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villain with super strength. Oh there were a few of those who didn’t appear strong, but she’d never heard of one who looked weak. And that was exactly how Howler looked: weak.
    “Let me guess? Shadow Woman? Dark Mistress?” he said, lip curling up in obvious disdain.
    She glanced down at her outfit. Dark Mistress indeed. “I have your money.”
    “Do you now? Well, let’s see it.”
    She froze. See it? What if they’d put newspaper in the briefcase? One thing was guaranteed; the briefcase didn’t contain cash. The lump refused to move from her throat as she swallowed hard. Distract him, Justice had said, keep him busy.
    “Not so fast.” Her voice came out steadier than she’d thought it would be, smooth and normal, as if she wasn’t facing down a super villain. “You need to show me the mayor first, so I can make sure he’s okay.”
    “Oh, I think I’d like to see the money first, honey.”
    Her reaction came just half a second too slow. She watched him fill his lungs with air, taking it in until his chest expanded to fill his ill-fitting suit. Her mind processed the scene in slow motion, and as realization hit that something was wrong, he screamed.
    Too late, she touched the part of her mind that switched on her power with her consciousness. The sonic wave hit, and she fell to the floor.
    Everything went black for what must have only been a few seconds, because when her eyes fluttered open she saw him moving toward her—what she could see of him from her vantage point on the floor anyway. Tan legs and dark boots moved to her, and she could hear them scuff the floor as he moved. She grasped at her power with her mind, but it slipped away, out of her reach. The boots paused when they got only a couple of feet away.
    Where was Justice? Where were the other superheroes? She hoped they were getting the mayor and the shopkeepers out.
    “Still awake?” Surprise coated the villain’s voice, and he knelt down and peered at her face.
    She stared back at him, and tried to keep her expression neutral.
    A great laugh boomed from Howler’s chest, seeming too loud to have come from such a slight person. “Oh, it’s like that, is it? Don’t worry, I know how you superheroes feel about me.” He reached out and poked her shoulder, and she lost the battle to keep her face blank.
    Whatever crossed her face, it made Howler’s grin widen. “Barely awake though, huh? Guess my shot wasn’t as direct as I thought. Unless….” A full smile broke out on his face, revealing slightly stained, but straight, teeth. “You must be her. Silencer.”
    His voice took on the booming quality of an announcer. “The one with the power to defeat the Howler.” He laughed again and grabbed the briefcase, which had fallen next to her, and then pushed himself up from the ground awkwardly.
    “Sorry, hon, guess you weren’t a match for me after all.” Using his foot, he pushed her over onto her back. Her body wouldn’t obey her, and moved as easily as if she’d been unconscious. “Nice rack, though. You can call me anytime.” With one last snicker at his own joke, Howler strode toward the back room.
    She couldn’t move for minutes after, and the ruckus happening just out of her eyesight made her want to move more than anything. Shouts from several people could be heard through the wall that separated her from the action. She shoved herself up from the floor, halfway into sitting position. Glass shattered somewhere out of sight, and she collapsed back onto the floor. Then, just before silence fell, Howler screamed.
     
    ***
     
    “I’ll walk you up,” Justice said, and then before she could argue, he was out of the car.
    Damn man anyway, he moved like he had super speed. The weight of what had happened suffocated her. She’d failed. There had been one thing she was supposed to do—use her useless power—and she hadn’t. Not fast enough anyway.
    She followed Justice woodenly toward her building door. When he held it open