Secret Super (Book 1)

1. Playing the Hero

Kara didn't feel like a superhero.

Crouching behind a trash can in a dark alley, surrounded by the stink of rotting fish, she felt more like one of the street criminals scrounging around the under-levels of the City. Good thing no one from the Academy could see her now, because she was pretty sure she'd lose whatever dignity she had left.

She shifted against the trash can, her legs already numb from sitting in one position for so long. The movement caused some of the garbage to spill out next to her and something slimy touched her arm. Kara shuddered.

"There has to be a better way to do this," she muttered not-so-quietly.

The girl next to her, Jace, bristled in reply. Jace's face was hidden in shadow, only the orange glow of her hair visible in the hazy blue lighting, but Kara could still practically smell her indignity. "The Council said--"

"Yeah yeah, I know what the Council said." Kara rolled her eyes, a habit that her handler had never been able to drill out of her. "I just think there's better ways to become a hero than playing hide-and-seek with some bank robbers in a dumpster." There were better ways to become anything, period.

"None of us are that happy in this situation," Jace snapped back. "I wasn't exactly thrilled to be stuck as your sidekick."

Kara flushed. "Hey what's that supposed to mean?"

Jace had just recently been assigned as her sidekick, and sure, she and Kara didn't share all the same ideals, and yeah, maybe Kara wasn't exactly known for her finesse during a mission or her obedience to the Council, but . . . Actually, she didn't know how to finish that thought. Weren't sidekicks supposed to be respectful, anyway?

But Jace didn't have time to reply because at that moment, an alarm started screeching from inside the building.

Finally, Kara thought, her heart hammering. The wait was over, and now for the fun part. She shook out the numbness from her cramped limbs and jumped up, running towards the building. Jace shot glances up and down the alley before rushing after her.

Cold air blasted them as soon as they entered the building, and Kara had to blink to adjust her eyes to the bright-lit air inside.

As she ran further into the building, a few cheers went up from the civilians scrambling around inside. The robbers stood in plain sight, swathed in black from their boots to their masks, lugging bulky bags that bulged and jangled with coins. The robbers glanced and pointed their way. One of them shouted something that sounded like, "Leave it! We'll get it later!" and grabbed the other one's wrist. They dropped the bags and bolted down an opposite hallway.

Well at least they'd left their loot behind-- that didn't take long. Still, they had to catch the thieves.

Kara allowed herself a fraction of a second to nod at the crowds around her and wave jauntily. Then she shot off after the robbers, ripping off the gloves on her hands. Purple energy danced on her palms, sending tingles up and down her arms. The alarm blared urgently in her ears. She followed the robbers down a hallway and adrenaline rushed through her veins.

Just as they rounded the corner, they saw the robbers slipping into an elevator that shot up out of their reach.

Kara groaned. "Seriously?"

They ran in the other direction towards the stairs, but the way was barred by a heavy metal door. A sign on the door read "NO ENTRANCE: EMPLOYEES ONLY", right above a digital code door lock.

With no time to waste, Kara rolled her shoulders and held out her hands, sucking in a deep breath. Energy coursed through her body and tingled on her palms. The alarm still blared in her ears, but she ignored it and gathered her concentration. She started forming a force-field in her palms, directing it at the door--