Chapter 17: When heroics fail part 2

In this final chapter, things come to a head. A robber found, a cure discovered, and one final practice.

Tae trudged into He-Brew, less than two blocks away from the theater. The whole tea shop could be described as shaggy. Dark laminate floors were covered in warm-colored, fuzzy rugs while the walls were covered in tapestries and curtains. Tae’s favorite decoration was above his favorite chair; it was a mandala embroidered with Mount Sinai and the traditional T-shaped gates of the mandala were supplemented with white, woven tassels. He found the image of nature very calming.

            Felicia sat in a worn, velveteen recliner beside his favorite spot. Waving at him lightly, she sipped from her mug. He nodded in acknowledgement before going to the counter. The man behind it greeted him and asked what he wanted. “Could I get a chai latte, please?”

            “Of course,” The man responded amiably. “For here or to-go?”

            “For here, thanks,” Tae said while pulling cash out of his wallet.

            Tae put a few dollars on the counter before telling the man to keep the change. He thanked Tae and assured him that his drink would be ready in a moment. Tae walked back to Felicia, sitting in the soft leather chair beside her. He rubbed his eyes and felt the bags under them stretch with the motion. “So, are the other board members not coming?” He asked, watching her play with the hem of her frilly shirt.

            “Mavis had work and Sam is visiting family,” Felicia answered, discontent. “Charlotte’s flu has worsened so she’s being hospitalized… Just a bad luck meeting, you know?”

            Tae agreed while bobbing his head. He dug his phone out of his pocket to keep notes for the meeting. “Did Sam at least send you the statistics on the performances?”

            “Yeah,” Felicia said, perking up. “A few thousand people attended the performances over the several weeks run. We had peak attendance during the second week… All in all, we generated enough funds to make our next two plays.”

            Tae was surprised that he felt relief wash over him as he typed that into his phone. Thinking back to the performances, he couldn’t recall the size of the crowds. He was glad that there were enough people there to extend their non-profit community a little longer. “That’s great,” He told her. “What play are we going to do next?”

            Their conversation was interrupted by the barista walking over and handing Tae a mug of tea. Tae thanked him, and the man retreated to back behind the counter. Holding the mug up to his nose, Tae breathed in deeply. His tiredness seemed to fade as the spicy smell wormed its way into his brain.

“Reviews of ‘Twelfth Night’ suggest that we should do another adaptation, however we are running low on source material that we haven’t adapted already.”

            “We could always do a return to an old play with a new cast.”

            “I was hoping to do that when we are struggling financial because we wouldn’t have to invest in new clothes, sets, or props.”

            Tae nodded because the statement made a lot of sense while thinking about what they could do. They could always go further back in time, taking from ancient plays. They could try to create their own play or adapt a rather modern play from the twenty-first century. A yawn broke his chain of thought and drove him to take a sip of his beverage.

            He sighed and responded. “It depends on what direction you want to go.”

            Felicia leaned forward, propping her head up with an arm on the armrest. “What direction do you want to go?”

            Tae looked at her and blinked slowly. He wondered whether she was interest in his opinion or was just trying to push some responsibilities off on him. “I think it would be fun to go further back in history and adapt another comedy.”

            “Do you have one in mind?”

            Tae took another sip of his chai, thinking back to his literature courses. One story always stood out to him for its sheer absurdity. “Lysistrata could be fun.”

            Felicia’s cultivated giggle devolved into a full-blown laughed as she nodded her head and gave him a thumbs-up. “I love it, but how do we adapt it for a modern audience?”

            “Well, I think the primary conflict could play out in today’s society, but it wouldn’t really be speaking to the purpose of our queer theatre troupe.”

            He turned the mug about in his hands. “We could change what people protest about or what their means of protest is… Like all queer people walk out of their jobs to make people realize the power that this minority has and how they should be treated… But, that’s pretty somber and not at all funny.”

            “I think we should leave the sex element in,” Felicia mentioned with a mischievous smirk. “Maybe we can condense the space that the conflict is set in… Instead of it being the whole nation, why not have it be limited to the queer community? Maybe the opposition between more ‘acceptable’ sexualities and the genderqueer people.”

            Tae’s mind wasn’t as sharp as usual, but he got an idea about what she was saying. “So, gays refusing to have sex until trans and genderqueer people are treated better?”

            Felicia shrugged, looking unsure. “I don’t know,” She said quickly. “It’s no war, but it is something important…”

            Tae typed the ideas in his phone as Felicia took a drink. “I think…” She started, her eyes fixed on the mug in her hands. “That you should lead this project.”

            Tae’s head jerked up to look at her. This sounded unlike her; she was hardly ever this doubtful, depressed, or unassertive. Something must be wrong, he thought before asking, “What are you going to do?”

            “I’m not retiring if that’s what you are worried about,” Felicia replied, some of her old humor returning. “I was just thinking about surgery.”

            “I’ve been saving up for almost a decade now and I have enough to go for it,” She continued, quieter. “But I need to make sure the troupe is in good hands before I check out for a few months.”

            “Of course,” Tae responded solemnly. “You can count on me… And the others too. We’ll be here for you if you need anything.”

            Felicia smiled faintly before setting her mug down on the carpet by her chair. “Alright, so work shop Lysistrata with the others and consult me as need be.”

+++++

            Theo met up with Tomas at Jaeger’s, where Tomas had already gotten beers and nachos for them. He seemed well aware that Theo wasn’t up to snuff, his eyes more bloodshot than Tomas had ever seen them. Tomas made it clear before they even left work that day that they were just going to eat and go home, so Theo could rest. Theo was grateful for the drink and the meal however he was hoping that their time spent together was short enough to get a nap in before his patrol that night.

            Tomas waved excitedly as Theo walked over to him at the bar. He pulled out a stool, sitting beside Tomas. “Hey man,” Tomas said, leaning close to him so he could be heard over the other patrons and the TVs. “How you feelin’?”

            Theo stifled a yawn before picking up his beer. “Just tired.”

            Tomas pushed the nachos closer to Theo, causing him to look down at them and notice that Tomas had hardly ate them while waiting for him. “Are you having problems sleeping at night?”

            Eating some chips, Theo nodded and lied. “Yeah, I guess it’s been taking me a while to fall asleep…”

            “Have you tried chamomile tea or like mind-clearing exercises?” Tomas offered while scooping up some ground beef on a chip.

            Theo shrugged and said he would give it a try before turning the attention on Tomas. “How are you doing, Tommy boy?”

            Tomas gazed at the bar’s wooden counter, his expression sad or maybe contemplative. It surprised Theo to see him like this when he was normally so upbeat. “Eh, I could be better,” He said before admitting, “I broke up with Ali.”

            “Oh,” Theo responded, not entirely sure how to feel about the revelation. “How come?”

            “The more time I spent with her, the more I realized that her values don’t align with mine,” Tomas said as he brought his glass to his lips.

            He chugged half of his beer before rambling. “I mean, I should’ve known, right? When she started insulting you, that should’ve been a red flag, but I ignored it. I kept seeing her and she kept saying stupid s**t like it’s gay that we’re good friends, that she could never be close with lesbians, that she didn’t know why people protest things, and I mean, the list goes on…”

            He tapped his glass on the counter to order another drink as Theo politely sipped his. They both felt overwhelmed by the vehement venom that they had been exposed to. “Eventually, I snapped when she said my name was weird because it’s supposed to be Thomas… Like, no, it’s not. My parents named me this for a reason.”

            “I thought we were good together,” He added morosely. “We had fun, but I guess it wouldn’t have stayed fun if we kept having disagreements.”

            Tomas fell silent and Theo thought it would be the best time for him to say something. “I’m sorry… I’m sure you’ll find someone else,” He said quietly, putting a hand on Tomas’s shoulder. “Is there anything you need?”

            Tomas shook his head before drinking his beer. “I’ll be fine… I’m just gonna be bummed out for a while… Thanks for being here.”

            “No problem.”

            “Ah, don’t be like that,” Tomas declared, perking up. “Now, do you wanna order real food?”

+++++

            A week of patrols and stakeouts had passed with no positive results. On Sunday, Gunfinger robbed another store. It was east of the first robbery. Paul adjusted the search radius, dropping a store in the northwest and adding the store on Kingsley Lane, renown for Kingsley Club. Paul and Q waited outside that convenience store, meters away from the thumping club.

            The pair sat on a bus bench across from it. Paul played on his phone while listening to the police radio. Q watched the store and the street. No cops were parked to observe the convenience store, but a police cruiser drove by it every half hour or so. It was late at night, past midnight, and the cruiser was vigilant. It pulled up by Paul and Q and a window rolled down. “What are you guys doing waiting here?” A cop inside the car asked.

            Paul took out his headphones. “We’re waiting on a friend,” He said, exaggerating a lisp. “We’re going to go to a club when he gets here.”

            Q nodded with what Paul said and looked sincerely at the cop. “Alright,” The cop responded. “I hope he gets here soon. Have a nice night.”

            “You too, sir.”

            The police drove away slowly. Paul pantomimed wiping his brow in relief. A few seconds after the car disappeared around a corner, a person walked up the street and entered the convenience store. Q nudged Paul. He looked up to see a woman in the store. “Not yet,” He said, putting his phone in his pocket. “When she puts on the mask, then we go.”

            Paul unzipped his jacket as the woman wandered around in the store. She seemed to take her time, looking at every item on the shelf. “She fits the description,” Q commented. “Down to the edgy clothes.”

            Paul admired her fitted leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up. “I don’t know,” He replied, doubtful.

            He spotted the abundance of rubber bands on her arm. “It’s her,” He said suddenly, standing up and bumping Q.

            Paul slipped on his mask the same time the woman did. Paul and Q hurried to strip down to their suits as Gunfinger walked to the counter. They ran across the street and burst into the store. Gunfinger turned her rubber band weapon on them. “Oh, what’s this?” She asked, her voice lighthearted and raspy.

            “I’m Ink and this is Q,” Ink answered politely, gesturing with the names.

            Gunfinger laughed. “Alright superheroes,” She said, an uneven smirk on her face. “What are you here for?”

            Ink placed his hands on his hips, trying to seem intimidating. “We’re here for you, Gunfinger.”

            She laughed harder, bending slightly at the waist. “Did you come up with that all by yourself?” She replied.

            Gunfinger moved away from the counter where a cashier cowered. “You know, Ink,” Gunfinger continued. “I’ve heard of you. You caught that bank robber a couple of weeks ago.”

            Ink stepped closer. Maintaining his serious tone, he asked, “So, you know what I can do?”

            “Yeah,” She answered, still smirking. “But do you know what I can do?”

            She shot at him. It bounced off his armored mask but distracted him long enough for her to disappear down the farthest aisle. Ink didn’t waste time, holding out both hands. His vines moved out, reaching around the shelves to get her, as he walked closer. He felt pain and shouted, pulling his vines back. Gunfinger managed to cut them somehow. Ink reached the corner to find her shaking a soda can with another one ripped in half on the ground beside her.

            Gunfinger threw the can at him. He caught it, not realizing that was her plan. She hit it with a paperclip and the fizzy soda exploded all over him. With Ink momentarily distracted, Gunfinger turned to run. She ran right into Q’s grip. Q hugged her tightly and rambled as Gunfinger struggled. “Listen, we don’t want to hurt you. We just want to turn you over to the police-”

            “No thanks,” She interrupted.

            Gunfinger stomped on one of Q’s feet before punching them in the stomach. Q forcefully exhaled as Gunfinger wrapped her arms around Q’s waist and threw them. Q landed on their back, out of breath. They recovered in time to see Gunfinger run out of the store. Q moaned in pain, laying back down and looking at the ceiling. “Ink?”

            “Yeah,” He said resigned.

            He appeared in their line of vision and assisted them up. “We got our asses kicked,” Ink commented.

            “I don’t think it was a total waste,” Q responded, taking off their mask.

            Their face was Gunfinger’s. Q smiled Gunfinger’s crooked smile. “At least we know what she looks like,” They continued.

            The cashier coughed. The duo walked out of the aisle to look at her, hoping she’d thank them. “Are you going to pay for that?” She asked.

            Ink sighed and approached the counter. “Sure.”

            “Was that two Canes?”

            “Yeah, that should be two dollars and some change,” Ink said quickly, placing money on the counter. “Here’s three.”

            Q and Ink walked out of the store. Ink turned his head back. “Also, you’re welcome.”

            They crossed the street to reach the park bench. They picked up their clothes and kept walking before slipping into an alleyway. As they put on clothes, Paul called Kris. “Hey Kris, have everyone meet at your apartment asap.”

            “Why? What happened?”

            “Q and I bumped into Gunfinger. We didn’t catch her, but Q transformed into her.”

            “That’s great! So, we know what she looks like?”

            “Yeah, so we need everyone at the apartment.”

            “On it,” Kris said before hanging up.

+++++

            “Whoa,” Kris muttered, staring at Q.

            Q was poking their own face in wonder while looking in the mirror. “Let me take a picture,” Paul requested, hovering in the bathroom doorway.

            Q turned around and smiled. Paul took a picture with his phone. “I can do an image search and hopefully identify Gunfinger.”

            Paul moved to the couch, sitting down. The team followed him, Kris sitting beside him. Alicia and Theo sat on the floor facing them while Q stood by the Skylar Rask poster. “So, what was she like?” Kris asked.

            “How’d she fight?” Theo added.

            “She was fun, laughed a lot,” Q said before grimacing. “Then proceeded to beat us up.”

            “She was inventive,” Paul commented. “She ripped a soda can in half to use the aluminum as a blade.”

            “She knew martial arts,” Q added, rubbing their stomach. “I’m going to have bruises for a while.”

            “Gunfinger is a more serious issue than Burning Man was. She isn’t some criminal we can beat up and leave for the cops,” Paul said, his brow furrowing. “She’s good. If we want to catch her, we’ll have to try harder.”

            Kris dryly chuckled. “Yes, because being more motivated works,” She replied sarcastically. “Can’t you see that we’re run ragged from all these late-night stakeouts? Maybe we’d stand a chance if we got a decent night of sleep.”

            Paul processed her statement in silence. Theo stepped in, suggesting, “Maybe, we could lay off the stakeouts. We know what she looks like and how she fights. And she knows that we’re onto her.”

            Paul looked at Tae who stood by the hallway. “What do you think, Tae?” He asked.

            “She didn’t get the cash,” Tae answered with some thought. “She might make another hit soon…”

            “Or she may wait because we’re onto her,” Alicia countered.

            Tae nodded. “I think that’s more likely,” He said. “She’s smart. She will be more cautious now. Maybe even try to find us first.”

            “Alright,” Paul said, deciding something. “We will keep doing patrols but hold off on the stakeouts. Everybody can be in bed after eleven. Two-hour patrols, agreed?”

            “Agreed,” Kris said while the others nodded.

            “Great,” Paul replied. “Everybody can go home and rest now. I’ll update you on Gunfinger’s identity as soon as I can.”

+++++

            Theo and Alicia walked down Kingsley Lane on patrol. Theo had a head bud in one ear and could hear Alicia jangling with every step. Theo chuckled. “What’s so funny?” She asked.

            “Your costume makes a lot of noise,” He commented, looking around.

            “It can’t be helped,” Alicia replied. “I got a lot metal on me.”

            He nodded before changing topics. “So, what’s new with you? We haven’t talked one on one in a while.”

            “Well, my research with Pagel is progressing slowly,” Alicia said. “We figured out how to weaken Coral’s venom, but we haven’t figured out how to get the solution to the venom without hurting anyone.”

            “Though to be fair, we haven’t tried anything with that yet,” Alicia continued, sounding stressed. “Our Orange Day research is resulting in nothing spectacular while our gene research is still out of the lab, getting sequenced by someone else. Oh, also, my friend may have asked me out on a date, but we haven’t actually had time to do that, so I’m not sure if it is indeed a date.”

            Theo’s eyebrows were raised. “I’m impressed that you are so busy outside of the team. I mean I just work and hang out with my grandma,” He said. “Who asked you out?”

            “Nicki,” Alicia answered. “You would know her better as Dr. Shah, half of the team that is doing public research on people like us.”

            Theo appeared to be surprised. “Man, I feel like you should date her just to get intel on what they’re up to,” Theo responded. “But, that’s awful. She’s a human being, so you shouldn’t use her.”

            “I know, I agree,” Alicia said quickly. “I just don’t know quite yet what I’m going to do if it’s a date.”

            “I’m well acquainted with that,” Theo mused. “If it turns out to be a date, you should affirm that you view her platonically.”

            “I’m not sure I view her platonically,” Alicia replied with a sigh. “I’m not sure of anything currently.”

            Theo stopped, his eyes losing focus. Alicia stopped a step after he did and looked back at him. “A signal 42 a block away from here,” Theo said. “Let’s go check it out.”

            Theo started jogging. “Wait, did they say star?” Alicia asked, running to keep up with him.

            “No, not yet,” He answered. “I want to check it out anyway.”

            He turned the corner and stopped by a brick wall. Alicia approached the scene slowly, confused by what she was seeing. “Is that moss?”

            Theo hesitantly reached out and touched the edge of a large hole in the brick wall. Watching Theo bend over slightly to get a better look, Alicia could see that the hole was big enough for a person to walk through. “It looks like it,” He said.

            The edge of the hole was green and fuzzy. “Talk about a power,” He commented. “Do you think someone ‘burned’ a hole through this brick using moss?”

            “Well, lichen can break through stone over time,” Alicia explained, kneeling to touch the fuzz that seeped up from the ground. “Maybe this was some rapid process of that.”

            Sirens echoed off the buildings. Theo looked around. “Time to move.”

            Alicia stood up. “Right.”

            They quickly walked away with their heads down. When they were back on Kingsley, they slowed down.

            “I think we need to keep records,” Alicia declared. “To keep tract of perpetrators. Like this person- they have trespassed using some mystery moss to get through a brick wall. That’s a distinct modus operandi and we need to keep track of other instances like this.”

            “Agreed,” Theo said. “Let’s mention this to Paul during next meeting.”

+++++

            Kris entered Flare, tightly bundled in a jacket. She approached the counter and checked in. The same dead-eyed receptionist directed her to the right office, room 211. She climbed up the rickety wooden stairs that reminded her this place used to be a house. At the end of a blue hallway was the room. The plaque read, “Dr. Fred Horns.” The door was open, and she let herself in.

            “Good afternoon doctor,” Kris started, holding out her gloved hand. “I’m glad you can fit me into your busy schedule.”

            Dr. Horns shook her hand. He moved to sit behind his desk and gestured for her to sit down. Kris hung her coat on the rack near the door. She sat in a chair in front of the desk. The doctor settled in to his seat. “Of course,” He responded. “It’s no problem. Now, let’s get to talking. What brings you in today?”

            Kris methodically scanned the room, looking for somewhere he would store records. There were several bookshelves. Dr. Horns’ office seemed boringly identical to his one at home. “I’ve been having difficulties sleeping and when I do manage to sleep, I have nightmares.”

            “Nightmares of what?”

            Kris ran a hand through her hair. “A dead man,” Kris said shortly.

            Dr. Horns didn’t say anything. He let the silence sink in. “Did you hear about the man who died of coral venom recently?” Kris asked with a sigh. “Dylan Payne?”

            “Yes, I have heard of him.”

            “He is the man I see in my dreams.”

            “What does he do in your dreams?”

            “Well, dreams are pretty trippy,” Kris said. “Beyond the nightmare fuel imagery of blood and burning flesh, the man blames me for killing him.”

            “Why would he do that?”

            “I was one of the last people to see him alive,” Kris admitted. “I went to a bar and he tried to pick me up. I left him hanging; I ran when he had his back turned. He chased me down and grabbed me. I lashed out and got away.”

            “Next thing I know, he’s dead.” She added deadpanned.

            Dr. Horns leaned on his desk, placing his chin on his hands. “You attacked him, right?”

            “I didn’t kill him,” Kris said, trying to sound sincere. “But I did injure him.”

            “You feel guilty though,” Dr. Horns said quickly. “I can see it on your arms.”

             Kris glanced down at her arms. She had little puncture wounds on her arms from where she dug her nails in. Kris stood up and grabbed her coat from the rack, putting it on. She sat back down and crossed her arms, glaring at the doctor. “I assume those are self-inflicted,” Dr. Horns explained. “Maybe conscious, maybe not, you feel a tremendous amount of guilt over what happened with him. But there’s more to it, more to the guilt.”

            Kris looked down at her hands, pretending to think. “I wanted him to die,” She said, playing with her hands. “The moment he attacked me, I hated him. I loathed him so intensely that I wished he would die… Then he did.”

            “In fact,” She continued. “I still hate him. It’s wrong to hate a dead guy, right?”

            “It is completely within reason to hate a person that has passed on,” The doctor responded. “And you have a fair reason to hate him. He was trying to hurt you, trying to get intimate with you without your consent. This person did terrible things to you, so it is reasonable to hate him for it.”

            “It makes my guilt worse to know that I hate him,” Kris declared, still looking at her hands.

            “I don’t understand where this guilt is coming from, if you did not kill the man.”

            “I can’t feel guilty for knowing a terrible man and knowing that he died after he met me?”

            “It’s not your fault,” Dr. Horns said with some doubt. “At least that’s what you are telling me.”

            Avoiding eye contact, Kris snapped, “I don’t see how accusing me is supposed to help me get better.”

            The doctor put his hands on the desk. “Maybe not,” He replied. “There is a chance that owning up to your role in this man’s death could encourage you to pay penance and alleviate your guilt.”

            “That’s why I think you are hurting yourself. It’s your way of paying penance, making up for your perceived mistake.”

            Kris sighed. “What should I do then?”

            “I think you can do several things,” The doctor answered. “The first of which is to continue these sessions. The other things are more optional.”

            Kris nodded. “I would like to keep talking to you,” Kris said. “What are the other options?”

            “The other options are medication and conscious behavior,” Dr. Horns stated. “From your preliminary reporting, you are depressed, so I would recommend an SSRI; it may help you feel more normal and in control during this trying time. As for the conscious behavior, I urge you to stop injuring yourself and if you cannot get a grasp on it… Well, I will have you put into this institution for observation. The final option is to talk with Mr. Payne’s family-”

            “No,” Kris interrupted, placing her hands on the armrests. “Talking to his family will not make me feel better.”

            Dr. Horns pursed his lips and nodded. “That is up to you,” He continued. “Now about the medicine and… potential institutionalization?”

            “I would like to think about those options more,” Kris answered.

            “Of course, take all the time you need.”

             The doctor looked at his watch. “We are out of time for now,” He said. “We can pick this up again next week, sounds good to you?”

            “Yes,” Kris said, standing up.

            “Also, for your sake and the sake of your loved ones, do not injure yourself further,” He requested.

            “These don’t hurt me,” Kris retorted before walking out.

            The doctor thumped his fist against his desk in frustration.

+++++

            Kris stood in the middle of her apartment. Her arms were crossed and covered by a long-sleeved shirt. “Q, I know how you are going to feel about this,” Kris said. “But I’m going to say it anyway, so just listen.”

            Q paused the movie and turned to face Kris. Kris walked over and sat beside them on the couch. “I talked with Dr. Horns,” Kris continued. “He suggested that I should be institutionalized if I harm myself.”

            Q became pale, their shoulders folding in. “Don’t do it,” They said quickly. “You don’t want to be locked up. Not there.”                              

            “Do you remember it?”

            Q shook their head, trembling. “No,” They answered faintly. “I just have a really bad feeling.”

            Kris patted Q’s thigh, trying to reassure them. “Freddie didn’t have files in his office,” Kris said. “I think if I was put in Flare, I could find Leslie’s record and your identity. You understand that that is more important to me than temporary detainment.”

            Q turned away, placing their back on Kris’s side. “What do you have to do?” Q asked quietly.

            “Hurt myself,” Kris said. “And let him see it.”

            “How are you going to…? Never mind I don’t want to know. How soon are you going to go?”

            “Probably after we catch Gunfinger,” Kris replied, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know when we’ll get our next mission, so as soon as this one is over.”

            Q faced her, placing their head on her shoulder. “Please, don’t go.”

            Kris grabbed the remote and hit play. She chuckled a little. “Man, I can’t tell you anything,” She commented lightly. “You worry too much. Don’t even get me started on the surgery Pagel wants to do on me.”

            “Surgery?!” Q exclaimed, squeezing Kris.

            Kris exhaled and added, “Well, it’s either that or poison me.”

            “Poison?” Q repeated with the same concerned expression.

            Kris laughed and hugged them. “Ah, cutie, don’t change.”

            Kris stopped laughing when her phone rang. She answered the call. “Hello? Paul?”

            “We got her name,” Paul said quickly.

            Kris sat up. She gesticulated a finger gun to Q to tell them what it was about. “Great, what is it?”

            “Cassidy Hutch,” Paul replied. “It took me forever because she has some sort of stage name. Anyway, now that we know her name, we can find her. I’ll call you back when I find where she lives, can you tell the rest of the team? Get them ready, we’re getting her today.”

            “Alright, I’ll pass on the message,” Kris responded. “See you soon.”

            Kris hung up and looked at Q. “We got Gunfinger, Cassidy Hutch. Suit up because we’re going to go get her.”

            Q grabbed Kris’s forearm worried. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

            “Yep, I’ll be off to the looney bin in no time,” Kris said, pulling away from their grip and standing up.

+++++

            Paul entered the convenience store cautiously. He spotted her from the parking lot. Touching the mask in his pocket, he walked towards her. They were alone in an aisle when he asked, “Cassidy?”

            The woman turned to face him. She abruptly grabbed his arm and pushed up his sleeve, revealing his vine. “Ah hello Ink,” The woman said congenially. “How did you find me?”

            She stared at him. He quirked an eyebrow. “Are your eyes brown?” Paul asked. “You had a green eye before.”

            “I do have a green eye,” She answered, smirking. “I wear a contact to make myself bland, easy to look over.”

            She laughed, leaning back and crossing her arms. “Is this really what you want to talk about?” She inquired. “Aren’t you going to try to capture me?”

            Paul glanced at the team who waited outside. Cassidy followed his gaze. “Oh, you brought back up,” Cassidy commented. “You think I can’t get past them?”

            “Well, it’s six against one, so the odds are in our favor.”

            Her smile didn’t falter. “Sure, if that’s what you think,” She replied.

            She turned her back on the door. “Listen,” She continued, her pace picking up. “I lost my job at Walt’s. I was a writer and a voice actor there with plans to start directing some projects. But then, they kick me out on the street cause they’re downsizing. So, I resorted to some easy robberies to get by until I found another job. I got a new job at the Dream Depot; I start work Monday. All I’m saying is back off. My crime spree is done.”

            Paul shifted his weight, eyeing the things around them. “I still want to turn you in,” Paul said. “You committed several crimes and need to be punished for it.”

            Cassidy chuckled, leaning closer to him. “Good luck with that, short stack,” She replied. “I will tear you, this store, and your team outside up like a motherfucking hurricane and walk away unscathed.”

            Cassidy tried to walk past him, but Paul held out an arm. He leaned in and asked, “How do you know that?”

            She glared at him. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” She whispered. “Ever since Orange Day, I can look at anything and see how it can be used as a weapon.”

            She suddenly pointed to the spray cheese near Paul’s outstretched hand. “For example, that cheese is very flammable, and I could use it to set a fire. Or use it as a deterrent by spraying it in your eyes. Or simply, use the metallic can as a blunt object. Combine that psycho sense with my martial arts skill and I’m a living weapon.”

            Cassidy turned around and walked to the counter. Paul followed, feeling conflicted. He was unsure if he could risk injury to his teammates, even if they do manage to detain her. Cassidy handed the cashier her items to ring up and paid the total. She went to the door and paused. Looking at him, she had some final consolation. “I’ll be nice to you. If you just let this slide, I’ll owe you a favor.”

            She opened the door and left, walking right past the team. They watched her go, then looked at Paul. Paul left the store slowly. “What was that?” Kris demanded.

            “She won’t be stealing anymore,” Paul said simply. “Let’s go.”

+++++

            Paul brought Espe and a speaker into the clearing of Aspen park. Espe spotted the team in their costumes and ran over. “Hello!” Espe shouted excitedly.

            Paul followed her at a jog. “Hey everybody, meet Esperanza,” Paul said. “Espe, let me introduce to my team of superheroes.”

            The group lined up and removed their masks. Paul gestured to Kris. “First, we have my second in command-”

            “Kris!” Espe interrupted.

            “Hi again, Espe,” Kris said with a smile. “Nice to see you.”

            “You too.”

            “My superhero name is Coral,” Kris explained. “And I can fly.”

            “I know!” Espe responded cheerfully.

            Paul was tapping his foot off to the side. “Yes, I have already told her a few of your guys’ powers and names,” Paul said. “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned Theo and Tae.”

            “Yes!” Espe said. “Theo has cool energy beams and Tae shoots lightning. You like him.”

            “Haga silencio,” Paul chided. He felt flushed as he pointed at the pair. “Alright, alright querida, meet Light and Eon.”

            “Nice to meet you!”

            “Same to you,” Theo replied politely, while Tae nodded and smiled.

            “Finally, this is Alicia, or Queen B,” Paul said. “And you have already met Q.”

            “Hello Q,” Espe piped. “Hi Alicia!”

            Q waved as Alicia said, “Hello Esperanza.”  

            “Okay, Espe,” Paul declared, clapping his hands together. “You are going to sit en una roca by the radio mientras practicamos.”

            Paul reached out and picked her up with his vines. She cheered in delight as he carried her to the edge of the clearing. He set her down and turned on the speaker connected to his phone. It started playing the police frequency. “Signal 12 on the International…”

            Paul returned to the team. “So, about Gunfinger,” He started, his sentence dropping off.

            “It won’t happen again,” Alicia said sternly.

            “Agreed,” Theo put in, more lightheartedly.

            “With more practice, we can take on her or anyone else,” Tae stated, sounding confident.

            Paul nodded, smiling proudly. “Then let’s get to work.”

            Q frolicked over to Espe and poked her forehead. Espe scowled a little, then watched amazed as Q shrunk down into a copy of her. Q poked her again, giggling, and ran away before Espe could retaliate.

            Kris flew into the tree and gathered branches for Alicia. She dropped down and set them on the ground. She watched as Alicia muttered something and the branches bent to her will. “Alicia, when do you think I’ll be able to start using my venom?” Kris asked hesitantly.

            “We will know for sure after the surgery,” Alicia answered. “The lab mice have responded well to the treated venom. Don’t worry we will have you tricked out soon.”

            “What about getting the treatment injected?”

            Alicia shook her head, somber. Tae snuck up behind Kris and gave her a static shock. “Ow!” She squeaked, bolting up into the air.

            Tae smiled, telling her, “I’m getting better.”

            He walked away to find another target. Kris landed and turned to Alicia. “I’m going to be unavailable for quite some time after Wednesday,” She mentioned.

            “Oh, what for?” Alicia asked, waving her hands at the branch pile.

            The branches formed into a standing human. “A family matter,” Kris lied.

            “I’m sorry,” Alicia said. “If it makes you feel better, that will give Pagel and I more time to practice the procedure, which will reduce the chances of complications.”

            “Great,” Kris responded with a faint smile.

            She flew at the human shape and destroyed it with a kick. “Hey!” Alicia exclaimed before fixing it.

            Kris landed by Alicia and watched her wail on it. She smirked, not surprised that Alicia seemed to have memorized all the self-defense techniques she’d been taught. She glanced over to see Theo and Paul locked in a battle, Paul’s scythe verses Theo’s shield. Theo had managed to control his shield with a single hand. Q ran by as Tae, being chased by Tae with outstretched hands. Kris noticed that Tae’s hair stood up a little when he was charged up for a static shock. She smiled. “Paul!” Espe called suddenly.

            The clearing went silent. The radio could be heard, blaring, “10-9 Tango! We have a star, dispatch! Tearing down building on Moody Avenue! We need 10-57 asap!”

            Kris floated up above the tree line, slipping on her mask. “Race ya there, slowpokes,” Kris said.

            Paul held up a finger dramatically before glowing wings sprouted out of his back. They were white and feathered, though it appeared all the feathers hadn’t grown in yet, leaving some raw red spots. He flapped them and took off. He stopped by Kris, smiling at her surprised face. He put on his mask. “Q?” He said.

            “I’ll watch Espe here,” Q replied immediately.

            “Then the race is on,” Ink declared, winking at Kris.

            He took off in the direction of the riverside. Kris leaned forward, speeding to catch up with him while the rest of the team started running, pulling on their masks.

The End.