How to Date a Superhero Ch. 08

Deathstalker was fast. He could outrun any conventional car on the wide open road, but in the congested university district his speed was limited by buildings, traffic, and other obstacles. Taking to the air, Mega-Girl simply flew above it all and had no trouble keeping pace. Deathstalker was fast, but few things on Earth were faster than the flight of Mega-Girl. Scooping him up beneath the shoulders, she plucked the assassin up and lifted him into the air like an eagle would snatch its prey.

Streaking straight up, Mega-Girl carried him above the clouds before letting him go.

"...ohhhhh shiiiiiiiiit!!!" Deathstalker yelled as he plummeted back towards the Earth, his body flailing and spinning in free-fall.

His downward descent was suddenly halted as Mega-Girl swooped after him and grabbed Deathstalker by the ankle, holding him aloft but dangling the panicking villain upside down.

"Who sent you?!" she yelled, "How did you find me?! Who put the bounty out on me?!"

"Help!" he screamed, "Put me down!"

Mega-Girl let go of him again.

Deathstalker fell through the cloud bank and saw Gateway City far below as he plummeted towards his death. But once again his momentum was halted by Mega-Girl, who was toying with him like a cat would a mouse.

"How did you know my identity?!" she demanded angrily, "How did you know where I lived?!"

"Oh fuck!" Deathstalker cursed as he looked down. Even the skyscrapers of the city looked like small toys from the height he was dangling, "It was Master Disaster! He's got it out for you!"

Mega-Girl let his ankle slip through her grip a couple of inches to stress the danger he was in, "Why? How did he discover my identity?"

"I don't know!" Deathstalker cried, "I swear! All I know is that he's putting together a whole crew of super bad guys to kill you. He's paying us ten million each – that's all I know!"

"Where is he? Where's Master Disaster right now?"

"I don't know! He moves around all the time, never stays in the same place for very long. The guy is some kind of genius, he's never been captured. I swear I'm telling the truth! Please don't let go of me!"

Mega-Girl scowled angrily, "You don't want to die?"

"No! Please...!"

"Neither did Jordan," Mega-Girl opened her grip and let go, but instead of flying after him again she simply hovered and watched Deathstalker fall. She listened to him scream until the sound vanished and so did he.

Apollo had been out of the shower only moments when he heard the door buzzer, indicating someone was outside his condominium apartment. He scowled at the timing and wrapped a large grey towel around his waist. His beefy torso and long blond hair were still dripping wet when he answered the door.

"Hello brother," Artemis eyed his near naked form. She wore modern clothing, with faded skinny-jeans clinging to her legs, high leather boots, and a tight top that revealed her signature amount of mid-riff. A soft canvas case slung at her back likely concealed the bow of Minerva.

Apollo grunted at her and stepped away from the door but left it open.

Artemis watched Apollo unashamedly remove the towel from his waist and rub it over his head to dry his long, blond hair. She regarded his naked buttocks while following him inside, "Your years here on Earth have not been unkind to you, Apollo. Your ass is as firm as ever."

"I did not realize you were still on this plane," Apollo draped his towel over a dining table chair, "I am guessing you did not linger to make jests about my ass."

Artemis unslung the case containing her bow and set it on the table, "I like this new world. The mortals have filled it with all manner of technological distractions and fascinating cultures. I've decided to stay a while."

"You cannot stay with me," Apollo announced without malice, slipping a robe over his muscled figure.

"You are my twin brother," Artemis frowned, "You will not host me?"

"Penelope was gravely wounded by thy hand," Apollo reminded, "I will not suffer between the malice the two of you share."

Turning her back so Apollo wouldn't see her foul expression, Artemis stepped towards the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Gateway City, "Is this where the centuries have left us? You would choose a mortal over me?"

"Hermes believes she has Olympian blood," Apollo dodged the question.

"Hermes has always been one for tales. You and he are the only two among us that have been on this plane for a thousand years and you both assure me she is not born of either of your seed. She is mortal, Apollo, and though she is mighty her life will be as fleeting as all other mortals. How long will she hold your interest before time steals her beauty and allure? A decade or two?" Artemis snorted, "Her entire life is nothing but a moment when compared to our immortality. Spare yourself the heartache which will surely come and abandon her now."

"What would you have me do?" he scowled irritably, "Live a life of celibacy?"

"I would have you choose me over some fawning mortal child," Artemis countered.

"Was it not clear to thee, two millennia ago?" Apollo began to wander towards the kitchen, "When I chose the mortal world over Olympus, I forsook my blood. It is not a decision I regret."

Artemis stalked after him, "Two millennia or ten, it matters little - blood is blood and you can't deny what flows through your veins. You are my twin, Apollo, connected to me in ways neither of us will ever understand. Something as simple as time or words cannot sever the bond we share. I can smell it on you right now." She sneered out a smile, "You want me, as you ever have."

Apollo spun a snarling growl towards her, "Curse thy senses."

Artemis smiled smugly, "You can play the gruff warrior better than any other, but you will never be able to fool me. You want me, brother. You've wanted me since we were children and that desire has never left you. It seeps from your pores whenever you're near me. You wanted me when we were reunited in Olympus and you want me now. You want me even when you're with your mortal plaything."

"It is incest," Apollo resisted, "I swore after the last time – never again. I know not what mystical force you continue to hold over me, but..."

Artemis scoffed dismissively, "We are gods. Who can tell us what is right or wrong?" Stepping forward to lift her hands to Apollo's cheeks, Artemis replied, "No, my dear brother. If our eternal attraction to one another has any mystical force at its source, it is only destiny, and that is hardly my doing."

Apollo considered pushing her away when his sister lifted her lips to his, but even mighty Apollo couldn't resist destiny.

'...reporting live from an apartment building near GCU campus, where just a short time ago this normally quiet area was the location of a battle between Mega-Girl and the notorious super-villain known as Deathstalker. Rumors are swirling following an anonymous tip to FOX News that this same building is in fact the home of world-famous superhero Mega-Girl and her real identity is that of nineteen year-old college student Penelope Swann. Police investigators have yet to comment on these rumors, but have confirmed that Swann's roommate and fellow GCU sophomore Jordan Summers was found dead in the apartment... hold on, we're just getting word that the crushed body of an unidentifiable man found on the Claremont Bridge, after literally falling from the sky, iss indeed the body of Deathstalker. Witnesses driving on the bridge say the mangled corpse was wearing what appeared to be his costume. Authorities have yet to comment if Mega-Girl is wanted for questioning regarding these events, but we'll stay live with up-to-the-minute updates...'

Lilly brushed a curtain aside to worriedly look out a front window. There was already a news van parked outside her house and she was sure more would follow. Many more. All of the cable news channels and major television networks had interrupted their regular programming to cover the 'unmasking' of Mega-Girl, accusing her of enacting vigilante justice and murdering a super villain.

"Mom!" Mega-Girl suddenly appeared from the kitchen, having slipped in through the back door.

Lily nearly jumped out of her skin and spun from the window, "Penelope! My god, you scared me."

Mega-Girl was still wearing her mask, but it was obvious she had been crying as her eyes were red and swollen, "Mom, we have to get you out of here."

"What?" Lily appeared confused, "Penelope, what's going on? Those people on the news, they know who you are! They're saying Jordan is dead and that -"

"She is," Mega-Girl tried to hold it together, but water began to cling to the underside of her eyes, "She's... dead. That monster, he... he killed her."

"Oh no," Lily moved forward to hug her daughter, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry. This is horrible!"

The two women embraced, holding each other for a few silent seconds, but Mega-Girl couldn't let the moment linger. "We have to go," she murmured, looking at the television over her mother's shoulder, "All of my enemies know who I am now. They're going to come after me and try to hurt me any way they can, which means you're in danger."

"Danger?" Lily sounded worried, "But where will I go?"

"I'm taking you to the World League's headquarters in New York, you'll be safe there."

"New York?! But what about the shop? I can't just up and -"

"Mom!" Mega-Girl squeezed Lily's hand pleadingly, "This is serious, okay? Jordan is dead. She's dead because of me, because I'm Mega-Girl, and I can't let that happen to you."

Lily shook her head, "Don't do that, Penelope, you can't blame yourself."

"Please, mom. Not now, okay? Just go pack some things so I can take you to Walter. I can't deal with the rest of this shit until I know you're safe."

"O-okay," Lily agreed, "Just... just wait here a minute and I'll throw some things together."

As her mother hurried up some stairs towards her bedroom, Mega-Girl turned to view the television. The news had somehow already acquired a photo of her as Penelope. It was a picture of her and Jordan that she had in a frame on her dresser; Mega-Girl wondered how much a reporter paid a police officer to take it. Things were getting worse, she realized. Jordan was dead, the whole world suddenly knew her secret identity, and a criminal genius had offered a bounty for her head.

Mega-Girl felt deaf and blind without Jordan's ever-present voice in her ear. Though she always operated alone when in costume, it never felt that way. Jordan was her partner, the brains to Mega-Girl's brawn. She was truly alone for the first time since donning a mask, with only gut instinct to guide her. Her guts were telling her to find Master Disaster and punch him in the face but she had no idea how to locate him. Mega-Girl decided to worry about that later; first she needed to get her mother to safety.

A beeping noise suddenly rang in her earpiece and Mega-Girl realized she had never taken the Bluetooth device off. For a moment her heart leapt at the sound and she allowed herself to believe that somehow Jordan wasn't dead; Jordan was the only one with the number, after all. It had to be her!

She lifted a hand to her earlobe, "H-hello...?"

It was a male voice.

Pen... I mean, Mega-Girl? It's me.

"Travis!?" Mega-Girl spun away from the television to escape its noise and hear more clearly, "How did you get this number?"

Jordan gave it to me. She said I should use it, if I'm ever in trouble, but I'm guessing you're the one in trouble. You're all over the television.

Mega-Girl practically sobbed with relief. It wasn't Jordan - she knew that wasn't possible - but having a familiar voice that she could trust in her ear made her feel like she didn't have to face her problems alone.

Are you okay? I've been watching the news, and... oh my god. Is it true? Is Jordan really...?

The tears returned and Mega-Girl had to take her mask off to wipe them away, "I'm so sorry, Travis."

Fuck. I can't believe it. I mean her and me... we...

"I know," Mega-Girl sniffed. She could hear the pain in his voice, "It's all my fault, too."

They're saying you killed that Deathstalker guy. Is that true? Did you avenge her?

Mega-Girl's expression steeled as she remembered the satisfaction she felt, "Yes, but he wasn't acting alone."

We have to get them – anyone involved. We have to make them pay.

She was surprised by Travis' anger, "We?"

I don't have Jordan's computer skills. Hell, my laptop is a five year-old piece of junk. But I know how much you relied on her. I'm here for you. I'll do whatever I can to help you. I c-can't believe she's dead, Jesus - I'm going to miss her so much, but she'd want us to go on. She'd want to help you nail these bastards, so that's what I'm going to do.

"Do not fail me," the shadowy image spoke ominously, "I do not tolerate failure in my underlings."

"I won't fail you my lord," Master Disaster stood before a tall dressing mirror within his private office. The mirror offered no reflection however, instead acting as a window into a nightmarish world.

"The girl must be broken before the final blow is struck, mentally as well as physically. Her will and might are too potent to extinguish easily. She must want to die. She must welcome death's embrace as relief from her struggles. That is why I shared her identity with you, to help break her will."

"Yes, Lord Pluto," Master Disaster lowered his gaze submissively, "It has already begun. Her closest companion is dead and her identity has been revealed to the world. My hired mercenaries will soon begin to test her endurance, as well. My only concern is Apollo, the two of them -"

"Leave my nephew to me," Pluto sounded confident, "His removal from the situation is already underway. Your only concern is the girl. Break her! When the time is right, my agent will perform the death blow."

"I understand, my lord. But my agents are working under the assumption that they are being paid to kill her. What if one of them succeeds?"

"It matters little," Pluto's shadowy image wavered, "Mega-Girl's flesh has tasted the bow's magic. It flows within her blood like an invisible poison. If she dies, her soul will become mine."

The image in the mirror collapsed inward until its surface returned to normal, reflecting an image of Master Disaster. He didn't like being a pawn in the game of gods, but Pluto had promised immortality in exchange for his service. That was a payment Master Disaster couldn't afford to turn down.

The air suddenly sizzled and snapped as a globe of pure light expanded from nowhere, delivering a lithe figure with dark curly hair out of the cosmic ether. The light quickly collapsed to the palm of his out-held hand to form a perfectly spherical crystal ball. The ball then shrunk once again, from the size of a bowling ball to that of a marble. Hermes smiled and placed his new conduit into the front pocket of his tan slacks. Hecate had done her job well; his trip from Olympus to the mortal plane was flawless. Looking around, Hermes saw that he had arrived on the bank of a sandy shore. Behind him was the city of Athens, but that was not his destination; it was simply where the conduit led to.

Bending over, he tightened the laces on Nike sneakers before streaking westward faster than any human eye could possibly follow. His course took him over the Ionian Sea, his feet skimming over the surface of the water so swiftly they barely left a wake. He crossed over the boot of Italy and onto the Mediterranean, angling slightly southward so he could cross Spain at the canal of Gibraltar. Once over the Atlantic Ocean, Hermes really picked up speed, though he was forced to slow his pace after reaching America's congested east coast.

Ten and a half minutes after leaving Athens, Hermes came to a stop at the edge of a wooden fence in the wide open flats of south Texas. A herd of cattle grazed on the other side of the fence, seemingly oblivious to Hermes' presence. After dusting off his black designer tee shirt, Hermes strolled at a casual pace towards a sizable ranch. The house was encircled by a wide porch, situated in the middle of a barn and other sheds of storage.

A man with a full black beard and massively muscled arms stepped out of the ranch house through a squeaky screen door. He wore denim and flannel, with cowboy boots that fell heavily on the wooden floor boards. "Hermes," the man greeted in a deep tone that was neither hostile nor welcoming, "How did you find me?"

"Entirely by accident," Hermes stopped at the base of the porch stairs, "Nearly forty years ago. I read a story about a cattle rancher who saved a local man pinned under a John Deere tractor... by lifting the tractor off him."

"You've known where I was for the last four decades?"

"Off and on," Hermes gestured casually, "It's not like I've had you under surveillance. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. Everyone in Olympus has given up looking for you and father is certain you're dead. None of the others have been on this plane for a thousand years except Apollo, and he certainly doesn't care about your whereabouts."

The man spat a wad of saliva at the mention of Apollo, "If you've been willing to leave me in peace for forty years, why reveal yourself now?"

"A question has been eating away at me for weeks," Hermes replied, "I've decided I can't live without an answer."

The man looked at him in a way that neither invited nor discouraged a question.

Hermes asked with a casual tone, "Tell me, Hercules. Are you the father of Mega-Girl?"

After flying her mother to New York and placing her under the protection of Dr. Prizm, Mega-Girl wasn't sure what her next move should be. She wanted to mourn, but grieving for Jordan would simply have to wait. Her identity had been made public, her apartment was compromised (and had a big hole in the wall), and for all she knew the authorities were trying to track her down regarding the murder of Deathstalker. Mega-Girl needed help and a place to lay low. Travis had offered to help in any way he could but she didn't want him to end up like Jordan by putting him in harm's way. She briefly considered staying at the World League headquarters, but Dr. Prizm and his group were chartered through the government; if she really was in trouble with the law Mega-Girl didn't want to put her mentor at odds with law-enforcement officials.

There was only one other place she felt safe.

Landing on Apollo's balcony she found his sliding glass door unlocked, as it always was. Walking inside she pulled the mask off her face and silently laughed at the fact that it was still on her head. The whole world had learned her secret identity and the mask had become obsolete. She cast it onto a table and wondered if Apollo was home, or if he was even aware of her troubles.

"Apollo?" she called, moving down a hall towards his bedroom.

Mega-Girl opened the bedroom door to see Apollo's muscled and sweaty frame in the missionary position over Artemis, her ankles dangling in the air. Both brother and sister froze and turned towards the door, surprised by Mega-Girl's entrance.

Artemis' expression carried an immediate smirk.

Apollo appeared far guiltier, "Penelope..."

Mega-Girl's mouth hung open in hurtful shock, the pain of Apollo's betrayal piercing her as though a real blade had slid through her gut. She said nothing, turning her tear-filled eyes away so neither Apollo nor Artemis would see her cry. She left the bedroom and strode through the apartment, back towards the balcony.

"Penelope," Apollo called after her, leaving his sister's legs to give chase, "Allow me to explain!"