So Not a Hero Read Free Page A

anything other than catching the dude before he went splat on the ground.
    He let out a little ‘oomph’ and I spun around to let my back hit the car parked directly in my path rather than the man I carried. The side of the vehicle caved in and I looked down at the man I’d just saved.
    Warm brown eyes stared up at me though a pair of thick omni-plex goggles. Up close, I noticed the blue uniform covering him from neck to toe was actually composed of hundreds of small dura-steel plates that overlapped like scaled armor. The yellow Double G emblem on his chest, however, revealed his identity.
    I’d just caught Mister Manpower, member of one of the city’s premier super-teams: The Good Guys.
    “I think you can put me down, now. Thanks for the save. My suit might have kept me from getting too injured, but I’m glad I didn’t have to find out for sure.”
    I set him down and took a step back, fighting every instinct I had to run away before he recognized me. “I … uh … you’re welcome?”
    He stuck out a hand. “I’m Mister Manpower.”
    I shook it carefully and looked down at my feet. I could feel the bars of the Max already and wished I’d just taken off when I’d had the chance. Could I have lived with the guilt of letting that nice old lady die in a fiery explosion? I was probably going to have a couple of years as a returning guest of the Federal government to answer that question.
    “Well, isn’t this nice? Looks like someone found a fan.”
    The hero and I both turned to see four figures striding through the lot in our direction. Each was dressed in the style of a 50’s motorcycle gang, complete with black leather hats and silver chains dangling from their pants. They could have been extras from that old movie The Wild One. Two of them were female, about my age, and nearly identical in appearance. Halos of green energy crackled around their hands. I didn’t know their real names, but they called themselves the Electro-Twins. One male was easily seven feet tall and built like steroid-addicted gorilla. His blood-red eyes flickered from Manpower to me with a glint of recognition and a shitload of hate. Which didn’t surprised me at all, since Behemoth and I hadn’t ever got along.
    The last member of the quartet was a guy of average build and cocky smile that seemed to just beg to be knocked off his face. Only problem with attempting to do that was the fact that Nite-Star possessed Class III telekinesis. Not only could he pick up and throw things the size of an SUV, he could solidify the air around him to form a protective shield. When he saw me standing with one of the Good Guys, the corner of that grin ticked up another notch.
    I released the hero’s hand and groaned as I leaned against the dented car. It would be just my luck to get in the middle of a fight between Mister Manpower and the Brickwall Gang.
    “Color me surprised,” Nite-Star said with a hint of mirth in his voice. “How you been, Crushette? It’s been a few years, huh?”
    I rolled my eyes and looked at the other three as they moved into positions to flank Mister Manpower and me. “Hello, Nite. Still taking fashion advice from Brando, I see.” I heard the hero beside me snicker and cut my eyes over to see him take a step back and lean against another car. He placed his hands on the driver’s door and tried to look like he was merely enjoying the tête à tête between the gang’s leader and myself. However, I did catch the way his fingers seemed to sink slowly into the metal and grab hold.
    Shit, this was going to go down hard and fast.
    “You and that smart mouth of yours, Crushette. I don’t know what Doctor M ever saw in you. I mean, sure, nice tits and ass, but way too much mouth for my taste.”
    “Considering your favorite flavor, if I remember correctly, was Streetwalker, I’m glad I don’t satisfy your palate.”
    He laughed and then nodded to the other three. Before anyone else could make a move, Mister Manpower