Let's reach 250 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
My chest heaved from the exertion, but he was down. He was actually down.
Luke turned to me, his dark eyes meeting mine. They held a mix of exhaustion and something else, something like respect. My heart gave a little flutter, but I pushed it down. This was not the time.
"Thanks, Jewel," Luke said, his voice rough. "You really saved my bacon out here."
"Oh, it was nothing, really," I said, trying to sound breezy. "Just doing my job, you know? Keeping the streets safe and all that."
"Where did Donovan go?" Luke asked, looking around the warehouse.
"He bolted," I said, pointing vaguely toward the direction Big Donovan had vanished. "The second Gargan grabbed him, he just… ran."
Luke let out a long sigh, a low, rumbling sound that spoke of disappointment. "Figures," he muttered. "Didn't even finish getting paid for this mess."
I frowned, the faint buzzing of my internal monologue about "good deeds" clashing with his very practical concern. I almost forgot he was a hero for hire, not just a hero.
Mac Gargan lay on the ground, his armor sparking erratically. One of his gang members, a skinny kid with a worried face, carefully nudged the severed tail with his foot. The other Scorpions looked utterly disheartened, their leader defeated and their confidence shattered. They exchanged nervous glances, clearly unsure what to do now that their big, scary boss was out of commission.
On the other side of the warehouse, the remaining members of the 110th Street Gang were a mix of relief and confusion. Some were cheering, happy to see Gargan down, but most just looked lost. Donovan had run, leaving them leaderless in the aftermath of a major gang fight. They looked around, their eyes darting from Luke to me, then to the unconscious Gargan. Nobody seemed to know who was in charge now, or what their next move should be.
WEEE-OOO-WEEE-OOO!
The wail of police sirens cut through the night, a harsh reminder of the real world. The gang members, both the Scorpions and the 110th Street crew, snapped out of their daze. They panicked, scrambling over crates and through broken windows, vanishing into the maze of alleys like startled rats. This was their cue to disappear.
Luke grabbed my arm. "Come on, Jewel!"
"Right!" I said, my voice a little breathless.
We dashed through a side exit, just as the first squad car pulled up to the warehouse. We moved fast, weaving through narrow back alleys, hopping over dumpsters, and keeping to the shadows. My heart hammered against my ribs, a mix of adrenaline and the thrill of the escape. We didn't stop until the sirens were just a distant echo and the smell of stale garbage replaced the lingering tang of ozone and fear.
We finally found a quiet rooftop, one with a pretty good view of the city lights. I peeled off my pink wig, letting my dark brown hair fall around my shoulders, and took a deep, shaky breath. Being Jewel was exhausting.
"You okay?" Luke asked, his voice softer now.
I nodded, still catching my breath. "Yeah, I'm good. Just… a lot happened."
"That's one way to put it," Luke said, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He looked at me, really looked at me, with those intense eyes of his. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere? You seem kind of familiar."
My heart jumped. Oh, crap. I had hoped my disguise was better than that. I hesitated, fiddling with the pink wig in my hands. This was it. Time to face the music.
"Yeah, you do," I admitted, my voice dropping a little. "My name's Jessica. Jessica Campbell."
Luke's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his face. He stared at me for a long moment, the quiet man from the coffee shop now looking utterly bewildered.
"Jessica?" Luke repeated, a bewildered look on his face. "From The Daily Grind?"
I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my neck. I tugged self-consciously at my now-flat hair.
"Yeah, that's me," I mumbled, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. "Surprise?"
Luke just stared for a moment, then a slow grin spread across his face. "Well, I'll be," he said, shaking his head. "Never would've pegged you for the superhero type, Jessica."
"And I never would've pegged you for a 'hero for hire' type," I retorted, a little sass creeping into my voice despite myself. "What was Donovan offering that was worth getting into a gang war?"
"Rent, mostly," Luke admitted with a shrug. "And a promise of more work if things got... uglier."
"Rent?" I couldn't help but laugh a little, a genuinely surprised giggle bubbling out. "You're telling me you were guarding a criminal operation for rent money? Seriously?"
"It's honest work," Luke swore, his expression serious. "I wasn't doing anything illegal. Just standing there, making sure nobody messed with Donovan's stuff."
"You can't really call 'helping a gang' legal," I countered, a playful smirk on my face. "Even if you're just standing around looking tough."
"I was a guard," Luke retorted, his eyes narrowed slightly. "I didn't kill anyone, didn't steal anything. Just protected property, like any other security job."
"Okay, okay, fair enough," I conceded, holding up my hands in mock surrender. "So, you want to know my origin story, huh? The thrilling tale of how Jessica Campbell became... Jewel?"
Luke leaned back against the ledge, a curious expression on his face. "If you're willing to share," he said, genuinely interested. "I'm always curious how folks get into this line of work."
I sighed, the playful tone fading a bit as I thought back. "Well, it's not exactly glamorous," I began, picking at a loose thread on my sash. "It started with a road trip, me, my parents, and my little brother, Phillip. We were on vacation, just... driving."
(Flashback)
...The sun was bright, streaming through the car window. Phillip was in the back, probably annoying my parents. My mom, in the passenger seat, was looking at me in the rearview mirror.
"Jessica," she said, a playful tone in her voice. "Are you going to ask Ethan out? You know he likes you."
I rolled my eyes. "Mom, please. It's not like that." I glanced out the window, a shy smile on my face. Ethan Kepler. The smart, quiet guy from school. I had a crush on him, I wouldn't deny it, but I would never admit it to my mom. "Besides, I'm not really looking for a relationship right now."
"Oh, come on," my mom pressed, "He's a good kid. You two would be cute together."
"Mom!"
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, a blinding glare that filled the car. A metallic screech tore through the air, then a sickening crunch that rattled my teeth. The world spun, glass shattered, and then… nothing.
(End of Flashback)
"The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed," I continued, my voice quiet. "The doctors said it was an accident. A military convoy... radioactive chemicals. I was the only one who made it out."
I paused, swallowing hard. The memory still hurt, a dull ache that never really went away. "But something happened. When I woke up, I was... different. Stronger. I bent a bed rail without even trying. Lifted a dumpster like it was a cardboard box. I guess that's when it happened, with the chemicals and all."
Luke listened, his expression solemn. "Radioactive chemicals, huh? That's a classic." He nodded slowly. "Sounds like you got yourself a second chance, Jessica."
"Yeah, a second chance at... this," I said, gesturing vaguely at my costume, then out at the city. "So, what about you, tough guy? Did you fall into a vat of super-serum or get bitten by a radioactive spider?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
Luke actually chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that made the rooftop feel a little less lonely. "Nah, nothing that dramatic," he said. "Though, a spider bite might have been easier."
He paused, looking out at the skyline. "I was in prison. Seagate Prison, for a crime I didn't commit." His voice was low, carrying a hint of a dark past. "They had this experimental procedure going on. Some doctor thought he could make super soldiers."
"And you were one of the lucky volunteers?" I asked, already piecing it together.
"Something like that," Luke confirmed. "It was supposed to be a cellular regeneration experiment. Give folks unbreakable skin, make 'em stronger." He flexed a bicep, and even in the dim light, I could see the sheer power in his arm. "It worked, obviously. But then things went sideways. There was a sabotage, an explosion... and I ended up breaking out, bulletproof and stronger than ever."
A comfortable silence settled between us, the kind that only happens when you find someone who actually gets it. It felt good, just sitting there, sharing stories with someone who understood what it meant to be… different.
"You know, Jessica," Luke said, breaking the quiet. "You're pretty strong, but your fighting could use some work."
I scoffed, playfully hitting his arm. "Hey, I did okay back there! We took down that Scorpion guy, didn't we?"
"Yeah, we did," Luke conceded, a small smile playing on his lips. "But you were more brute force than finesse. I know a gym, down in Harlem. I train there sometimes. We could work on that."
I grinned, a genuine, unforced smile that felt rare these days. "I'd actually really like that, Luke."
***
Donate Power Stones to support this novel
Advance chapters in patreon.com/Najicablitz