First Superhero 1: The Second Super (19 page)
Read First Superhero 1: The Second Super Online
Authors: Logan Rutherford
Tags: #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Fantasy, #Coming of Age, #Paranormal & Urban, #Superhero, #Teen & Young Adult, #Science Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #Superheroes
I took one last good look at Earth—at home. I gave up trying to get up; I just simply didn’t have the energy to fight. I took comfort and solace knowing that the Earth was safe from Richter. I’d done my job. I’d saved my people. My work was done.
My eyes closed, and this time, I didn’t try to fight them.
37
BORN FOR THE GRAVE
SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2078
Mrs. Andrews looked at the clocked, and realized how late at night it was. She’d talked well into the late afternoon, and had to do a bit of cleaning before she retired for the night. “I’m sorry,” she told Mr. Renner. “But that’s all the time I have. That’s the end of this story, anyways. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself.”
Leopold Renner looked at her, his eyes wide and filled with glee. “Oh yes, of course, ma’am. I’ve had a wonderful time. Hearing Tempest’s story told from his perspective like that was incredible for me personally. I’ve always been fascinated by the Supers, and this is going to make one hell of a story. With this piece, Tempest will be in the spotlight once again, I guarantee it.”
Mrs. Andrews stood, as did Leopold. She shook his hand, and gave him a warm smile. “Thank you, Mr. Renner. Kane would be so proud that the whole story is being told.”
Leopold nodded his head. “I can’t wait to get everything together.” He knocked on the tablet in his hand. “I’ve got everything recorded right here. It’ll take a few more weeks for me to gather all the information I need, but once my piece of Tempest and the Supers has been published, I’ll make sure you get the first copy.”
“I’d like that,” Mrs. Andrews said as the two of them walked to the front door. She opened the door for him, and Leopold stepped out. “If you have any more questions, feel free to call me. I want to make sure you have everything you need.”
“Yes, of course,” Leopold said.
“I have many more stories to be told as well. If you ever find that you need inspiration, just stop by any time. I’d love to sit with you and speak more about Kane if you’d like.”
Leopold smiled. “I’d like that as well, Mrs. Andrews. You have a nice day,” he said as he turned and walked down the steps of the front porch.
Mrs. Andrews stood at the front door, and watched until Leopold drove away. Once he was out of sight, she shut the door behind her.
She walked through the museum, past the many artifacts that Tempest had gathered through his Super days, and to the back portion of the house where she lived. She walked into the bathroom, and looked in the mirror.
She reached behind her ears, and pulled two small silver devices from behind them. Suddenly, her reflection in the mirror changed. She was no longer a frail old woman, but instead, a beautiful young lady. She pulled her black hair out of the net it was in, and using a band she grabbed from one of the drawers, pulled her hair pack into a ponytail. She stripped out of her old dress and stockings, and put on a black v-neck T-shirt.
She opened one of the bathroom drawers, and pulled out a black and silver earbud. She placed it in her right ear, and then clicked it on. “Call headquarters,” she said. She realized she still had the voice changer on, so she still sounded like an old lady. She tapped her throat and felt a click, as the voice changer embedded into her turned off.
Connecting to headquarters,
the voice in her ear said.
“Verify,” a man’s voice on the other line said, coming through her earpiece crystal clear.
“Agent Cassidy, identification code seven seven Charlie Alpha Omaha five two.”
“Okay, identity confirmed. How did it go today, Agent Cassidy?” the man on the other line asked.
“I did everything I was told. I told Leopold Renner everything that happened between Tempest and Richter, verbatim from what we gathered from Tempest’s memory banks.”
“Good. And Mr. Renner is going to the press with the story?”
“Yes. He seemed very eager,” Cassidy said. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, and fixed her eyebrows.
“Excellent work, Agent Cassidy. It seems everything is going according to plan.”
“How’d Agent Damien’s mission go?” she asked, her heart fluttering at her mentioning of his name.
“Agent Cassidy,” the voice on the other line growled. “Stay focused on your mission. We are entering phase two and cannot have any distractions. We only get one shot at this, I will not have your personal feelings screw this up, do you hear?”
Cassidy cowered, ashamed and angry that’d she’d asked, “Yes sir, I understand.”
“What were you born for?” the man asked.
Cassidy looked into the mirror, her green eyes staring back at her. “I was born for the grave,” she answered, the same answer she’d been saying since she was a young child. The phrase that was forced into her and all her classmates.
“Exactly. Don’t you forget that.”
She sighed. “Before I go, you have protection for Leopold, right?”
“Don’t worry, Leopold is the most important person in the world right now. We have our people surrounding his apartment. The Underground won’t get to him tonight.” The man paused, before continuing. “Get some rest. You’ve done good today. Your Time Jump is at 1800 hours tomorrow. See you then.”
The line went dead, and Cassidy pulled the earpiece out. She put her hands down on the bathroom counter, and breathed in and out. She was dedicated to the cause, more so than most people. She wanted nothing more than to see the plan of her masters carried out. Still, she couldn’t help but fight the fleeting feeling in her mind that she’d just made a terrible mistake.
L
EOPOLD
R
ENNER PULLED
up to his apartment and got out on the curb. He sent his car to go park, and walked inside. He ignored the greetings from the doorman, and the one from the woman behind the front desk. His mind was focused on only one thing: getting to his apartment and continuing to work. He couldn’t believe the information he had on his tablet. It was a story that he always wanted to know, even if most of the population had forgotten about it. Who was the man behind Tempest’s mask? Now he knew, and soon the rest of the world would know exactly who Kane Andrew was.
He got into the elevator, and punched the holographic button for the seventh floor. He felt as if the elevator moved in slow motion. When it finally opened its doors, he practically ran out, and straight for his apartment. He scanned his thumbprint and the door opened.
“Welcome home, Leopold,” the female voice of Miranda, the computer software that ran his apartment, said as he walked in.
“Thank you, Miranda,” he said. “Get some coffee brewing for me, please.”
“Of course, Leopold.”
Leopold set his tablet down on his desk, and made an upward hand gesture, causing the holographic screen on his desk to spring to life.
“I want all articles mentioning Tempest and the Supers from the time of his last fight with Richter, to a year later.”
A flood of diverse Internet and newspaper articles flooded the screen. While they loaded, he got up and grabbed his cup of coffee.
He returned to his desk, and began skimming through the articles, looking for one to catch his eye. After a bit of searching, he found one that did. The headline read:
NO
SIGN OF RICHTER OR TEMPEST SIX MONTHS AFTER DISAPPEARANCE. THREE MORE SUPERS EMERGE IN MEANTIME.
“
M
IRANDA
, turn off all notifications. I don’t want any interruptions, okay?” Leopold said.
“Yes sir,” she said. “Should I power down as well?”
“No,” Leopold said. He grabbed his coffee mug and lifted it up a bit in the air. “I’ll need you to keep these coming.”
“Of course, sir.”
Leopold took a sip of his coffee and settled into his chair. He had a long night of reading ahead of him.
KANE RETURNS
KANE WILL RETURN IN BOOK TWO OF THE FIRST SUPERHERO SERIES COMING AUGUST 2015
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ALSO BY LOGAN RUTHERFORD
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Zealot
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The Second Super
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Logan Rutherford is a twenty year old author living in Texas. If you really want to get to know him, contact him at any of the places below. (Warning: His twitter is filled with dumb jokes and retweets of entertainment news and anything good anybody has ever said about him.)
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