Shades of Gray - By Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge Page 0,43
he’d gotten the meds and equipment from a gray-market supplier. Iridium said, “So you’re just going to patch her up and get her right back out there, like a toy soldier?”
“There’s no other choice.” Meteorite sounded tired and mad and close to sobbing. “The police and even the National Guard can’t rein in all the rogues and rabids.”
Iridium said, “You know I’m not the bad guy here. Corp did this to her. To all of you.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything. She going to make it?”
“Yeah. Skinsuit absorbed the burn, but she’s in shock. Probably more from exhaustion than from your boyfriend’s love tap.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Whatever. She’ll be fine. She just needs some rest.”
“She needs more than some rest, or she won’t be good for anything except a body bag.”
Meteorite grimaced, but she didn’t argue the point.
So Iridium didn’t feel at all guilty about injecting Jet with a sedative. “Sweet dreams, Joan. Beautiful ones, filled with light.”
Meteorite, who’d seen the label on the hypo, frowned at Iridium. “That’ll put her out for the whole day. Maybe more.”
“She needs it.”
Meteorite sighed, shaking her head. “Now that you’ve played nurse, get out of here, Iridium.”
Iridium backed out of the med room, leaving Meteorite to pull a blanket over Jet.
Jet was going to be fine. Thank Jehovah for small favors.
Back in the main room, Iridium nearly smacked into a tall blond slab of hero. He’d grown and gotten some lines around his eyes, and he’d lost the arrogant sneer. But she’d know that blocky face anywhere.
“Hi, Tyler.”
Hornblower’s uniform was torn and spattered with some unidentifiable, sticky liquid, and he had a cut above his eyebrow rimmed with brick dust. Strong he might be, but he didn’t heal any faster than a human.
“Holy shit. Derek wasn’t yanking my chain about you flipping to the light side of the Force.”
“Well …” Iridium started. “He might have overstated things.”
“Doesn’t mean I like you,” Hornblower said. “Or trust you. Stay the fuck out of my way, Flashbulb.”
He shoved her aside, and she let him. No need to pick a fight here at Hero Central, especially when she was supposed to be recruiting them to help her with her Corp problem. She watched as Hornblower stripped off his uniform jacket and tossed it onto a booth table. It was only then he noticed Boxer.
“Hey, kid,” Boxer said. He pushed up his fedora and scratched at his hairline.
Hornblower swallowed, dropping his eyes. “Hi, Uncle Patrick.”
“You look strong as an ox. These heroes keeping you busy?”
“Riot.” Hornblower said. “Beating on some rent-a-cops. Had to step in and be the peacekeeper.”
Boxer slapped him on the shoulder. “Good boy. Just like Warren taught you. He was always the upstanding brother.”
“You, uh … You staying around?” Hornblower looked between Iridium and his uncle.
Boxer said, “Iri? Are we?”
She nodded. “For now.” Until she got a few of them to help her.
“What about your guests?” Boxer raised his eyebrows.
“They can take care of themselves.” She didn’t want to go back to her warehouse, not when her home was overtaken by Lester and his pet villains. Not that she would say anything out loud. Last thing she needed was for the heroes to know she’d broken Arclight and Company out of Blackbird.
“I’m glad you’re staying,” Frostbite said. “We can really use you.”
“I didn’t say that I was helping,” Iridium snapped. “I’m not strapping on a skinsuit. I know we’re friends, Derek, but stop putting words in my mouth.”
He glared at her, then sank behind his console, turning his chair so she was out of his line of sight.
Steele smiled gamely into the silence. “You helped me and Kai. Seems like you’re helping, no matter what you say. And thank you, by the way.”
“Forget it.” Iridium sighed. “Just call it a freebie, and don’t get all emotional.”
Silence reigned for a long moment, drawn and strained.
The console shrieked in a sound that was becoming all too familiar.
“Bank robbery,” Frostbite said. “The vault alarm at First Federal.” He punched keys. “Looks like Satin, Kinetic Lad, and the feral twins, Tooth and Claw.”
“That’s a big job when we’re a man down.” Steele got to her feet with a weary sigh. “Iridium, could you?”
Iridium thought about Lester and Gordon, about Jet lying in the med room. She looked at Hornblower’s glare and Steele’s pleading gaze.
“Fine,” she said. “Just don’t expect me to make a habit out of this.”
Interlude
I can’t believe you’re watching the tele. Isn’t life bleak enough?”
Garth smiles up at Julie, who closes the bedroom door behind her. In