Moondagger

Moondagger

  Quintin Fortune

  Copyright 2014 Quintin Fortune

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  The gala New Tao Diamond Club Fundraiser was always a spectacular event. It was a time for the politicians and the elite to claim they were contributing to society, but it was mostly just a show for the public and the papers. The ladies of the elite wore elegant dresses with shimmering jewelery. The Chief of Police was seen chatting with the head of a technology security company. In the middle of all this extravagance stood Jill Nemo and Valkadaidan of the Professional Heroes.

  Jill was dressed in a simple, sparkling black dress. Valk looked a little uncomfortable dressed in his black tuxedo. "Do I really need to be here," he questioned, trying to adjust his tie again.

  "The invitation said 'Plus Guest'," Jill explained. "and I was not going to bring Deadguy." Visions of Our Hero scarfing down Hors d'oeuvre, mocking the patrons, and generally making a mess of things filled her head. She shook them out. "Just pretend it's a date," she said, hooking her arm around his. "We'll dance, we'll drink, we'll schmooze..."

  Valk grimaced.. "I don't schmooze."

  "I think you would make a great schmoozer," she said. They looked at one another and laughed, if only for a moment. A server walked by with a few glasses of champagne, which both Heroes snatched up. "Besides, we can use this as an opportunity to gain some new clients," she continued. "We can introduce ourselves as the Professional Heroes and they can..."

  "Ask us where Deadguy is," Valkadaidan interrupted.

  "You really do know how to suck the fun out of things," Jill said sullenly.

  "Where is the idiot anyway," he asked, taking a sip of champagne.

  "On a wild goose chase," she answered. "I noticed on one of my news feeds that there was a master thief-slash-assassin somewhere in the city."

  "This is going to be a fun one folks," a familiar voice said over the music. The string quartet stopped as everyone looked to the small stage. Our Hero stood there, a little beat up. His trench coat was gone. His black shirt and pants looked torn up. There appeared to be a few bullet holes in his hat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Deadguy, the Professional Hero Extraordinaire. There's a psycho thief loose in the building. If you want to start panicking and running for the exits, just remember to protect your valuables and protect your neck."

  Jill downed her champagne, then yanked the glass out of Valkadaidan's hand. She downed it in one gulp. "I'm going to kill him," she muttered darkly as she threw the empty glasses onto the floor. She started for the stage. Valk followed, shaking his head.

  "Ah," Deadguy proclaimed as Jill stormed through the crowd. "There she is, Miss Pro Hero," he sang. "Say something to your adoring fans." He held up the microphone to her as she stepped onto the stage. She covered the top.

  "What are you doing here," she hissed.

  "Hey, you told me to track down the psycho, and I did." He pulled the microphone away. "Just so happens that person's preferred target is everyone in this room. Who's stupid idea was it to host this financial debauchery anyway?"

  There were a few laughs from the crowd.

  Jill hid her face. "My parents have hosted this event for over twenty years," she answered quietly.

  "You have parents," DG asked. Several more laughs emerged from the crowd.

  "We're not having this conversation now," she said through gritted teeth.

  "You never told us you had parents," he continued. "So what is it? Small family? Big family? Are you the only child? Baby of the family?"

  "Shut up," she said in a slight sing-song manner.

  Our Hero snapped his finger. "You're the middle child." She quickly looked up at him, anger and hate in her eyes. He smiled. "I knew it. You act like a middle child."

  "How do you even know how a-"Jill started, but was cut short. The lights suddenly went out. Screams erupted from the crowd.

  "Called it," Deadguy exclaimed.

  "I hope you can see in the dark," Jill stated.

  "Not really a power I've developed," he replied. "at least, I don't think it is. But that's not important." Two small green circles lit up near Jill. "I've got this thing."

  "Why do you have night vision goggles, she asked halfheartedly.

  "I was tired of stubbing my toe at night." He started making his way through the crowd. "It's funny, isn't it?" He gently moved a few people out of his way. "No matter what we look like in the light, we all look the same in night vision." He stopped, noticing a man dressed in black Kevlar, also wearing night vision goggles, looking back at him. "Except for you."

  The man lunged at Our Hero, knife drawn. He barely dodged it as it sliced his shoulder. The thief then quickly blocked a hit from Deadguy, countering with a knee to the stomach. The two trades punches for a few moments until the thief stuck the knife into Deadguy's side and took off. He ripped it out and followed, trying to shake off the growing darkness that usually arrived before he died.

  The lights turned back on as Our Hero chased down the thief. He, unfortunately, was still wearing his goggles. "Gah," he yelled, ripping the device off his head. He stood blinking as Jill and Valk caught up with him.

  "Where," Jill asked.

  "That way," he answered, pointing up the stairway. "There should be a warning noise before the lights come back on." The bright flash cleared from his vision, and he saw he was talking to himself again. "And I'm left talking to the reader," he asked before following the other Heroes.

  The thief ran up the stairs. Jill and Valk did everything they could to keep up, but he was just too fast for them. The sound of the door to the roof opening echoed down the staircase. "Why did I wear the long dress tonight," Jill said.

  "Less complaining, more chasing," Valkadaidan said, passing her on the stair. He slammed through the roof door just as the thief was running across the roof. He turned and saw the Dragon-Blooded. "Only cowards run," he remarked. "Face me."

  The thief aimed a device on his arm at the Hero. Valkadaidan ran up, trying to close the gap. A bolt of electricity shot out from the device, causing Valk to stagger for a moment. The thief then turned back and leapt over the great distance from the rooftop to the apartment complex many yards away.

  Jill ran up to the ledge, watching the thief run away. "That's not natural," she muttered. Valk came up beside her.

  Deadguy caught up with Jill and Valk as they stood at the edge of the building. "What are we looking at," he asked.

  "He got away," Jill answered.

  He looked over the urban chasm between the Machafuko Building and the apartment complex across from them. "That's a bit of a jump," he commented. "Where are your shoes guys?"

  "Dress shoes are hard to run in," Valkadaidan commented.

  "Yep, and heels are even worse," Jill added. "You can't fight crime in high heels."

  Our Hero nodded. "If only we could get that idea through the heads of most comic book artists."

  "What did you find out from your little adventure," Jill asked. The Heroes were back at their office. Jill and Valk hadn't had the opportunity to change out of their evening wear. "and where's your trench coat?"

  "It was set on fire," Deadguy answered, plopping down in his chair. "by him. Schmuck owes me a new one."

  "I thought you had a surplus of them," Valk asked.

  "A he he. You're not funny."

  "What were you able to find out," Jill asked.

  "This guy has some serious tech," DG answered. "Speed. Agility. Cloaking. Remote everything. Almost didn't catch up to
him."

  "Then how did you," Valkadaidan question.

  "Set a trap," he explained. "I figured with everything he's loaded with, he was bound to have something to listen into conversations, so I 'accidentally' mentioned the Diamond Club Fundraiser and started my way there."

  "You used my parent's charity event as a trap," she yelled.

  "Yeah," he shot back. "You were using it as one, too."

  She was speechless. "W...what? How could...I don't..."

  Deadguy waved it off. "Don't care. Bigger issue at hand."

  "How did you know your plan would work," Valk asked, ignoring the flabbergasted Jill.

  Our Hero shrugged. "I didn't. Not until the lights went out."

  "Excuse me," she exclaimed. "What would've happened if you were wrong? You would be the one looking like a schmuck up there on stage."

  "Not the first time that's happened," DG said. "but at least this time I was right."

  Jill shook her head. "I think I've had just about enough of tonight," she groaned. "I'm going home. We'll deal with this in the morning." She snatched up her purse and left the two Heroes by themselves. Deadguy watched her leave.

  "You left out something," Valkadaidan said once she left.

  "She wouldn't listen to me anyway," he replied. "I ruined her plans for the night."

  "What plans?"

  Our Hero turned his attention to the Dragon-Blooded. Is he really that dense, he thought. He then yanked his legs of his desk and slammed his hands on them. "But you're right, I did omit something. Want to know what it was?"