When Heroes Fall

Chapter 3

On another roof above the memorial service, Lien kept an eye on the crowd, tracking its movement—leaning forward when the Comet's girlfriend spoke and leaning away when the mayor spoke, interest obviously draining from the sea of people at the man's flighty voice. Her black Cuban fiber cloak did little to stop the cool winds, though that was not what concerned her at the moment. Fear gripped the community at the fall of Comet. Fear led to anger and hate. Lien knew that too well, and the mayor enforcing a curfew and militarizing the police did not bode well for anyone. Her gut turned, frown growing deeper.

"Oh, my darling Little Miss Chaos, are you with us?" a trill voice called from behind Lien. She rolled her eyes, turning away from the ledge toward a tall, busty woman in a skintight magician's suit and an overly buff humanoid figure made completely or granite stone.

"Mage," Lien addressed the woman, who smiled brilliantly at her name, "it's just Chaos."

Mage pouted out her lower lip, tossing her curled, platinum hair over her shoulder and crossing her arms. She leaned her weight on one leg, showing off the natural curves of her body. "You're no fun, love. Besides, why are you so glum? The Comet is gone! It's free game for us, right, Boulder?"

Boulder, the granite figure, grunted in response. Lien quirked a brow.

"You think this makes our job easier? The mayor pretty much just gave the police free reign."

"And I'm so glad I didn't vote for him—"

"You didn't vote at all," Boulder's graveled voice rumbled under Mage's high alto.

"But the police couldn't stop us before, what makes you think they can now? Chin up, Chaos. All that frowning will give you wrinkles," Mage finished, ignoring Boulder's comment in favor of throwing an arm over Lien's shoulder and dragging her in closer, "now come on, we have a robbery to plan. I'm thinking we go in guns blazing, really put on a show—they deserve it after all."

Lien couldn't help the smile that twitched on her lips. She slid out of Mage's grasp. "As spectacular as that would be, our next hit requires a bit more stealth. Delgado Pharmaceuticals has top notch security. We're not after cash."

Mage returned her smile, expression softer. "That's more like it, what's our in?"

"Have the blueprints?" Lien asked. Mage let out a loud laugh, throwing her head back.

"Please," Mage raised a hand, twirling it in the air. An electric hum filled the air as a glowing ring formed around her hand. The center of the ring became an inky vortex, swirling. Mage shoved her arm through the ring, the entirety of her arm disappearing as she rummaged through the pocket dimension. She bit her lower lip as she dug about. Finding what she was looking for, Mage pulled her arm out, map in hand. The glowing ring snapped out of existence with a pop. "I've had Delgado's blueprints ever since they denied me my estrogen pills. This is some revenge I've been waiting for."

Mage unfurled the blueprints. Lien and Boulder leaned in, studying the building.

"Good," Lien nodded, "because along with denying hormone treatments, they've been denying people insulin. That's what we're after, and here," Lien pointed to the seventh floor of the building, "is where we are going to get it."

Lien heard about the shortage from the pharmacy near her house. She'd just been picking up some pain meds to help deal with the aftermath of their last heist, but she overheard the young father struggling to pay for his son's insulin treatment. It made Lien's blood boil. The rage still pulsed through her. Here there was something to save a life being put behind a paywall, and for what? So some man in his golden castle could get another yacht? Build a monument to their own ego? Lien wasn't going to play that game, not when she knew the lab was manufacturing insulin and she had a crew that could get in. A temporary solution. Lien knew it was a band aid for a wound she couldn't heal on her own, but she couldn't leave it.

"What about Nightstar?" Boulder rumbled. Lien froze at the hero's name. Nightstar. No one had heard from the sidekick since the Comet's death...

"As if, if the police can't stop us, what makes you think a boy with some sticks can? He doesn't even have powers," Mage rolled her eyes, holding out the blueprints to inspect them more closely.

Lien glared, "And what do powers have to do with anything?"

Puffing out her lower lip, Mage tilted her head to look at Lien. "Chaos, love, obviously I didn't mean you. You are terrifying. Powers or no, but Nightstar? Please. No one else may realize it, but he's a child. I heard his voice crack last time we fought. Besides, no one has seen him in over a week. Chances are the poor kid is terrified out of his mind. Probably out of the game."

Lien stared at Mage, as the older magician ran a hand through her hair. Her expression had gone from a pout to something sadder. Lien felt the grief land on her shoulders like a weight. She didn't know why. It's not like she cared about Nightstar. The guy was pretty much her arch nemesis at this point—they both started their careers around the same time. Nightstar was the reason Popsicle was in jail. He tried to arrest her on multiple occasions. Lien should be glad he was gone. Should be hoping he didn't decide to make a comeback, but still.

Her heart ached the same way it did when she thought about her father. How close had Nightstar been with his mentor? She had stayed in bed for months after her father died, before she decided to get up and do something about it. Would it be the same for Nightstar? Was he grieving? Did anyone even know about his loss? Questions swirled through Lien. Something thick and heavy climbed up her throat. She pushed it down.

"Still," Boulder rumbled, "we should be prepared for anything."

"Fine," Mage rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the diagram in front of her, eyes tracing over the entrances and exits, "Now come on, Chaos, I know you have a plan to deal with the security in this place, share with the class."