at me? After he abandoned me?
“Really, Gargoyle? Picking up my seconds?” Cobalt asked and sneered.
A few of the guys sitting with Cobalt chuckled.
My hands started to spark as I walked up to Cobalt. He lost his cocky sneer when he saw my hands.
“This has been a really bad week. Unless you want me to show you how angry I am, I suggest you shut your mouth, moron.” I hissed.
The guys at the table looked at him, waiting for his response.
I saw him calculate the possible outcomes. If he cowered, he’d lose face. If he replied, I would hit him.
He chose wrong.
“You shouldn’t have gone crazy bitch on me and your week would have been fine,” he said and shrugged.
My fist connected with his mouth, and my power exploded from my fist.
Cobalt flew backwards, out of his chair and into the wall behind him. Blood dripped down his face and when he opened his mouth, I was happy to see four teeth missing.
Cobalt’s buddies stood, but Austin shifted into his gargoyle form and stepped up next to me. They sat back down.
With a grunt, Cobalt pulled himself free from the wall. He touched his mouth and glared at me. “You’ll pay for that, Jen.”
“The name’s no longer Jen. It’s Lucy. And if you think you can last more than three minutes—doubtful from my experience in bed with you—bring it, you piece of trash.” I felt more of my power building and smiled at him, sure I looked absolutely crazy.
Several people snickered behind us, and Cobalt’s face turned red.
“You’re worthless,” he spat. “Why do you think I didn’t bother saving you two days ago? Why do you think I left you for Wendy?”
Fury consumed me. “I left you. Or do I need to get Transistor to refresh your memory?”
“You’re not worth the energy. Go be pathetic somewhere else. You’ll never make it as a hero. You are worthless.” he yelled.
Before I could move, Austin had Cobalt pinned to the wall, his stone claws wrapped around his throat. He whispered something in Cobalt’s ear that made him pale and clamp his lips together. When Austin released him, Cobalt walked out of the room with his eyes down.
The door shut behind Cobalt and half the room stood and clapped.
I didn’t know if they clapped for me or Austin, but I didn’t care.
“Damn it felt good to punch that jerk,” I said to Austin as we walked to a chef standing at a huge oven and grill combination.
Austin chuckled. “I bet it did.”
“Thanks for helping,” I whispered. “You didn’t have to.”
“Oh, I’ve wanted to punch that asshole for years. It was more fun watching you do it, though.”
“What did you say to him?” I asked.
He smirked but didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to the chef and ordered food.
“I’m not really hungry,” I admitted.
“You just used powers. You need to eat something.” Austin said.
I sighed. “Fine. Just order me whatever.”
Cobalt was right about one thing. I wouldn’t make a good hero. Would the Organization lock me up when they realized I wasn’t a good guy?
Austin carried our tray of food to an empty table, and we ate in companionable silence. He kept glancing at me with his brows were pinched.
“You don’t have to feel responsible for me,” I whispered once I’d finished my food. “Anyone else there would have had the same outcome.”
He leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, and I found it very hard not to stare at his biceps. I bet he could throw me around easily.
“I don’t feel responsible for you, but that doesn’t mean I am going to ignore you either. You aren’t like the other heroes here. I sense something different in you,” he said.
“Darkness,” a soft female voice said.
We both turned to find Alura, a hero with love powers, standing by me.
“What?” Austin asked.
Alura waved her hand at me. “She has darkness in her. Not evil and not enough to make her a villain, but it’s there.” she tilted her head to the side as she looked at me. “You might be able to get rid of the darkness, but it’s rooted deep into your soul.” She lifted her eyes to mine. “Cobalt isn’t the first to hurt you. Which other hero hurt you?”
Whoa. She was way too perceptive. How could the see all that?
I stood and left the room.
“Lucy,” Austin called.
I paused in front of my room and without looking at him said, “You should keep your distance. I am not cut out to be a hero.