The Anthem Force Chronicles

Chapter 13- Tournament of Heroes

The figures behind the curtains. I can see it's shoes, a pair of velcro sneakers, peaking out from underneath.

I don't waste any time asking questions. Instead I jump up on my bed and use it's spring to leap forward and kick the bulge right in the center.

It grunts when I make contact and falls to the side.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" I shout as the figure wrestles to free itself from the curtains.

"Answer me!" I yell when it stays silent.

I reach back, ready to strike again, when the figure finally frees itself.

"Dante, chill, it's me," he says as he pulls himself up, still clutching his stomach from where I had kicked him.

It's David, the former villain on my team who had switched over with Alex. The one who was currently supposed to be back in Anthem City.

"What are you doing here? And why were you hiding in my curtains?" I ask as I sit down on my bed. David sits on the bed across from me. It's nice seeing a familiar face from back home and it makes me realize just how homesick I had been feeling.

"Well I was hiding because I didn't want to be caught by the wrong person... so much for that working out, you give one nasty kick."

I smile. "And don't you forget it... but seriously, why are you here? I mean it's not like I'm not happy to see you or anything but we're not supposed to have any contact with the outside world. I don't want any trouble."

I couldn't afford another penalty, Ultraman would have my head.

Maybe he's here to see Alex... They do have a thing but if had been watching, and I'm sure he has, he would know she's been eliminated.

"That's just the thing, we're already in a lot of trouble," he sighs.

"What did you do?"

"Not me, Ultraman," he says, his face tightening when he says the name.

He thinks Ultraman is bad news. First Natasha, now David. The only two non-powered heroes I know and they've both come to the same conclusion.

"This isn't the first time I've heard bad things about the guy, and if you think it too there must be something to it. Why exactly are you suspicious though?" I say calmly. I've wasted so much time already being selfishly involved in the competition. If there really is something up it's time I get to the bottom of it.

"Well first off Ricky never came home. His parents have no idea where he went, neither does Jenna. That's enough reason for suspicion for me but there's more," David starts. So Ricky never came home. That matches up a little too closely with Natasha's story about her missing teammate.

"Secondly," David says as if administering a presentation. We know eachother too well. We know how each other tick, how the other likes to work. "I just don't like the guy. He seems... sleazy."

"So Ricky's missing, which although suspicious could have other reasonings, and you just don't like the guy. Believe me, I'm not too fond of him either but if we're going to declare the wolrd's ultimate symbol of justice and peace a dirty, corrupt liar we're going to need some real proof."

David shakes his head. "Dante, you've changed."

"Changed?" I gasped, "What are you talking about?"

"The Dante I know wouldn't need 'proof'. She would just run in there and start swinging no matter... looks like you finally smartened up," he teases. I throw a pillow at him which he narrowingly avoids.

 "Ha, ha, very funny. Excuse me for trying to think rationally for once," I say sarcastically, "But seriously, we need a plan."

"Oh I have a plan," he grins, "I think they're holding the contestants hostage somewhere and I bet it's somewhere in the Hall of Heroes."

"Isn't that a little obvious though?" I ask.

"Nah," he says, "The contestants are all supposed to make a reapperance for the final competition tommorrow so I'm guessing they're somewhere close. The Hall is our best shot. So you up for some breaking and entering?"

"I think I'll manage but you are the expert after all so you tell me."

"Just try and keep up," he says with a smirk as he stands up and goes to the door, "You ready to exploit the gig of the century."

"Guess I have to be... Just one more thing," I reach over to the counter to my toolbelt and pull out the sleek grappeling hook, the one David had lent me. "I think this belongs to use, came and handy too."

I toss him the tool and admires it for a moment. "I've missed this. Been hard fighting crime all by myself without it. While you all were playing around in this competition I was keeping Anthem City safe all by-."

"Come on," I say as I grab his shoulder and pull him out of the room. David will have time to brag to me later but for now we had business to take care of.