Page 80 of Breathless Recruiter

“Don’t do it,” Dustin said.

“Will you just shut up,” Zaster barked.

Could I move fast enough to get between a bullet and Dustin? What if I hurled a desk at him? I thought he’d put all his attention on me. This was my mistake, and I couldn’t let Dustin suffer for it.

“What’s your decision, Mr. Supreme?”

There was no decision. If I didn’t sacrifice myself, I wouldn’t just be letting down my boyfriend. I’d be letting down all heroes. He had come to me that night looking for a team-up. I owed it to my sidekick. Raising my hands over my head, I surrendered.

“I give myself up, and you let him go?”

“Sure,” Zaster shrugged. “Why not.”

“He’s lying,” Dustin said.

Of course, he was. That’s what villains did. I only needed to distract him until I could put myself between his gun and Dustin. Once I rescued him, I’d carry him back to my apartment and tend to him until his powers returned…ifthey returned.

I froze as I thought back to the scientists all those years ago. People like Zaster, scientists, or at leastmadscientists, didn’t deserve redemption. Bullies in the pursuit of knowledge. They didn’t care about the cost. I ran away before, but not now. I had something to prove, a prophecy to fulfill. Every mad scientist beware.

Mr. Supreme wasn’t backing down anymore.

Zaster waved the smaller gun about, his finger hovering over the trigger. There was no point in trying to slide around him. When in doubt, do what they least expect. It’s exactly what Dustin would have done. Chest puffed out, I strode straight toward Zaster. If he didn’t drop me, I’d knock his lights out.

BLAM.

The beam of red light whipped around my arms, tightening until it tore into my suit. Flexing, I tried to break free, but it held in place. It constricted, forcing my arms to my side, the red light spreading across my body. For all his posturing, his gadget barely hurt. I wanted to poke at his failure, but I had a boyfriend to rescue.

If wiggling free wouldn’t work, I’d fly straight through the ceiling, dragging him behind. A quick stop at the police station, and he’d be behind bars. It’d be an easy save, and then I could come back, rescue Dustin, and we’d take a long hot shower… maybe two.

I pushed off, ready to use Zaster’s invention against him.

I hopped.

“Mr. Supreme, huh?” Zaster mocked. “It looks like somebody needs to change their name.”

I tried again and barely got off the floor. With a sharp tug, Zaster yanked me off my feet. I roared, ready to summon all my strength to break free.

Nothing.

“My greatest weakness…” I mumbled. For years, my greatest fear had been some mundane object or chemical would kill me. Never had I considered a device capable of robbing me of my gifts. I doubt even my father could have predicted this outcome.

I was human. Sort of.

“What are you going to do now?” Zaster’s laugh turned maniacal. “You’re nothing more than a pathetic wretch. I only need to infuse your powers, and I’ll be a god.”

The scientist had used me to achieve his fiendish goals. How many heroes would fall victim before they stopped him? Right now, he was a scientist with delusions of grandeur, but once he had our powers, he’d rival the strongest of us. I still had time to fix things.

“You’re a madman,” I shouted.

“What you call mad, I call genius.” The beam of energy siphoned into the gun. He let out another cackle. “I’ll show my peers. They’ll regret exiling me.”

Yup, all it took was a little power, and he’d be a bad guy.

“Supreme, are you okay?” Dustin shouted.

I flexed my fists. I ached, but his device had done little other than tear through my suit. Poking at my cheek, I was shocked to feel the pressure from the softest of touches. Granted unmeasurable power, neither Dustin nor I would be allowed to leave the building alive. He’d start his rampage with us, and then it’d continue the next day as scientists arrived at work. I couldn’t let Zaster use our powers for evil doing.

“Your alien boyfriend is powerless,” Zaster shouted. He waved the smaller gun about before pointing it at Dustin.

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