A/N
Hey guys, sorry it's been a while, I've been traveling a lot. I know I said I would post the next 2 chapters together, but I feel like it's been forever since I updated. Just know that you're probably not going to like me by the end of this chapter. Just keep reading, okay? I hope to post the next chapter really soon.
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Drake cups his hands around his head as he writhes on the floor in pain.
I turn to face Jonas, "A tad dramatic, don't you think?"
He shrugs, "Personally, I'm quite a fan of this." Sophia nods in agreement.
I'll roll with it because, honestly, I'm enjoying this too.
"Okay Drake," I begin with the questions. "Why did you rescue me if you weren't on my side?"
Drake doesn't miss a beat, "Owen told me to convince you that Perception was Jonas. Guess it didn't work." Jonas lurches forward, but Sophia restricts him.
"Did he kiss you?! I'm going to kill him!" I shake my head, trying to calm Jonas. He's all worked up now. I'm not going to lie, I love how protective he is. Pummel Drake all you want, you have my blessing.
Drake winces, "You guessed that it was Owen and I knew I had to step up my game."
Jonas breaks free from Sophia's arms and grabs Drake by the collar. He looks up at me. "Did Owen kiss you?" His jaw clenches, waiting for my response.
I gulp, aware of everyone's eyes on me. I didn't want to kiss him. He forced himself on me. "Yes."
Maybe Jonas took a brief moment out of giving Drake a migraine to read my thoughts, because Jonas doesn't get upset with me. He drops Drake's collar and pushes him back to the floor roughly. Jonas begins to walk towards the front door. Sophia and I glance at each other, puzzled.
"Jonas, where are you going?" I speak up as Drake starts to pick himself up off of the floor. I brace myself for a fight.
Jonas balls his hands into fists as he turns around. "To kill Owen."
I scratch my head, not knowing how to deal with the sudden burst of anger coming from Jonas. "Okay, but... we're not done here yet." Jonas' shoulders drop and he dramatically sighs.
"Drake, where is Steel Hawk's home?" The boy who was struggling to get up collapses on the floor again. I've never been more proud of Jonas.
"Not... Telling!" He spits out, trying to stay strong. His struggle is pathetic. Jonas squints a little, making the headache worse, and Drake spills the beans. "A block away from the hotel."
"And how long have the Ravens been out?" Sophia asks next.
Drake smirks, and I wince. Whatever his answer is, I'm scared of what's to follow. Plans are already in motion by the way his lip turns up in the slightest.
"Long enough to reunite with Steel Hawk."
"What's Steel Hawk's plan? World domination?" I laugh as I roll my eyes.
Drake's mouth is against the floor, so it's hard for us to hear him through his mumbles. "To break Titania, to take away the town's hope," He peels his face off of the floor, a devilish smile playing on his lips, "To drain all superheroes of their powers."
My breath hitches in my throat. "I've heard enough. Sophia, knock him out." I stare into Drake's soulless eyes.
"But-"
I'm afraid with every passing second, Steel Hawk is closer to completing his wish. "Drake, tell me Steel Hawk's address right now or-"
"Or what? You don't have any powers anymore. You faint everytime you run. It's time to call it quits, Della."
Because you're so big and brave at the moment, I sarcastically note. Drake will not be the one to tear me down.
There's a beat of silence as Jonas, Sophia, and myself try to figure out how to coax the information out of him. While I'm up for continuing to torture him, I don't think that's going to help us much anymore.
"Knock him out." I tell Sophia and walk towards the door. Without hesitation, she complies. Drake doesn't even get the chance to object before he's out like a light. Jonas and Sophia follow me out the fancy front door. I try not to think about the fact that Sophia's parents have a mess to come home to. Their poor kitchen...
Sophia starts yelling at me. "Okay, what's the plan now? We can't fly blind anymore."
I bite my tongue, trying to keep my cool demeanor and think of a plan. How did I even get this far? Am I even a super anymore? What role do I have in this without powers?
"Hey! Calm down!" Jonas interrupts my thoughts by scolding Sophia. "Did you two forget the whole reason I was there? I read his mind; I know the address." A weight lifts off my shoulders and Sophia lets out a huge breath.
"You're a life saver, Jonas! Let's go!" Sophia sprints to her car at the end of the driveway. Jonas turns to face me, disappointment written on his face.
"You never let me feel bad about having only one power, and I'm not going to let you mope about having none. You got this far, it's time to finish the job." While all of this speech was serious and meant to lay down the law, I know the passion driven behind it. We give each other pep talks, and it's how we make it through the ups and downs. I take a second to look into his beautiful blue eyes and smile like a fool. "Thank you."
He rolls his eyes, but I catch the slight grin forming on his lips. "Just doing my job as a sidekick."
Before I can respond, Sophia is honking the horn, screaming at us to get in the car. Once we slide into the backseat of her silver Ford Mustang, she slams her foot on the gas pedal. She mumbles under her breath, "We don't have time for lovey-dovey moments. What is this, a romance movie?"
I roll my eyes. Shows what she knows. It's obviously a superhero novel.
"The address is 674 Gladen Avenue." Jonas finally reveals the vital information we were trying to get out of Drake.
It's not long before we arrive in the heart of Kingsville, and I nearly faint at the sight of the town in front of us. Sophia slams on breaks and I hit my head on the back of the driver seat.
It's not possible.
Mrs. Michaels was right?
The whole town is slowly burning down to pieces in front of our eyes.
"It's too late to visit Steel Hawk. He brought the fight to us." Jonas speaks for all of us.
Without a second thought, I jump out of the car. I find myself sprinting down the charred streets, hating that I've been in this situation before. I thought it was my brother causing it all this time. There has to be another super with fire powers. My bets are on Owen.
"Della! Where are you going?" Jonas and Sophia are both jogging to catch up to me.
I shake my head, "We can't stay back and watch. I'm diving into this mess. I'm going to The Undergrounds hotel before Steel Hawk blows up the entire city."
Not too many people reminisced over Steel Hawk's death. As a matter of fact, a lot of articles about him were deleted in an attempt to erase him from the public's memory. Why should we give him the honor of being remembered? But I could never forget Steel Hawk's suit. His evil acts. Even as a young child, seeing his face pop up on TV gave me nightmares. He was the villain that could turn into a literal bomb and detonate wherever he chose. He would always reform afterwards, which made him all the more horrifying.
I can't believe I'm looking for a bomb in the midst of a fire again. My stomach churns. It was all a set up. It was all a premonition. It was all one gigantic hint as to what the end game would be like, and I never put the pieces together.
My ears pick up the sound of desperate cries as I sprint down the sidewalks. I haven't checked to see if Sophia and Jonas are still with me. Once I reach the hotel, my feet are swiped out from under me, causing me to fall on my back.
"Hello, Rapid Glare. Or should I call you Orage?" One of the Red Ravens is standing over me, but I still can't tell the difference between Thomas and Mickey.
My jaw clenches. "Which one are you?"
He smiles deviously, "Thomas."
I mirror his smile, "Then you can call me Mercy, remember?"
I sweep my right leg out to meet with his feet, catching him off balance and giving me enough time to stand up. I use my elbow to make contact with his face, and stomp on his left foot with my left foot. Then I turn around to face him again and bring my knee up to his stomach. He moans and falls to his knees. While I know that won't hold him for long, it gives me the opportunity to run away.
The flames have died down now that I get closer to the hotel. I wonder if the fire was supposed to keep me away. I scoff out loud. As if anything can keep me away at this point.
I would run down to The Undergrounds, but something on the roof of the hotel catches my eye. It looks like a person... Maybe two people now? Oh. Oh no. It's definitely more than two people. The number grows by the second.
All of a sudden, Jonas and Sophia are by my side. "Who's up there?" Jonas asks me, but I don't have an answer for him. My best guess is Steel Hawk and his minions. He's going to send every one of them down, one at a time, to finish me off. Or he'll send them down all at once to destroy me faster.
"We got here as fast as we could." I hear from behind me. I turn around to see my mom, my dad, Mason, Ash, Uncle Travis, and Gavin. Mom, dad, and Mason are wearing their super suits. I take a brief second to observe the power couple that is my parents. Their matching suits are purple and green, but dad doesn't have a cape. Mom's cape is a dark plum color. I blink a few times to make sure I'm not imagining things or dreaming. Everyone's here?
"We're in this together, Del. Like it or not, we're your family, and we've got your back." Mason says as he stands firmly. I don't even try to hold back my smile.
"Well then, you've all got a job to do. Find a villain, take him down. Steel Hawk is up there." I point up to the roof.
My mom steps up, "He doesn't want to fight you, Della. He's after me."
"I'm not letting you go up there alone, and don't even try to tell me otherwise." I spit back at her. I just don't know how to defeat a man who can detonate at any given moment.
"You'll need this." A familiar yet strange voice comes from behind me. I spin on my heel to see Mrs. Michaels. She's dressed in a silver and red super suit but doesn't have a cape like most of us do. Her hair is tied into a high ponytail. I want to jump back, afraid she might hurt me again. Instead, she reaches out with her silver sleeve to hand me a needle filled with a green liquid. I recognize it from the other night, when Drake tried to throw it at mom. Or maybe it was aimed towards me? Either way, I know it's lethal.
"It's a power disabler. Inject all of this into Steel Hawk, and he won't be able to detonate anymore."
I gulp, trying to clear my throat so I can speak. "All of it?" From up above, I see one of the figures flying down to our level. I look back at the group, and notice Mason is already taking off. "What if he rips it out before all of it gets in his system?"
Mrs. Michaels shakes her head, "You can't let that happen."
No pressure there.
Mrs. Michaels gently places her hand on my shoulder. It's a different approach than last time. Comforting almost. I should know better than to feel any comfort from this woman. How do I really know this is a power disabler, and not some sort of strength enhancer instead?
Is she telling the truth, Jonas? I look to my best friend to see if he approves of the mission. He nods his head, then motions with his hand for me to go.
I turn back to Mrs. Michaels. "You've got a force field. I need you to stay here and protect the civilians." Without any objection, she nods and runs off, leaving the power disabler in my hands.
"If Della distracts Steel Hawk, Titania can sneak up on Steel Hawk with the disabler. He doesn't expect Titania to show up." Ash's new found abilities surprise me. I love the fact that Red Raven's powers belong to her now. I beam with pride.
My head jerks up to find my mom's face in the group. "Let's go!" We take off towards the hotel entrance.
As we run up numerous flights of steps, I begin to play the plan in my head. "Here," Once we reach the door to the roof, I hand my mom the needle. "This is your job." She surprises me by embracing me tightly.
"Got it."
With that, I numbly walk towards the door and open it. Bravely stepping out onto the roof, I tell myself that I can do this. I don't need powers to fight.
I was going to use the element of surprise, but when the door slams behind me, I wince. Every villain spins around to see who the intruder is. Steel Hawk's eyes stare me down across the roof. I gulp, and take a daring step forward.
"Rapid Glare, I'm so glad you made it to the party." Steel Hawk's deep, booming voice echoes. I close my eyes, trying to forget every nightmare as I approach the nightmare himself. "We were just discussing how we were going to annihilate you."
Comforting words.
I allow myself to confidently walk in their direction. Distance shows fear. Close the gap.
"Ah," I shrug, "Care to elaborate?" My hands are shaking, so I hide them behind my back. I'm sure my whole body is shaking, but I don't want to use my invisibility yet. I need to save that until the actual fighting begins. Even then, I hope it's still in my skill set.
Steel Hawk turns his back towards me. He snaps his fingers, making a few of the villains fly down from the roof to where my friends are. I try not to panic, but I'm hoping they can handle all of them at once. The three villains remaining are ones I know quite well. Blacklight, Mickey, and Owen. Of course they'd be the ones to gang up on me.
"I figured it wouldn't take much to take you down. After all, you're almost powerless now. One more fight, and you're out of the game." Steel Hawk continues to speak to me with his back turned. I want to scream at him to look at me. I want to look him in the eye and tell him what a monster he is.
"What are you talking about, 'out of the game'?" I knew I was weak and I needed to save my energy, but I wasn't sure there was an end to my powers.
Mickey laughs, "You won't be a super anymore, Della. You know how you miraculously got a new set of powers on top of your old ones? That was my doing. And while I watched you use them, I loved every minute. The injection I gave you at the hospital was a disabler in itself. The new powers cancel out the old, slowly, but surely." Mickey seems like he could go on forever, but Owen eventually holds his hand up for him to stop talking.
Yeah, I think I've heard enough too.
I almost whisper the words, but I haven't lost hope yet. "You needed me powerless to defeat me. You knew you couldn't win." I smirk at the realization. Let that sink in for a moment, boys.
Steel Hawk spins on his heel, "I could've won 12 years ago! I let your mother think she defeated me so it would destroy her. A hero isn't supposed to kill; there's always another way. My death caused her to go into hiding!"
I draw in a sharp breath, "So it sounds like you needed her out of the picture, too. I thought you were great and powerful, but it turns out you're as weak as ever." I cover my hand over my mouth as I laugh, mocking his tactics. "Especially having to send out two teenage boys as your distraction for 12 years. I mean, did it really take you that long to recover?"
"Shut up, Della, you have no idea what he's capable of!" Owen hisses under his breath. Oh, so now he's trying to warn me? If I'm losing my powers at the end of this, I want to make sure my words leave a good mark.
I continue, "And let's talk about the fact that your wife left you and gave your kids up for adoption. She knew you were alive. She was your true love, right? I mean, villains feel love too, right?"
Steel Hawk snaps at me, but he doesn't budge, "Of course I loved her! I wrote her letters on every anniversary after she left! But she betrayed me!" I watch his eyes for a change of attitude. They've lightened a little, but I don't think he's going to crack emotionally. "I turned to the family I did have and trained them to beat you. To defeat superheroes. Something my father told me I'd never be able to do," His jaw clenches and he turns away for a brief second. I've got him now. "But I'm not weak, no matter what anyone says." Steel Hawk swiftly turns around and motions towards his minions.
Before I can comprehend what's happening, I use my super speed to rush up to Mickey. If I can knock out Steel Hawk's help, I can get to him faster. Mickey's powerless, so I find it easy to swing my foot into his stomach and watch him fall. Blacklight doesn't have time to react before I do the same to him, adding an extra kick to the face. I watch him rub his face, and proceed to use my foot to knock him down as well.
I'm about to attack Owen, when I see Steel Hawk on the edge of the roof out of the corner of my eye. All of a sudden, everything is in slow motion. I use every ounce in my being to run towards him, to stop him from jumping. I won't allow him to destroy this city.
I push him away from the roof, only to feel myself stop in mid stride. There's something off. I feel like I'm standing still when I should be racing against time.
"Hawk! It's me you want, not her!"
I always knew my mother would make a comeback. Steel Hawk mumbles Titania's name under his breath, like she's just a mirage. Smirking, I watch as Steel Hawk stumbles backwards a bit in shock.
But that doesn't stop him from spinning around, giving me a conniving look, and pushing me off of the roof.