Page 55 of Fanning the Flames

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Greta said, and slipped out of the apartment.

Well, this sucked. Greta didn’t trust Joan anymore. And Joanie put so much trust into so very few people. It would crush her to learn Greta might choose self-protection over friendship.

“What do you know about loyalty, Greta?” Sadie grumbled. “You’re a thief. A norm who does it because you enjoy it. Maybe Joanie would be better off without you. She has new friends. Better friends. Sure, she feels a little weird hanging out with my friends, but that’s just because she has a hard time relating to them after all she’s been thr?—”

And that was exactly why Joanie needed her best friend. Greta did understand her. She’d been around for a long time, through good and bad.

It wasn’t that Sadie disliked Greta. She didn’t like that Greta was a tie to Joanie’s old life. But it was an essential tie for Joan to maintain. Because shewasloyal—to the right people. To those who deserved it. No matter the cost.

CHAPTER10

Joan studied the Supers on the opposite side of the oval conference table, feigning surprise at their revealing Big Quake was back. She’d arrived first and hadn’t gotten the chance to warn Mark and Perry beyond a few quick texts.

“What the actual fuck?” Mark said.

Otis gripped the back of the office chair in front of him. He looked exhausted. They all did. “We received a video message from him and the other Villains claiming responsibility for yesterday’s building collapse. They said it was a gift for us before their plan is put in action.”

“How do you know it was Big Quake?” Mark said. “I thought that dude was mortally wounded decades ago.”

“He’s just going by Quake now,” Kade said.

Otis shared an uncomfortable look with his other cohorts. “He survived that last battle in Vector City.”

Mark scrunched his face. “Okay, but he’s gotta be, like, sixty? Seventy? Are you sure that was him in the video?”

“Yes,” said Otis. “It’s him.”

“Did you know he survived?” Joan asked.

“They’ve always known,” Perry stated.

“Then where’s he been all these years?” Mark said.

Crossing her arms, Darlene said, “He’s been involved with various illicit operations throughout the world. Mining for rare metals for high profits. Nothing that would raise suspicion that it was being done with superpowers.”

Zee cut Joan off from asking the obvious question of why they didn’t go after him. “There were a lot of rumors and unsubstantiated claims. And it was out of our jurisdiction.”

“You wanted to pretend like you defeated him,” Perry fumed. “Better to let him go than admit you failed.”

“That’s not what happened,” Otis said.

“Bullshit.”

“So is he their ringleader?” Mark said. “The one who’s calling the shots?”

“It appears they have a common goal,” said Darlene. “Destruction and chaos.”

Kade frowned, a sad palomino. “He said he’s gonna finish what he started. I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Nobody does, buddy,” Mark said.

“We called you here to get your input as former Villains,” Otis said. “Do you have any ideas on what we can do to get rid of them?”

Whoa, they were getting desperate. Joan leaned her forearms on the table. “How did you defeat Big Quake last time?”

“He was injured,” Otis said. “Badly. We figured he bled out when he got into a helicopter and out-maneuvered us in bad weather.”

“Bad weather,” Joan murmured to herself.A cover.That could explain him wanting to work with Ether.

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