Dedicated to @darkestnightskies for her amazing- original- superhero stories! To KitKat and Ginger!
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Maddy's POV
All the way to Bailey's house, I amused myself by imagining what their superhero trial would go like.
I'd admit I used more than a little creative license, but it was likely to go like this-
Evil Guy (let's call him EG)- Halt in your tracks, meddling vigilante!
Madeline- Um... if you're robbing a bank, shouldn't you stop?
EG- Remove that notion this instant, for nothing can stop (insert weird name here). Nothing- not even thy crude fashion sense- can stop me now! (is about to leave with the goods).
Noah (offstage)- Psst. Ignore him- you look fine (coughs). You should stop him now.
Madeline- Okay! (faces villain) Could you put down the money? It's not yours.
EG- (laughs evilly)- Ha! Not on your nelly! Apparently, thou have just as bad a hero sense as fashion sense. (drops old-fashioned accent) Where did you get the suit from, anyway?
Madeline- Um... it's difficult to explain. (looks to the shadows for help). I was taking refuge in this guys' house, and he made a mask for me. He's sweet- wait, did I say that out loud?
EG and Noah, together- Yes.
Madeline- I'm sorry I told him about you, Noah! (talking to herself as Noah facepalms) What do I do now? (dials helpline) Excuse me, I'm reporting a robbery- wait, where'd he go? (Police appear from next alley over, holding a handcuffed EG.)
Police- Let's throw her in the car with him. Why is she a superhero-
"Maddy?" Bailey half-waved a hand into my line of sight. It broke off my daydream quite effectively- I'd forgotten about Bailey and the rest of the universe in general. "Mad? Mads? Madeline?"
The last one did the trick- I snapped out of thoughts of Madeline and Noah and went straight for her.
"Aah!" Bailey crashed backward and hit her head on the low-hanging ceiling of the Nook. "Ow. Owowow." Still rubbing her head, she glared at me. "What's so important you can zone out?"
Just making conspiracy theories. "Nothing. How 'bout you?"
Bailey held up the files, and I flipped one open. Then I winced. "How'd you find this- closed your eyes and picked whatever felt spookiest?"
"No," Bailey said, affronted.
"Then what? Searched through the darkest corners of the room? Broke a few locks? Please don't tell me you broke any locks. Dad always blames it on me- like I care what buildings SoAndSo blew up!"
"I didn't even have to search for it." Bailey shrugged. "I just grabbed whatever was on top and ran. On that note, does your dad ever stop working? Even for a five-minute break?"
"No," I said solemnly. "His tolerance is inhumane."
"Never mind the- Anyway, the files turned out to be one about the dragon and your health records"
"My health- wait a second, Noah's health records?" I opened another of the files to a picture of Noah at age six, his smile wide and gap-toothed. His dark chocolate hair stuck up, nearly vertical.
YOU ARE READING
The Mask Effect (EDITING)
FantasyTaking down an unmasking villain probably wasn't what most teenage siblings did in their spare time. But Noah and Madeline 'Maddy' Torrez were a super and his sister- each enthusiastic about sleuthing for their own reasons. But the clues all point...
