Super•Villainous

XXIII

My father didn't like not being present in person, that I could tell, but he gave his reluctant agreement, prompting me to switch him over to speaker phone. "Can you hear me alright?"

"You're fine," he dismissed my question. "What's this about a plan?"

Ren stepped closer to better be heard. "Not a plan, as of yet. Think of this more like strong advice given by people who make situations like these their expertise." He met Tempest's eyes as he said the last part. "Your cooperation will lead to the most ideal situation for all parties involved, one where ideally we capture the villain Nightshade, and Lily here never need worry over her safety ever again."

"What would you 'ideally' want me to cooperate with?" I asked, suspicious by default.

Ren made a show of flipping through his clipboard, a move almost definitely for theatrical purposes rather than out of necessity. "Ah. Here we are. After long deliberation, the Constable and the other Guild Elders believe it wise for us to keep your return and subsequent good health private. And yes," he held up a hand to silence my incoming protests, "we do know that won't suddenly trick Nightshade into believing you're still stuck in the forest, not after all he did to get you back to us. As tempting as it was to confirm your demise and put you into witness protection, your very public disappearance has earned you a certain... celebrity status that would make you re-entering society under a new identity uniquely difficult."

Unable to hold back any longer, I burst out, "You wanted to kill me off?"

Tempest let out a light laugh. "Nothing so drastic. It would only have lasted until we put a stop to Shade, then you could resume your old life in peace."

I blew out a noticeably doubtful breath. "Good luck with that. Leigh and I have gotten closer to incapacitating Shade than your people ever have, and all it did was make him mad. I stabbed him twice, threw him off a cliff, and tried to strangle him in his sleep," I cringed at the last embarrassing memory, "nothing worked. Leigh even hit him over the head with a glass bottle. If anything, he seemed more powerful than ever afterwards."

More unhinged, I didn't want to say.

"Who's this Leigh?" Ren interjected, strategically avoiding my entire point with tactical precision.

"It's her friend," Tempest replied automatically. Either he somehow caught her name while rescuing her off the school building, or there was a file on me somewhere doing a rotation among the Supers. Personally, I hoped the former was true.

"Let's say we did conceal her safe return, what good does that do?" my dad asked, his voice bursting through my train of thought.

"I'm glad you asked." Ren leaned closer to better be heard through the line. "By not pushing her out into the open again and keeping her return quiet, the first benefit is that Shade would have no idea where she is hiding at any given time."

I couldn't help my skepticism. "Wouldn't the more reasonable alternative be to announce I'm okay, but keep me hidden regardless?"

After saying that, however, I mentally gave myself a good wake-up slap. Why was I offering suggestions? I really didn't want to spend the foreseeable future locked away in a Guild endorsed panic room until they MAYBE got the chance to apprehend Shade. What if it never happened?

"That would be another decent alternative," Ren agreed. "However, we're curious how Nightshade will react, not knowing anything about your status. We've been asking ourselves, if he attains no new information about you, what would he do, and how would that affect his plans?"

The room was quiet while I processed that information, Tempest and Ren both carefully analyzing my face for a hint at my thoughts. Then my dad spoke.

"This plan still involves taking her away, doesn't it?"