Free My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons Page A

to do is find out who we’re dealing with. Who has access to the Crystal Comics control room?”
    â€œWhat about Sausage Roll Guy?” I said.
    â€œYes, but he’s low level. Just a goon working for the big boss. There’s always someone in the shadows pulling the strings,” she said, opening a new window on thelaptop and typing a subject into the search engine. “Ahha! Now, this is interesting.”
    At the top of the page was a photograph of an unsmiling man who looked a few years younger than my dad. Blue eyes narrowed behind black-rimmed spectacles. A lock of dark hair curled in the middle of his high forehead. His face looked clenched, his expression that of someone who didn’t want his photograph taken. The photograph accompanied an article for Blam! a well-known comic book blog.
    â€œChristopher Talbot, owner of Crystal Comics,” read Lara. “It says here that he’s a millionaire playboy and flan-therapist.” She shook her head. “Typical rich man, wasting his money on stupid eggy-pie-based treatments when there are thousands of people who need real medical help.”
    I skimmed the article over her shoulder. “It’s not flan-therapist. It’s philanthropist. I think it means he gives away his money to good causes.”
    â€œOh,” said Lara, disappointed.
    Armed with this knowledge, we turned again to Christopher Talbot’s photograph and studied him in silence. Did he look less suspicious now that we knew what he did with his riches? It was hard to say. For me. For Lara, it was less hard.
    â€œHe owns Crystal Comics, so he has access to the security camera footage. He could be the one who removed the Star Lad section.” She slapped a fist into her palm. “We have to investigate him.”
    There was a click from the door. A dizzying waft of perfume entered the room moments ahead of its wearer. Cara stood in the doorway, blazing like the eye of Sauron.
    â€œWhat are you doing in my room?!” she yelled. “You’d better not be using my laptop.”
    â€œMum said I could,” protested Lara.
    I felt fairly confident that was a lie. And I was not the only one.
    â€œNo she did not,” said Cara, folding her arms and levelling her fiery gaze of doom at Lara. “Mum would never let you in here without checking with me first.” She took a step towards her hapless sister. “And I haven’t spoken to her since she told me I was leaving the house wearing this skirt over her dead body.”
    I decided to make like a Hobbit and get my furry feet out of there, fast. I edged towards the door, hoping to slip out before she noticed me, but as I made my bid for freedom I tripped over a pair of Cara’s discarded sneakers and fell on my face. When I looked up she was glaring down at me. After seventeen hours of the movies, DVD extras, several average videogames, ahorrendously expensive role-playing game and all three books, I finally understood how Frodo must have felt.
    â€œYou!” she spat. “You’re the brother of that weird kid who stalks me at school. What are you doing here?”
    I got unsteadily to my feet, pressed a palm to my forehead and staggered around like a dazed faun. “Where … where am I?” I stuttered. I wasn’t actually dazed, I was pretending. “The last thing I remember was a bright light in the sky, eerie music and then some kind of tractor beam. I … I think I was abducted by aliens and then teleported here.” I blinked slowly at Cara.
    â€œAnother weirdo! Out,” she snapped, pointing to the door. “Both of you, out of my room. RIGHT NOW.”
    Lara and I hurried past her outstretched finger. The bedroom door slammed behind us. As we trotted downstairs I thanked my lucky stars. I’d survived the day without being arrested, vaporised or worse. Nonetheless, there was no question in my mind that Lara was a dangerous person to be around.