“What do we have?” he asked. His phone rang and he glanced down at the number. Brenda. He hit the button to silence the ringer.

“Where is Silencer?” Violet looked behind him, as if Brenda would suddenly appear from thin air.

“Howler’s taken the hospital; a large section of it, anyway. We’re not sure what his game is yet. He hasn’t released a list of demands.” StrongArm’s voice had calmed again to near perfect.

“How many hostages?”

“Not many directly with him, less than a dozen we think. But there are patients and personnel on other levels who haven’t been able to evacuate yet. We’re getting them out the back, but who knows if he’ll continue to let us.” StrongArm’s jaw tightened. “We need to get in there. Where is Silencer?”

“She’s not with me.”

“Well, then, call her in.” StrongArm wasn’t asking.

“Let’s think about this, Strong. He’s got a history of stalking her, and now he’s attacking here, her workplace. He has it out for her or something. We can’t bring her here where he can get to her.”

StrongArm frowned and ran a hand over his full mustache, only a slight expression touched his face, but it was the most expressive Justice had ever seen him. “Silencer works here?”

“What does it matter?” Violet said, and her exasperated tone grated on his ears. “So what if he has it out for her or has a thing for her? That’s good for us. We can use it against him. She can get close, take him out easier that way. Call her in, Justice.”

He gave her a level stare. “Did you get promoted to The Council while I wasn’t looking?”

She glared back at him, eyes full of venom, but didn’t comment.

“We’re not arguing among ourselves,” StrongArm began.

“This is a pointless conversation,” Char said, cutting in. “I don’t like the idea of bringing her in any more than you do. But the fact of the matter is, we need her. We stand a much better chance of taking Howler out with her help, and she would want to be called in. I don’t understand why you’re trying to change the plan now.” Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, but her voice and expression lacked the anger radiating from Violet.

Justice opened his mouth to argue, but no one was looking at him. Something had caught their attention behind him.

Brenda met his gaze as she rushed from her car. She wore her black uniform and it fit her like a tight leather glove. He licked his lips. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? Why didn’t you call me, that’s the question that needs to be answered, Justice.” Her eyes lit up with anger, and her hands clenched tightly at her sides.

StrongArm spoke before Justice could pull together an answer in his mind. “Howler has taken over much of the first floor, Silencer. He has hostages, we think around a dozen.”

“Where is he at on the first floor?” she asked, skin paling around her mask.

“Near the front doors.”

“Damn it,” she said, “you mean near the pharmacy.” She closed her eyes for a few moments, seeming to gather her thoughts. When she opened them, her attention was focused on StrongArm. “I got a call from a coworker inside the hospital pharmacy. We were disconnected before she could tell me anything, but I think he’s targeted her—targeting them—because of me.”

“Justice told us about your relationship with the hospital. Are you sure you’re okay to go in?” StrongArm asked.

“I’m fine,” she said firmly.

“Okay then.” He nodded at her, only the slight smile on his face revealed how much he approved of her decision, her courage. “You and Justice will go in the front. If he knows you work here, he’ll be expecting you regardless; might as well send you in where he can see you. Char, Violet and I will come in through the back. We’ll try to get the drop on him if you can keep him busy, but if you see an opening, Silencer, you take it. Backup is en route, they’ll move in if we fail, but they’ll concentrate on getting patients and hospital personnel out when they get here.”

Brenda nodded, her skin seeming to pale even further, and her lips stood out even darker against it. More than anything, Justice wanted to take those lips with his own, kiss her—distract her—and take her away to somewhere safe. But he couldn’t, and she wouldn’t thank him for trying, so he simply nodded at StrongArm and followed Brenda toward the front door of the hospital.

He touched her shoulder when he got close and she shrugged off his hand, and then stopped and turned to face him. “You should have called me or come back to the house and picked me up the second you found out he was at my hospital, Justice.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want you anywhere near the guy, okay? He’s fixated on you, and he’s dangerous. We don’t know what he’s capable of, and I didn’t want you getting hurt.”

She smiled, but the expression didn’t touch her eyes. “Funny thing is, I was actually starting to buy that crap line you were giving me about me being just as good a superhero as the next guy.”

“That wasn’t a line, you are just as good—better—than most heroes, Brenda. I just….”

“What?”

He shrugged, unable to put how he felt into words. The fear that gripped him at the idea of her facing off with Howler, the unbearable pressure in his chest at the thought of her getting hurt.

“That’s what I thought,” she said, and then turned and stomped up to the front entrance of Pranier Medical.

Justice barely suppressed a growl and followed her through the doors.

The second they entered, Howler stepped out from the door that led into the pharmacy. Justice yelled and ran for the villain, but as he reached Brenda, the sound wave hit. The dark gray-and-maroon commercial-grade carpet rose toward his face, and then everything went dark.

***

Brenda pulled her power up the second she saw Howler. Elation rushed through her when she realized she got it up in time. Then she watched, aghast, as Justice fell like a puppet whose strings were cut. She stared at him for a few precious moments before remembering the threat wasn’t over.

Howler appeared to be laughing, so hard that he doubled over for a few seconds before righting himself. Tears ran down his face, and he did a little dance around Justice, surveying his handiwork with glee.

Brenda’s mind worked in slow motion, her thoughts were scattered, and she couldn’t seem to bring them into focus. What was she supposed to do now? Try to take the villain, hand to hand? He might be a small man, but he still outweighed her. If he had her training in martial arts, he’d likely win if she attacked. But what else could she do?

Steeling herself for her first real fight, Brenda put her arms up and forced her shaking hands into fists. She took a determined step forward toward Howler.

He stopped laughing when he saw her, expression turning thoughtful, and then he held out a hand like a police officer stopping cars so kids could cross the street.

Brenda paused, confused. Howler pulled a piece of paper from the utility belt of his uniform. After unfolding the note, he held it out in front of him. It read: Let’s talk.

She narrowed her eyes and studied him. He wanted to talk? His face was open, eager and he looked like he was on the edge of jumping around again; twitchy little man. But she needed to distract him and keep him that way until StrongArm, Char, and Violet showed up to help her. Talking seemed like a better way to do that than trying to beat on him until they arrived.

Tentatively, she turned off her power. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?” She braced herself and watched him for the quick intake of air that would reveal his intent to use his power, but he only smiled at her and clapped his hands quietly.

“Oh, Silencer, you don’t know how badly I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

“Do tell.” She moved in a little closer; if she had to try to take him down, she would have a better chance of surprising him if she was close.

“I think you would make the perfect newest member of my gang.”

“Your what?” She stopped in her tracks.

“My gang,” he said, carefully enunciating the last word so she could be sure to understand. “What? You didn’t think I was working alone, did you?” He laughed, a wheezing sound that hurt her ears, and she decided he’d probably been practicing his super villain laugh for far too long.

“We’ve never seen you work with anyone else.” Keep him talking, Brenda, she told herself.

“Okay, I was alone until I got here,” he admitted, “but it wasn’t long after that my gang really got off the ground.”

She frowned and he looked at her quizzically, her reaction clearly not what he expected. Then his face lit up as if he’d finally solved a puzzle. “You’ll be my second in command, of course. I wouldn’t expect you to report to anyone except me.” He took a long step toward her, and she tensed her muscles, ready for an attack.

“Stay back,” she said, and he stopped only a couple of feet from her.

His smile widened. “I’m not going to hurt you, Silencer. I want you to be my number one sidekick. And if you’re uncomfortable going out in the field, don’t worry about it. I’d much rather have you around my lair to…keep me company.” He raked his gaze down the length of her body, and she suddenly felt filthy and in desperate need of a shower.

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” she said, trying to keep her voice free of the disgust she felt.

“Come on, baby,” he crooned, “you don’t have to play hard to get with me.”

With effort, Brenda kept her eyes fixed on Howler as StrongArm rounded the corner. Char stalked behind him and Violet brought up the rear. Howler started to turn, but StrongArm was on him, holding the man in a giant bear hug, he clasped his hand over Howler’s mouth.

Brenda whooped and jumped in the air, unable to maintain her stoicism in the face of catching the man who’d stalked her. Char grinned and walked over to her, giving her a solid high-five with her gloved hand.