I didn’t know when the team had realized that Red Lightning had turned supervillain, but if Grandma was pregnant with Uncle Steve, this was too early.
My best bet was to stop thinking about it at all because Daniel’s grandfather might hear. The second best was to hope that if he did figure it out, he’d know not to break it too soon.
All of that would be wasted though, if either Ray or Red Lightning blew the secret. Continue reading Singularity: Part 11
C’s eyes narrowed, “They don’t have a daughter named Joan.”
My grandparents turned to look at each other and back to everyone else as Grandma said, “But that is a name we were talking about. Joan, if we had a girl, and Stephen, if we had another boy. So, we’re going to have a daughter?”
“Stephen?” My eyes darted toward Grandma’s belly. She wasn’t showing, but maybe that hint of a curve was Uncle Steve? Even in the 50s and 60s, superhero costumes didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. “Well, if you haven’t had a Stephen yet, no. My mom was born in 1963.”
Grandpa glanced over at the Mentalist, and Daniel’s grandfather nodded, his top hat making the nod more obvious. Though I’d never told him, I’d always thought the Mentalist’s era of magician-themed costumes looked silly. Continue reading Singularity: Part 10
Prentkos eyed Ray, “And what are we going to do if, upon seeing you, Magnus notices that you’re with the people he told you to kill and decides to end our lives? I don’t know all of the people down there, but the ones I do recognize are far from weak.”
“Well,” Ray said, “that just means that I’ll have to be extremely persuasive. Look, we’re not going to be able to fight our way in or out, and this isn’t what I’d call a stealthy group.” Continue reading Singularity: Part 9
Original Heroes’ League. Unknown Section of Rain Forest, Brazil, October 1959:
Dr. Madness’ War Machine lay in pieces in the clearing in front of the cave.
It had been massive. Longer than 300 feet and taller than 50 feet near the back, where the conning tower had risen above the hull, it gave the middle finger to aerodynamic design in more than one sense. Continue reading Stage One: Part 3
The Xiniti had addressed the Soviets at the UN with everyone else after the last Abominators died. They’d made it clear enough that developing Abominator technology could result in Earth’s destruction.
Joe had spoken a few words himself as the Rocket.
Hadn’t the Soviets been listening? On the other hand, it had been a secret session and the USSR’s ambassador had been recalled shortly after. Some faction there might be keeping it a secret from the others.
Idiots, Joe shook his head. Continue reading Waning Moon: Part 2
Abominator Moonbase, March 1979
Joe stepped back from the controls of the Interdimensional Travel Plate (IDTP) and checked around the room for everyone else.
In a room filled with madness, he had superheroes and villains to fall back on—though in this case the question of which was which depended on whether journalists from the USA or USSR wrote the story. Continue reading Waning Moon: Part 1
Joe restrained his response, hoping that he wasn’t grinding his teeth. The group didn’t need more right now. Something was off about Giles. He couldn’t put his finger on what. If that wasn’t enough, new people with powers were appearing.
Man-machine, of all people, had visited by his office to tell him about it. Wearing a cheap suit, the kid claimed to be starting a business that made auto parts. He couldn’t hide his nervousness, constantly checking out the window. Continue reading Before Midnight: Part 3
“I’ll know him?” Joe looked up at Gunther, mouth in a straight line, “I’m going to need more information than that.”
Gunther shook his head, “No, you won’t. You’ll need more information than that to find it, but not more when you’ve got it and need to hand it off.”
The creature’s information had always been good even if “his” true motives weren’t obvious. If this thing that Gunther lost explained what Gunther was doing on Earth, Joe could live with it. He didn’t enjoy having that hanging out there as a potential surprise. Continue reading Before Midnight: Part 2
Grand Lake, Michigan, December 31, 1958: Ten Minutes before Midnight
Snow fell outside. Joe watched from the seventh floor of the tallest private home in Grand Lake, wondering if it would be a blizzard. The big, white flakes meant that skiing wouldn’t be great and neither would the shoveling. He wouldn’t have to worry about either until tomorrow. Romy and he were staying over at Giles tonight anyway.
He stood waiting in the music room because Giles’ mansion had enough rooms that he could afford to devote one purely to music. A grand piano stood on one end and a pipe organ on the other. Along the walls were bookshelves filled with music, music stands, and enough instruments for a small orchestra. Continue reading Before Midnight: Part 1
As the bright light faded, the first men entered the room, pistols drawn. They were dressed in black suits, none of them unusual, but seen all together, they were obviously the same design.
She didn’t see them for long.
A bolt of reddish tinged lightning surged forward from Giles Hardwick’s hands, and the men fell forward, unconscious, or dead.
“Careful with that,” Joe turned away from the dimensional gateway’s control panel to give Giles a look. “They’re not going anywhere if you short out the system.”
The next man stepped over the bodies, pistol in hand, and a web of red floating in front of him. Continue reading Bloodmaiden: Part 15