Chapter 23

Standing on the roof ledge,I surveyed Vanguard. Somewhere out there, LaToya went about collecting abilities, growing more powerful by the minute. If I waited much longer, she'd either suck the amateurs dry or siphon actual powers. I expected a mocking phone call from her, but so far, nothing.

At night, I could sense the shadows as if they were alive. They lie in wait, ready to serve should I need them. They nipped at the edge of my thoughts, but at the center of my mind remained Won-Ho. I had spent the last twenty-four hours frantically searching for him. It didn't come from a sudden change of heart. There was nothing altruistic about my intentions. And yet…

"I admire the man." The wind caught the words, drowning them out with a whoosh. The statement attempted to diminish the sensation beating in my chest. What had started as a curiosity had… grown. I danced around the idea of having feelings, especially those that might be mistaken as human. Yes, I cared for Won-Ho.

"I feel like a goddamned school child."

"Sir! You don't have to jump." What the hell? I looked up to see a hero descending from the sky. I balked at the man's red and teal color scheme. Somebody had recently gotten their powers and grabbed the first costume they could find. If I wasn't trying to avoid an inner monologue, I'd have smacked him from the sky.

"Do I look like I have a reason to jump? You imbecile."

He flinched at the insult. Great, a superhero with thin skin. If he turned on waterworks and ugly cried, I'd put him out of his misery.

"What?"

The smoke bellowed from my chest, surrounding my body. I added a cape to mock the nitwit, though I realized he probably wouldn't catch on. I'd have to spell it out.

"The name is Damien Vex."

He panicked at the name. Good. With a deep inhale, his entire body ballooned. He exhaled in a bluster of warm wind. Not only did a strong breeze not move me, but his abilities were downright nasty. He should be blowing up balloons at a kid's birthday party, not attempting to protect Vanguard. I didn't want to contemplate the amount of spit pelting me. That alone was reason to kill him. The blade extended from my hand.

"Vex."

Through the windstorm, my real reason for being perched atop the building had arrived. I turned around to see Hellcat crouched with her staff in hand. If she were partnered with the human balloon animal, she'd have attacked while he was distracted. She had received my message. We waited patiently for the man to finish. It'd have been easier to stab him in the neck and be done with it.

"Inflator—"

"Seriously? What happened to this city?"

"I've got it from here."

He huffed as he went away. I suppose that was his entire schtick. He made a case for Carmen's desire to eliminate heroes. If it weren't for Won-Ho, I'd have served Inflator to her on a silver platter.

"What do you want?"

I let the smoke dissipate as I hopped from the ledge. Hellcat didn't fear me, not in the least. Unlike Carmen, her confidence came from her fighting abilities. Even with my powers, she believed she outmatched me. I gave her points for bravado.

"Carmen LaToya."

"Oh, now you want to help?" She lifted her mask over her head. There was no point in secret identities. Her willingness to out herself made it clear she didn't fear me or my powers. "I figured as soon as she stole your thunder, you'd come crawling."

"She's kidnapped somebody of importance."

"Self-serving agenda. That checks out."

"Stop it with the charades. You act as if you know me." Like every other citizen, she read the articles or listened to shock DJs as they took their shots. Hellcat, or Lydia, had as much knowledge of me as I did of her. That's how Won-Ho had bypassed my defenses. He took the opportunity?—

"I don't need to know you, asshole."

Before I could ask what she meant, the crackle of flames erupted behind me. I wondered if she had summoned her Deviants. It'd be a pleasure to see Bernard's matchstick extinguished.

"Is Vex being a douche?"

"What the…" I couldn't hide the shock on my face. Diesel hovered alongside the roof, body consumed by flames. Had he followed Hellcat? I quickly got the feeling that something had been going on behind my back.

"My name is Damien Vex. You wouldn't understand my genius." The voice might be my own, but I recognized the mocking tone.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Hellcat spun her staff about until it contracted and slid into a holster on her leg. "I might not know you…"

"But we do." Havres materialized out of thin air, his ragged robes flapping in the breeze. "You can say we've been having extracurricular meetings."

Diesel dropped from the sky. When he landed on one knee, bent over, I laughed in disgust. A superhero pose? Really? Hellcat had mentioned the Deviants were no more. She hadn't mentioned that version 2.0 had been assembled.

Clint morphed, returning to his usual self. "LaToya is a bad person. She needs to be stopped."

I wanted to mock this band of misfits and scoff at the tired cliche. Hellcat had been poaching my companions, and now it made sense why she had previously offered me the chance to join. It reminded me of the four men sitting around the table at the Hideout. Hellcat had seen the similarities. The originals had been swapped out for their violent older siblings.

"I take it your original team refused?"

She gave a slight nod. "LaToya might be a villainous bitch, but she had the right idea of letting criminals loose. Real life isn't black and white. Sometimes heroes can't play by the rules."

They posed as if they were hoping for a press photo. Who had been the first to say yes? Clint would have agreed to anything. Havres had his own definition of morals that defied human logic. I eyed Diesel as he rose to his feet. He had been the first. With him, the others would have fallen in line.

"It's a good thing—" I tore the shadows from the roof until they lifted me from the ground. If Diesel thought his entrance would impress, I'd have to demonstrate grandeur. The darkness surrounded us until the city lights vanished.

"Oh, here comes hero dialogue." In the darkness, Clint clapped his hands in delight.

"He's showing off," Havres said.

"You took too long. The moment is over." Diesel's body outlined in fire, the only light inside the shroud.

"Come on, let him have it." Clint shifted into me once again and cleared his throat with a cough. "It's a good thing…"

"I'm no hero."

Nope. Diesel was right. The line only worked with precision timing. I had been out of the game for too long. Thirty seconds into recruitment, and I had already indulged in hero antics. This didn't bode well for my image.

"Are we done bumping chests? Need to burp or scratch yourselves first?" As I pulled back the shadows, Hellcat had her hand up, middle finger extended. "Next time, it's women only. No more sausage parties."

I'd never admit I needed their help, not out loud. If it had been just Carmen and me, I'd have tested my abilities against her. She might have an impressive assortment, but I had years of treating the darkness like a lover. Experience before beauty. Thankfully, I had both, but not enough that I'd jeopardize Won-Ho.

Agreeing to this band of idiots? Yes, I admired him. I cared for the man. It was the only excuse for why I'd deal with them. They could mock me at the next therapy session, but not until we stopped Carmen and bled her dry.

"Dammit, now I want sausage," Clint mumbled.

What stupidity had I gotten myself into?

For Won-Ho. For Won-Ho.