Read Online Trainee Superhero (Book Three) by C. H. Aalberry - Free Book Online

are one of the most
talented superheroes we have had on the team. You are also the only
superhero I’ve ever met who is so scared of flying.”
    That gets a round of laughter, but Dark
Fire cuts it off.
    “You came to us because you kept saying that
little voices on the radio were telling you what to do. We cannot
find any evidence for these voices, yet they still seem to be
giving you good advice. We have taken people for stranger reasons,
but not often.”
    He points a finger at Tenchi’s chest and a
spark leaps out and burns him. Tenchi doesn’t flinch, but I bet it
hurt like saucers.
    “Welcome to the crew, Little
Voices !”
    The assorted superheroes burst into applause
and somebody hands Tenchi a red shirt. He joins their ranks,
leaving me alone. Dark Fire looks at me and shakes his
head.
    “ Red Five , Red Five . You have
some strange attraction to danger, don’t you? Your mother asked me
to make sure you never became a superhero, and I did try. We did
everything we could to stop you, but you refused to take no for an
answer.”
    Saucer, I hope they don’t call me Mother’s
Boy .
    “You are one of the toughest superheroes in
battle and one of the stupidest in training. No other superhero has
spent such a large percentage of their time in the infirmary. You
seem to attract trouble wherever you go, and yet you survive. You
once told me that you wanted a cape or a coffin, and you might
still get both. Today you will be the youngest superhero to achieve
full operator status.”
    He points at my shirt and a flame leaps out,
burning my chest. It does hurt, but I don’t mind. Then he hands me
a long grey cloak, and I sling it over my shoulders.
    “Welcome to the team, Danger
Magnet !”
    It could have been worse.
    People clap and someone hands me a red shirt
with my name on it. I’m in shock; I’ve finally been accepted as a
full operator, a real superhero. And the youngest, ever; that’s
pretty cool. Loud music starts and people move around us.
    Our big moment ends far too quickly, but
that’s life in the Cerberus Brawlers .
    I lift my shirt and try and see what was
burnt on my chest. It’s a tat-a-gotchi, a three-headed dog howling
at a saucer flying overhead. The words “Everything For Earth” are
written beside it. The whole thing moves slightly as I watch, the
dogs snapping at the saucer as it swings from side to side.
    “Cool,” says Little Voices .
    He has the same tat-a-gotchi on his chest.
His first tat peers curiously at the newcomer.
    “Food!” calls out Small Talk from the
barbeque where he is cooking.
    One of Small Talk ’s legs is in a cast
from the waist down, but that isn’t stopping him. We walk up to him
and he serves us thick slices of steak.
    “You boys have done well,” he says, but I can
tell that Little Voices is still a little wary of him.
Operators walk over to congratulate us. Even Pet Shark shakes my hand and gives me an insincere smile.
    “Welcome to the team. I hope you don’t die
suddenly,” he says and then walks off into the shadows.
    “Welcome to the family,” says Simon
Smith , and at least he seems to mean it.
    “I’m in your old room,” I say, “you carved
your name everywhere, Simon Smith .”
    “Yes,” he agrees, and then goes to stand
right on the edge of the deck before I can ask him more. He makes a
lonely silhouette in the moonlight. Bad Day and One
Trick join him, although it’s hard to know if they are
protecting him from the world or the world from him.
    “Scary dude,” says Little Voices , but
very quietly.
    “Call him Simon Smith ,” I say, “and
don’t get on his bad side.”
    We find a couple of seats near the edge of
the deck and sit in silence. Things are going to plan for once, and
I don’t really know what to do about it. Chef walks up to me, bows
and passes Little Voices and me plates holding a single
piece of lasagna. He bows again and leaves as people start to
notice and turn towards the food.
    “Are you boys going to eat