The Redeemer Read online

  Chapter 2: A Hero’s Welcome

  As I walked through the ultra-modern tower in the middle of the city, I was stunned by the gold inlaid angels and glass windows. There had to be close to fifty stories and the view from out of the window was amazing. The city looked beautiful from this high. The floor I was on now had a huge table at the center of it with chairs all around. I walked past the table to the windows to the balcony and looked down. The city looked less dangerous during the day. That was a problem because anything could be going on right now. I wondered what I was doing here. I wasn’t a hero and I wasn’t on a hero’s journey. I was a thief turned spy. Nothing like a hero. I frowned to myself and turned to leave when I saw David Samis, Steven’s little brother and Dana’s other son. I hadn’t seen him since after his brother died. He’d changed up his hair so that it was now blonde and buffer than he had been. I couldn’t quite place the look on his face. Our last meeting wasn’t a friendly or pleasant meeting. At first we just stared. There was a lot of history between us that didn’t even involve Steven. Little brother coveting what big brother has. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking and I wasn’t really interested in being accosted. I’d been accosting myself for a while now and I didn’t need anyone else doing it.

  “Before you say any—“

  “I told her you’d come. I knew you’d help us.” He said, more to himself than to me.

  I folded my arms across my chest, “It was your idea? What’d you have to do to get Dana to even ask me back?” I asked.

  “Listen, we need the best. You’re good with your hands.” He nodded, “But I don’t think I forgive you.”

  I looked down, then back up at him, “I don’t think I asked for it. Besides, if you haven’t forgiven me by now, you probably won’t.” I frowned.

  He nodded.

  “Besides, I’m here to save the world.” I smiled, “Who better to save the world than a thief?”

  He stared at me, as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t. I chuckled. What I said about his forgiveness was true and I couldn’t be sad about it. I left the sadness behind a while ago. I thought I did until I saw him. I turned back to the window, hoping he’d be moved to leave.

  “I loved your brother. I did. The last thing I ever did was to betray him.” I said, “I understand why you can’t forgive me. Because we both betrayed him.”

  There was silence. I knew he was either gone or thinking about it. I could still feel him in the room, so he was thinking about it. I let out a nervous sigh.

  “When’s the meeting start?” I asked.

  “Now.”

  I turned to see Dana entering with Electra Munroe, a friend from the past. Electra was a dark haired girl with green eyes and full pink lips. We’d met around the same time that super humans were exposed. She was running from this guy and found herself buddied up with me. We lost contact after Medusa. Behind them, Jeff Birkoff followed. He was another friend from the past. He was a former detective. I met him through his friend and Partner, Leon Major, codenamed Widow because of his spider-like abilities. Leon died in the battle of Medusa. Jeff was left disfigured, if you could call it that. He had scratches across his dark-skinned face and on a major portion of his body. He was gruff to begin with, but he looked even more hardened. Taller, too. Archer was behind them, walking with a long haired man with strawberry blonde hair. The man was as muscled as the other guys and had almost purple eyes. I wasn’t sure who he was. Rounding out the group was a man that looked older than the rest of us, yet he wasn’t old. While the others had looked to be in their twenties, he looked to be in his early to mid-thirties, much like Archer. They regarded me with curiosity, all of them except Dana, Electra and David.

  Electra ran over and hugged me, something foreign to me, “Pete, how have you been?!” she asked.

  I was stunned at first, then hugged her back, “Fine. You?” I asked.

  “I’m a superhero.” Electra said, “And I haven’t been chased anymore.”

  “I thought you went back to—“

  “I did, but after being here…it wasn’t the same.” Electra smiled, “Then Dana put this group together.”

  I nodded and looked to the group. Electra took the time to introduce me to Archer, whose real name is Harrison Liah; Leif, the man with purple eyes was an amnesiac man who just appeared one day with the Mjorn of Thor, casting suspicion that he was Thor. The last man was named Harvey Kinser and he used to be a world famous scientist studying the super human genome. Birkoff just stared at me, as if he were waiting for me to say sorry or something. Dana asked that we all sit and we did as she asked. There was a palpable silence as we found ourselves staring at each other.

  “I’ve assembled this team to save the world.” Dana said quickly. She looked to us, “The world needs heroes and you’re those heroes.”

  “What exactly are we facing?” I asked.

  “Cersai. A race of aliens that—“

  I laughed, “Aliens? We’re facing aliens?” I asked.

  “Superheroes and the supernatural, but you don’t believe in aliens?” David asked.

  I looked around at them, “You guys think aliens are coming to take over the world?” I asked, “Is there a reason you think this?”

  “Medusa. We got intel from a defector.” Dana explained, “We asked for cooperation.”

  “Cooperation? I liked you better when you worked for Medusa. You just out and out called it, ‘torture’.” I joked, “Cersai? Exactly how am I going to help? I’m sure the rest of these guys have superpowers and they all want to be superheroes. I just don’t want the world to end before…” I trailed.

  “You can steal more stuff? Betray more people?” Birkoff asked, anger permeating his voice.

  I smirked, “We’re still here, in this place? I’m sorry about your scars, but I didn’t inflict them.” I frowned.

  “You might as well have.” Birkoff frowned.

  I watched him. Maybe he was right. There was a lot about that night that I couldn’t forget. Leif, Harrison, Harvey looked confused. Dana and David looked to be mulling over the situation while Electra looked to be nervous.

  “I’ll always be a criminal.” I shrugged, “I don’t care. This criminal agreed to save the world. Shouldn’t that mean something?”

  “It means nothing because you’ll betray us again.” Birkoff frowned.

  “This was a mistake.” I frowned as I stood, “I came here to save the world. But no one can get past my past.”

  “We’re not here to gang up on you.” David said slowly, “They’re concerned, you knew it coming in.”

  “He’s human, like all of us.” Electra said, “He made mistakes. We all have.”

  “And I could care less about your mistakes or the mistakes of whoever the Hell! She asked me to save the world.” I said angrily, “From aliens.”

  They all looked at me. I surprised myself. It wasn’t exactly what I was saying that was shocking me but why and how I was saying it. This was all insane. Aliens and saving the world and…It was so far from stealing. They were right, I’m a criminal. They were even right about my betrayal, but they didn’t know the whole story. They didn’t know Steven was working with Medusa even closer than his mother. I composed myself and looked to them again, this time trying to come up with something more to say.

  “Look, I’m not here to change anyone’s opinion of me. I don’t really care. I’m just here to help avoid a world war or a war of many worlds.” I said walking to the door, “Heroes are supposed to be heroes, not jerks.” I said leaving.