Authors: Ben Bequer
“Shut up,” I said storming past her and out of the bathroom.
“I mean, you have no right to even think to help.”
I kept going, ignoring her, but I felt her glaring at me as she followed close behind. We reached the fallen departure board that lay over the nearest stairs heading down. I climbed over and jumped down to the stairs below and heard her come after, muttering; “you have got to be kidding me,” under her breath but loud enough for me to hear.
“I thought you were mind controlled or something!” I yelled at her, getting into her face, but to her credit, she stood her ground. “Huh? Aren’t you? Well, then shut the fuck up!”
I strode off down the platform level, which was dark except for some flashing emergency lights on the roof that gave the whole place an orange hue. Gauging direction, I jumped off the platform onto the rails and headed the way I thought would lead towards Jersey under the East River.
“You have a real mean streak,” she said, following close behind. “You know that?”
“If I do, it’s because you bring it out in me.”
* * *
Apogee and I made our way through the tunnel system for the better part of two hours before we saw our first train. One moment there was a glimmer of light deep in the dark distance, the next the train was on us, racing past at high speed. As the morning trains started coming into the City every ten minutes or so, I found it useless to try to hide. It was certain that they were reporting our position, but what could do? They would probably have a welcoming committee waiting for us when we reached the surface, and though I felt a lot better, I wasn’t sure what I could do against a guy like Epic.
Apogee followed without making a sound and I have to admit it became rather strange to have her dangling along for no reason. Partially because I didn’t trust Zundergrub and his mind trick, since the Doctor had proven so far to be both a coward and micro-selective with the use of his powers. I couldn’t really expect her to stay mind-jobbed. If Zee’s trick wore off, I was in trouble.
There was also something else that made me feel ill at ease. I’d grown used to being alone. And I guess I was always more comfortable in the silence of my lab, working with my tools to build crazier and crazier gadgets and toys.
It was weird to have her stuck to me, like a lost puppy.
We only had my small hand torch to light the way, but we made steady progress through the subway tunnels. There’s a reason nobody walks from the City to Jersey, but we had no choice as the surface exits from Manhattan were sure to be monitored. It was a strange feeling, having Apogee tagging along. I feared that she may attack me at any moment, but she trudged along behind me without making a sound.
After a few hours I saw a sliver of sunlight filtering underneath a door on the side of the tunnel. I sped up, leaving her behind but without my light she stumbled, falling on the ground.
“You ok?”
I put the light on her as she came to her feet and brushed herself off.
“What?” She said, a bit embarrassed by her clumsiness. “Get that light off me, you perv.”
“Huh?”
“Quit flashing my tits!”
I put the light down. “I was giving you light so you could get up! I wasn’t…never mind.” It was no use talking sense to her. In addition to being a total mind job, she was also a pain in the ass.
“You know,” I blurted out, turning and stopping her mid-track. “You can stay here for all I care.”
“I can’t.”
“Yeah right,” I snapped. “And if you’re going to be all testy about…” I waved at her chest area, “you might want to reconsider the outfit.”
She laughed.
“I’m serious. I hate women that dress all sexy, then are all holier-than-thou when men respond. It’s fucking genetics and evolution.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. Yes! Men are attracted to that. We like that,” I pointed at her breasts. “I see a sexy woman, and it turns me on, ok? That’s the way it works. So if you dress in a way to attract attention, shit, don’t blame me if I give you some!”
“Nice speech,” she added after moment. “By the way.”
I strode off, “Whatever.”
“You want to know why I wear a suit this revealing?” she asked, following me.
“I don’t care.”
“It’s to distract pieces of shit like you and give me-“
I was in her face in a second, “if you’re going to tag along, then watch your fucking mouth, you understand?”
“What, it hurts your feelings?” she mocked.
“Wouldn’t you be insulted if I spent the whole time calling you ‘bitch’ or ‘whore’? You know, for being a big damned hero you sure act like a regular, ordinary asshole.” I put some extra emphasis on the last word but didn’t realize it was going to have the effect it did. It felt good to be on the giving end for once, so I kept going.
“You people act worse than villains. That jackass Atmosphero destroyed my house, without probable cause, without any evidence. The guy tore out my house from its foundations and threw it down the hill at me, barely missing the neighbor’s house. They have two kids, you know? It’s a fucking miracle that no one got hurt. If he had miscalculated by a tad, your teammate would have killed a bunch of kids.”
“That’s your side of the story,” she replied defiantly.
“Check it out,” I snarled. “There are plenty of pictures of the wreck. In fact, it was because Atmosphero was so reckless that I’m out. They had me. I was in jail and they had to release me because your buddy doesn’t worry about the minor details, you know, like procedure, and evidence. You should know all this stuff.”
“I read your file, Blackjack.”
“Well, there you go,” I mocked. “And your partners, Superdynamic and Epic. The guys were looking for blood. When Cool surrendered, they didn’t even have an idea of what to do.”
I let that linger in the air a bit, before continuing.
“What about you? You were too busy headhunting to even worry about innocent civilians. Hell, isn’t that your primary responsibility? To protect the public? Or is it to kick ass? What the hell was that shit you pulled in the hotel lobby? You’re supposed to be the good guy.”
I turned and continued to the light source, a metal door with a grating under which a bit of light spilled through. I ripped the door off its hinges, and placed it on the floor beside the open entrance. Inside was a service room, and beyond a stairway leading up towards the surface.
“I know what you’re capable of,” she said as we moved inside. “We were there because you and your people were committing a crime. I’m not sure that’s clear to you. Do you understand your part in this? It doesn’t matter how you say it, or how eloquent your arguments are, you’re the bad guy here.”
“Listen,” I said, seeing the flush of anger return to her face and wanting to strike a reconciliatory tone. “I know you hate me, that part is clear, ok? I’m not such a big fan of yours either. But we’re stuck together, right? At least until I can find Zundergrub and slap him around.”
I paused as another train passed outside blowing a storm of dust amongst us for a moment.
“Until we can get him to fix your head, turn off whatever makes you such a damned grouch all the time-“
“All he has to do is get you out of my sight,” she said.
“Fine. Whatever you want. But for now, can’t you at least try to be nice?”
She crossed her arms, and shook her head, a slight smile gliding over her face.
“You got some nerve.”
“Hey we can go another twelve rounds right now if you want,” I threatened and took a half step forward, but her smile widened.
“You wouldn’t,” she scoffed. “You’re afraid to fight a woman because you’re caught up in some chivalric bullshit from a century ago. If you and I ever really fight, I’ll crush you.”
“Yeah, but what about right now?” I moved forward and glowered over her. “What would happen now?”
“You wouldn’t,” she repeated, but I could see her coolness fading. She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her hips, almost expecting me to strike. In this confined space, her speed would be useless against my strength. Even if her will was fully unleashed, I would have her. And besides, I’m the bad guy. Rape was par for the course as far as she was concerned.
I let the moment linger, enjoying every delicious second but finally I shook my head, “You’re right, I wouldn’t. I may be the bad guy, but hitting a woman is not my thing.”
I walked away towards the access door leading to another tunnel. One would hopefully lead us to the surface. I ripped the whole thing off its hinges, in a far more dramatic fashion than was necessary, but hell, who doesn’t like to show off some?
“By the way,” I started, “that ‘chivalric bullshit’ can be nice some times.”
Apogee laughed and said, “With the right person.”
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll behave myself, ok? I’ll keep my hands and eyes off the merchandise,” I said, motioning to her shapely body. “But you have to play ball too. I mean, stop being so goddamned pissy all the time.”
I paused, softening my tone before continuing, “It could be a lot worse, Apogee. You could be stuck with Zundergrub.”
Apogee said after a long pause, finally shaking her head bewildered by the whole situation. “Just stop staring at me. It creeps me out.”
And for the first time that whole day, I laughed out loud.
Chapter 14
We made it to the surface, coming out beside some highway I couldn’t recognize. The screen of my watch computer was shattered so I couldn’t open my GPS and navigation program to get oriented. Apogee and I were on the sharp slope beneath a slow moving highway, filled with morning traffic. To avoid detection, we stayed low to the street level, coming to a small wood. On the other side of a copse of trees, about three hundred yards away was a gas station, diner and Walgreens beside an empty strip mall.
“Come on,” I motioned to Apogee and we headed that way. “We have to get you out of that costume. You stick out.”
“Don’t start with that,” she said.
We moved through the wood and once we reached the Walgreens I took Apogee aside.
“You’re going to have to wait out here, ok?”
“I can’t.”
I grabbed her shoulders, exasperated. Her warm skin tingled under my touch, it was almost electric. I had to let go and take a moment to compose myself.
“Look angel, you can’t go inside looking like that.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, damn it. I would give anything to get away from you. But I can’t.”
“Because of what Zundergrub did?”
“I think so.”
“I’m going to kill him when I see him again.”
“Get in line.”
I gave the entrance of the store a once over and there were only a few people in the parking lot, coming and going to their cars
“Fine, we’ll chance it.”
Unfortunately, the inside the store was more populated than I expected, and we drew stares. It was Apogee that had everyone’s attention. I could have had a rabbit head and no one would have noticed. I snuck her down the first aisle and hunted down the rack with clothes. All they had was the typical tourist crap. I grabbed a T-shirt, cap, and pair of cheap sunglasses. My boots were in decent shape, and my pants were still good.
“Well?” I asked, when I saw she was staring at me.
“What?”
“Get something for yourself,” I told her, grabbing a few different t-shirts and shorts, all gaudy tourist crap, but less conspicuous than the filthy spandex suit with boob slit.
“I’m not wearing that,” she scoffed.
“Apogee, we don’t have-“
“No way in hell.” Apogee crossed her arms as if to give that argument a sense of finality, and continued, “And don’t tell me that I’m breaching our whole ‘let’s be nice’ agreement, because I don’t recall ever consenting to wear ridiculous clothes.”
“Apogee, this is Jersey. I mean, you can’t look like that here.”
“I’m flattered, I really am, but I’m not putting on some ‘I love NYC’ t-shirt. Forget it. And if you’re going to be around me, like even within sight of me, I highly recommend you find something less tacky.”
I stared at her, livid at first, then bewildered, finally grinning, and she smiled for the first time. And what a smile. Apogee blushed, unable to even look at me, then punched me on the shoulder.
“Please don’t make me wear that crap,” she pleaded
“Ok,” I said at last, “We’ll find you something better.”
* * *
I went to pay for our stuff and I could feel her fidgeting and giving me weird looks.
We must have looked quite the pair.
My face, shoulders and chest were bruised severely, and I had trimmings of blood on my nose and mouth. I was wearing the same pair of beat up pants (I had ripped off the remaining Dr. Retcon goo), a dirty and bloody black shirt, and busted up combat boots.
Apogee was less injured but far dirtier than I, but who would notice a single grain of sand on her body? A few folks in line couldn’t help but gawk and one young kid even asked her for an autograph.
She was the perfect distraction and no one paid me much attention. I used some of my emergency cash, thanked the cashier and left with Apogee in tow, giving me a strange look. We stepped outside and I stopped.