Hero Stalker

Part Sixty-Eight

A wave of voices crashed over me as I stepped out into the blinding afternoon sun. Every one of them called my name. I'm dreaming, I thought. Everything since Hollis dedicated the cancer lab's been a dream. I got hit by a car crossing Wilson Parkway and now I'm lying in a coma. But the boiling sun convinced me otherwise.

I sat down with the rest of the Centurions. Femme made a brief introductory speech. I couldn't see it from my chair, but the big TV above the podium would be showing her face.

Mayor Hollis sat in the front row. He smiled when he saw me. Probably hoping I'd endorse his re-election campaign. Robert Ayer sat a few rows back. Next to him, Dan tapped his foot impatiently and fiddled with his badge. They'd invited him as a reward for his work on the Harpy case. He'd been thrilled when he'd heard. Over in the press area, I glimpsed Annabelle scribbling on a notepad, her camera hanging around her neck.

The stupid, pointless sushi roll had stolen its share of spectator space, but plenty of people had packed in. They waved hand-drawn posters and lifted their kids to get a better view of the stage. Quite a few wore black and green. What if I let them all down?

"It's always a pleasure when your team pulls together to overcome a crisis," Femme voice rang out across the square. People smiled. I should have smiled, too. Hadn't I finally achieved my goal? This ceremony was just my victory lap at superspeed. "The challenges we've face these last few weeks have made us stronger than ever."

Take the vow, jump over the roll, give remarks, leave. The roll was ten feet high and twelve across. An easy jump, even if I didn't go at top speed. That I could handle.

The back of my neck tingled. I glanced over at Slasher. His fists curled tightly around his bracers.

"Our newest addition has proven herself on multiple opportunities," said Femme.

Chill. This is a celebration. So why did I feel like a live wire ran up my spine?

"Shadowcat," Femme said. "Please rise."

My eyes swept over the crowd as I walked to the podium. All seemed to be in place. Simon and his crew crawled over the roofs of the houses surrounding the square.

Femme lifted a leather-bound Bible. "Place your right hand on the book and repeat after me."

I couldn't feel the leather under my glove. My hand shook. Relax! The giant TV above us would blow up every move I made. Last thing I needed were public photos of Shadowcat throwing up.

"I am a force for good," Femme said.

"I am a force for good." At the back of the venue, a truck rolled across the exit and stopped. My heart jumped. Don't be paranoid. It's just Harbor Day traffic. But with the giant speakers filling the alleys, no one could get in or out of the square.

"I will uphold justice and reject unnecessary violence."

"I will uphold justice and reject unnecessary violence." We could always move the speakers in case of emergency, right? My eyes flickered back to Slasher, who didn't seem to be looking at me.

"I will protect my community and reject personal prejudice." Femme's voice grew tighter.

"I will protect my community and reject personal prejudice." Out in the audience, Dan's hand went into his jacket. Had he brought his gun?

"I will respect my superiors and reject self-glorification."

"I will respect my superiors and reject self-glorification." Pulse had crushed Harpy. It was over. So why did I feel like it was just getting started? And where the hell had his weapon ended up?

"I stand against evil." Femme smiled at me—a genuine, encouraging smile. My mind raced. How could you move something that large without attracting attention? What could you disguise it as?

"I stand against evil," I said. Then it hit me. "The sushi!"

The bastard hid it in the sushi.

My voice boomed out over the speakers. Femme stared at me. "What?"

But I was already there. My blades slashed through seaweed and plywood, creating a deep, clumsy gash. I wrenched a section of wood free and tossed it away behind me. The plastic top collapsed and fell to the side. So did the walls. People screamed and fled as debris filled the air.

Harpy's new machine was twice my height. The wide head of the spray nozzle had a wide head on it, designed to hit as many people with cryothene as possible. A psi-meter had been wired to the chemical tanks. The stolen engine sat underneath. White light glowed from the plutonium-shielded core in the middle.

Pure psi-radiation leaked over me. My teeth ached. My legs and hands burned.

Gunfire burst from the roofs of the houses surrounding the square. I heard screams and the crackle of static.

"Centurions, stand down!" boomed an electronic voice from the speakers. The TV screen atop Old Town Hall changed to show the horned helmet of Harpy. The supervillain stood before a set of windows overlooking the ocean. He's in Centurion Tower. "The device is armed with a psi-meter. Use your powers and it detonates."