Page 14 of Infamous Heart

I couldn’t argue with the assessment. If sex with Sebastian was half as good, I’d be a content man. As he tipped his head back, moaning in an obscene manner, I imagined him naked and me on my knees making him moan like that. Maybe Ishouldsuggest we head back to my place.

A nearby marquis, lined in bright flashing lights, dimmed until the light vanished.

“Did you see that?” I asked.

“Is there a black out?” The wave of black rolled forward, sending the street into darkness. A few people leaving the theaters pointed, but most ran, knowing what was coming. I might not be a superhero, but I recognized weird, and thanks to my obsession with the HeroApp™, I knew the likely culprit.

“This way,” I pointed to a nearby alley leading away from the street. “It’s Wraith. I saw her take on Cobalt and Zipper earlier.”

There were no terrorized screams or people going into hysterics. Everybody had received “Villain Preparedness” training at some point. We lived here knowing the risks and, just like a fire or earthquake drill, we immediately went into action. It wasn’t as if every villain wanted to murder people, and if they did, what were we going to do to stop them?

I fumbled for my phone, hoping somebody identified Wraith’s destination.

“Griffin.”

Sebastian worked at a magazine that revolved around people with powers, he must be used to this ritual. I wondered, did Southlands have as much superhuman activity? I froze as my phone vanished in a ball of darkness, growing until my hand and forearm were swallowed.

“Griffin, we need to run.”

I turned just in time to see a black blur strike Sebastian, hurling him against a dumpster. The metal bent under his weight before he slumped and rolled onto the dank alley pavement. I wanted to yell, to make sure he was okay, but my words were caught in my throat as the black tendrils snaked down the building.

Every geek has imagined what they would do in a time of crisis. We believe we’ll bare our knuckles and go down kicking and screaming, but reality is cruel. The soles of my shoes were cinderblocks, and my arms remained locked in place. For a moment, I wasn’t sure I controlled my body.

“What do we have here?” The voice matched her powers, a breathy hiss that echoed off the narrow space.

“L-l-leave us alone.” It was the best I could do. The darkness blotched out the night sky and the remaining lights from the flashy signs on the street vanished. Even though I couldn’t see it, my phone bounced off the concrete, the sound ricocheting off the walls, louder than should have been possible.

“Where are your heroes now?” She dragged out the “s” in heroes as if it were a hiss.

“They’re coming.” My muscles tensed, preparing for the inevitable sting of her shadowy limbs. Were her powers less about the darkness and more about smoke? The air smelled as if something were burning nearby, a gross synthetic fragrance that forced the nose to scrunch up.

Wherever she hid in the shadows, she sniffed the air. She smelled it too, so it couldn’t be from her. But if not from her—

“He warned you.”

A bright white light cut through Wraith’s darkness. I traded one blindness for another. Massive orbs of iridescent purples and blues filled my vision, and I couldn’t make out what was happening. Had one of the heroes arrived? Who had light powers? There were too many to count.

Reaching for the alley wall, my foot caught on something, sending me toppling to the pavement. First rule of superhero battles, get to safety. In the tight space, there wasn’t far for me to go, so I scooted against the wall and tried to tuck myself into a ball.

“Who are—“

It was a brilliant white light. I couldn’t make out details, just one flash, then another. It would have been the same if I stared at the sun at high noon. It didn’t help narrow down the potential heroes. There must be a dozen within a hundred miles that possessed light related powers.

A woman let loose a blood-curdling scream. Despite shielding my eyes, the rapid switch from dark to bright created more orbs. I thought I could see a black shape slam against a fire escape. Had the hero won?

“This isn’t over,” she hissed. The shape vanished, consumed by the orbs in my vision. I couldn’t tell if she flew away or merely teleported. Either way, I was glad to see she wasn’t going to use me as a hostage to secure her victory.

As she sped away, the cloud of darkness vanished. Replaced by a radiant light, I had to hold my hand up to shield my eyes. It was a man composed of light, tiny orbs hovering about his body, popping like bubbles as they drifted away.

“Are you okay?”

I rubbed my eyes, and when I looked again, the searing rays vanished, leaving a regular looking man. No, scratch that, leaving an incredibly sexy man, one who had confessed to playing with Legos.

“Sebastian?” I couldn’t believe it. “You’re a hero?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” He held out his hand. Without any effort, he pulled me to my feet. Only inches from my face, I could see the milky white of his eyes, tiny shimmers creating a strobe effect.

I put a hand on his chest, surprised he had torn open and discarded his dress shirt. Not so much surprised, I guessed; a bit elated.

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