The OK Team 2 (15 page)

He points a non-flaming finger at my chest. ‘He was too good.'

‘What does that mean?' Under the library table, I've been mindlessly turning my left hand invisible, then visible, then invisible. My old practice routine, as devised by Mr Fabulous all that time ago. I still do it just to remind myself that I need to keep improving, to keep working on developing my powers. Level C won't just happen. I have to make it happen.

‘Think about it, Hazy. He left our team – what? – three weeks ago? And he turns up last night, able to do what he did? Super strong. Super fast – able to flick from a truck to a whipper-snipper to solid steel, without raising a sweat. It's completely unnatural. If he hadn't been mentally freaked out, he would have swept the whole lot of them, S.T.O.M.P. or not.'

I stare at him. ‘Simon, are you saying what I think you're saying?'

‘All I'm saying is that I don't see how any Hero could go from the Switchy we knew – impressive, creative and lots of room for improvement, sure, but also known to switch into the wrong form more than once or twice – to basically a Level B or maybe even Level A performance. In three weeks.'

‘You think he might be on . . .?'

‘Plus, what about the dog thing? What was that about? The Switchy we knew used to still be Switchy, no matter what physical form he happened to be in. Last night, he actually became a dog. It was as though he didn't recognise us.'

I don't say anything.

Simon leans forward. ‘All I'm saying is that Leon mentioned that nobody knows what the side effects of S.T.O.M.P. are. Over-committing to a shape-shift? Not being able to completely transform back . . .'

‘Wow,' I say. ‘I hadn't thought about it like that. I can't believe he'd do it, but maybe.'

Simon is looking at his hands now, rubbing his index finger. ‘Well, then again, why not?'

‘Huh?' I look at him sharply. ‘What does that mean?'

He shrugs self-consciously. ‘I've been thinking about it, that's all.'

‘Thinking about what? S.T.O.M.P.?'

He nods, not looking me in the eye.

‘Geez, Tor – I mean Simon. Where do I start? You can't!'

Now he looks at me and his eyes are flashing. ‘Why can't I? Honestly? Why not? I haven't been developing the way I need to, Hazy. I'm still a long, long way short of my granddad's torching ability. Frederick's right. I am still the Human Candle. Seeing Morphul as Papa Torch
did
freak me out. He was beyond better than me, he was in a completely different league, and I hate it.'

‘You're improving. You've come a long way in a year.'

‘I want to be a great Hero. And not in a decade. I want to be a great Hero now.'

‘What about when your head caught fire the other night at training? That was new. You're still developing.'

‘A burning head! What use is a burning head? Hazy, I HAVE to get to Level A, at least . . . maybe Double A. I don't want to be the first full-time Torch in family history not to make that level.'

For the first time, I realise the pressure Simon's under. And I can see that his whole new cocky routine, the swaggering, over-confident Torch, is a big act, to disguise his insecurity and lack of real progress.

‘Mate,' I say, ‘this S.T.O.M.P. stuff could be really bad for you. If you're right about Switchy, he can't even control it and is in danger of ending up as a slobbering dog for life.'

‘Yeah, but he was powerful, Hazy! He was the goods when it mattered.'

‘If he is on S.T.O.M.P., he's cheating, Simon. Remember what Golden Boy said? About being a Hero with style, about fighting fair?'

‘Golden Boy!' he hisses. ‘You and your precious Golden Boy. What does Goldilocks know about not being able to trust your power? Or not knowing if you're even capable of greatness. This is not Heroic.' He flicks his fingers and the steady flame appears off his right index finger.

He snuffs it before a librarian comes searching for the smokers at the back of the library, and checks to see we're still alone.

‘Golden Boy was born with more power in his nostril than you or I can ever hope to muster so it's easy for him to flick off S.T.O.M.P. as some kind of distasteful cheat's poison. He should walk in my shoes sometime.'

And with that, he lurches to his feet and storms out of the library, blinking back tears as he goes.

I sit for a while until I realise there are only minutes before the end of lunch bell. I quickly log on to one of the library's communal PCs. After the usual furtive glances to confirm I'm not being watched, I check my Hero mail. There are three. One's a spam, offering cheap capes, one reminds me that Heroes Anonymous is now meeting on Thursdays in a giant natural cavern, deep under the Como Building in South Yarra, and the third is from Logi-Gal. She says we need to talk, urgently.

There's something in her tone, even in those few written words, that makes my stomach flip-flop, and I feel my visibility waver.

Just what I need.

CHAPTER 16
A LOGI-GAL
CONCLUSION?

W
e meet at the chocolate shop at the Queen Victoria Market. They serve the best hot chocolates in Melbourne and we order two huge cups of foaming milk chocolate.

I haven't often seen Logi-Gal out of costume. In a strange twist on most Heroes, she doesn't wear glasses in everyday life and wears a long blonde wig as a disguise. Throw in jeans and a T-shirt, plus no cape, and I have trouble recognising her. Until she speaks, of course.

‘My input was negligible and I believe I understand the symptoms that underlie my inability to contribute in a meaningful way when it mattered,' she says.

‘And now again, in English . . .' I sigh.

‘That was correct English, Focus. It's just that your vocabulary is not yet adequate for such complexity of language.'

‘Point well made and taken,' I say, sipping my chocolate. ‘So what are you actually saying?'

She looks small, her shoulders hunched. ‘I was crap the other night. I was hopeless. The Gamer had to rescue me, for Pete's sake. It was pathetic.'

‘You were the one who attacked after we thought The Gamer was dead and anyway, it was pretty scary out there. Those guys are far stronger than they should be.'

‘And that's the problem,' she says. ‘I know that and logically that means we can't win. It means somebody could get seriously hurt. Logically, Focus, we shouldn't be out there against these guys.'

I feel my visibility wavering. ‘What do you want us to do? Quit?'

‘Not us. Just me.'

She looks at me for a long moment. She's serious.

‘Logi-Gal! You can't.'

‘Focus, I'm not useful in battles like the other night. What can I do? You're all in there, being boys, and throwing punches at each other.'

‘That's what Superheroes do. And not just guys. Women Heroes too. They all clout bad guys!'

‘I know, but it's not logical. It's dumb. A bunch of costumed freaks beating each other up. And all I can do is stand on the sideline and try to make sense of it.'

‘We're not freaks,' I say firmly. ‘And your punching has been improving.'

‘In the gym, at practice. When nobody is punching back. Yeah. But, Focus, the point is I don't want to punch anyone, or put myself in places I might get punched.'

‘I reckon you should think about this.'

‘Focus,' she says, ‘S.T.O.M.P. has changed everything. Unlike the rest of the team, I'd be happy to be a Level D Hero for the rest of my career. But I can't go up against Villains, not knowing if it's a fair fight. That wouldn't be a logical fight to get into.'

We sit in silence for a while, sipping hot chocolate.

‘Logi-Gal, you can't quit,' I say. ‘I agree that S.T.O.M.P. is dangerous, and frightening. Plus it's cheating and upsets the balance between Heroes and Villains. But there's one thing that the bad guys can't S.T.O.M.P. their way to a quick fix, for a short cut. Do you know what that is?'

She shakes her head, looking puzzled.

I point a non-blurry finger between her eyes.

‘Your power, Logi-Gal. Brains. Your intelligence, your brilliant strategy and your logic in the face of some very strange people and situations. No amount of S.T.O.M.P. can give the bad guys what you've got – and that's smarts.'

‘It still wasn't much good when that stupid gorilla just scooped me up. I was frozen with fear.'

‘But that's because your power isn't a physical one. We've been coming at this all wrong. You shouldn't be trying to slug it out with S.T.O.M.P-ed up clowns like those idiots.'

Now she's frowning. ‘So what? I stay at home, and mind the headquarters while all the boys go out and fight?'

‘No. Your job is clear. Because of this stupid Pact I made with the Bushranger, it's up to us to take these guys out, S.T.O.M.P. or not. The Gamer has already captured Monkey 2.0. Beating Swoop Swoop is Cannonball's job. Torch and The Gamer can focus on Directo and Blink. I will more than have my hands full with the Bushranger. You have to work out how to beat Morphul.'

‘Morphul?' She looks genuinely shocked. ‘But he's a shape-shifter. He beat Switchy and Switchy was awesome! How can I possibly beat him?'

‘Listen, I'm making this up as I go along,' I say. ‘All I know is that Torch has got some personal issues happening right now, Cannonball is still unnerved by belting that kid too hard and I'm worried the OK Team is falling apart. I need you to be strong and I need you to figure out a way to beat Morphul. Can you do that for me?'

‘Well, I don't want to let the Team down.'

‘Logi-Gal,' I say, ‘you know and I know that your biggest problem is getting those two egos on legs, Cannonball and Torch, to listen to your orders when you outline our strategy.'

‘I guess I could start by watching security camera footage of the battle,' she says.

‘There you go. Already, you're coming up with a plan. I want to do the same thing, to check out Blink's moves. Why don't you contact Gotham too and see if Mr Fabulous has any ideas?'

‘I'm still a Hero,' she says and she's smiling with relief.

‘Of course you are.' I finish my hot chocolate as my mobile phone buzzes. ‘A Hero is a Hero. No matter what.'

I read the SMS. ‘And what's more, I need you to come with me. Golden Boy has summoned us.'

‘THE Golden Boy?' she asks.

‘There's only one.'

CHAPTER 17
THAT'S RIGHT!
3,973,642 CAMERAS
CAN'T BE WRONG

L
ogi-Gal has the same look of disbelief that Switchy and I shared as we approach Hero HQ. As though she can smell something appalling.

‘You must have the wrong house, Focus,' she says. ‘It's completely illogical to think that this could be the Melbourne headquarters for the world's greatest Superheroes.'