Waiting for a Miracle

Chapter 23

Yes, I should have seen that there were some holes in my plot, but this wasn’t something I could have predicted. I looked at Vicky, who shrugged as she offered us an apologetic pout.

Leona yelled to Wallace, “When she said we didn’t know who her father was, do you suppose the bitch could have let us in on the joke?”

Laughing weakly, I walked closer to the helicopter before I drew my shrink ray gun. The pilot saw it and tried to veer off, but it was too late. I shot the chopper and flew up toward the tiny speck, pinching its tail under my fingernail.

The President yelled over his bullhorn, “Damn you, let go of my huey! Don’t you know who I am?”

He sounded like a chipmunk sucking helium.

Landing on the roof, I pinched the rotors and broke them, and then I handed the disabled craft to Vicky.

“Your father’s life is in your hands now—” I stopped when she dropped the chopper to the ground and stomped it repeatedly.

Just to make sure he was dead, she ground her heel, twisting it back and forth.

Shaking my head, I remarked, “Huh, well that was...unexpected.”

“Boss?” Morgan said. “The military is pulling back. It looks like they’re retreating from the super villains, and I’m afraid I have some more bad news.”

“How bad?” I asked.

“I just got a visual on Tower and Colossus,” Morgan replied.

I whimpered and asked, “Which way should I look?”

“North, directly below the tower,” Morgan answered. “I think some of the villains are trying to talk them into leveling it.”

“Of course,” I groaned.

Tower and Colossus were shapeshifters who could increase their size. Normally they both hung out in Texas, but I guess they’d decided to be a part of our little rodeo.

At full size, either one could knock LeVeaux Tower off its foundations and then smash the building to pieces. If both of them got involved, let’s just say it would get butt-ugly fast.

“Leona, I’ll understand if you want to bow out now,” I said.

She shook her head, her face showing grim determination. “You were right, and I couldn’t leave this city to those bastards. This has to be done, for people like Becky and her grandmother, or Greg and Maggie. I won’t stop until they start running for their lives.”

I nodded and dropped off the building again. As soon as I hit the ground, I let my light blade grow to a ridiculous length and took a swinging chop. Thirty villains fell quickly, instantly dead as they were sliced in half. I doubt more than five knew what hit them.

Yet the damage did nothing to the frenzied criminals, who trampled the gore down in an attempt to get past me and into the tower. I had planned that, knowing that the criminals would focus on Vicky in order to hurt Miracle Man, but I still wasn’t prepared for the sheer numbers of villains filling the block.

Above the crowd, Colossus was rising, growing past the smaller structures. I heard a thump and felt the ground pulse. Turning around, I found that Tower was also bulking up. I took a swing at his shin, but he pulled it back, swinging it forward to kick me. I flew back and slammed into an office building between floors. Even with my force field, the impact dazed me.

I recovered and flew at Tower, taking a swing at his neck. Again he pulled away, and then drew back his fist for a punch. I had all the time in the world to phase, and so I passed through his hand.