United We Stand: A Superhero Adventure (The Pantheon Saga Book 6) by C.C. Ekeke

Author:C.C. Ekeke [Ekeke, C.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ShatterHouse Press
Published: 2021-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34

Sitting in the Clubhouse, hood and half-mask off, Hugo watched bodycam footage from J-Tom’s armor on one of their large monitors.

Onscreen, Aegis in full costume had mounted a criminal named Barricade, raining down vicious punches and elbows.

The Paragons had been focused on finding Damocles at the expense of guarding San Miguel. That had allowed Barricade, a seven-foot powerhouse with a septum ring, to rob small stores for weeks.

Hugo had caught him robbing Finders Cheapers pawnshop in Cayucos, shoving the owner and causing the elderly woman to break a hip. That had set Hugo off.

Consumed by fury, he kept picturing Damocles while hammering Barricade’s face with elbow after elbow. But Hugo hadn’t noticed Lady Liberty and Arclight about to pull him off before he’d stopped.

The footage ended, and Hugo faced Lady Liberty and Mom.

J-Tom sat beside him in plain clothes, her guilt palpable. The other Paragons were out patrolling.

“You need a break,” Lady Liberty decided. “At least for one night.”

Hugo ground his teeth. “But—”

“Bogota,” Mom cut him off. “You’ve haven’t slept for days.”

“Damocles is out there,” Hugo erupted. “I have to stop him.”

Lady Liberty absorbed the outburst. “I want Damocles just as badly,” she said. “But that Barricade situation could’ve been disastrous.”

Hugo rolled his eyes. “I was in control.”

“Like with Vincent Von Violence?” Mom countered.

J-Tom looked away, eyes closed.

That was a low blow. “V3 had it coming,” Hugo defended.

“Your warning from California’s superhero Commission said otherwise,” Lady Liberty threw back.

Hugo’s cheeks flushed.

Lady Liberty continued. “What if someone recorded that on their phone.” Her features darkened, light gleaming off her diadem. “That ammo proves Senator Huntley right about us.”

“This sucks!” Hugo jerked up from his seat and glared down at his teammate. “You snitched.”

J-Tom’s freckles disappeared when she blushed. “I'm worried!”

Hugo then grasped the hypocrisy in his lecture and quieted.

Mom spoke again. “You kids dodged a bullet when the Lucas Act tanked.” By her tone, there was no escaping this.

Still, an idea came to Hugo. “I’ll take time off if she does.” He pointed at his betrayer.

J-Tom gaped like a goldfish. “What?”

“Hang out with Jodie,” Hugo continued, refusing to go down alone, “then I’ll agree.”

J-Tom looked to Lady Liberty for help.

“He’s right, Jennifer,” Ms. Ortiz decided.

“Fine,” J-Tom sulked.

Much later, Damocles remained on Hugo’s mind during his night out with AJ. But wearing normal clothes outside of school was nice. And the movie they’d watched, The Girl Who Broke the World, had been the best Unbreakable Girl sequel in ages.

The sun had dipped gloriously behind Paso’s rolling hills when Hugo and AJ hopped off the SMAT.

“We don’t have to do this,” AJ blurted out as they walked through crowded streets.

Hugo stopped and faced his brother. “What do you mean?”

AJ made a face. “I know you’d rather be with your girlfriends at Paso High’s fashion show.”

“Jordana is my girlfriend,” Hugo corrected sharply. “The other girls are my friends…except Grace.”

AJ side-eyed him. “Do Brie and J-Tom know that?”

Hugo swiped at his brother, who ducked and laughed. “Worry about your own love life!”

AJ danced backed to his side, waving his forearm cast.

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