Forced Partnership (3 page)

 

*****

 

TRUTH IS THE GREATEST SUPER-POWER OF THEM ALL!

Partycrasher gives me another kick in the chest. "Why you
hated
her so much, I'll never
know
." The next one, he plants in my groin. "Frankly, I don't much
give
a shit anymore."

I squirm on the ground, groaning from the pain. I can't even manage a scream anymore. "Sh-she was...t-turning you...evil..."

"I
said
..." He kicks me again. "...I don't
care
." And again.

"B-but the De-Evilizer..."

"...was the .45 automatic that was stolen from my apartment in a
break-in
three years ago!" Suddenly, he leans down and lifts me off the pavement by my blood-soaked cape. "You
killed
my
wife
with
my own gun
!"

I try to shake my head, which comes out more like a twitch. "S-saved...you..."

"Saved me?" He hauls me close so we're face to face. "You
ruined
me, you demented son of a bitch. You took the one thing I ever cared about in this..."

I close my eyes. I try to shut him out.

What if this is all an illusion? What if Linda Loveblind sank her hooks in
me
, too...and if only I concentrate hard enough, the real world will peek through and I can see...

 

*****

 

HONORING THE PARTNER OF A LIFETIME.

As I stand on the dais and gaze out at the crowd, I feel like I'm going to cry. Other than the day Partycrasher invited me to join the Party Line, this is by far the finest day of my life.

Every super-hero in Isosceles City is assembled here today. I see Hericane, Mardi Gras, Overtime, Stalwart...Widening Gyre, Thunder Perfect Mind, The Jupitarian...Flotilla, Red Baron, Carpet Bomber, Concorde...Retcon, CEO, King David, Old Glory. They all gaze up at me, grinning with approval--some winking, some giving me a thumbs-up.

Then, Partycrasher walks out and stands in front of me, facing the crowd. "We are gathered here today to bestow the ultimate honor that the super-hero community can give." He lifts up a glittering medal on a red velvet yoke, holds it over his head. "The Order of the Golden Mask."

Everyone applauds at once. Some of the heroes whoop and whistle. Mardi Gras shoots up fireworks.

"I bestow this award upon the man who saved me from Linda Loveblind, the femme fatale who infiltrated my super-team...and my personal life." Partycrasher turns and smiles at me. "I bestow this award upon the truest and most faithful hero ever to fight crime by my side."

He walks over and drapes the medal around my neck.

"I have never been more proud of you," he says softly as he kisses my cheek. And then he turns to the audience again and raises his arms high. "Please join me now in recognizing this courageous hero for his outstanding achievement and the statement it makes about the true nature of heroism in our..."

 

*****

 

THE LAST STAND OF A HERO'S HERO.

Partycrasher's voice brings me back. "Maybe you think I won't cross the line tonight." His eyes come into focus again, glaring out from the holes in his black cowl. "Maybe you think I take my oath too seriously to ever kill a man in cold blood."

He's still holding me up by my cape like a hunk of dead meat. My body's so broken at this point, I can't move a muscle. I can't feel a thing below my waist, which I think is a major blessing.

"Well, guess what?" Suddenly, his fist lashes out and punches right through my chest. "There's an addendum to the oath. File it under super-hero trivia."

I can feel...I can feel...

My eyes roll up in their sockets. I can feel his hand clutching my heart.

"This addendum," he says as his fingers start to squeeze. "It renders the oath null and void in the event of a murdered spouse." His grip continues to tighten. "What does this mean in plain English?"

"P-please." There are so many things I want to say, so many things I need to tell him. A cascade, a multitude of things.

If only I could speak a full sentence.

"Translation," he says. "
I
am de-evilizing
you
."

Then his grip on my heart grows tighter still. His fist clenches, and I know my heart is about to burst, about to break for the very last time.

And I close my eyes and strain with all my might to see beyond the illusion once more. Perhaps, if I can shatter this implanted delusion, I can step through into the better world Loveblind sought to deny me, the world in which instead of dying I am...

 

*****

 

ANOTHER NIGHT IN ISOSCELES CITY...

Partycrasher pats my chest and smiles. "Ready to hit the street, chum?"

I pull the black cowl down over my face and nod. "So much crime, so little time."

"Say." He cocks his head and points an index finger at me. "That's a good one. I just might use that again."

"Be my guest." I laugh and unbuckle my seat belt. "So do you think we'll catch up with her tonight, Partycrasher?"

"Linda Loveblind?" He shrugs as he pops open his own seat belt. "Hard to say. All we can do is remain ever-vigilant for any sign of that mind-warping Mata Hari."

"I suppose you're right." Reaching into the glove compartment, I pull out the De-Evilizer gun. "But I'm taking this just in case."

We both chuckle, and then we leap out of the Partymobile without opening the doors.

The second my boots hit the pavement, I feel lighter. This is where I belong. This is how it was meant to be.

All my troubles float away as I start the oath. "Criminals, your party is over."

"We're not invited," joins in Partycrasher, "and we're showing up anyway."

We give each other a high five. Then, we hear a woman scream from a nearby alley.

"A citizen in danger!" says Partycrasher. "Some foul fiend at work, no doubt!"

"Let's go!" My feet are already moving before I say the words.

As we run toward the alley, the streetlight behind us flickers once...then twice. Looking back over my shoulder, I see it flicker a third time, and go out.

I stop running, staring up at that darkened lamp, feeling as if I'm forgetting something. Something important.

But then I figure what could be more important than fighting crime? And I charge off after Partycrasher, dashing under the stars winking in the indigo night, stars so bright and close, I swear I could pluck them right from the sky if only I outstretched my black-gloved hand.

CASE CLOSED.

*****

Also by DC Comics Author Robert T. Jeschonek

Another Super-Hero Saga
in the

Forced Heroics
Series:

Forced Retirement

What if Alzheimer's struck the World's Mightiest Hero? His daughter, heroic Hericane, finds out the hard way. Gripped by dementia, godlike Epitome tears apart a city, and no one can stop him. Will his madness destroy the entire world? Not if Hericane recruits the one big gun who stands a chance in Hell of stopping her father in his tracks. But the battle of the century between the super-charged titans might just kick-start the Apocalypse instead of stopping it. Because Epitome and his nemesis have much more in common than ultimate power. The shocking secret they share could turn history itself inside out.

Now on Sale!

*****

 

Don't miss
Forced Heroics
Book 2:

Who murdered the girlfriend of the World's Mightiest Heroine? Super-powered Hericane will stop at nothing to find out who killed the woman she loved. But when she teams with Bonnie Taggart, internal affairs investigator for the Superhuman Protectorate, the search leads in unexpected directions. Fighting their way through the darkest corners of Isosceles City, Hericane and Bonnie tear the truth from criminal chimpanzees, crooked promoters, and hateful cops, only to fall prey to a terrible trap. The hunters become the hunted as Hericane and Bonnie go on the run, barely staying a step ahead of the super hit squads out to slay them. Solving the case is the only way to survive--but the secrets they unearth will jeopardize much more than their lives. Because exposing the truth might just lead to the greatest superhuman catastrophe of all time. A catastrophe that no one will walk away from.

Now on Sale!

*****

Also Now on Sale

Another Super-Hero Epic by Robert T. Jeschonek

Who is killing the world's smallest super-heroes? Down-on-his-luck masked avenger Man-Child takes the case, but can he save the remaining Small Wonders from a killer with a twisted crush fetish? Man-Child takes on villainous Mammon and Stigmata without missing a beat, but his own dark secret might be enough to bring him down for good. Fighting through the shadows and gutters, Man-Child confronts the horrors of yesterday and today, learning a brutal lesson the hard way: even a size-changing super-hero can't afford to shrink from the darkness around him...or in the depths of his own heart.

Now on Sale for Mature Readers Only!

*****

Another Super-Hero Tale by Robert T. Jeschonek

Heroes of Global Warming

The world's hottest hero has gone rogue! In an age of global warming, super-heated hero Skillet looks like a lukewarm loser. But when his teammates, the Castigators, turn their backs on him, he turns the Castigators into prey. Let the hunt begin! Skillet becomes public enemy number one as he rounds up his former allies. But the secret plan behind his hunt might just save the world. The invention of evil genius Brain Fart could turn back the clock on global warming by melting down the high-powered do-gooders. Can Skillet capture the last of the heroes needed to charge the climate change reverser? Or will an out-for-blood super-hero hit squad cook his goose first? The hope of the future explodes in a fight to the death between the caped-and-cowled warriors of a doomed generation.

Now on Sale!

And Don't Miss This Collection of Super-Hero Comic Scripts

Also by Robert T. Jeschonek

7 Comic Book Scripts

Comic book and super-hero fans, rejoice! This volume includes seven scripts—mostly super-hero tales, plus one war/horror story—from a writer whose work has been published by DC Comics, among others. Robert T. Jeschonek has written plenty of scripts in his career, and these seven will shine a light on his writing process, his wild imagination…and some thrilling and thought-provoking adventures. The first in a series collecting some of his best work, this action-packed book includes seven scripts:

 

"Super-Powered Poser Blues": A super-hero stand-in runs into unexpected problems while impersonating a mighty mortal.

 

"My Date With Godling": A hard-driving cosmic god-hero launches a mission under false pretenses…a mission that quickly goes from intense to insane.

 

"The Mime: On Bread Alone": An endangered priest is protected by a silent hero whose make-believe performances have real world consequences.

 

"Young Soldiers Never Die": A future warrior discovers that one man's idea of a perfect soldier is another man's idea of pure hell.

 

"The Child Is Father to the Man": The younger selves of three great old-time heroes leap forward to the future after suffering their greatest defeat.

 

"Johnstown Man: Losing Ground": A blue collar steel town hero battles crime in the age of layoffs.

 

"Don't Tug on Superstar's Cape": A super souvenir hunter goes after the ultimate prize from the ultimate hero and nearly loses everything in the bargain.

 

Don't miss this collection of seven comic book scripts for one low price. It's the latest book from award-winning storyteller Robert T. Jeschonek (My Favorite Band Does Not Exist), a master of unique and unexpected fiction that packs a punch.

Now on Sale!

*****

About the Author

 

Robert T. Jeschonek is an award-winning writer whose fiction, comics, essays, articles, and podcasts have been published around the world. DC Comics, Simon & Schuster, and DAW have published his work. According to Hugo and Nebula Award winner Mike Resnick, Robert "is a towering talent." Robert was nominated for the British Fantasy Award for his story, "Fear of Rain." His young adult urban fantasy novel, My Favorite Band Does Not Exist, is now available from Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and was named one of
Booklist
's Top Ten First Novels for Youth.

 

*****

E-books
by Robert T. Jeschonek

Fantasy

6 Fantasy Stories

6 More Fantasy Stories

Earthshaker
– a
n urban fantasy
novel

Girl Meets Mind Reader

Groupie Everlasting

Rose Head

The Genie's Secret

The Return of Alice

The Sword That Spoke

 

Horror

Bloodliner
– a novel

Diary of a Maggot

Dionysus Dying

Fear of Rain

Road Rage

Humor (Adults Only)

Dick by Law
– a novel

 

Literary

6 Short Stories

Getting Higher
–
a novel

 

Mystery
and Crime

6 Crime Stories

Crimes in the Key of Murder

Dancing With Murder
(a cozy mystery novel)

The First Detect-Eve

The Foolproof Cure for Cancer

The Other Waiter

Who Unkilled Johnny Murder?

 

Poetry

Flight of Ideas

 

Science Fiction

6 Scifi Stories

6 More Scifi Stories

6 Scifi Stories Book 3

Beware the Black Battlenaut

Give The Hippo What He Wants

Lenin of the Stars

Messiah 2.0

My Cannibal Lover

Off The Face Of The Earth

One Awake In All The World

Playing Doctor

Serial Killer vs. E-Merica

Something Borrowed, Something Doomed

Star Sex

Teacher of the Century

The Greatest Serial Killer in the Universe

The Love Quest of Smidgen the Snack Cake

The Shrooms of Benares

Universal Language
– a novel

 

Superheroes

7 Comic Book Scripts

A Matter of Size
(mature readers)

Forced Retirement
(Forced Heroics Book 1)

Forced Betrayal (Forced Heroics Book 2)

Forced Partnership (Forced Heroics Book 3)

Heroes of Global Warming

The Masked Family
– a novel

 

Thrillers

Backtracker – a novel

Day 9
– a novel

Heaven Bent, Part 1 – a weekly serial

Heaven Bent, Part 2 – a weekly serial

Heaven Bent, Part 3 – a weekly serial

Heaven Bent, Part 4 – a weekly serial

Heaven Bent, Part 5 – a weekly serial

 

The
Trek
It! Series

Trek This!

Trek Off!

Trek Fail!

Trek Script!

Trek Script 2

Trek Novel!

Trek You!

Trek It!

 

Young Readers

Dolphin Knight
– a novel

Lump

Tommy Puke and the Boy with the Golden Barf

Tommy Puke and the World's Grossest Grown-Up

 

*****

 

Now on Sale
from Robert T. Jeschonek

A Young Adult Fantasy Novel That Really Rocks!

One of Booklist's Top Ten First Novels for Youth

Being trapped in a book can be a nightmare—just ask Idea Deity. He's convinced that he exists only in the pages of a novel written by a malevolent author . . . and that he will die in Chapter 64. Meanwhile, Reacher Mirage, lead singer of the secret rock band Youforia, can't figure out who's posting information about him and his band online that only
he
should know. Someone seems to be pulling the strings of both teens' lives . . . and they're not too happy about it. With Youforia about to be exposed in a national magazine and Chapter 64 bearing down like a speeding freight train, time is running out. Will Idea and Reacher be able to join forces and take control of their own lives before it's too late?

 

School of Rock
meets
Alice in Wonderland
in this fast-paced, completely unpredictable novel of alternate realities, time travel, and rock ‘n' roll. If your favorite band does not exist . . . do
you?

 

"Overall,
My Favorite Band Does Not Exist
is a wacky and enjoyable trip...full of intriguing, imaginative concepts that keep a reader hooked." –Thom Dunn,
The Daily Genoshan

 

"This first novel has all the look of a cult fave: baffling to many, an anthem for a few, and unlike anything else out there." –Ian Chipman,
Booklist
Starred Review

 

"
Chaos theory meets rock 'n' roll in adult author Jeschonek's ambitious, reality-bending YA debut." "...this proudly surreal piece of metafiction could develop a cult following
..."–
Publishers Weekly

 

"Reading this reminded me of authors like Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman…" –
BiblioJunkies

Now Available
from Clarion Books!

Order now from your favorite bookselle
r.

*****

FORCED PARTNERSHIP

Copyright © 2012 by Robert T. Jeschonek

www.thefictioneer.com

 

Cover Art Copyright © 2012 by Ben Baldwin

www.benbaldwin.co.uk

 

Published in February 2012 by Pie Press by arrangement with the author. All rights reserved by the author.

 

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

 

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Pie
Press

Johnstown, Pennsylvania