work hard to look this good. Three hours a day in the gym and state-of-the-art tooth-whitening procedures. Not to mention the manicures, exfoliation sessions, stylists, wardrobe consultants … Oh, the demands of being a modern superhero!
The impromptu photo session came to a sudden end when a green-tipped spear whizzed past me.
“Curse you, Captain Justice!” Abominator hollered from below. “Next time, I won’t miss!”
“Ah, but you’re mistaken about that,” I replied, projecting my voice so that reporters would be able to hear me clearly. “For you see, there won’t
be
a next time. Prepare yourself for a life in confinement, you fiend!”
“Not a chance, supergoof!” Abominator yelled back. “
You’re
the one who’s headed for confinement. In a coffin. Because you’ll be DEAD!”
I was still trying to think of a snappy comeback when Abominator’s spear shot past me a second time. Only now it was heading back in the other direction.
Toward
the supervillain.
How could I have been so foolish! A superhero who’s been in the business as long as I have ought to know that Abominator’s Radiation Spear functions like a boomerang. It always travels back to the place where it originated: Abominator’s hand.
I’d been distracted, and had nearly paid for it with a radioactive spear in the back. I wouldn’t let it happen again.
Speeding toward the supervillain, I extended one arm. “Engage Heat Beam of Honesty!”
A holographic ray of blue light shot from my wristband. Abominator dove out of the way, and the beam hit the side of a delivery truck with the logo SAMWELL’S POTATO CHIPS printed on the side. The Heat Beam of Honesty carved a hole in the truck, unleashing a sea of potato chip bags on top of Abominator.
“Looks like it’s snack time for you!” I announced.
By the time Abominator’s head emerged from the mountain of bags, I was standing overhim.
“Just sit tight.” I pointed my armored wristband at him, ready to unleash any number of hologram weapons. “One move and we’ll have supervillain salsa to go along with all these chips.”
On the ground beside the pile of chips was an electronic device that had fallen loose when Abominator dove to avoid the Heat Beam of Honesty. Bending down to pick it up, I saw a single gray button in its center.
“I’ll hang on to this,” I said, slipping the gadget into a pouch of my utility belt.
After ensuring that the police had the supervillain locked away and granting interviews to a few reporters on the scene, I climbed into the back of the SUV parked nearby. In the front seat was a robot in a tuxedo and chauffer’s cap.
“Greetings, Stanley!” I said.
“Excellent work today, sir,” said my robot butler in his precise electronic voice. “Where would you like to go?”
“Take me to Zimmerman’s office,” I said as the car lurched into motion. “I’ve got some contracts I need to—WATCH OUT!”
The SUV screeched to a halt. Something was blocking our path. I leaned forward, staring out the front window. A mutant was sitting in the center of the street. But unlike the monstrous creatures I’d grappled with earlier, this mutant appeared to be … a baby girl. A tiny thing with gray skin and nothing in the way of clothing except a pink diaper.
Climbing out of the SUV, I approached the baby mutant cautiously. The thing looked harmless, but you never knew. It could be a trick. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around. For the time being, it was just the mutant and me.
Holding her as far from me as possible, like a bomb that could go off at any second, I cast a glance back in the direction of the battle scene. The other mutants were confined in a group, locked into submission with handcuffs and ankle restraints, watched over by the police. There was little doubt that the baby had been a part of the horde. Perhaps Abominator had brought heralong by accident. Perhaps her parents were in the group that was getting
The impromptu photo session came to a sudden end when a green-tipped spear whizzed past me.
“Curse you, Captain Justice!” Abominator hollered from below. “Next time, I won’t miss!”
“Ah, but you’re mistaken about that,” I replied, projecting my voice so that reporters would be able to hear me clearly. “For you see, there won’t
be
a next time. Prepare yourself for a life in confinement, you fiend!”
“Not a chance, supergoof!” Abominator yelled back. “
You’re
the one who’s headed for confinement. In a coffin. Because you’ll be DEAD!”
I was still trying to think of a snappy comeback when Abominator’s spear shot past me a second time. Only now it was heading back in the other direction.
Toward
the supervillain.
How could I have been so foolish! A superhero who’s been in the business as long as I have ought to know that Abominator’s Radiation Spear functions like a boomerang. It always travels back to the place where it originated: Abominator’s hand.
I’d been distracted, and had nearly paid for it with a radioactive spear in the back. I wouldn’t let it happen again.
Speeding toward the supervillain, I extended one arm. “Engage Heat Beam of Honesty!”
A holographic ray of blue light shot from my wristband. Abominator dove out of the way, and the beam hit the side of a delivery truck with the logo SAMWELL’S POTATO CHIPS printed on the side. The Heat Beam of Honesty carved a hole in the truck, unleashing a sea of potato chip bags on top of Abominator.
“Looks like it’s snack time for you!” I announced.
By the time Abominator’s head emerged from the mountain of bags, I was standing overhim.
“Just sit tight.” I pointed my armored wristband at him, ready to unleash any number of hologram weapons. “One move and we’ll have supervillain salsa to go along with all these chips.”
On the ground beside the pile of chips was an electronic device that had fallen loose when Abominator dove to avoid the Heat Beam of Honesty. Bending down to pick it up, I saw a single gray button in its center.
“I’ll hang on to this,” I said, slipping the gadget into a pouch of my utility belt.
After ensuring that the police had the supervillain locked away and granting interviews to a few reporters on the scene, I climbed into the back of the SUV parked nearby. In the front seat was a robot in a tuxedo and chauffer’s cap.
“Greetings, Stanley!” I said.
“Excellent work today, sir,” said my robot butler in his precise electronic voice. “Where would you like to go?”
“Take me to Zimmerman’s office,” I said as the car lurched into motion. “I’ve got some contracts I need to—WATCH OUT!”
The SUV screeched to a halt. Something was blocking our path. I leaned forward, staring out the front window. A mutant was sitting in the center of the street. But unlike the monstrous creatures I’d grappled with earlier, this mutant appeared to be … a baby girl. A tiny thing with gray skin and nothing in the way of clothing except a pink diaper.
Climbing out of the SUV, I approached the baby mutant cautiously. The thing looked harmless, but you never knew. It could be a trick. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around. For the time being, it was just the mutant and me.
Holding her as far from me as possible, like a bomb that could go off at any second, I cast a glance back in the direction of the battle scene. The other mutants were confined in a group, locked into submission with handcuffs and ankle restraints, watched over by the police. There was little doubt that the baby had been a part of the horde. Perhaps Abominator had brought heralong by accident. Perhaps her parents were in the group that was getting
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