Prowl did a double-take, muttering, “What the hell?”
She didn’t know about Aura. Finally, a real advantage. Through a break in the crowd, Joan spied the Super at headquarters in her gold-and-white bodysuit with its fluttering cape, mask all askew, boots unzipped. Dressed in a hurry for sure.
Prowl snarled, then flung herself at Joan. Joan pressed a hot hand to her back as she held on tight. “Hey Catch, remember all the times I would cook your suit?”
“Yes,” Darlene said.
“It’s fun. Give it a try.”
Darlene pulsed waves of heat into the rubbery material, making Prowl howl and claw wildly at them both. “You bitches!” she shrieked. “That really hurts!”
“Surrender now, Villain,” Darlene stated in her Catch-iest tone.
The ground shook with massive force, cracking the street in the middle. Joan and Prowl jumped to one side, Darlene the other.
A burst of wind sent someone flying through the air—Quake. He guided chunks of blacktop to cushion his fall. Then he flung them at Perry.
Otis soared above him. Quake raised earthen debris and sent it straight up.
The Villain fiddled with something on his metal patch—a dial? It was different than Prowl’s. He stomped the blacktop so hard, it made everything move. Joan had to right herself before she fell into the growing crevasse.
He sought out Prowl and gestured at her. “You’re taking the credit for everything?”
“This is my scheme, old man,” Prowl said.
“Don’t disrespect your elders. Or count them out.” Quake turned the dial as far as it would go. Short, quick beeps sounded. “Or discount how I can pay for upgrades that you cannot.”
He slammed his palms downward. The whole street cracked and crumbled.
Screams and shouts came from all over—bystanders, the criminals who’d been reduced to hugging it out. Joan blasted into the air. So did Mark.
Quake swirled the chunks of blacktop and rocks and wreckage, creating a tornado of debris in front of him. Joan had to fly out of the way, heart in her throat. He was gonna use it to destroy HQ and whatever the fuck else he wanted to take out.
Steam and water shot out of broken pipes. Car alarms blared from where they’d sunk into the ground. The thrum of people running for their lives echoed up and down Leyton Avenue. Acrid earthy smells filled Joan’s nose.
The debris-nado grew in width and height. The news helicopters backed off. Joan and Mark and Otis couldn’t get near it. Perry flew up and blew on it, not making much of a dent. It was too densely packed.
Then the sidewalk crowd parted, almost in slow motion.
Amazing Woman appeared from a cloud of dust, staring straight ahead, on a mission.
She walked directly into a piece of hovering concrete, brushing it aside. Then a flying bicycle bounced off her.
Prowl pounced in front of her, swiping her nails at Gus. Gus barely batted an eyelash and said something clearly acerbic by the way Prowl reacted—stunned and a little taken aback. Kade grabbed her for another round of angry cat and gigantic mouse.
Gus stood at the edge of the cracked earth. “Big Quake,” she called. “We have unfinished business to attend to.”
The debris rose until Quake could see her. “At long last. I’ve dreamed about this day. The day I finally take you and your beloved city out.”
“Best of luck with that.”
He shot a line of rubble at her. Chunks of blacktop broke apart as they smashed into her, but she just took it. She stepped onto the newly created pile of crap, getting closer to him.
Joan roused out of her stupor and was ready for the next wave he shot at Gus. She blasted at it, hoping to break it up. A big trash fire rained down instead.
“That’s not helpful,” Gus shouted at her.
“My bad,” Joan said.
