Fear Her Wrath III: It Runs on Blood

Chapter 22

It was my worst nightmare come true.

Okay, so actually my worst nightmare was coming home to find that Psychosis had stuffed Ben's body in my refrigerator, but this was up there. Despite all my months as a superhero, facing people who were way scarier than Eric Colborne, I reverted into the Maggie of a year ago as one of Colborne's men fired a warning shot into the ceiling. Everyone hit the floor. There were screams, and crying, and people shushing their neighbors in hopes that Colborne wouldn't notice them. I ended up right next to Gennifer, who just kept repeating "No, no, this can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't—." I noticed that my hands were shaking. I could have sworn I heard the drip of the cold showers in the girls' locker room.

Colborne reached the middle of the room and climbed onto a table so we could all see him.

"Rumor is that one of you is Night-Wrath," said Icemane. His raspy voice echoed from the dingy walls of the cafeteria. Nobody said a word. "As you may know, I have an unfinished score to settle with that freak. And there's a small matter of... six million dollars."

His lips parted to show a cruel, diamond-encrusted smile.

"So, Night-Wrath, you can show yourself, and we can resolve our personal differences, or I can start putting more little girls in wheelchairs. Your call."

He twirled the ice pick in his left hand, and I felt myself involuntarily shudder. I had a lot of contingency plans for all kinds of weird emergencies, but for some reason this wasn't one of them. I was paralyzed, mentally and physically. If I revealed myself, Nightwrath was done. Everyone in school would know my secret identity, and even if I survived this fight, there would be mafia soldiers waiting at my door before sundown. Besides, I was a wreck. I was covered in bruises, and it hurt even to walk, much less to fight. Assuming I did somehow take down Icemane despite my injuries, one of his goons would probably gun me down on the spot to collect the reward. I tried to work out a plan—some way that this didn't end in the horrible ways I was imagining.

While I was vacillating, Fatima Ibrahim stood up.

"I am Night-Wrath," she said. A wave of muttering swept the room. Icemane's goons all pointed their guns at Fatima. With all eyes turned towards the other side of the room, something like a plan finally formed in my mind, and I managed to unzip my backpack and start pulling off the ragged green hoodie I was wearing. If I could just get my mask, purple hoodie, and tonfa without anyone noticing...

"You the little girl I made an orphan?" Icemane sneered. Fatima nodded. She was staring at him with fearless determination—like she was actually ready to die letting him think she was Night-Wrath. But things were just getting started.

"Excuse me," said Clara Thao, the homeroom's student rep, also standing up. "But she's not telling the truth. She's not Night-Wrath. I am."

More gasps and muttering. Icemane rounded on Clara, and two of his goons switched to pointing their guns at this new Night-Wrath. I hadn't got along with Clara that well since Simon was arrested, but I was ready to forgive everything. She'd just bought me a little more time.

"Oh, and which one of your relatives did I kill?" said Icemane.

"None," said Clara. "That's why I knew you'd never suspect me. So what are you waiting for, Icemane? I'm ready."

I started squirming into the purple hoodie I always kept in my backpack, just in case. I'd done this quick change before, and under just as much pressure. Just a few more seconds. I winced as one of the sleeves caught on my wrist.

"What are you doing?" Gennifer mouthed at me. Another girl I didn't even know stood up.

"She's not telling the truth," she said. "Because I'm Night-Wrath. I'm the one you fought on Harlan Street. These other two are fakes."