Chapter 6: The Whole Circus

If I saw one more clown on my Twitter feed, I was going to lose it.

Circus had the bright idea of traipsing around the Boardwalk Thursday afternoon, trying on fancy clothes and appropriating them if they suited her. If you asked me, she could definitely use a lot of orange; it was the new black in prison.

The only reason why I even knew she was there was because she arrived at the same time I was checking out this cute new pop-up boutique. Since those asshole enforcers couldn't even catch a single clown, I decided to show them how it was done.

Between her incredible reflexes and pinpoint accuracy, a pocket space to store everything she stole and low-level pyrokinesis for distractions, Circus' powers were tailor-made for a professional thief. Not so much for a fighter. It was kinda cool that she was a grab-bag cape, but she was still a criminal.

All I needed to do was paralyze her with my aura and then she'd be easy pickings. Problem was, she was so damn slippery. Every time I got close, she'd set a stand on fire or sneak between the crush of frightened civilians. She wouldn't escape on my watch, but I had to save the lives she was putting in danger first.

While I rescued everyone in harm's way and put out her fires, Circus was busy hopping from stand to stand, taunting me with that stupid air horn. I figured she'd be smart enough to make a break for it, but she must've been jonesing for an express trip to jail. Well, if that was what she wanted, Air Victoria was ready to send her there for free.

What class? Coach, of course. Only VIPs deserved first class.

With a bit of aerial maneuvering, I managed to bind her in a chokehold, poised to squeeze the air out of her lungs. Then she pulled out fireworks that popped around my face. Next thing I knew, a powder bomb went off. By the time my sight returned, she'd already booked it out of there, leaving me with nothing but a big, fat fail.

God, I really wanted to break something. Circus was lucky she didn't ruin my costume, but this powder took forever to wipe off. If I saw that freaky clown again, I wouldn't leave until her face got intimate with my fists. And my boots. And the concrete.

Because Circus chose to waste my time, I couldn't help Gallant and the other Wards kick the Undersiders' asses. I did manage to save a lot of people from getting hurt and I did get to try out some takedowns I'd been practicing with my uncle Neil, because it didn't matter how annoying Circus was, I wasn't going to cripple her.

Besides, stupid powder GIFs and clown pics and photoshops of me in mime clothes and haters hating couldn't take away my heroism. Or my good mood. Today was Saturday and I was ready to relax, hang out with my loved ones and do what I did best.

I flew through blue skies, hitting my maximum speed of eighty miles per hour pretty quickly. It wasn't enough, sometimes, and I felt like I could push even further... but nothing I tried helped me break my speed limit.

Not that I was a slowpoke. My cousin Crystal was faster, and so was Dauntless, but Dauntless wasn't normal. I was faster than that murdering Nazi Purity, but I just knew I could improve, I could feel it somewhere deeper than my bones.

Once I reached the Towers, I swerved down, swirling towards the rooftop at full speed. If I timed this right... I spun out of the corkscrew and slowed down, touching the roof and springing off it in one fluid motion. Nothing broke, just like I thought. Until my forcefield could absorb all the fall damage, I'd have to be a bit more careful to avoid damaging public property.

'Demolition Dallon' would've been a great nickname if it wasn't directly linked to 'Collateral Damage Barbie', and while Barbie was awesome, I didn't want to anyone to look too closely at how I handled my business.

I reached a pair of buildings at the edge of Downtown's south side and floated between their roofs like I was doing a side hop, picking up the pace until I was seeing double. Hopefully, my enemies would get dizzy keeping up. Wow, this wasn't a good idea, I could taste the granola bar I just snacked on.

But quitting wasn't what heroes did, so I tried this same trick going back and forth once I regained my bearings, making real progress on managing my nausea.

Some kid was watching me train, the biggest grin on his face. I gave him a cheerful wave before flying back home, hopping between buildings and spinning around, just enjoying every moment I was up in the air.

Flying didn't really tire me out, but doing it for a while gave me the same kind of satisfaction a great workout did. Once I got home, I picked up my phone, took off its charger and found out that Dean tried to call me. Well, I could fix that. This time around, he picked up on the first ring. Good boy.

He wanted to go out on a lunch date. After cancelling our double date, I sure as hell wasn't going to say no.

I took a shower, treated my hair, brushed my teeth, doused my body with a floral fragrance, applied some light makeup that made my eyes pop, and swapped my regular combo of a comfy tee, tight charcoal jeans and New Balance sneakers for a maroon halter top, white capris and black pumps.

What could I say? I looked great, and when I met Dean, he couldn't take his eyes off me.

"You look incredible, Vicky," he said. His blond hair was combed and slicked back, a dark blue polo and tan shorts exposing his muscled arms and toned legs, Nike beach sandals completing his ensemble.

"You're not too shabby yourself," I replied.

I greeted him with a kiss, taking Dean's hand and letting him lead me to a patio table for two. Not too many people were around, but we got some dirty looks from a group of preppy girls. One of them even mockingly powdered her face. These girls were total losers. It wasn't my fault they were obsessed with the hottest gossip instead of bettering themselves.

We were at this beachfront restaurant that served all kinds of seafood. Most of it was catch of the day, with some imports coming from all over New England. The luxurious interior décor, quality service and great view of the Protectorate's glittering headquarters attracted the rich, famous and wannabes with cash to splash.

I kept it simple and went with the catch of the day and French fries, along with a garden salad and a Crystal Pepsi, while Dean took the Maine Lobster, calamari and a Classic Coke. The salty breeze and calm waves made every bite delectable to eat, and I was reminded once again just how awesome it was to live next to the Atlantic and enjoy seafood that would be a luxury for most of America.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Brockton Bay could savour these luxuries. There was a great divide in this city between the rising tech haven in Downtown Brockton and the decaying Docks, to the point that it was almost too easy to forget just how crime-infested this city was if you weren't caught in the thick of it.

In fact, the ABB was starting to consolidate their claim on their territory, instigating fights with the drug-dealing Merchants. I'd love to bust some of their rank-and-file before Lung started escalating, but so far, I hadn't been that lucky.

"You hear anything about the ABB?" I asked in a slight whisper. Never knew who'd be listening in.

"I arrested a few of them on Thursday. They were selling drugs at the Docks."

I smiled. "Look at you! Busting heads and taking names."

He coughed, covering his mouth with a napkin. Then he wiped it neatly; such good manners.

"Apologies."

"Apology accepted."

Dean took a swig of his Coke. I followed his lead, savouring my drink's smooth, lemony taste. Even though I preferred Pepsi, I could enjoy a good Coke. Some rivalries couldn't be ignored, though, and Dean just had to be a Lakers fan. I'd rather die than support the Lakers, but for the sake of our relationship, I grudgingly accepted that personality defect.

Nobody was perfect, after all.

"Fortunately, nobody got too hurt."

"Hope they got the message," I said, frowning.

"What message is that?"

"Crime doesn't pay."

Dean's mouth twisted, quickly forming a wan smile. "Roughing them up won't clean up the Docks."

I shrugged. "Not like they'll stay locked up for long."

He did a double take, but it wasn't like this was anything new. It was the age-old tale of rehabilitation versus retribution.

"Anyway," I said, eager to change the subject, "did you hear about that girl who nearly got kidnapped on Thursday?"

"You mean Dinah Alcott?" Dean pursed his lips. "Apparently, she's the mayor's niece. They probably went after her to ransom her off, or get the Mayor's attention."

I blinked. "Couldn't they just visit his office?"

"They probably weren't interested."

He dug into his lobster some more, and as I double-dipped my French fry in ketchup, I was struck with the feeling that Dean knew a lot more about this kidnapping than he let on. Amy got called in to PRT HQ yesterday and stayed tight-lipped about her visit. Sure, she healed the Wards, but what was up with the secrecy?

Ugh, whatever, it wasn't my business. What mattered most was that Dinah was safe.

"Word on the street is you talked to Amy yesterday."

"I did, actually. I liked her new hairdo."

I grinned. "It looks great, doesn't it? It cost a pretty penny, but she definitely deserves it."

A small, earnest smile tugged at his wide mouth. "I agree. Getting to spend a lot of time with her sister must've meant the world to her."

"I hope so." My grin turned melancholy. "I guess you know how she's feeling."

"She needs help, Vicky."

"That's why I wanted to cheer her up. It was great hanging out with her, but I just wish I could help her make more friends, too."

If more people saw Amy the way I saw her, I knew they'd appreciate her, help her when she was down and give her more to look forward to.

"You're not the only one. Frankly, these double dates weren't a good idea."

He fixed me with his chiding stare, but I didn't shy away.

"I meant well! But you're right."

He chuckled. "Sometimes, I think you get ahead of yourself."

I raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You blaze a trail, eager to get results, but you tend to forget that not everyone can keep up."

Not this again. Dean thought that seeing people's emotions meant he knew everything about them and could brown nose his way into their hearts, but his shtick didn't work on me. He just stole my heart a different way.

I toyed with my fork, stabbing a leafy piece of lettuce and chewing it. "I can't help that I'm amazing."

Dean's coiffed eyebrows furrowed. "Neither can I, but I think reining it in would be best." My eyes narrowed, but he set his hand on mine. "What I meant was, you should take a bit of time to think about what you're doing."

"Nice save," I said. He blushed pink. So cute. "No need to worry, Dean, I'm already following your advice."

He stared at nothing... then blinked, breaking the trance.

"Good to hear."

When we finished eating, I had a big smile on my face: the food was great, I had a ton of fun with Dean, and I didn't have to spend a cent.

"There's this place I want to check out," Dean said, as we left the restaurant. "Mind driving with me?"

I eyed his silver Mercedes and crossed my arms. "Want to race me instead?"

"I'd rather not lose my pride. Besides, how will you know where I'm going?"

"By following you!"

Then I'd break away and beat him to the punch.

"If that's what you want."

He flashed his boyish smile, and damn it, I just couldn't turn him down. I floated over to his sweet ride and leaned against it.

"Take me away in your chariot, my prince."

Dean flicked his keys and opened the passenger seat for me, ever the gentleman. He was a careful driver, but he definitely knew his way around town. In practically no time at all, Dean pulled up at the Downtown library and typed out a text. I saw Amy come over from the steps, tapping my window.

"Hi, Ames!" I said. "Fancy seeing you here."

Amy breathed hard, brown eyes growing wide. "Don't tell me I'm crashing your date."

"No, you're not," Dean said. His knuckles were tight against the wheel. "Get in."

I shared a look with my sister, just as puzzled as she was. Dean took us to the Towers, a big apartment complex that pretty much required a six-figure salary just to live there. I hoped Dean wasn't trying to impress Amy with his cool car and fancy penthouse, but why Amy was even here was anyone's guess.

Dean wasn't talking that much, though, all tense as he led us to the ground-floor courtyard.

"Are you okay, Dean?"

"I'm fine."

He didn't even look my way. And we were having such a great time.

"Hey, Amy, why did Dean call you?"

Amy frowned. "He wanted to talk, said it was important."

Dean stopped at a stone table. The courtyard was almost completely empty except for a cleaner sweeping the litter. My boyfriend looked at each of us, completely focused.

"We're here. Sit down."

"What's the magic word, Dean?" I asked. He wouldn't order me around.

He grit his teeth. "Please, sit down. I would appreciate it if you did."

I smiled. "I'd be delighted to."

Amy rolled her eyes, but sat next to me and opposite Dean. Dean set his arms on the table, breathing in deeply. I was about to ask him what was going on, but he opened his mouth first.

"Have you ever taken Amy on a patrol with you?"

That was what he was getting worked up over?

"Of course I have."

"What kind of question is that?" Amy asked.

His nose twitched. "I was thinking about introducing this cape I met to you two. She's interested in being a hero, but she's afraid that she won't be accepted."

My smile grew. "I'd love to meet her. What's she like?"

He frowned, and I caught him in the throes of doubt, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.

"She seemed pretty smart. I think she's been going through a hard time, but what surprised me most was how she was... drowning in this hostility. The first time I met her, she told me to get lost, and that's just me being polite."

That didn't seem nice. Dean was definitely going somewhere with this, so I didn't interject. I just wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but frankly, our prospects were getting worse by the second.

"Did you get to see her powers?" Amy asked, wary as always.

"She can control bugs."

Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. This could not be happening.

Amy's skin had turned whiter than Alabaster's, terrifying me even more: Dean could read her emotions like a book, and we had to be united. Just because he met that bug girl didn't mean he knew exactly what we did. Yeah, yeah, we could handle this.

"Can you give us a second, Dean?" I asked, as calmly as I could while panicking for dear life.

I nudged Amy's shoulder, waking her from her stupor. We exchanged a glance and gosh, I wasn't feeling too hot. But I had to show courage in this trying time.

"I need to powder my nose," Amy said. "Since Victoria's an expert at that – "

Seriously? She had to go there?

"What's the rush?" Dean asked. "Relax, ladies. I'm not accusing you of anything."

Yet. I took a deep breath until my lungs were full. In and out. I couldn't afford to lose it.

"Fine. Okay. Let's do this, Amy."

Amy nodded, a dark frown pulling her lip. "What makes this cape so special?"

Dean's fists curled together. "It's not every day that I meet a cape who's genuinely afraid that she'll be attacked. Not by villains, not by criminals, but by heroes. Keep in mind, she's not a villain, even though her costume isn't the most heroic in the world."

"Okay?" I said, like a total airhead. "I mean, like, that sucks for her, right, but what does that have to do with us?"

His jaw clenched. "Are you two hiding something?"

Amy sneered. "Everyone has secrets, Dean."

"But New Wave is supposed to be all about accountability and transparency."

"We are," I said. "What do you think we're hiding?"

Dean frowned. "The second I mentioned that cape's powers, both of you freaked out. Can you tell me why?"

I really didn't want to, but blatantly rejecting him would only make him even more suspicious.

"If this is so important to you, can't you just tell us what you're actually thinking?" Amy said, crossing her arms tightly.

"I want to hear it from you. I'm calling in my favour, Victoria."

Shit. I did promise to make up for cancelling our date, and if this was what he wanted in return... well, I wasn't going to break a promise. I already violated New Wave's founding principles like they were an affront to my existence.

Amy glanced at me, frowning sternly. "Your call."

I sighed. No way around it, then. We had a good run, but hiding forever was always a long shot.

"We met that bug cape on Sunday," I said, and merely admitting it struck me with the strangest sense of relief.

Dean's eyes bulged out, as his face fell from crushing realization. The disappointment he was emanating trudged up feelings I desperately tried to bury.

"She was telling the truth."

But that whisper made me want to fly away so I wouldn't have to bear this shame, blasting my relief to smithereens.

Dean's eyes hardened, steel covering boiling anger. "Do you have any idea what you two did to that poor girl?"

Amy glared at him. "That's not your problem."

"Don't even start with me, Amy. Do your powers mean so little to you that you'd use them to cover up your sister's crime?"

My sister reeled back, stricken by a swarm of guilt that made my cheeks burn from fury.

"Hey, that's a low blow! Amy was just trying to keep things from getting worse!"

"By threatening to sue a newbie whose only mistake was having an un-heroic costume? What could ever justify that?"

I grit my teeth, chest heaving. "You know what'll happen to New Wave, Dean, don't act like we're monsters who beat up people just for kicks."

Dean scowled. "Oh, you're not monsters, you're hypocrites, both of you! You pretend you're so perfect when you'd let an innocent girl take the fall just to protect your precious reputation!"

Of all the underhanded...

"You're not innocent, either! How'd you get her to confess, huh, did you waltz in and tell her everything she needed to hear? Is she your new pet project, Dean? Can't stop playing the gallant knight, can you?"

Dean swallowed harshly. "I helped her because she needs it! Don't you feel even a little bit of guilt for what you did?"

My heart lurched, but I wouldn't dare give in. I shot to my feet, thrusting my hands at the table, held back before I broke it.

"What's the point? The world keeps on spinning, we can't look back and cry about how badly we fucked up!"

He sprang to his feet, too. "Finally, you admit it! Was that so hard?"

It was so much harder than he'd ever know.

"How can she admit anything when you'd judge her for it!" Amy shouted. "You don't care about getting that girl the justice she deserves, or you would've already reported us to the PRT!"

Something in Dean cracked, and he set his hands on the bench, evening out his breathing. I just watched, so freaking pissed at him, wanting nothing more than to hold my boyfriend so he would never be this angry again.

But he was right, and that made it hard to hold onto the rage I'd been using as fuel to defend myself.

"I want to help her," Dean said, "and I wanted to make sure she was telling the truth. That's why I haven't told anyone yet."

Amy stared at him from her seat, remorse and resentment shining in equal measure.

"So what do you want us to do, Dean, hug it out with that bug girl? After everything we did to her?"

Dean frowned. "Tell your mother about this. Trust me, you don't want this to become a scandal, and it will if you keep on hiding this. I don't want you guys to be arrested."

If we confessed, Mom would tear us both a new asshole before she grounded us for life. But if word got out about our list of felonies, New Wave was done for, and I'd never let that happen.

"I need some time to think about it," I said, too drained to really argue otherwise.

"Same here," Amy said.

I thought Dean would have none of that, but he stood up straight, stone-faced. He was still reeling from losing his temper, but thankfully, the worst seemed to be over.

"Don't take too long."

I frowned. "What about that bug girl?"

"I'll take care of her. She needs a friend on her side."

Her side? Not ours? No, that wasn't fair. Dean was just trying to be nice.

"Is she doing okay?" I asked, in a careful whisper.

Dean shook his head. I wilted, looking at my feet. Why did I even bother asking a question I already knew the answer to?

"I'm not surprised," Amy said, voice quivering. "Not that you care, Dean, but we're both really sorry for what we did to that girl. We're not monsters."

"Of course I care," Dean said, "and it's good that you're sorry. But that doesn't change what you did."

It could easily give her peace of mind. Absolve us of our guilt. Would it, though?

"We can make up for it," I said. "Don't you have her number or something?"

"I don't. But I don't think seeing you two would help her recover, at least for now."

For now... but when would that change? Would that ever change? I made eye contact with my boyfriend – if he still wanted to be with me, that is.

"You're right. I'm so sorry, Dean. I shouldn't have said all that mean stuff to you."

Dean smiled. It was brief, but it was genuine, more than enough. "I forgive you. I can tell you're both taking this hard. That's why you should really try to talk to your mother as soon as possible, so we can find a proper solution together."

"Or what?" Amy asked.

His smile disappeared. "It's better if I don't answer that. Just make sure this doesn't happen again."

It wouldn't, but it didn't matter what he said. By confessing that he met that bug girl, Dean just placed the Sword of Damocles over our heads and left us no choice but to deal with it.

Fast.


Author's Note: Victoria is not aware that Circus identifies as genderfluid and presents as female when in costume.