Dominic dropped into a crouch, pinching the bridge of his nose while Clint stared at Taylor, stunned. Taylor rushed to fill the moment of temporary catatonia.

"Remember how I told you about what my brother and I were working on?" she said. "We speculated over the bomb being a distraction for something else. Which would be this. A robbery of the police evidence lockup." She waved her hand around. "In here are millions of dollars in cash as well as drugs and guns taken from a huge raid my brother oversaw-"

Dominic raised his hand halting her stream of words. "Taylor, you're telling me that instead of being in a weird-smelling gym doing normal teenage stuff you brought us to a place where a robbery is taking place?" He glared at her. "Are you serious?"

"I didn't do it intentionally."

Dominic buried his face in his heads looking worn out. "Why can't we let the police deal with this one?"

Clint folded his arms. "I agree. You're in no state to handle another crisis. It isn't a bomb, so let the police handle this."

Dominic scowled at Clint. "Don't agree with me, it makes me feel like I've said the wrong thing."

Taylor stepped forward, pulling their attention back to her. "Can we please just see what's going on? After that, I'll call my brother and he can deal with it."

Dominic and Clint exchanged a look before realizing they didn't want to agree on anything and focused on Taylor. With a resigned sigh, Dominic rose to his feet.

"Okay, but I'm not taking Gym Boy with us. Too much energy."

Before Clint could retort, Dominic took Taylor's hand and they were enclosed in silence.

"Let's get this over with," he said, leading her down the aisle.

The warehouse appeared to be a block long and they had arrived somewhere in the middle. Their footsteps made a strange tap tap on the concrete the only sound around them. When they reached the front of the warehouse, they stopped and Dominic's shoulders sagged.

"You got to be kidding me," he breathed out.

At one of the loading bay doors was a semi-truck with its back open and a crate already inside. A man drove a forklift carrying a crate that was massive enough to store Taylor, Dominic, and Clint while smaller boxes were being loaded up by thirty or so men. Each man was armed with a handgun or semi-automatic. They were all members of the Fitzpatrick crime family.

Taylor had been right. This was a robbery.

Off to one side were two unconscious police officers. Taylor hoped they were just unconscious. There was no sign of blood so she let herself believe they were still alive.

Dominic swore and turned around, tugging Taylor with him. Instead of making the trek back to Clint, she jumped them there. Dominic dropped the Time Stop, sinking to the ground. Clint glanced between the two of them.

"So?"

"It's a robbery," Taylor said. "They are loading everything up in a semi-truck and if we don't act now they will get away with everything."

"We can't let the police handle this one?" he asked.

Helpless, Taylor tossed up her hands. "No. They won't get here fast enough. Not with the bomb taking up most of the police force's attention."

Growling in annoyance, Dominic slumped onto the floor, covering his face. "This is insane."

"I know! But we can't let them get away. They might have called in other bomb threats to keep the police running around. We can't let more guns and drugs get back on the streets."

Running his hand through his hair, Clint nodded and looked at Dominic. Dominic glowered up at both of them.

"I hate you both."

As Dominic clambered to his feet, Taylor pulled out her phone. Weston answered on the third ring sounding tired.

"Taylor, this better be important."

She rested his forehead against a cold metal shelf, already feeling the explosion that was about to come.

"The police evidence lock-up is being robbed right now."

"What? How do you kn-" He let out a string of curses that made Taylor cringe. "Don't do anything, you hear me? Stay safe. I'm sending men over now. Don't interfere, got it?"

"They might get aw-"

"No! You are not to do anything. You were supposed to go home. I'll deal with this. Don't get involved."

This time Weston was the one to hang up before Taylor could respond.

Taylor pocketed her phone but didn't move from her spot.

"He didn't sound happy," Dominic said.

"Nope, he did not."

"Are we going to listen to what he said?"

Taylor faced the two guys, at a loss for what to do. If they didn't act there was a good chance the men would get away with enough stuff to wreak havoc on the city for years. But if they did act Taylor had a feeling Weston would never forgive her for it. Taking care of the bomb was somehow a more forgivable action.

Before they could decide either way shouts punctured the air along with the crack of gunfire. Taylor whipped her head towards the sound, wide-eyed. When she looked back at her companions, she saw as Dominic jumped from being right beside Clint to standing next to her.

"Great news," he said, in a voice that suggested it was anything but. "Another gang has arrived and it appears they are here for the same stash like the other bad guys."

"Tell me you're joking," Clint said.

More gunfire echoed around the warehouse. Dominic clapped hands on both Taylor and Clint's shoulders and the battle ceased.

"What do we do?" he asked, looking between them. "We could always let them just kill each other."

"We can't do that!" Clint said.

Dominic shrugged. "Why not? They are all a bunch of criminals here to steal supplies that will make them even worse criminals."

"That is completely beside the point, you can't let people go around killing each other."

Overwhelmed and starting to feel the effects of the whole night, Taylor palmed her eyes. "We can't let them kill each other, what do we do then? The police won't be here in time to deal with this."

"Let me think," Clint said.

"Like that will do us any good," Dominic said.

Taylor groaned, unable to believe that in the middle of a not only a robbery but apparently a gang war she was saddled with two alpha males. At that moment, she disliked both of them.

"If we get their guns away that takes care at least some of the problem," Clint said. "They can still kill each other but it will take more work." He looked at Taylor, studying her. "Can you handle that?"

"Where do I send all the guns?"

Clint furrowed his brows in thought. "Send them to the top of the semi-truck. Out of reach but close enough the police can collect them later. As for the men, I say we stuff them in the back of the truck. If we lock the door, they won't be able to get out."

Staring at the ceiling, Dominic shook his head. "This is crazy." He sighed. "I'll get to the door and close it. But I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep the Time Stop going for as long as it will take us to deal with the guns and the guys."

"It's fine," Clint said. "Getting rid of the guns is the most important. After that do what you can, I'll deal with as many guys as I can." He locked eyes with Taylor. "Send me somewhere close to the fight."

"Stay safe," she said.

Eyes locked with hers, Clint looked like he wanted to kiss her but instead he took her hand a squeezed it. "You too."

She sent him to a row just beyond the loading bay door, knowing he could see what was going on but not be in danger whenever the Time Stop dropped.

"You really suck at this normal thing," Dominic said.

"Yeah, I know."

She jumped them to the front of the warehouse and into the heart of the fray. Even with everyone petrified, she could feel the rage coming from them. Guns were raised, bullets locked in midair. Mouths were open with muted roars of anger. Eyes burned with hatred.

Taylor stared dumbstruck by the chaos around her. Boxes laid scattered on the floor, contents spilling out. One man dove for cover behind a shelf. Two men hid in the back of the truck, guns at the ready. The forklift driver gripped the wheel, aiming his cargo at a group of tattooed men. Men that had the same look about them that Taylor had seen at the precinct.

"Taylor, we have to move. I can't hold this for long."

Breaking herself from her shock, she moved to the closest man. One with murder in his eyes. She touched the barrel of his gun, focusing on the gun alone, unconnected to the man's hand, and sent it onto the truck's roof. Luckily, the man remained where he was.

With Dominic holding onto her shoulder, they raced around the mayhem, disarming the men, pausing briefly to lock the back of the semi-truck. As each weapon was taken away, Taylor felt the effort weighing on her.

By the time they were outside the warehouse dealing with the arriving gangs' guns, Taylor knew she couldn't keep it up for much longer. The new gang had brought their own hauling truck and Taylor deposited their guns onto that roof before taking Dominic and her back to where Clint waited.

Dominic released her and as the world thundered back into motion, she sagged to the ground. The yells of men cut off into mutters of surprise. For a breath, a tense, confused quiet expanded around the warehouse.

Then one shout shattered the moment and men charged at each other, fists curling.

Clint dropped down beside Taylor, placing his hand on her shoulder. She met his gaze, seeing his concern.

"Can you get yourself home?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I just need a minute."

But she wasn't given even a minute as a man careened down their aisle, trying to find cover from a pair of other gang members coming at him. Adrenaline wiped Taylor's fatigue away as she scrambled to her feet, preparing herself.

Before the newcomers could register the strange trio, Clint acted. He tripped the first man, slammed his fist into another, spun and kicked the third man.

Seizing the dazed second, Taylor lunged forward sending the first man into the back of the Fitzpatrick's semi-truck and the other two men into the second truck. Clint nodded and Taylor returned the gesture feeling as adrenaline sent renewed energy surging through her. She felt as if she were vibrating with anticipation.

"Let's clean up this mess," Dominic said.

The trio sprinted out of the aisle and split ways, Clint going for a group of men all at each other's throats, while Dominic darted to the forklift driver who was trying to crush men, and Taylor raced to a man who was hitting another with a pipe. She slapped her hand to the attacker's shoulder and he popped out of sight. Before his victim could blink, Taylor clamped a hand on his leg and he blinked out of existence, returning in the back of the truck.

Searching for her next target, she saw as Clint laid out one man with a single blow to his head and rotated, connecting his foot with another man's temple, making him drop to the ground. When a gang member roared in Clint's direction, Taylor winked out of sight and back in beside the man, sending him into the truck before he could so much as realize she was there.

The growl of an engine caught Taylor's attention and she jumped to outside of the warehouse. A gang member was jerking the wheel of his car, trying to get away. Taylor didn't let herself think, she acted, appearing in the passenger seat. She grabbed the man and he vanished. The car's rear tires fishtailed without a driver and Taylor teleported out of the car, hitting the ground harder than she wanted to and rolled once.

Tiny pebbles bit into her palms as she pushed herself up and found her balance. When she surveyed the fight around her, she saw as some men were opting for a retreat. Before they could get away, she jumped from car to car, removing the keys, keeping them from escaping. At the last car, she pushed the door open and stumbled out, her limbs growing heavy with exhaustion.

A man grabbed her and fear cut through the fog in her mind. She slammed her foot down on his, jabbed an elbow into his stomach and cracked her other elbow into his face, breaking his nose. Dazed, the man staggered back and Taylor spun, touching his wrist and sending him away. She moved through the rest of the men outside, every time having to work harder and harder to think clearly.

When she popped back into the warehouse, she wobbled and shook her head, trying to dislodge the fatigue. A hand seized her arm right at her healing injury and she screamed in pain, tears filling her eyes. As she turned towards her assailant, she watched as he raised his fist towards her. In a blink, the man was unconscious on the ground and Dominic was beside her. He took her arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Taylor gave a tired nod, relishing the lack of pain the Time Stop provided. She stared up at him and saw how his eyes held an exhausted haze and his shoulders drooped.

"We should get out of here," he said.

"What about Clint?"

They both looked around them, searching for the third member of their trio. Dominic muttered something under his breath and Taylor followed his line of sight. Clint was frozen mid-kick, his leg raised at an almost impossible angle, his face completely calm. Around him lay eight unconscious men as he handled another four.

"I hate him for being so good," Dominic said.

Taylor found she couldn't think of a reply. The Time Stop dissolved, Dominic worn out.

"I can't hold it."

As if knowing they were minutes away from collapsing, Taylor heard sirens pierce the night, steadily growing closer.

"That's our cue," she said.

Grabbing Dominic's hand, she ran towards Clint where he drop-kicked one man and struck another.

"Clint!"

He spun towards them. Taylor held out her hand, he raced over, took it and the three of them were swept away. When they landed on the rooftop of the warehouse, Taylor sank to the ground, resting her head on her knees.

Despite how dirty and uncomfortable the surface beneath her was, she felt like lying down and falling asleep. Dominic dropped down next to her and she used this as an invitation to lay her head on his shoulder. Dominic barely noticed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

Clint knelt before Taylor and gently moved a piece of hair out of her face. She watched him, struck by how much she liked the tenderness of his action and the softness in his gaze.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No. Just tired."

Clint glanced at Dominic and how Taylor leaned against him but said nothing. Instead, he rose  and went to the edge to peer over.

Blue and red lights lit up the night as the police cars careened into the warehouse lot. The sirens cut out and doors slammed as police exited, shouting at the last of the gang members to get down on the ground. Beside the yells, Taylor could hear the beat of fists against metal as the men trapped inside the trucks pounded on the walls.

She closed her eyes, listening to the progression of the warehouse getting checked and cleared out. It was a comforting sound, people who knew what they were doing getting everything in order, collecting the pieces that Taylor couldn't. When her phone rang, she lifted her head off of Dominic's shoulder and retrieved it.

"Hey," she said.

"Where are you?" Weston asked.

"Rooftop of the warehouse."

There was a pause and Taylor could hear the distant protests and shouts in the background of the phone as she could hear down below.

"Meet me around the corner," Weston said.

Hauling herself up, she moved to the edge of the building.

"Where are you going?" Clint asked.

"To talk to my brother. I'll be back."

She appeared in the shadow of the building, waiting. Weston rounded the corner and stopped a couple of feet away from her. Staring at her, he crossed his arms. When he didn't speak, she wondered if he was trying to come to terms with his sister standing in a dress she had worn to his detective ceremony and shoes that matched his with the vigilante that had visited his office at night. Taylor suddenly wished for the hoodie and all-black outfit instead of the dress.

"I guess we now know what the Fitzpatrick's were after," she said.

Weston didn't even blink.

"The other gang members had the same tattoos like the ones in that attacked the precinct, were they connected?"

Weston gave a stiff nod. "Three of them got away that night, stealing the blueprints for this warehouse."

"Oh. Seems everyone had the same idea then." Weston didn't respond and Taylor fidgeted under the weight of his gaze. "Are you going to yell at me again?"

This got to Weston and he dropped his arms. "No, I'm not going to yell at you. You helped tonight and I appreciate that." He shook his head. "But do you know how terrifying it was to know you were in danger? To have to wait for a call that might not have come?" He rubbed his hand over his mouth as if trying to keep himself from exploding. "I can not control you but you need to understand I'm not okay with any of this."

Taylor felt her heart sink, wishing that this night had shown him that they could work together, find a way back to how they had been before he knew it was her under the hood.

"For now I won't tell mom and dad because I believe its a burden that would be too heavy. But I hope you think about them before you put yourself in danger. And for now...I need space to process all of this."

As he turned to walk away, Taylor hugged her arms tight around her, knowing that there was nothing she could say to change his mind, but needed to say something.

"I'm sorry, Wes," she said.

He glanced back. "I know you are, Taylor."

"I lied," she said. "I was starting to like the name Shadow."

Weston paused but didn't look back. When he continued, Taylor was left alone finally feel the chill of the air.

She remained there, more exhausted at that moment than she had all night. Above her, she heard the shouts of Dominic and Clint and she rolled her eyes. After making one quick stop, she popped back up on the roof to find Clint and Dominic arguing.

"How can you possibly say I don't know how to handle my ability? It's my ability!" Dominic jabbed his finger at Clint who didn't react, holding onto his controlled demeanor.

"I didn't say you couldn't handle it," he said. "I'm saying you have failed to see it to its full potential."

"And how in the world would you know that!"

"Guys!"

Taylor's shout cut into the air, forcing them both to look at her. She stared at them, shoulders heavy.

"Can you please stop? I need you." Dominic shifted while Clint softened his stance. "As you can see from tonight, I don't know how to be normal. And without your help, everything would have gone worse. Both of your help," she added when Dominic looked like he might turn smug.

The two guys exchanged a look, silently settling away their argument. For the moment at least. Sighing, Taylor moved over to the roof ledge and leaned against it, each guy taking a side. She rested her arms on the rough barrier. In one of her hands was a napkin wrapped around a dozen brownie squares. Dominic laughed and took one, tossing it into his mouth.

"At least you got some part of this night right," he said.

Clint eyed the dessert. "You know that eating this much sugar after physically exhausting yourself will only double the crash you face afterward-"

"Shut up and eat a brownie, Gym Boy," Dominic said.

"Jock head," Clint said, though he did as he was told.

Ignoring them, Taylor looked down at the crime family and gang members getting handcuffed and loaded into the back of squad cars up to the city spread out around them, at the lights that glowed in building windows. Each speck of light spoke of a life being lived and there were thousands of specks. She glanced from Clint's messed up hair to Dominic's wrinkled shirt to her own disheveled appearance and shook her head.

"We're a ragged crew," she said.

"True," Dominic said. "But we did help the city."

"I feel bad for the city," Taylor said.

"Why?" Clint asked.

She shrugged. "Because as far as heroes go, we're nothing super."

**********************************************************************

"I love you 3000."

Go head! Drop off those final reports on how you felt about that chapter and everything! 🦸🏽‍♀️🦸🏽‍♂️🦸🏻‍♂️

Now my report. Supers I have good news and I have bad news depending on how you look at it.

This book has a sequel!

Yay! Or boo! Which ever you like!

I know, I don't usually do sequels, but from the beginning I saw this being a longer story. Because come on, we all want more Clint and Dominic fighting each other and Taylor in the middle! It's freaking hilarious!

So with a sequel it means I get to explore the trio dynamics. Also it means that we'll actually have a ship!

But I know someone of you might want to simple move on so I have good news for you, I wrote you an epilogue! This epilogue will wrap up the story so you can feel happy and complete!

Now, before you go I want you to send those Bat signals into the sky.

Which basically means I want to know what you loved most about the book!

Who was your favorite character?

What surprised you?

On a scale of angry face emojis how much you do hate me for not making a ship sail?

Any last grievances you want to share?

Final comments about the whole book? (I might use it for the blurb)

Know that I truly love you 3000 and that I can't wait to spend a whole other book with these characters and getting to know them in new and deeper ways! I hope you will stick with me for that!

(Keep this book in your library because I have a couple bonuses you don't want to miss)

Vote, comment, follow because you stand for not having to live through my cliff hangers anymore! (Well, until the next book!)

If you want more characters to know and love here's some I think you would like!

A Secret Service [COMPLETED]
Kickbutt girl. Action. Mystery. Hot guy. Love.
Classified [On-going] (Companion to A Secret Service)
Open Case File [On-going] (Companion to A Secret Service)
Holding Back [COMPLETED]
Cliche boy next door turned on it's head. Love? Maybe. 😏
A Vagabond's Tale [COMPLETED]
Adventure. Fantasy. Court life. Love.
A Pirate's Tale [COMPLETE]
Action. Pirates. Danger. Kidnapping. Sword fights. Love
Three Weeks [COMPLETED]
New girl. Life guard. Wild adventures. Waffles. Love.
A Second Chance [COMPLETED]
Playboy singer. Small time singer. Contract. Love.
Celebrity Cruise [COMPLETED]
One week. Cruise worker. Famous singer. Love. 
Every Second [COMPLETED]
Pop singer. Drummer. One album. Love. 
Beyond The Barrier [COMPLETED]
Zombies. Action. BA girl. Love.
Mr. Write [COMPLETED]
Authors. Humor. Deadlines. Family. Love.
Tristan's Decision [COMPLETED]
A You Decide adventure book
It Happened One Night [COMPLETED]
A classic Boy meets Girl, gets stuck in an elevator and ends up fighting off bad guys.

Wow! That is a lot to keep you happy while you wait for the sequel! Or just want until I post my next book!