Free Average Joe and the Extraordinaires by Belart Wright Page B

up.
    Blue Clad
Man: “Good work, soldier!”
    Joe
stared at the huge muscular man and tried to find something to say.  He could
only stare at the shining white “A” on the guy’s mask, as no words would come. 
Finally he managed.
    Joe:
“Holy cow!  You’re Captain A—”
    There was
a loud thud behind him, and Joe looked back at Borland and saw that his human
shield was now on the ground knocked out.  Borland pointed his gun at the blue
man in suspicion.
    Borland:
“Who’re you, freakshow?”
    Joe:
“Wait Borland, he’s Captain A—”
    Borland:
“Let him answer it.”
    Captain A—:
“You can think of me as the enemy of your enemy.  I understand your caution,
but I think we should discuss things at a safer location.”
    Borland:
“You have a point.  Let’s get out of here.”
    Captain A—:
“Let freedom prevail!”

Chapter
15
    Extraordinaires
Assemble
     
    Borland:
“Why are you still dressed like that?”
    Captain A—:
“Because it’s a hoot and a half, as you people like to say.”
    Joe
settled into the old gray couch.  The cramped stylings of Borland’s old
apartment seemed extra small when occupied by two other people, especially when
one of those people was a hulking superhero.  His bright costume crashed
drastically with the décor.
    Borland:
“Well, you’re attracting too much unwanted attention, so stop looking like an
idiot and change back.”
    The super
soldier saluted Borland and began to change shape.  His shoulders contracted
and slanted downwards.  The rough angles that made up the big man’s physiology
morphed into firm curves, the long limbs and torso shortened to a height that
was just a shade under Borland’s. The blues became blacks and the mask was no
more, as were the bright red boots and gloves.
    Standing
before them was Beauty. Joe had forgotten about her once the fighting started
outside of Blonsky’s Pierogi Place, until she had admitted to them both minutes
before that it was her.  Joe felt extremely stupid; he had thought he was in
the presence of a real life superhero. And why not believe that? With all the
crazy secret buildings, shape-shifting spies, and murder plots, a superhero was
an easy thing to believe.
    Joe
wasn’t quite so lucky. There were no superheroes, but everything else was true,
Beauty’s presence was a testament to that.  Now that she was in her own skin,
that familiar smell of loveliness that Joe associated with her had intensified.
    Beauty:
“You guys miss me?”
    Guys? 
Joe wondered if Beauty and Borland had met before.
    Borland:
“Like a thorn in my side.  So what’s that, magic?”
    Beauty:
“To simplify it, yes.”
    Borland:
“Always thought that existed. Makes sense.”
    Beauty:
“Helps me get the job done.”
    Joe had
caught a flash of anger in Borland.  The man was prone to those, as Joe had
learned during his stay here.
    Borland:
“And what job is that might I ask?  Getting this boy killed?  Ruining my
investigation?”
    Beauty:
“None of those.”
    Borland:
“Well then, tell me what gives you the right to kidnap this boy and use him for
your own purposes?”
    Borland ended
up screaming those last words.
    Beauty:
“Kidnap?  From who?  You?  Last time I checked, you weren’t either of his
parents.  As for why I did it, well, I did it for his sake.”
    Borland:
“You could’ve gotten him killed or captured!  What in the nine hells was worth
that?”
    Beauty:
“The proof of his innocence.  I have it.”
    She
looked Joe right in his eyes.
    Beauty:
“I owed him that … for his kindness.”
    The room
fell quiet.  Borland looked anxious.
    Beauty:
“I believe it was worth the risk, and I can assure you that no harm would have
come upon little Joe’s head.  You’re a good man, Borland.  Your apprehension
shows that you care about this boy, but at this point he has nothing to do with
your goals or my goals.”
    Borland:
“He’s the center of all of this, he has everything to do with