Lee leaned his arm on the monitor, pushing the keyboard backward to create more room to sit on the table.
“When I try to work out how to handle situations like this, I ask myself who’s got common interests? More often than not, I’m not the only one asking the question. For example, the League’s got common interests with Hardwick’s group and Justice Fist. They’re both probably running given what’s happened lately, but you might be able to pull in a few. Continue reading War: Part 5
I didn’t know it was Prime when I took the call.
The caller ID said the number was “unavailable,” but I’d set the voicemail system to play the voicemail live while I was there.
So… “You’ve reached the Heroes League. Please leave your number after the beep.” Continue reading War: Part 4
The caller ID on my cellphone showed the call came from HQ — which meant either that I’d been forwarded Prime’s call through HQ or that someone in HQ had called me.
I took the call.
“Nick,” Vaughn said, “you’ve gotta take a look at Double V’s forums. Go to the Grand Lake section. It’s totally crazy.” Continue reading War: Part 3
“So after years of silence, the New Heroes League appeared out of nowhere. How did that happen?”
“I came in late,” Rachel said. “You’ll have to ask the Rocket.”
Erika turned her attention to me. “So?”
“A few of us got to talking,” I began.
“Us?”
“We’re all connected to the original League one way or another. We got together a few times, and we decided we wanted to bring it back instead of letting it end.” Continue reading War: Part 2
Instead of doing something with Haley on Friday night, I found myself flying through the air with Rachel toward the Rocket’s first ever intentional TV interview — or if not the Rocket’s first, my first as the Rocket.
Rachel let go of my shoulder as I pointed myself upright, stopping the rockets for a moment, but then making the rocketpack start a new burn, slowing my descent.
Below me I could see the parking lot where I’d fought Man-machine — until his heart attack, anyway.
It looked a lot like it had that night, half full of cars, and darkness. Continue reading War: Part 1
Standing at the podium, Principal Williams stopped the ceremony.
He held up his hands. “Everyone please be quiet, and stay where you are. We’ve called an ambulance, and they will need the aisles to be clear.”
Not everybody listened. Sean pushed his way out between the aisles of folding chairs, ran across the field, up one of the short stairways, and into the bleachers, joining his family.
I couldn’t blame him for that. Continue reading Graduation: Part 25
One of the men in protective gear — the one I’d guessed might be Ray — pulled a gun, and pointed it at Sean.
Julie stopped talking to Shannon and Camille, and shouted, “Freeze!” Continue reading Graduation: Part 24
I didn’t stop trying to fix the arm, but it would be hard to imagine a worse week to try to fix it than my last week of high school ever.
I didn’t get back to working on things on Monday night because the whole family got talking. With Grandpa and Grandma Klein visiting from Minnesota, that happened easily. Grandpa had taught cultural anthropology at the University of Minnesota, worked for the U.N. in the 1960’s, and had friends all over the world. Continue reading Graduation: Part 23
I scanned the radio for news reports. Police band could tell me what was going on now, but not what had happened.
I called up the GPS. The Baymont Inn wasn’t far away. I decided I could do a flyby without too much trouble. I probably wouldn’t even get seen, which was good, because if I got into a one on one fight with Prime’s people, I might not survive it. Continue reading Graduation: Part 22
So you’d think that after having all Friday to work on it, I would have had the arm completely ready to go. Unfortunately projects that are even marginally complicated don’t go like that. What happens is that you put things together, discover a problem, take them apart and put them together again. After that, you attach them to the suit for the first time, discover another thing you’ve done wrong, take it apart, and put it together again.
It was maddening, but I found it fun at the same time. Continue reading Graduation: Part 21