Read Online Rise of the Heroes by Andy Briggs - Free Book Online Page B

stopped nothing. With my Storm Engine I can control the weather! I will turn rain forests into frozen wastes, swell the oceans to flood the lands, and ravage the world with ferocious hurricanes!” His voice rose to fever pitch. “The weather will turn and my storms will force the world to fall to its knees under my reign!”
    Toby was uneasy; the conviction in Doc Tempest’s words felt almost tangible.
    Tempest flicked a glance at the approaching chopper, and then scowled at the heroes. “I will have revenge! You have not heard the last of me!”
    Rocket pads on Tempest’s boots suddenly erupted, and he was catapulted into the sky at such a velocity that they heard a sonic boom seconds later.
    Toby watched the approaching helicopter. “We better get off this roof, unless somebody can think of a good excuse for us being here with stolen money!”
    Pete stared longingly at the cases. “Millions … just think. We could have anything. No more problems.”
    Emily grabbed his arm, waking him from his reverie. “Pete! We have to go!”
    Pete reluctantly allowed himself to be guided across the rooftop. Lorna led the way to the stairwell Tempest’s platform had crashed into. The smoldering glider-disc blocked the green fire door.
    â€œOn three, let’s roll this thing off.”
    Even with their combined strength, it was a struggle. The machine rolled aside, just enough to allow Lorna to open the door. Inside a staircase offered an escape route down.
    Pete cast one last glance at the mayhem—and at the cases of money they had left behind—before he followed his friends.
    * * *
    Without the benefit of superpowers it had taken forever to walk back home, and their feet were sore. The journey started with them excitedly replaying the events that had occurred over and over, from each of their viewpoints. Toby’s account revolved around him as the central hero—a statement that developed into an argument between him and Pete. Pete accused Toby of choosing a power that was useless against Doc Tempest … and, of course, claimed it was
he
who had won the day.
    Lorna and Emily were smart enough to keep out of that argument. They both knew it was
their
superior abilities that had defeated Tempest.
    The argument had fizzled into an uncomfortable silence as Toby and Pete separated and headed for their respective homes. Before parting Lorna had made them all agree to get together tomorrow and try the Web site again. Pete and Toby merely swapped mute nods—both still fuming.
    Pete and Emily walked in thoughtful silence most of the way. They were tired, their muscles aching with the kind of constant throbbing usually experienced after running laps in PE.
    They reached Emily’s street, and Pete mumbled about seeing her tomorrow. He didn’t hear her reply as he walked away—his mind was somewhere else.
    He was thinking about the money in the cases. Hehad never really needed anything, although most of his possessions were usually bought on sale or secondhand. His parents worked exceptionally hard. In fact they were seldom ever together at home—something Pete thought was the cause of their continuous arguments. If they were rich, maybe his parents wouldn’t have to work so hard and then they wouldn’t fight?
    Pete looked around. His feet had carried him to his own street, and into a gang of thugs.
    He recognized them instantly: Jake Hunter’s gang. There were three of them. Scuffer, Knuckles, and Big Tony. All about a year older than him, dressed in torn jeans, dirty sneakers, and worn leather jackets.
    â€œI’m tellin’ ya,” said Scuffer in a low voice. “I saw ’im fly. There’s somethin’ not right.” He clammed up the moment he spotted Pete and watched him with narrow, ratlike eyes.
    Knuckles took a long drag on a cigarette that was cupped in his hand, trying not to cough from the smoke, and then threw