The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

16. Won't Be Long Now

{Sarah}

Zach and I are in the middle of trying to look busy during Trevor's FaceTime with Kitty when Kaelie texts me.

   We got a problem, Campbell. And it's not only that Cam can't keep his hands off Jocelyn.

   "Kaelie says there's something wrong." I stand up abruptly, startling Zach, who's scrolling through his phone.

   "What's that?" he asks once he's recovered from the shock.

   I shrug. "Dunno. She only said there's a problem."

   Zach nods, and then gets up to call into the other room. "Hey, lover boy! We got a problem! Pink needs our help!"

   I hear a thump and a muttered Elvish curse, and soon Trevor's sliding into the room in his socks. "What? What's wrong?"

   Zach nods at me. "Pink says something's up. She just texted Sarah."

   He nods. "Right. Then I guess that means we'd better go."

   We make it to Kaelie's house in less than ten minutes. Besides, our only mode of transportation at the moment is Trevor, and he's always a little scattered after talking to Kitty. I'd never understand what it was with those two. One second he's acting like he wants to break up with her, and the next he's talking about how long it's been since he's seen her. I'd hardly seen her, to be honest, and I missed her. I missed having another girl to talk to that wasn't super.

   "So what's up, Pink?" Zach asks when we've crash-landed on her porch and everybody inside came running to the door while we picked ourselves up.

   "You'd better come in," she says, looking us over, and then giving Trevor a meaningful look. "Your landing skills need work, Phoenix. You nearly gave us all a heart attack."

   He shrugs.

   We squeeze ourselves into her front living room after that, Zach and I next to Cam and Jocelyn on the couch while Trevor sits on the footstool nearby. Kaelie paces the floor between us and the television, running one hand through her hair while the other clenches and unclenches, pink flames arcing between her fingers. After a second, she begins to explain — Green had a definite end goal with all the things he's put the supers through in the past year, and it's that he wants to make a super super. The kind that can duplicate any super's powers and abilities and use it against them. And the Red Knight is his test subject. The worst part is that it seems to be working.

   "So how'd you find this out, Kaelie?" I ask her when she's stopped speaking.

   "One half of our Great Escape artists over there." She jerks her chin towards Cam and Jocelyn. "Ask them, if you don't believe me."

   "No, we do," Zach says, his tone grave and serious. "Because this sounds exactly like something Dad would do. It has him written all over it."

   "Just when we thought he couldn't get any more evil." Trevor huffs, rolling his eyes.

   "Any idea of when he might be coming here, if he's coming at all?" I give them all a quick glance, remembering that this is the same group — plus Ellis and minus Zach and Jocelyn — that beat the Red Knight last year. I can't believe it's already been a year and here we are, thinking of ways to beat him, again.

   Kaelie shakes her head, and I see Zach scowl. After a second he gets up, going to stand with her.

   "We do know one thing," he says. "Dad was always consistent in never saying things he didn't mean. So if he says he's got a super who can truly replicate another super's powers, then that means he does, and if he says whoever it is will destroy us all, then it just might."