Chapter 8 Escaping the Watch

  This was no time for subtlety. I ran like my life depended on it, which, to be fair, it probably did.

  The duffel bag? Gone. I had stashed it in a spot only I knew, somewhere safe enough to recover later. My focus now was on surviving this mess. The Watch program was packed with teenage capes, and Windbreaker wasn’t going to be the only one after me.

  Sure enough, I could see Leverage closing in from above. Her sleek blue-and-white suit shimmered faintly in the sunlight as she weaved through the air. Flier-3, Enhanced-2, and possibly a Speedster-1. She wasn’t the fastest, but she was persistent, her aerial maneuvers giving her a clear advantage.

  I ducked into a narrow alley and phased through the walls, darting from one building to the next in an effort to shake her. My lungs burned, and my legs screamed with every step, but I pushed forward. No way I was letting her catch me.

  Yet, somehow, she was always just behind me.

  How?

  It hit me like a slap to the face: I was being tracked.

  I cursed under my breath as I phased through another wall. Of course. The Watch have a shifter on their team. That explained how they were keeping up. I probably have a bit of Windbreaker's blood on me... That tracked.

  My suspicion was confirmed when I spotted Tigress flanking me from the corner of my eye. Her feline features were impossible to miss: sharp golden eyes, retractable claws, and enhanced mobility that made her as dangerous as she looked. Shifter-4. Fantastic.

  Tigress let out a feral snarl, her voice cutting through the chaotic sound of my pounding heart and heavy breaths. “Give it up, thief! You’re cornered!”

  I glanced around. The alley opened up ahead, leading to a busy street. Civilians. Great. If I kept running, I’d be risking their safety and drawing even more attention to myself.

  But stopping wasn’t an option.

  I turned sharply and bolted toward the closest construction site. The unfinished building loomed like a skeleton against the gray sky. It was risky, but it gave me a chance to use my phasing powers to outmaneuver them.

  Leverage yelled from above, “We’ve got you surrounded! Surrender now, and we’ll go easy on you!”

  Yeah, sure. And pigs could fly.

  Ignoring her, I dove through the half-built structure, phasing through scaffolding and steel beams. I could hear Tigress’ claws scraping against the concrete as she pursued me relentlessly. Leverage was circling overhead like a vulture, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  My stamina was running low. Every time I phased, it felt like I was pulling from a dwindling well, and the more I used it, the harder it became to recover.

  I needed a plan. Fast.

  Shortly after I took the elevator, I reached the highest point of the half-finished construction site. It was a skeletal tower of metal beams and precarious platforms. The wind whipped around me, making the steel groan under its weight. I paused, forcing myself to regulate my breathing. If I didn’t slow my heart rate, I’d lose focus, and losing focus would mean death.

  Leverage hovered a few feet away, her body taut and ready. She wasn’t even out of breath. Her blonde hair billowed behind her like some superhero propaganda poster, and her piercing blue eyes were locked on me from behind her white domino mask. She wore one of those ridiculously tight spandex suits—white and navy with gold accents—and her curvy silhouette wasn’t exactly screaming “teen crimefighter.”

  If the Watch had a PR department, they probably needed better oversight.

  I raised an eyebrow, letting the tension hang in the air for a beat before smirking.

  “Are you a superhero,” I asked, voice dripping with mockery, “or just someone really into cosplay porn? How old are you even? Fifteen?”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Her lips curled in a sneer, but she didn’t take the bait. “Old enough to put your ass down,” she shot back, voice sharp and controlled. “And no, I’m 17, dumbass…”

  I shrugged, leaning casually against a nearby beam. “Look, I’m just saying, your uniform’s doing a lot of... extra work. Pretty bold for someone chasing criminals.”

  Her eyes narrowed. I could tell she wanted to lunge at me, but she didn’t. Smart. She knew she had the advantage in the air.

  “I’m giving you one chance to surrender,” Leverage said, ignoring my taunt. “Come quietly, and you might avoid a hospital bed... or worse.”

  I chuckled, though it sounded strained even to me. “Hospital bed? That’s funny coming from someone who works with a guy who kicks first and asks questions later.”

  “Windbreaker was doing his job,” she shot back. “Which is more than I can say for you, Sunstrider Killer.”

  The nickname made my stomach twist, but I didn’t let it show.

  I sighed dramatically, spreading my arms. “Okay, fine. You caught me. What now? Are we gonna throw hands, or are you just here to lecture me about morality?”

  Before she could answer, Tigress leapt into view, landing on a nearby beam with feline grace. Her golden fur bristled in the wind, and her glowing yellow eyes locked onto mine.

  “End of the line,” Tigress growled, her voice low and predatory.

  I glanced between the two of them: Leverage hovering with poise and Tigress crouched like a coiled spring.

  Perfect. Just perfect. Just. Peach. Fucking. Perfect.

  They were exactly where I needed them.

  “Alright, ladies,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “I surrender.”

  It was a lie.

  Leverage’s self-righteous rant blurred into the background. Behind me, Tigress’s predatory growl grew louder, closer. This was it. The moment. My pulse hammered in my ears, but I didn’t hesitate.

  "We're quite high up here." I looked below and saw the busy highway. "Hey, ever seen what leap of faith looks like?"

  I launched myself forward, sprinting for Leverage. Her blue eyes widened in alarm, her flight faltering slightly. She probably thought I’d lost my mind.

  As I reached her, I didn’t stop. With a single leap, I propelled myself into the air, grabbing onto her as she instinctively tried to catch me.

  She probably thought she was saving me.

  Her mistake.

  The instant my hands gripped her shoulders and tangled in her blonde hair, I activated my power. My body turned intangible, along with her spandex suit and, surprise, her wig.

  “Oh, wow,” I mocked as I began to free-fall. “Didn’t peg you as a brunette.”

  Leverage shrieked, her hands flying to her now-bare chest. Gravity yanked me downward, and I tossed her wig and spandex back into the air. They fluttered for a moment before landing square on her shocked face.

  The last thing I saw before plummeting was Tigress standing on the beam, frozen in disbelief. Her gaze darted between me and the frantic, exposed Leverage hovering above.

  "See ya, Watch!" I yelled, savoring the chaos as the wind whipped past me. "Because this is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught... Eclipse!"

  Yeah, cringe.

  The air roared in my ears during the freefall, my stomach flipping with exhilaration and dread. I braced for impact, activating my power again just before hitting the ground. My body phased through the concrete like it was water.

  The second I deactivated my intangibility, I emerged on a lower level of the construction site, crouched and panting, but alive. The adrenaline surged through me as I listened to the muffled shouts above. I had to move. The distraction wouldn’t last long, and Tigress wasn’t the type to freeze for long.

  I dashed deeper into the site, weaving through scaffolding and concrete pillars. For now, I was still one step ahead, but I wasn’t na?ve enough to think it would last.

  The wind rushed past my ears, carrying the distant shouts of the bedlam I’d left behind. Still no sign of Vanguard. That was a relief, but it didn’t mean I was in the clear.

  I ran like hell.

  Tigress’s scent-tracking abilities worried me. While I no longer perspired in the usual sense, I wasn’t entirely odorless. If she locked onto whatever trace of me lingered, she’d be on me again soon enough. I silently thanked myself for scattering my tracks so thoroughly after Sunstrider’s death. It wasn’t paranoia. It was survival.

  "Yes, that's right. From here henceforth, it's life and death."

  I reached the spot where I’d stashed my bag of cash. Hidden in a pile of debris near an abandoned lot, the duffel bag was still there. A wave of relief washed over me as I retrieved it.

  Nearby, I spotted a homeless man sitting against a wall, nursing a bottle of something that smelled like paint thinner. An idea sparked in my head.

  "Hey, old man," I called, keeping my voice neutral but firm. He squinted up at me, clearly sizing me up.

  "I’ll trade you," I said, pulling a few loose bills from my pocket. His eyes lit up.

  “What kinda trade we talkin’?” he rasped.

  “Clothes. Yours for mine. Plus a bonus.” I held up the cash, letting the bills flutter for effect.

  Five minutes later, I looked like I belonged on the streets. The oversized jacket and patched pants were itchy, and the mismatched boots pinched, but they’d do the job. The guy was thrilled with the trade, especially after I handed over my shoes.

  I completed the disguise by flipping my bonnet mask inside out, wearing it as a gray beanie. For good measure, I smeared my face with charcoal and grease from a nearby trash can. The smell was awful, but it added authenticity.

  Satisfied, I slung the duffel bag over my shoulder and began making my way back home. Every step felt like a victory, but I knew better than to let my guard down. My hobo disguise was decent, but this city had a way of throwing curveballs.

  The important thing was I had the money, and for now, I was invisible.