Union Dues: Sidekicks in Stockholm By Jeffrey R. DeRego Five of them at least, with submachine guns, body armor, and more dynamite than I’ve seen outside a Tom and Jerry cartoon. They all sound the same thanks to some digital vocal thing built into their black suits. They all look the same with black ski […]
Union Dues: The Sum of Its Parts By Jeffrey R. DeRego. Langton has been under lock-and-key observation since two weeks ago when he sucker punched Paul right in the middle of a publicity shoot for Stars and Stripes at a USO hall in Phoenix. The five of us almost couldn’t bring him down. The melee […]
Union Dues: The Threnody of Johnny Toruko By Jeffrey R. DeRego I duck through the door behind her. The place is jammed with customers. “You have any money? I didn’t think to ask Miss Jennifer for any.” TK answers, “don’t worry, just tell me what you want.” “Large with extra sugar and cream.” TK grins […]
Union Dues: All About the Sponsors By Jeffrey R. DeRego I suck in my chest and tighten the buckles before getting lightheaded. I don’t have to wear the costume anymore, but it seems disrespectful to leave it in the closet for this one last mission. I get the boots on and struggle with the leather […]
Union Dues: Tabula Rasa By Jeffrey R. DeRego I raise my hand and she stops chattering. “Just tell me who you are and where I am.” She freezes and blinks twice. “Tell you where you are? Cap, you’re home. This is the Cleveland Pyramid. I’m Sarah Shadow. You don’t recognize me?” “That doesn’t mean anything […]
Union Dues – Freedom With a Small f By Jeffrey R. DeRego My head throbs. I think about the mess in the fridge, the heaps of crap in the flat while I force the clumps of wet clothes into the dryers. As far as I know I am the only Union member who works outside […]
Union Dues: All That We Leave Behind by Jeffrey R. DeRego If I just lay here they will get tired and leave. They can’t hurt me all that much; my body is too hard now, too strong. But I can’t let on that their kicks and punches don’t bother me or who knows what they’ll […]
Union Dues: Send in the Clowns by Jeffrey R. DeRego Tina tugs on Kindred’s bullet-tattered red cape. “What kinda tricks do you do?” Kindred shakes her head as if bewildered by the question. “Tricks?” She glances back at Megaton, who now juggles three Jersey barriers about a hundred meters out in the devastation. “Let it […]
Union Dues: Cleanup in Aisle Five by Jeffrey R. DeRego “Which one are you?” The kid fans out a small stack of super hero trading cards, but it’s not a Union deck. Figures. “Lemme see what you got there.” I flip through and remember my old baseball card collection. I knew there was something special […]
Union Dues: The Baby and the Bathwater By Jeffrey R. DeRego It’s never really dawned on me that the brochures manage to beautifully portray events and activities I’ve never seen as long as I’ve worn the tights and mask. The brochures don’t show the InterCity cops taking pot-shots at our Jump Jets, they don’t show […]