The Indestructibles by Matthew Phillion Read Free Book Online

in black and white. She had black pants contrasting almost appropriately with the green of her shirt, but the nuclear symbols, repeating down her legs in neon blue to match her hair, destroyed all subtlety. Massive, knee-high combat boots with too-thick soles that echoed back to bad fashion choices of the late 1990's covered her feet. Fingerless gloves — also black — with her apparent choice of personal symbol on the palms, gripped her hands. And, inexplicably, a scarf wrapped her neck, the most hideous scarf Kate had ever seen, striped in a barrage of bland, washed out colors. It was at least ten feet long.
          Nobody said anything until Billy rambled in. And, he spoke for everyone.
          "Holy crap, you look like a girl comic books threw up on," Billy said. "Is Eyesore going to be your hero name?"
          "I can crush your heart with my brain, Billy Case. Watch your mouth."
          "What's with the Gryffindor scarf? Hogwarts called, it wants its neck-ware back."
          "You're kidding," Emily said.
          "I kid not, Harriet Potter. You look like you're being strangled by ugly."
          "This is the Doctor's scarf! How do you not know that?"
          "A what?" Jane asked.
          "The Doctor!"
          "Who?" Again, Jane, the walking irony-free zone.
          "I have a black hole where my heart should be! I am, in fact, bigger on the inside! Does nobody here watch — oh, forget it," Emily said, playing with a pair of steampunk style goggles resting on her forehead. "Can we make fun of what Billy's wearing instead?"
          They all turned to look at Billy's costume and, strangely, there really was very little to make fun of. He created a streamlined suit of white and blue, with a half mask to hide his identity. The white piping was slightly reflective and would catch the light of his glowing blasts perfectly. He truly, bizarrely, looked like an actual comic book personality.
          "I thought you were going to walk out here looking like a videogame character," Titus said.
          "I've read comic books my entire life and though uniquely unqualified as a hero, I sure know what one looks like," Billy said. He flopped down in his usual chair and threw his feet up on the table again. The lack of comedy in his appearance took the fire out of the room.
          No time like the present, Kate thought. She dropped from her hiding spot up in the rafters to the floor below.
          "OMG," Billy said.
          Kate felt a strange sense of pride that he said nothing else.
          "You look like you could murder someone with your pinky," Emily said.
          Kate's suit was all clean lines, taking on a slightly sci-fi look where extra padding was added over vital organs and soft tissue. The entire ensemble was made up of blacks and a very dark purple that looked gray in certain lights. Tungsten caps glinted on each knuckle and protected her toes, heels, knees, and elbows — all her striking points. The entire time she'd been playing vigilante she needed to be careful during fights not to chip an elbow or break toes or fingers. It felt good to be able to build in protection for all those breakable bones. She even added a paper-thin metal plate across her forehead under her own half-mask — she'd always liked throwing a good head butt, but it's a move with limited benefits if you knock yourself silly at the same time. Kate also built in a tactical belt and thin gauntlets on her wrists. The rest of the gang didn't need to know what she'd added there, though. She wasn't about to reveal all her tricks yet.
          Kate didn't trust any of them enough for that.
          "Doesn't look like she'd murder someone," Titus said, quietly. He looked at Kate with something that made her distinctly uncomfortable. Instead of his usual predator's glare, she could have sworn he was gazing at her admiringly — like she was someone to emulate. Kate broke away from