The Flight of the Blue Beetle 8
"Wow!" Mikey said as Miguel created more bricks which formed a wall to protect him.
"Stand back!" Jaime shouted before the rest of the armor started to cover his body. "They aren't a threat, they aren't a threat" he kept saying until he was covered from head to toe with the armor.
"Fu**, you are the Blue Beetle?" Mikey asked.
"They are not a threat," he kept repeating which made the rest realize they had to calm down too. Mikey dropped the still red wrench and Miguel made the bricks disappear.
"Sorry man, I guess we blew up your whole secret identity thing," Mikey said still looking shocked but also sorry.
"You think?" Jaime snapped at him.
"Sorry," Mikey cringed
"Just leave it," Jaime said collapsing, "I am actually trying to gather information and proof to take La Dama down. I guess I have to trust you so you can believe me."
"What do you mean?" Miguel asked.
"I need you to tell me all you hear about her. Anything that might lead us to get her brought to justice for what she has done," Jaime said.
"Can't you just shoot her with that cannon and be done with it?" Francisco asked.
"It doesn't work like that," Jaime sighed.
"Why the hell not? She killed all those people in the warehouse and who knows how many more," Mikey said forgetting who Jaime allied with.
"I know, I made it there but it was already too late," Jaime said looking up at them. At those words, they became very silent.
"So you want us to tell you what we hear?" Miguel was the first to speak again.
"Yes, don't go around asking question. I don't want you endangering yourselves," Jaime told them.
"If you haven't noticed, we can take care of ourselves," Miguel said crossing his arm, "besides, now I am sure she has Gabe. The sooner we take her down, the better."
"She is a witch," Jaime told them, "as of why she hired someone to shoot my dad; I don't know. But, she does have the means to find you and kill you without even getting her hands dirty. She did it to the man who failed to kill my father, and I am more than sure she can also do it to you."
"Alright man, we get it," Mikey said before placing a hand on the shaking David.
"Sorry," he said mostly to the kid who was missing his brother, "I just don't want to hear you got hurt or worse for helping me."
"We are not helping you," Francisco said, his voice shaky, "we are helping ourselves. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can barely control my abilities. They were actually the reason why I ended up with you guys. I was just walking in the street minding my own business when I accidentally broke the window from a shop. They thought I was trying to rob them. If I slip again, she will- what is she with us anyways?"
"No idea, but I will find out," Jaime said with a deep frown, "that woman might be a good place to start."
"Man, this is crazy," Mikey said with a sharp laugh. "I just wanted to know how to fix a damn car so would never need a mechanic and I end up meeting a hero and spying for him."
888
"Are you okay?" Brenda asked.
"Uh? Yeah, why?" he asked as they sat on the couch of her living room. The sunset broke through the half-open blinds bouncing off her red locks with vibrancy that took his breath away.
"Well, the movie has been over for like five minutes and you haven't said a word," she said before noted the credits were almost over.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I am just a bit tired," he said trying to remember what the movie was about.
"I would say," she said leaning her head on his shoulder. He couldn't help catching the faint scent of vanilla, "I guess you don't even have the strength to make a move on me."
"I… you… You want me to-" he asked wondering if there was still a chance. He did his best to keep himself from looking down the V-neck shirt she was wearing.
"The moment is kind of gone" she admitted with a small smile but her warm body was still leaning against his, "is kind of weird, us going out, don't you think?"
"No," he said leaning his head on hers rejoicing on the softness of her fiery tendrils, "I wanted to ask you out ages ago, I just didn't know how."
"Me too, but I was scared we would mess up," she said closing her eyes, "you are the best friend I ever had. I don't want to lose you."
"You will never lose me," he told her closing his own eyes, "you know how I feel about you, don't you? I mean, it is a little hard to miss."
"So is not just a crush?" she asked as her fingers made contact with the skin of his arm. He jumped slightly at the touch but a moment later her fingers were sliding down his arm.
"It hasn't been just a crush since we were ten," he told her, his voice a little shaken.
"So here we are just leaning against each other," she said placing her hand over his.
"Is it really too late?" he asked pulling his hand and placing it on her cheek before turning to see her face. Her cheeks were red, "for at least one kiss?"
"I think… I think one would be fine," Brenda said before leaning forwards.
He stared at her plump lips for a moment before leaning forwards. Their lips connected in what started a chaste kiss. She dared to place her hands on his chest and couldn't help gasping. She wondered why he had kept his shirt on back when they had the pool party and the question came back because all she could feel behind the material of his shirt was muscle. He skin jumped a little every time she moved her fingers until he could no longer hold back.
"Brenda," he broke the kiss for a moment before taking hold of her shoulders. She gasped at the force behind his hold and Jaime took his opportunity when he saw her parted lips. The moment their tongues touched he felt all his inexperience knock at the door. He calmed down as they moved their lips against each other.
He heard a little voice on the back of his mind and he thought he was losing his mind before he remembered they were not alone. Jaime shouted at Khaji-Da to not say anything about what his body was expressing. This was what he thought he would never have wrapped in a perfect moment. He had never kissed a girl like this, and it seemed he wasn't messing up since she wasn't pulling back.
"Jaime…" she said breaking the kiss. Her bright green eyes stared at him like had never seen them before. She wrapped her arms around his torso pulling her body completely against his. His already hammering heart had stopped for a moment before he hugged her back. He kept reminding himself she had agreed just to one kiss and they had gone for two. He didn't want to push his luck any further and just enjoyed their bodies leaning against each other only apart by a few pieces of cloth. He closed his eyes trying to stop those thoughts.
"Sorry to interrupt… Children" okay, that stopped those thoughts in a fraction of a second. He and Brenda jumped apart and turned to see La Dama watching them with what some might consider a teasing smile. "But if you aren't going to do something for which I would have to chase Jaime away with a broom." Or worse, "I would recommend you to get home while you still can."
" See you later Jaime," Brenda said as her cheeks flamed red.
"Excuse Ms. Cardenas," Jaime said grabbing his backpack and then rushing out the door.
"Why didn't you warn me she was there!" he shouted at Khaji-Da as he ran down the street.
"I did, but it seems when humans enter that state they have trouble making sense of what others tell them." Khaji-Da said, "though there was no ill intent detected from her, reason why she wasn't treated as an immediate threat."
Jaime found this hard to believe. He knew La Dama was very overprotective of Brenda. From all that he had learned today, it made him think that maybe La Dama's goal wasn't just about becoming an even more powerful mafia boss.
He headed to the club where he found Nathan didn't show up that day. He went to the kitchen to help for he refused to receive payment from just learning how to sing properly in public. He started washing and peeling vegetables when what he had been waiting for finally happened. He spotted two men in suits enter through the back door kitchen and march towards the manager's office. Both men were carrying briefcases and pushed anyone who got in their way.
"Are the bugs recording properly?" as soon as he had met the manager of the place he had made sure to bug the office.
"They are carrying weapons Jaime Reyes. Caution is strongly recommended" Khaji-Da said before Jaime continued to peel vegetables.
He couldn't wait to find out what they were talking about. Of course, it wouldn't be enough unless it linked them to La Dama, but it would be better than nothing. Then there was an explosion and he and the rest of the kitchen staff picked into the club where they spotted people getting up from the shock. There were clouds of debris, but Jaime could see the shades of people standing intact.
"Leave or we will kill you!" one of them shouted before everyone started rushing to the kitchen and the back doors. Jaime reacted fast enough to enter a restroom where he changed into his armor.
"The two men and manager are getting armed in the office. They will be out any approximately two minutes" Khaji-Da informed him.
Jaime took a deep breath and burst outside where he spotted a group ravaging the bar. From one glance, he could tell they were an odd bunch, meta-humans clearly in some cases.
"For the love of- You come out here with your hands raised!" he raised his cannon at them.
"I thought you were supposed to be one of the good guys" a Latin man of black decent said turning around on his stool, with a beer at hand. He was tall and slim and the skin he could see was covered with tattoos of skulls, crosses, and whatnot.
"I am not the one who attacked a building full of people. Now, don't make me repeat myself" he turned his other hand into another cannon.
"I guess it could look bad from that perspective. But, I assure you, we are allies" the man said before Jaime spotted Probe with other two girls taking turns at drinking shots, "the name is Damper"
"The Posee," Jaime said.
"So you have heard about us," Damper said slightly surprised.
"If you are really after La Dama, why are you attacking a place where she is not even at?" he didn't move one bit when Damper started walking towards him.
"To get on her nerves; if she has her sight on us then she won't have them on others," Damper said before a short, bulky man kicked one of the counters over.
"You can't be sure of that," Jaime said wanting to roll his eyes at them.
"Is worth a try," the Damper said still walking towards him, "you are from town, aren't you? I bet we could work together."
Jaime undid his cannons even though Khaji-Da protested.
"Only if you share all you know about what she is after,"
"Gladly, sincerely we have been coming to too many dead ends as of late" he turned to the rest, "Posee, let's bring the new kid home."
"Can it wait Damper? We just got started,"
"It can't wait, get you assess moving!" Damper said before they all went to stand around him, "stay close kid, and don't say a word."
Jaime felt as if something was covering them but couldn't really say what. As they neared the exit, he spotted the armed men and manager came out with their guns raised. Jaime was ready to tackled them when Damper placed a hand on his shoulder and motioned him to remain quiet.
"Where the hell are they?!" the manager shouted, "They were here just a moment ago!"
"Let's check the cameras," one of the men said before Damper motioned them to get a move on. As soon as they realized they were invisible they would let the bullets rain to try to get them. Once they were far enough they tucked into an alley.
"Stay close escarabajo," Damper said before a van appeared from the shadows. His powers were not limited to those close to him.
The Posee got on the van without place and drove downtown. He didn't think any cops would stop them thanks to Dampers gift. Jaime followed from the air wondering what he was thinking agreeing so fast to join them. Then he remembered Miguel and David. Miguel was desperate to find his boyfriend, and he didn't doubt he would do something crazy that would get him hurt if he didn't see results soon. Then he thought of David. His brother was, hopefully, somewhere in the city and not already in La Dama's clutches. Either way, a fourteen-year-old shouldn't be living either on the streets or in the clutches of a witch. He needed to get answers soon for them and the protection of the other meta-humans that lived in the youth center.
They arrived at a house which seemed to be close to collapsing. Jaime had Khaji-Da scan it for anything dangerous, but there wasn't even a gun in the premises, just another guy who was in the living room watching TV. He landed on the backyard where Damper was already waiting for him.
"Thought you got lost, come in man. This is going to be the first time we got a Leaguer as a guest, not that we have any guest, but you get the idea" he said as they went up the creaking porch steps.
"I am not part of the League," he said knowing the young man was testing him for information.
"Really? I thought after what happened a year ago you would be" Damper poked even more.
"I didn't come here to make small chat Damper. A lot of lives are in the line and I want to stop that woman from hurting anyone else as soon as possible" he said as they stopped in a large kitchen. The cute blond girl who had been accompanying them and the short bulky guy were opening the fridge and kitchen cabinets to start dinner.
"Alright, alright," Damper sighed, "I am glad to see you are serious about this. I never thought one of the big names would be looking after our own city."
"I am not a big name Damper, but I can assure you some assistance from some of them," he said as they entered the living room and then he spotted someone he thought was long dead. He commanded Khaji-Da to take over his facial expressions. Otherwise he would be shouting or gawking and that wouldn't do any good to his credibility with the Posee.
"You found the escarabajo!" the young man watching TV stood up and stared in shock at Jaime, "wow, he is taller than I thought."
"Paco is sort of a fan of yours," Probe said turning the TV off and taking a seat on the couch.
"Well, the guy actually takes the time to patrol the city," Paco told her, "and I imagine you are also after La Dama, right?"
"I am sensing deceit in his voice and vitals Jaime Reyes" Khaji-Da told him.
"There is something you aren't telling me," Jaime said with narrowed eyes at Damper, "you were not just attacking the club to piss La Dama off, you wanted me to find you."
"Shit, guy is smarter than we thought," Damper said falling to sit on the couch. "We promised the guy we wouldn't tell you a thing, but I guess it can't be helped now"
"Who?" Jaime asked.
"This guy who claimed to work for the League came around the neighborhood the day after the slaughter at the warehouse. Really strong and could use psychic attacks," Probe said with a smile, "not bad looking either with that black hair and blue eyes." That narrowed the list of his friends down to Superboy.
"He didn't want us to tell you because he understood this was your town and the League doesn't seem to behind you on this one, so…" Paco said awkwardly and wondering if they might have started a mess with the League.
"He asked us to find you since we were working towards the same goal. We told him we would think about it. We weren't really going to do it but then Paco here heard you were taking a closer look over the city, so we thought about giving it a try. You seem like a decent guy" Damper said before the blond girl brought him a beer, "thank you Bonita."
"Thanks, I suppose" Jaime wondered if he should talk to Conner about it next time they met.
"Don't thank us yet," Damper said, "your friend knew a little too much about us and that doesn't set well with us. I think is only fair, especially after we showed you our crib that you let us in one of your secrets."
"Let me guess, you want to know who I am," twice in a day would be just like his luck.
"Bingo, so take the mask off kid," Damper said leaning forwards.
"There is just one thing," Jaime said before looking at Paco.
"I am normal, sort of?" Paco said immediately.
"You were reported dead three years ago, explain" because he was furious right then. It was only thanks to Khaji-Da that he was able to keep them from seeing it.
"Wow, this guy is going to be good," Probe said pulling from the side a small box with popcorn.
"You know what is going on, don't you?" Probe had said before he and Bonita shared a worried look. Usually, things that interested Probe meant trouble.
"From the moment I saw him, now shush," she told them before they went back to watching.
"I…" Paco looked at loss for a moment, but then he took a deep breath and said; "I was close to La Dama's niece and I was also hanging out with Damper at the same time. She knew Damper and his group knew what she really was and I guess she thought I would tell her niece so she sent some of her Coyotes to kill me. Damper and his friends were able to save me, though one of the guys didn't make it. When the police found my wallet with his burned body, they assumed it was me so…"
"You remained dead so La Dama wouldn't search for you anymore" Jaime added, some of his anger slipping through his words.
"Sort of," Paco said, "I knew she might have gone after my family or friends, so I thought it would be better if she thought me dead. I am of more help like this."
"He is very good at gathering information," Damper said but Jaime didn't pay him any mind. Even Damper could sense some of the Blue Beetle's anger at this point.
"So you let your family and friends think you were dead," Jaime said stepping closer and looking down on the man that he once called friend.
"Yeah, what about it?" but Paco didn't take accusations well. He did what he believed was best at the time and he didn't regret it. "If you think you can come in here and lecture me just because you wear a stupid customer you are very wrong pendejo"
"Pendejo!? Your mother was inconsolable! She even moved away because of how destroyed and guilty she felt!" Paco had grown without a father, and his mother always tried to do right by him. It really broke her heart when she lost her one and only son.
"How do-" Paco started before the mask started pulling away.
"Dammit Paco! You could have at least sent us a clue that you were okay! Tye and I didn't believe for a moment that guy was you, but after searching for who knows how long we thought you were really dead!" Jaime couldn't hold his anger back anymore. He shouted at the top of his lungs not caring that the rest of the Posee was poking from the rest of the house to see what was happening. In the end, there was a deadly silence, and his face was fully uncovered.
"Ja-Jaime!?" Paco said stepping back.
"Idiota!" and then Jaime punched him. Thankfully Khaji-Da was smart enough to realize Jaime really didn't want to hurt this person, so the armor on his hand was gone by the time he punched Paco on the jaw.
"What the fu-" Paco looked startled before Jaime fell back on his behind. His whole armor peeled off him.
"I glad you are alive, but you are still an idiot," Jaime said with a tear running on the side of his face and pained smiled.
"Man, I guess I can't call you Super Geek anymore" Paco chocked a laugh as a tear of his own ran down his face.
"Told you it was going to be good," Probe said with a large smile.