guy
s helped Macy pack. The streets were unusually quiet for the summertime in Ebon, but that was becoming more and more the norm thanks to Richter. On the other hand, I walked with a little extra skip in my step, enjoying the beautiful day. I looked forward to seeing Macy again, even though I’d only been away from her for half an hour.

  As I passed by a small alleyway just a block away from the hospital, though, my day took a turn for the worse. “Hey, dickhead!” I heard someone call from within the alley. I turned my head to the right to see who it was, and there stood Brian Turner with a face that said he was pissed and ready to raise hell.

  I rolled my eyes and sighed. “What is it, Brian?” I asked.

  “Come here,” he said.

  “And why would I do that?” I asked him.

  Brian walked toward me, grabbed me by my shirt, and threw me into the alley. The drinks and burgers flew out of my hands, and all over the alley. I hit the ground and rolled a couple of times before stopping face-up, staring at the sky. “Oh, ow!” I shouted, doing a bad job of making it seem like I was in pain, even though I felt nothing at all.

  Brian walked over to me and pulled me up by my shirt. He pushed me up against the brick wall on one side of the alley. “You listen to me, and you listen good: stay the hell away from Macy. She’s mine, you prick,” Brian shouted at me.

  “Uh, well, I don’t know about that. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t be friends with, and you also can’t tell me who I can and can’t be in love with. Especially when that person is in love with me,” I said. I didn’t know if Macy really was “in love” with me, but I knew that’d sure make Brian mad.

  Brian punched me in my gut, and I almost forgot to double over in faux pain.

  “She’s not in love with you!” Brian shouted. “She loves me, alright? Now, you’re going to stay away from her!”

  My blood began to boil. Brian had always been a nuisance to me my whole life, and I was tired of it.

  He punched me in the stomach again, except this time I did nothing. He didn’t seem to notice, though.