The Prospects (11 page)

“But you didn’t need saving.”

“And I ended up saving you.”

“Thanks for that. And thanks for not escaping.”

“You haven’t made my life hell, and you trusted me enough to remove the nullifier. It would’ve been wrong to betray you.”

“Sure would have been. I would’ve looked stupid if you walked away.”

“I hope this makes it easier for you to forgive me for what I did to two years ago.”

“Why is forgiveness so important to you?”

“I feel like I need it.”

“If you were a guy, we’d split a six pack and not discuss our feelings.”

“If I were a guy, it would take more than beer for you to forget kissing my butt.”

“Did you have to bring that up?”

“It’s something that happened. I’m ashamed of it.”

“Every time we talk, we end up with more things we can’t talk about.”

Alex looked at Trista as they walked in silence. Her eyes were downcast and her lips were in the familiar frown. Once he saw her as terrifying and tragic, now she was only tragic. She was the runt in a pack of losers and a magnet for abuse.

But when he thought about forgiving her, he remembered missing Calvin’s birth and not seeing Emily again until a month later. He would never get that time back. That had to be one reason Emily wanted to divorce him. He couldn’t forgive Trista for the damage she did to his life. Even lying and saying he could felt wrong.

The rest of the Prospects waited at 34th Street.

Zany grinned broadly. “I stayed defensive. I only bashed heads when they got past the cops.”

“At least she got some action,” said Asura. “All the circuitry shook loose from this stupid rifle. It’d be easier to rebuild than fix at this point.”

“We kept the tear gas away,” said Gale Force. “None of us cried.”

Alex pulled out his smartphone. New cracks completely filled the screen. “Damn it, I have to call the bureau.”

Asura tapped his wrist-mounted tablet. “I can hack into your phone to retrieve the number and make the call. With your permission, of course.”

“Do it.”

Asura pressed a few icons. Alex’s smartphone wallpaper appeared on Asura’s wrist-mounted tablet. “Hey, who’s the cutie?”

“My wife.”

“A little round in the middle, but …”

“She was pregnant. Look under contacts for MAB.”

Asura pressed a few icons. Alex’s smartphone lit up. A MAB contact answered.

Alex said into the phone, “Agent O’Farrell here. I need a new psychic nullifier delivered to Griffin Tower immediately,” and hung up. “Nothing personal, Trista, but …”

“It’s a probation requirement,” she said. “With Idea Man on the loose, I feel safer with it on. I don’t think he’ll be able to get through its protection.”

“Pardon me,” said a boy with a nasal lisp that made his southern accent extra effeminate. “I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of an introduction.”

Alex turned. Behind him was the boy in a rainbow-colored costume and the redheaded girl in an incredibly tight bodysuit and boxing gloves.

“Pinwheel and Knockout Rose, meet the Prospects.”

Knockout Rose cocked her head. “Didn’t I just punch you in the chin?”

Alex pulled out his badge. “Agent O’Farrell, MAB.” He didn’t want to remind Pinwheel they had met before, while Alex was behind Agent Exo’s reflective face screen.

Knockout Rose stepped back and raised her gloves in contrition. “I didn’t mean to slug an agent.”

“And I didn’t mean to blind one,” said Pinwheel. “We offer our most sincere apologies. Please don’t press charges.”

Alex rubbed his jaw. “Don’t worry. You were protecting your friend.”

“You should wear a costume or a uniform,” said Knockout Rose. “It’s the only way we can tell who’s on what side.”

“It also keeps the police from hassling us heroes.” Pinwheel moved his hands down his multi-colored suit. “And if you could wear a fabulous costume, why wouldn’t you?”

Knockout Rose pointed a glove at Gale Force. “You auditioned for us a couple of weeks ago, didn’t you? Janet? Jessie?”

“Jenny,” said Gale Force.

“You have wind powers, right? I voted to accept you, but ...”

“Rock Jock said I was fat enough to kill his thing for Asian chicks.”

“Rock Jock says stupid things,” said Pinwheel. “He’s probably saying stupid things right now. We should go and control the damage.”

Knockout Rose waved her glove. “Nice meeting you.”

As they walked away Asura snickered. “That dude is gayer than Froot Loops in a rainbow.”

“Is her costume painted on?” said Zany. “I saw navel and nipples but no wrinkles.”

“She’s got the body for it,” said Deon.

“You’re drooling,” said Jenny.

“The rest of the Young Sentinels are posing for cameras,” said Alex. “Those two were smart enough to check out the metahumans they didn’t know. Everyone, take note of that.”

“What’s next for us?” asked Goldstreak.

"What can I say? All of you did great tonight, much better than I thought you could have this morning.”

“You trained us the best you could with the time you had,” said Gale Force.

Zany pointed to the van. “Should we get back to our cold rabbit food?”

“I have a better idea.” Alex pointed to a neon sign across the street. “This team deserves to eat pizza like there’s no morning training.”

Major Disappointment laughed and threw his hooded head back. “That’s right! In only two minutes, my bomb will blow up the dam! And, along with it, Knockout Rose! HAHAHAHA!”

Knockout Rose wriggled against the ropes that tied her boxing gloves above her head to a support pillar. “Oh, won’t someone save me?” At her feet the timer on a roll of dynamite sticks ticked to 2:00.

Major Disappoint swept his dark purple cape back. “Soon the town of Butterfield will be under hundreds of feet of water, and the Young Sentinels cannot stop me!”

The brick wall to his right fell apart. A young man with stone skin beneath his football helmet and pads stepped through the hole. “Two-minute warning? Coach says it ain’t over ‘till the last whistle.”

“Time for your most hated game, Rock Jock,” said Major Disappointment. “Let’s see if you’re up to par! HAHAHAHA!” With a flock of his wrist Major Disappointment pulled a thin string that tipped a bucket full of golf balls in front of him.

“Curses! Golf!” screamed Rock Jock. “The only sport I’m not the best at!”

“That’s right!” said Major Disappointment. “And with the other Young Sentinels buried in my radioactive anthill, there is no one who can stop me!”

“Well,” said a lisping, lilting voice, “losing to you really would be a major disappointment. But all you did was bug us.”

Major Disappointment spun around and faced the boy with teased hair and a rainbow suit. “You? But how?”

Stardancer sashayed into the room. Her spangled leotard sparkled in the lights. “Your little pets were hardly worthy ant-agonists for us.”

“But it’s still too late! You will never …” Major Disappointment’s mouth opened as Stardancer performed a variety of ballet moves in the midst of a flickering light show provided by Pinwheel. “Oh, so graceful.”

He watched so carefully he didn’t notice Cantrip appear beside him until the tuxedo-clad magician extended his empty hand. “Before you let that timer count down, you should know the town of Butterfield is home to Butterfield Bakeries,” he flicked his hand, “where they make the world’s best fruit pies!”

Cantrip spread his fingers again. A goopy mess of crushed cherries and glazed dough fell from his fingers.

“Oh, damn,” he said.

“Cut!”

Everyone stopped at the director’s word. Lights dimmed and cameras went down as the recording crew murmured to each other.

“Ira, you idiot,” Stardancer said, “You had one trick, one stupid trick, and you flubbed it.”

“I waited too long by the studio lights,” he said. “It melted up my sleeve.”

“It’s a pie. How do pies melt, mister magician?”

“Uh, excuse me,” said Knockout Rose, “If we’re taking five, can I get a bathroom break?”

“Stay where you are,” said the director. “We have to do reshoots. You’ll have to stay tied up in the same position.”

“Seriously? I’m supposed to be tough. Why do I get tied up all the time?”

“Because you can’t act,” said Stardancer. “You have no powers and no talent, which is why you’d be the easiest to replace.”

Knockout Rose muttered, “This isn’t how I want to spend a Saturday.”

“Well, you weren’t going to spend it cleaning your half of the room. I swear, it’s like living with a pig.”

“I’m not the one who gets puke all over the toilet seat.”

“But you are the one who gets a little fatter every day.”

“Personally, I don’t like the script,” said Major Disappointment. “I mean, my character is supposed to surrender after one bite of a fruit pie?”

The director replied, “You’re moved by its irresistible deliciousness.”

“But if I only eat it because I’m hypnotized by Stardancer, how does that make the pie irresistible?”

“Butterfield sponsored this, their copywriters wrote the content.”

“Fine. But when I throw the golf balls at Rock Jock, can’t I say something like, ‘You can’t overcome that handicap!’ I mean, handicap. It’s a golf joke.”

The director rubbed his eyes. “We’re making this for kids. They won’t get it.”

Rock Jock stepped on a golf ball. “I can crush these without falling. They’re like Styrofoam peanuts to me.”

“Golf balls are your weakness,” said Pinwheel. “Our brilliant writers established that you can’t handle a sport that doesn’t involve grappling with sweaty men. You should read something other than team playbooks.”

“Steve, the cameras aren’t rolling,” said Rock Jock. “I’m the one who finished
Game of Thrones
, not you.”

Without breaking character, Pinwheel said, “I’ll pretend you said something unimaginative and homophobic. It’s called acting. I suggest you try it.”

“Fine. Um … shut up or I’ll break your limp wrists.”

The director said, “Let’s take it from Cantrip’s entrance. Places, everyone. And … action!”

Cantrip said, “Before you do anything else, you should know the town of Butterfield is home to Butterfield Bakeries,” he flicked his hand, “where they make the world’s best fruit pies!” A fresh and intact pie appeared in his palm.

“The best in the world? Bah!” Major Disappointment grabbed it. “I’ll be the judge of …” He took a bite. “So sweet and delicious! How could I want to destroy the place where these come from?”

“For the first time,” said Pinwheel, “Major Disappointment is pleasantly surprised.”

Stardancer looked into the camera. “And you, too, will be pleasantly surprised by the fresh fruit flavor in the new cherry-strawberry pies. Butterfield Bakeries – it’s love at first bite.”

A beeping cellphone drowned out the word “bite.”

“Cut,” said the director. “Who brought a phone?”

“That’s mine,” Stardancer ran behind the cameras and grabbed her Coach handbag. “It’s our manager’s ringtone.”

Knockout Rose slipped out of her boxing gloves and walked off the set. “That’s it, I’m going to the bathroom.”

“I didn’t say take five,” said the director.

Rock Jock took off his football helmet. “It’ll be longer than five minutes. Stardancer doesn’t do short conversations.”

Pinwheel looked at the old man in a padded purple suit who played Major Disappointment. “Hey, didn’t you host the Weekend Horrible Horror Films for the Raleigh TV station?”

“That was me,” he said as he took off his goatee and mask. “Grandpa Ghostly.”

“Those were the highlights of my Saturday afternoon. They were the worst movies, but you cracked great jokes before the commercial breaks.”

“I read cue cards for a paycheck.”

“All the same, I enjoyed it.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty. Why?”

“When I was your age I ran from audition to audition to get any job I could. My biggest role was a bit part on a crappy sitcom that didn’t last a season. After a lifetime of work and training, the best I can get is a crummy commercial with a bunch of kids in tights forcing me to eat pie in front of a green screen. And it films on a Saturday, no less.”

“Yeah, breaking into acting is hard. You wouldn’t believe how many auditions I went to before landing this gig.”

“When you’re young, you wear out your shoe’s soles. When you’re old, you wear out your own soul.”

Stardancer came back. “You’re not going to believe this, but there’s a riot outside Madison Square Garden. The New York Guardians asked us for help.”

“Us?” said Rock Jock. “Is this another one of those beef-up-the-numbers gigs?”

“All we have to do is stand behind the police barricade,” said Stardancer. “There’s already news crews there, so we can get free publicity.”

“And the manager likes anything free,” said Pinwheel.

“Hey, wait a minute,” said the director. “I need that last shot with the tag line.”

“Ugh, fine,” said Stardancer. “Everyone, take your places. Where’s Kayleigh?”

Knockout Rose returned to the set. “I’ll need a minute to get the ropes right.”

“Forget it, the van’s waiting,” said Stardancer. “Keep her out of focus. Cameras, zoom in on me. Lights, action!” She grabbed the pie from Cantrip and stared into the camera. “And you, too, will be pleasantly surprised by the fresh fruit flavor in the new cherry pies. Butterfield Bakeries – it’s love at first bite. Cut. It’s a wrap.”

“Hey, I’m the director,” said the director.

“Then do your job, dumbass,” said Stardancer. “Should we start over for Steven Spielberg here?”

“Actually,” said the cameraman, “I think we got it.”

“I don’t care anymore,” said the director. “I am not getting paid enough to put up with the worst diva this side of Celine Dion on a Saturday. Get the hell off my set.”

“I’ve been making commercials since I was five, I know what I’m doing,” said Stardancer. “Young Sentinels, let’s go.”

Pinwheel and Rock Jock lingered to catch up with Knockout Rose as the rest of the team headed for the exit.

Rock Jock said, “Usually you have a better comeback with Jackie pulls this crap. Are you okay?”

Knockout Rose pulled her boxing gloves out of the ropes. “No, I’m not. I’m fed up.”

“Jackie isn’t much worse than usual.”

Pinwheel “Her name is Stardancer, you lumbering lump of cold lava, and I’m her loyal sidekick.”

“She’s only part of it,” said Knockout Rose. “I’m sick of always getting tied up because perverts write our scripts. Every adventure I get tied up or tied down or strapped spread-eagle to some stupid machine.”

“It’s not Kayleigh getting tied up, it’s Knockout Rose,” said Rock Jock. “You’re not your character.”

“Not everyone can be someone else,” said Pinwheel. “Only the truly gifted can become anything.”

“And, unlike Steve, you don’t stay in character after the cameras stop.”

“I’m taking this opportunity to practice my craft as much as I can,” said Pinwheel.

“All the same,” said Knockout Rose, “if I wanted to go into bondage modeling, I could’ve done that. It would’ve paid better.”

“I’m questioning my life choices too,” said Pinwheel. ”I talked to Major Disappointment long enough to think that could be my future.”

“You’re a good actor, Steve,” said Rock Jock.

Knockout Rose said, “Plenty of good actors don’t become movie stars.”

“We’ll get our break if we work for it,” said Rock Jock. “As soon as Steve and I save up another thousand, we’ll go to LA.”

“You’re leaving?” asked Knockout Rose.

“Goin’ out west,” said Pinwheel. “It won’t be San Francisco, but it’s only a seven-hour drive away.”

“So you’re getting out of here and didn’t invite me?”

Rock Jock said, “You don’t seem like the kind of girl who’d share an efficiency with two guys.”

“The bathroom alone would be a catastrophe,” said Pinwheel. “We assumed you’d say no.”

“You two keep this job bearable,” said Knockout Rose. “Without you, I’m stuck with Jackie and Ira.”

Cantrip hesitated before getting into the van. “Last time, when we did a beef-up-the-numbers gigs against the Sewer Scum, I almost got slugged. We aren’t going to be in danger this time, are we?”

“Ira,” Stardancer said, “for once in your life, act like a man.”

Rock Jock patted Cantrip’s shoulder. “Stay behind me, and I’ll stay behind the cops. We’ll get through this, buddy.”

Steve licked his fingers and sharpened a spike in his hair. “And I do look forward to the unimaginative insults New York’s least finest sling at an easy target. I wonder if they’ll come up with the only gay joke I haven’t heard before.”

The doors closed behind Knockout Rose and Pinwheel.

Stardancer took a bite out of the pie. “Eww. It tastes like cardboard and cough syrup.”

“It’s not a real pie,” said Cantrip. “It’s vegetable shortening and dyed jelly. It’s a prop. That’s why the first one melted.”

“Don’t take that tone with me.”

Rock Jock said, “You’d think someone who did commercials for years would know what a prop is.”

“Shut up, freak,” said Stardancer.

“Maybe I missed something,” said Cantrip, “but why is our manager making us go to a dangerous place?”

“Because the media will be there, and we need publicity,” said Stardancer. “Our videos aren’t getting the response they used to.”

“We’re also getting crappy reviews,” said Rock Jock, “but we deserve that. I wrote a whole backstory for my character the writers haven’t incorporated.”

“No one wants drama from a big rocky guy,” said Stardancer. “’Oh, I’m so sad, I’m big and ugly and have stone skin.’ Who’d care about a thing like that?”

“Maybe you can have a love story going with Venus di Milo,” said Pinwheel. “I’m sure she’d be the smart one in the relationship.”

“Steve, seriously,” said Rock Jock, “we’re not on set. You can break character.”

“Method acting is good enough for Dustin Hoffman, so it’s probably too good for me,” said Pinwheel.

The van went down a few blocks and then stopped.

“We could’ve walked,” said Knockout Rose.