Haunt (Regenerate #5)

Chapter 1

Mikayla triple somersaults into Lorna's living room. She's wearing a new suit that Mantis designed for her.

"Spin around!" Lorna says.

She does a pirouette.

"Maybe spin a little slower," I say. She obliges.

"It looks great," Lorna says.

Mikayla bounces up and down on the balls of her feet. "Thanks. Any advice for being a superhero?"

"Choose a cool nickname before the media picks a stupid one for you," I say.

"Aw, your nickname isn't bad," Lorna says.

"Regenerating Girl?" I pretend to gag. "It's terrible. For one thing six, syllables is too long. And it's not catchy."

Lorna shrugs. "I don't think it's so bad."

"Easy for you to say," I complain. "You have a cool code name. Vipress."

Lorna grins. "Vipress is cool. But Regenerating Girl isn't that terrible."

"It's a little bit stupid," Vanessa says.

"Thank you," I say. Vanessa's been getting out of her shell lately, which has been good to see. I think it's partially because Lorna started training her. Nothing boosts confidence like learning how to kick really, really hard.

"Well if you want a different codename, think of one and we'll start spreading it around," Lorna says.

Unfortunately, I don't actually have an idea for a better name. I just don't like Regenerating Girl.

Mikayla and Vanessa run off to their room to do whatever it is they do when they get tired of hanging out with Lorna and I.

I scroll through my phone absentmindedly for a few minutes before turning to Lorna. "I'm so bored."

"Well let's go do something," Lorna says. "Have something in mind?"

"A mission."

Lorna considers. "Maybe we could stop a robbery."

"I've been doing that," I say. "Crime is at an all time low in Los Angeles. I want to do something bigger."

"It sounds suspiciously like you're hoping a super villain shows up because you're a little bored," Lorna says. "Maybe you should try Netflix."

"Netflix is fine," I say. "But people like us are supposed to do more of that. But Anthony doesn't seem interested in giving us a new mission. He hasn't been the same since Siryn."

"He's been doing better," Lorna says. "He's inventing again. And he likes training Danny."

I roll my eyes. "Don't even get me started on Danny. He keeps using this excuse that Danny is training with him but living with Mark. But I'm pretty sure Danny knows that Mark is Mantis. Which is ridiculous. He's known the kid for like ten minutes. Why would he tell Danny his identity and not me?"

"Because he doesn't have a giant crush on Danny?" Lorna offers.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I ask.

It's Lorna's turn to roll her eyes. "It means that you make Mark nervous. Especially since you broke up with Mark Hall, I think he's worried that you don't want to date either identity, Mark or Mantis. You could just tell him that you know who he is."

"No way," I say. "He should tell me himself."

Lorna sighs. "You two are hopeless."

"I can't argue with that."

Lorna stands. "If you want a mission, maybe you should find one."

"Maybe I will," I say. And since I have nothing else to do, I start thumbing through old news, trying to find a lead on something suspicious. After a few hours I think I've stumbled onto something.

I pull out my phone to call Anthony.

"Call a team meeting for tomorrow," I say. "I have a new mission for us."

"Do I get a sneak preview?" he asks. "What kind of mission are you thinking?"

I look at the picture on my computer screen, a calling card for local crime ring. "Have you ever heard of the House of Night?"