almost happened last night, we need to toughen the point of our spear.”
He waited until I nodded.
“I’ve had feelers out for another Atlas-type hero since January, but it can’t be just any Atlas-type; we need someone at least up to your fighting weight, experienced, and able to continue your interrupted fight-training.” He raised a hand, stopping my protest. “You’re certified now, and John and Charles did a good job bringing you along fast, but you’re not finished and unless we find you serious sparring partners, you’ll lose what you’ve got.”
“Rook—”
“Offered, and that would help, but regular trips to LA won’t cut it; you need daily workouts, a hard-training program again.”
I couldn’t argue; a retired marine, he would know what it took to be fight-ready. “So, who?”
“You’ve met him. Lieutenant Troy Dahmer, ironically—the supersoldier who tried to recruit you for the Army. His current tour is up, and he’s looking for a civilian job.”
Lieutenant Dahmer: buzz-cut blond hair, nice face, thin scar from the corner of his eye down to his chin. A soldier’s soldier with a weird sense of humor. He sounded good, but it didn’t feel right. “Everyone will be comparing him to Atlas.”
“He could be Atlas,” Blackstone said.
“No—”
He held up his hand again.
“I said ‘could,’ not ‘is.’ The truth is, the team owns Atlas’ name and symbol; we could bring Dahmer in, slap the ‘A’ on his chest, and use him to continue the legacy John created. And there’ve been some suggestions in that direction. But John made Atlas a symbol that was bigger than just the Sentinels. He was the first, and he set the standard the public measures capes by.”
He ran a hand through his hair, the lines around his eyes deepening.
“Hope, John wanted the ‘A’ to be used. He was the goddamned Last Cowboy, and you know he always expected to die with his boots on.”
I nodded, my throat closing up.
“I never understood why, until afterward,” he went on. “But he saw the A like a marshal’s badge, a symbol to be passed on. He was wrong. Nobody else is going to wear the A. The current non-scandal will fade and all anyone will remember is the good he did, but you’re right; the public will see any Atlas-type we bring in as his replacement, and it won’t go down well. Unless you’re his replacement.”
“Me?” I squeaked.
“Sidekick, remember? You’re the real heir of his legacy. I’m not saying you’ve got to wear the A, and you certainly don’t want to use the name, but it’s time you stepped up. Drop the black. All the public sees now is a kid acting dramatic. Andrew sent you a new costume a month ago, in your old Atlas-colors, and if anyone knows what the public needs to see, it’s him. Step up, and we can bring Lt. Dahmer in without any blowback. The team will be stronger, you’ll be trained, and John will get his wish if not the way he expected; it’s a win for everyone. Think about it. Because tomorrow Lei Zi and I have a job for you.”
* * *
Blackstone left it at that, and I got on with my day. Tom drove me back to get my car, as silent as Tom-Bob-Willis—the whole Platoon gang—always was. I wondered if Platoon was Blackstone’s DSA contact. Finally back in my rooms in the Dome, I wrote up the incident report, then stripped down and walked into my closet.
Blackstone had said “step up” but he might as well have said “grow up.” Was I being that unprofessional? Why had I gone with black? I hadn’t felt comfortable, in the blue and white, but… Yuck. Maybe the tabloids were right for once; maybe I was acting like a drama-queen. How Victorian of me. I sighed. It couldn’t hurt to look.
Shelly popped in as I pulled the new costume out of its bag.
“Wow,” she said. “You’re going to do it?”
“Why?” I didn’t trust her playful grin.
“No reason. Just thinking you may need help.”
I dropped the outfit on my bed and looked at the picture and instructions that came with it.
“Oh, hell no!”
My BFF since childhood collapsed into shrieks of laughter.
The thing came in two parts, plus cape, mask, boots, and gloves. The mask was my old leather half-mask and wig, in Atlas’ cobalt blue. The short cape looked the same too, but blue with my star in white. But the body of the costume…
I sighed. I’d dress, then I’d go strangle Andrew. He at least deserved to see why