29 cape high kittys prid.., p.1
29 Cape High Kittys Pride, page 1
part #1 of Cape High Series
KITTY’S PRIDE
By
R.J. ROSS
Kitty’s Pride
Amazon Edition
Published by Book Candy Publishing
Copyright © 2021 by R. J. Ross
All Rights Reserved
Cover art and design by Leslie Zielinski
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
~Other works by R.J. Ross~
The Winstead Files Series
Courting the Beast * Snow White, Snow White
Seasons of the Fae Series
Raven's Return * Death of a Dryad * Water Wielder
Cape High Series
Super Villain Dad * America's Grandson * Hello Kitty * Don't Know Jack * Daddy's Girl * Aces Wild * Steampunk Time * Fire Hazard * Ditto Ditto * Sunny Daze * Life Light * Guitar Hero * Super Girls * Shadow Boy * Super Villain Grandpa * Mic Drop * Coyote’s Howl * Rocky Road * Rainbow Rush * Rise and Shine * Burn Out * Stringless Puppeteer *America’s Firewall * Mimic You * Steel Life * Aloha Boy * Boogey Blitz * Deadly Road Trip * Kitty’s Pride
Cape High Side Stories
Cape High Christmas: A Side Story
Cape High Villainy: A Side Story
Reaper’s Darlin’: A Cape High Side Story
Cape High Kindergarten: A Side Story
Cape High: Days Past
Ringmaster (Toodles)
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER ONE
*Several Months Ago*
The ice stretches out as far as she can see. That’s not a problem; she can sense every living thing in the area quite easily. It’s been many years since she last came here, Mercher thinks as she trudges along. It had been an irritating meeting that she’d rather forget about, but right now she’s actually grateful that she had come. It gave her an idea for NOW.
The Colleck line is one she had come upon by accident, practically, back when she’d just left the Hall and was looking for something to do with herself. She’d seen him in the news once, and thought that a man that rich would be interested in having a personal healer, surely he was growing old enough for one. It would give her enough money to make a start of it, and distance herself from the world of capes. But when she’d finally gotten an audience with him, she’d found out differently. Walter Colleck is a very, very powerful super in his own right, and he had found her abilities fascinating. Something about being thought of as “Fascinating” by a mad scientist is a bit off-putting.
This place, she thinks as she reaches an unnaturally flat sheet of ice, was where he had brought her to see his latest experiments. Looking back, she almost swears that it had been an awkward form of courtship. Instead it had made her highly uncomfortable and she’d lied, saying she wouldn’t be of any help for this.
Now, she thinks as she places her hand against the ice, she wants to see if he actually accomplished what he’d set out to do, and if so, if he’d left anything behind. The ice lights up, showing several glowing patterns before her name appears—her old name. It cracks, creaking eerily as the ice covering the surface is forcibly shattered. Fine lines spread out before ice falls to the ground. Several thousands of pounds of snow pour down from above, but she doesn’t notice. She’s already inside.
The floor lights up as she walks through the entry hall. Leave it to Walter to make a secret base in the Antarctic look like a five star hotel lobby, she thinks as she looks around. Of course this isn’t where the interesting things are. She heads past this area and down a hall to the back, remembering it clearly.
She steps into the lab and the lights flicker to life as the generator to kick in. It’s somewhat surprising that they even still work, since it’s so cold in this area, it’s only ‘somewhat’ because she knows who created them. In fact, she thinks, there must be at least one generator working at all times.
She heads for the reason she thinks that the generator still works, pressing her hand to the glass tube with a strangely satisfied look on her face. “So he did accomplish what he was hoping,” she says, walking around the tube and looking over the “specimen” inside. “It looks exactly like he said it would all those years ago.”
She heads for the panel next to the tube and taps on it experimentally. “Let’s see… the release button would be… this one, I think.”
The tube swings open, revealing the unmoving body inside. “Now, why don’t we get you up and running,” she says, placing her hands on his chest. Her eyes glow brightly for a moment before she pulls back and nods. “That should do. Wakey, wakey!” she says and lightly smacks his cheek. Walter Colleck’s eyes open and his body shudders as he gasps for breath. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” Mercher says in an almost motherly tone. “Breathe in, little clone. You’ve got some work to do.”
The clone stares at her for a long moment before coughing a few times and repeating, “Clone?”
“That’s right; you’re the clone that Walter Colleck made of himself. And you’re going to help me out,” she declares before turning around and examining the room thoughtfully. “Now, let’s see what all Walter’s been up to in these past few years.”
The Walter in the tube watches her with a shockingly sharp expression before schooling his face and stepping out. “Yes… ma’am.”
***
*Central Hall*
“Everything?” Nico asks.
“For the most part, yes,” Mastermental says. The two are sitting in Mastermental’s office, with the door closed and four strange devices sitting in each corner. No one will be able to hear them from outside, thanks to those. “Tom Macow has no memories of dealing with supers. The fact that it is not in his subconscious is what bothers me. The human mind does not truly forget anything. It can lose access to memories, yes, but they are still there.”
“Except they’re not,” Nico says. “So whoever wiped his mind just wiped out certain specific memories? What is he doing about the gaps? There should be plenty of them.”
“He has replaced them with work related thoughts. He full-heartedly believes he’s been judging small local talent shows over the past few months instead of directing Anti-Super conventions.”
“And Justin?”
“Justin fired him as his agent after a hysterical artist rant. Tom saw it coming, he always considered Justin somewhat unstable,” Mastermental says.
“What about Herold and Marie?”
“Completely gone from his memories,” Mastermental says.
“But he was IN the Hall ER. How could someone have wiped his memory while he was there?” Nico asks, running a hand over his face before flicking a finger at the wall. It lights up, showing all of the footage from that day in fast forward. They watch silently as nurses and doctors bustle around, and zoom in on the healers. Neither says a word as they listen to Alyssa’s rant on being either “unstoppable or intelligent, NOT both.”
“She is one of your favorites, I believe, otherwise she would not be so bold,” Mastermental says with a slight smile.
“She didn’t do it, and neither did the other healers. Kirstin could only make it a bit blurry, but nothing to this extent,” Nico says. “Coyote could do it, though, couldn’t he?”
“He could, yes, but he does not often bother to, and I do not believe he has cause to go after Tom Macow,” Mastermental says. His eyes don’t leave the wall. “Stop,” he says. The screen goes still. “Scan in on that woman in the right hand upper corner, please.”
The feed zooms in, not losing resolution at all with the move. Nico is the one that provides all cameras for the Hall. “The nurse?” Nico asks.
“That is no nurse,” Mastermental says grimly. “I see. It does make sense. I had hoped that…” He stands and leaves his desk, heading for a file cabinet against the wall. Nico makes a face, because he knows for a fact that all of those files aren’t in the system. He had offered to put them in the system, only to find the drawers locked the next day. Of course he could pick the locks, but it had been a very firm statement. Even he doesn’t push the line when it comes to privacy… well… most of the time he doesn’t. Either way, he respects Mastermental too much to do something like that.
“Who is she?” Nico asks, staring at the woman on the screen. She looks like a nurse. Actually, she’s g
ot the sort of face that you see EVERYWHERE, the woman that melts into the crowd. Brown hair, brown eyes, medium sized body, everything about her is… well… neither ugly nor beautiful. “She reminds me of Shadowman,” he says, and then wonders if there’s a connection.
“She is not of the same lineage as Shadowman,” Mastermental says as he rapidly flips through all of the files. He pulls one out, bringing it over to the desk and placing it there. For a long moment Nico stares at it.
“The date is from before I was born,” he says as Mastermental slides it closer to him. He picks it up, flipping it open to a picture. “She looks exactly the same.”
“Yes,” Mastermental says, “She does.”
“How can you still remember when she’s got that sort of ability? Does it not work on you?” Nico asks.
“No, it would not work in me. But when she left us, she did not have the skill she apparently does, now,” Mastermental says. He leans back in his chair, practically slouching, and rubs the bridge of his nose. It says something when the most powerful psychic in the world develops a headache. “She merely had the ability to neutralize memories of traumatic events.”
“Was that her only ability?” Nico asks.
“No, she was a true healer, much like Aubrey. She could heal diseases, physical wounds, and more. She was adequately powerful even back then. I always admired her large range of abilities.” He looks away, as if not wanting to go on.
“Why did she leave?” Nico asks as the security footage starts playing again.
“Because…” Mastermental says, hesitantly, “I believe that I… broke her heart.”
Nico looks at him, almost blandly. “Oh did you, now.”
“Yes… yes, I did,” Mastermental admits.
“You know, for a mind reader, you have TERRIBLE luck with women,” Nico says. The footage shows her heading into Tom’s room, and then shifts to show her remarkably quick take-down of the man. It had been done in mere seconds. Nico even lets out a whistle of admiration. “So she’s Mary,” he says. “They’ve even said that they shouldn’t mention her name, you know, or we’d start up a new arc. I think my little healers are growing to understand the super world quite well.”
“Unfortunately,” Mastermental says. “But it does not make sense. Mary, even while heartbroken, was a kind and compassionate woman. I cannot understand how she would change so much.”
The feed follows her, changing angles even more smoothly than a movie would, merely because Nico is controlling it. They watch silently as she steps into Charles Colleck Jr’s room and takes his hand, smiling at him in a loving fashion.
“That… is not good,” Mastermental says.
Nico says nothing, but Mastermental looks at him, seeing the very thoughtful expression on his face. “Do you still plan to bring him into the Cape Highs?” Mastermental asks.
“Even more than I had before this,” Nico says.
“I advise you to be very, very careful,” Mastermental says. “You are putting our children at risk.”
“I know,” Nico says, “but this is finally a lead.”
***
*Cape High*
I need to leave. I slip my books into my bag and sling them over my shoulder, rushing for the door. Unfortunately, I’m stopped by two massive lugs, one of whom shouldn’t even be here. “I’m in a hurry, Trent,” I say.
“Sunny says you’ve been slipping off the moment class is over for the past month,” Trent says. “Personally I figure if you were doing something, we’d hear about it, but he’s getting worried.”
“Whatcha doin’ after class, Adanna?” Jack asks. “And if it’s illegal, do you want some help?” He grins, showing shiny metal teeth. I suppose most people would be scared right now, being stopped by the Liberty boys at the door. Personally, I just find it irritating.
“Did she tell you anything?” I hear my boyfriend call from behind them. “I got the little guys!” I look around Jack’s shoulder, and then groan as I realize Sunny is carrying both of my brothers. Well, actually, they’re hanging off of him. He’s in the middle of a growth period, again, so both of them can do that surprisingly easily. He’s nearing six feet. Aubrey says that he’ll be as big as his dad is, if not a little bigger, but that’s not what’s important right now. “But Cubby and Robo won’t tell me what they were trying to sneak out for, either,” he says.
“We can’t tell!” Cubby says urgently, even though I know he’s DYING to tell.
“Mama told us not to tell that we’re doing a—” Robo starts out.
“WE CAN’T TELL!” Cubby yells, climbing up to perch on Sunny’s shoulder. “Mama said so, and we can’t even tell Papa,” he almost falls as he leans forward to whisper the deadly secret. “So we can’t tell Sunny or anybody!”
I feel my phone buzz and I pull it out, flicking it unlocked and checking the note from my mother. I let out a sigh and shift into my panther form. We don’t have time for this. I rush forward, slipping between Jack’s legs and then jumping. Robo and Cubby grab onto me as I go past Sunny’s head. I’m almost—
Sunny’s arms wrap around my waist, and we all crash to the ground. I give him my most irritated look before reluctantly shifting back. “We are doing something we cannot tell Papa about, Sunny,” I say. “And we all know that YOU talk when you’re sleepy, including Papa! He is getting suspicious! He isn’t afraid to use your sleep-talk against us!”
“I’M getting suspicious!” Sunny says.
“I am not cheating on you,” I say, rolling my eyes. “But we need to leave now, Mama is waiting for us! And you know that she always attracts attention when she waits outside. It is extremely annoying.”
“Yeah? Well so do you,” he says before sighing and letting go. “Just… be careful, okay?” he says.
“We are perfectly safe,” I promise, feeling awkward even now about kissing his cheek. “Don’t worry, it isn’t something terrible.” I shift and then grow into my extra-large panther form, letting my brothers get on my back before I race through the school. This larger form? I just learned it last month. It is SO much fun. I hear several people let out yelps of surprise before rushing to get out of my way.
“Adanna!” I hear Elidee shout. “You messed up my HAIR!”
“Bye bye, Elidee!” Robo yells, waving wildly while grabbing on with his legs. My brothers have excellent balance, which is the only reason I’m willing to do this.
“GRAB THAT KITTY!” I hear Emily shout. I speed up, and my brothers hold on more tightly, even grabbing my fur with their hands. I barely manage to dodge as Ditto appears in front of me. I almost knock into Carla, who just appeared, and is now running beside me, backwards.
“Are we playing catch?” she asks. “I LOVE playing catch!”
“She’s hiding something!” I hear Emily call out. “We want to know what it is! She came to last night’s family dinner wearing LIPSTICK!”
Every kid in the school looks shocked by that. It gives me just the right amount of time to race out the door and across the campus, leaving them all behind.
(Oh, sure, several of them could catch up, but super instinct is extremely strong with most of them. That’s why it looks so natural when the villains get away… AGAIN.)
We get to the top of the steps that lead to the exit of the school and my brothers slip off. I shift into my human form, only to sigh as I realize Zoe is just sitting on the railing, watching us. “Zoe,” I say, wondering if I should explain. She’s the only one other than Nico that could actually keep us on campus if she wanted to.
“I’ve seen the first part of the filming,” she says almost silently. “I can’t WAIT to see the finished project!” And the footsteps light up for all three of us, letting us leave.
There’s a car in front of the campus, and we start for it, only to stop as the driver’s side door opens and Papa steps out. He doesn’t look happy AT ALL.
“We’re in trouble, aren’t we?” Robo asks in a tiny voice.
“Yes… we’re in deep trouble,” I say with a sigh. Running away from my boyfriend is one thing. Running away from my papa? Yeah, that is NOT going to happen.
The passenger side window rolls down and Mama waves us over. “Come on, kids, we’re going to be late if we take too long!” she says.
“I have NOT agreed to this, yet!” Papa says, but I feel relieved. We’re safe. Papa only uses that tone when he knows that Mama’s won the argument. “My beautiful babies in a… a commercial!” he says, throwing his hands up in the air.
