Gravitas_A Supervillain Story by Ben Mason

Author:Ben Mason [Mason, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

It was hard to appreciate the Watchtower with the lobby littered with frozen living mannequins of some of his archenemies and (more often) their offspring, glittering in the same blue webs that held Wendy. Some were sprinting to the front door; others were flying upward, using the small spiral opening in the middle of the building to get to the roof or some higher floor. Others were lounging and chatting with a few of the men and women angling for dates or more (ahem) discreet encounters.

And of course, hovering right in the middle of the floor, the radiance from the building’s lights falling gracefully upon him, was Vanguard. Gods, even caught off guard he was a living symbol of righteousness and virtue. It made Christoph want to retch.

The years, and subsequent scientific experiments, had left him with white hair, the physique of a twenty-year-old letting him wear his gold and blue spandex as tight as he wanted, and a few charming lines on his face making him more attractive than old. It was hard to believe he had once been a sanitation worker so long ago with the stupid luck of being struck by a meteor. He had even been reading a comic book when it happened. No doubt it was one of the reasons he kept quoting lines when he thwarted plans, like “FOR JUSTICE” and “TIME TO GUARD JUSTICE.” Even silent as he was now, Christoph wanted to punch him.

“I’m going to find a Sharpie,” Dominic said as they entered the lobby.

“Why?” Siv asked.

“I’m gonna draw a dick on his face,” Dominic said, already starting to look around.

“How old are you again?” Christoph asked.

“Old enough to know this chance isn’t going to come around again.”

“Do it and I’ll break your fingers,” Siv said. “Where are John and Julie?”

“I think he had to stop off for gas,” Christoph said. If he wasn’t able to figure out the pump controls, it meant siphoning from some other poor soul. And if he, did it meant stealing. Either way the extra time put distance between the two groups.

“I don’t want to bind the markers until they get inside,” Siv said. Her face was a mask, focused on the task at hand. Behind it there were so many questions. Christoph promised himself he would answer any and all of them truthfully no matter what it meant. He owed her that much. She had saved Dominic’s life and probably his as well.

“Hey, I say we wall this place up now,” Dominic said, trotting back, his hands empty, disappointment on his face. “Chris said it before. If Bowler Hat wanted to hurt Julie, he had plenty of chances.”

“It doesn’t mean the circumstances haven’t changed,” Siv said. “Plenty of supervillains are willing to hurt children if the ends profit from the means.”

“Yeah, well same with heroes if you change it to justify,” Dominic said.

“What are you both babbling about?” Christoph said, his tone sharp. His knuckles popped and the fog rushed forward, smashing against his willpower like a breaker against the rocks.

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