31 cape high healing tou.., p.1
31 Cape High Healing Touch, page 1
part #1 of Cape High Series
HEALING TOUCH
BY
R.J. ROSS
Healing Touch
Amazon Edition
Published by Book Candy Publishing
Copyright © 2021 by R. J. Ross
All Rights Reserved
Cover art and design by Leslie Zielinski
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
~Other works by R.J. Ross~
The Winstead Files Series
Courting the Beast * Snow White, Snow White
Seasons of the Fae Series
Raven's Return * Death of a Dryad * Water Wielder
Cape High Series
Super Villain Dad * America's Grandson * Hello Kitty * Don't Know Jack * Daddy's Girl * Aces Wild * Steampunk Time * Fire Hazard * Ditto Ditto * Sunny Daze * Life Light * Guitar Hero * Super Girls * Shadow Boy * Super Villain Grandpa * Mic Drop * Coyote’s Howl * Rocky Road * Rainbow Rush * Rise and Shine * Burn Out * Stringless Puppeteer *America’s Firewall * Mimic You * Steel Life * Aloha Boy * Boogey Blitz * Deadly Road Trip * Kitty’s Pride * Sons of Lerrestia * Healing Touch
Cape High Side Stories
Cape High Christmas: A Side Story
Cape High Villainy: A Side Story
Reaper’s Darlin’: A Cape High Side Story
Cape High Kindergarten: A Side Story
Cape of Cheer: Cape High Christmas II
Cape High: Days Past
Ringmaster (Toodles)
Table of Contents
HEALING TOUCH
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
Cape High Christmas III
Day 1: Gecko
Day 2: Hybo
Day 3: Gargoyle Girl
Day 4: Brandon
Day 5: Christmas Elf
Day 6: Keliah
Day 7: Kaden
Day 8: Raindrop
Day 9: Kirsten
Day 10: Ward
Day 11: Cold Steel
Day 12: Elidee
Day 13: Bobby
Day 14: Alyssa
Day 15: Kid Liberty
Day 16: Lady Tech
Day 17: Lance
Day 18: Nightstep
Day 19: Divine Justice
Day 20: Fire Hazard
Day 21: Dragon
Day 22: Morgan
Day 23: Blackbird
Day 24: Justin
HEALING TOUCH
CHAPTER ONE
*A Week Ago*
There’s a floating spaceship that’s large enough to house half a fleet. It would draw a lot more attention than it has, if it weren’t invisible to most scans. It’s been floating in a rather empty strip of space for a while, now, since the owner hasn’t visited any planets lately. But that doesn’t mean things aren’t happening inside.
There is only one occupant on the strange ship. It’s a tall, rather slender man, who’s in the middle of rebuilding a chunk of the ship with parts he’d scavenged from space debris. There are screens covering the walls of the part he’s not working on, showing everything from news to alien soap operas. He’s not paying attention to any of them—at least he doesn’t, until every single channel switches over to a very interesting sight.
“Hello, sentient planet. Thank you for finally answering my call. Is there something we can assist you with?”
The man looks up, staring blankly at the Cosmic who’s apparently streaming a call with… an attacking sentient planet. He thinks about it for a long moment, leaving all of the parts floating in the air around him. When nothing comes to mind, he taps on his highly teched out glasses, looking at the information he has on the Cosmics. After a moment, and a rather incredulous expression, he lets out a sharp laugh and lowers the pieces to the ground.
For the first chunk of the fighting stream, he merely hits a button on the wall and a machine creates a popcorn-like snack for him to munch on. He kicks back, floating in the air and enjoying the show—until something is shown in the corner of the screen. He lifts a hand, and the feed goes still, zooming in on the small green ship.
The “popcorn” drops from his hand, hitting the floor. The man is staring in horror, and finally says the first words he’s uttered in months. “Well… crap.”
***
*Now*
I’m hanging out in the back part of our school, watching my best friend build the biggest soapbox derby course I’ve ever seen in my life. Am I helping? Oh HECK no! I mean, for one, she’s working with a Superior kid, and for another, well… she’s a walking rock.
“You know, Alyssa, you could OFFER to help,” Sandra says, holding her hands out to the plot of land and bring up a hill with her powers. “At least PRETEND to be assisting,” she says.
“Why bother?” I say, lounging over the chair I’d bullied—I mean asked her to make for me. “You could have offered a pillow or something,” I say. “This chair is as hard as a rock.”
She looks at me, and I grin at her, shamelessly, before bursting out laughing. The first time I met her I declared she’d be my best friend just so she’d keep me warm (we were in the Arctic Circle at the time) but I have no regrets over that decision. “Your hill is uneven, Sandra!” I add, pointing at a spot.
“WHY do I still have a best friend like her?” she calls over to Sunny, who’s floating overhead, eyeing the course thoughtfully.
“Think we could work a loop-de-loop in?” he asks.
“Not if the Panther cubs are going to join in,” she says. “But we can toss one to the side for the older guys. I have no problem with them landing on their heads. But you still haven’t answered the question.”
“What question?” he says, blankly.
Sandra groans, shaking her head with her huge rocky hand on her forehead.
“Face it, girl, you’re NEVER getting rid of me,” I say smugly. My comm blinks and I almost groan as a reminder flashes.
“You got another job?” Sandra asks, going serious.
“Yeah,” I say with a sigh. “I’m doing St. Joe’s today, from three thirty to seven tonight. Tomorrow I’ve got to head over to the East branch for a bit, and then the next day—” I flip through the hologram of my schedule, only to rub my temple. Oh, I don’t have a headache, but I feel like I should.
“Alyssa,” Sunny says, making me look over, “you need a ride for that?”
“Huh?” I say.
“We’re training Fauna, remember? He could use a few little jaunts to keep him from trying to eat the car again.”
“Eat… the car,” I repeat. Now don’t get me wrong, I can TOTALLY see his strange hybrid spaceship trying to eat large objects, but— “Did it hurt him? Eating a car is a bit much for a ship that young, isn’t it? I’m not sure I can fix a spaceship tummy ache, I’m just sayin’.”
“Nah, we made him spit it out,” he says. “But it’s not good if he gets bored. Who’s your adult supervisor this week?”
“Oh, um,” I say, “Mr. Harrison volunteered when Aubrey told him he needed to take a break from working for a bit. It’s sort of awkward, since he’s always wearing suits and ties, but it’s better than taking five black suits with me everywhere I go.”
“Then he shouldn’t mind, right?” he says.
“I’ve got a watch,” I say, pointing at my comm. “I can teleport.”
“Yeah, I know, but you’re tough enough to keep him in line, and you’re one of the few who’s going to be running around this week,” he says, earnestly. “The healers are always on the move. I’m a bit surprised you haven’t put in for graduation, yet, to free up your schedule.”
“All that would do is fill up THIS part of the schedule with other things, you know that,” I say, sighing. “Once I hit eighteen, I’ll lose what breaks I have, and it’ll be all by choice.” I know it, they know it. I might SEEM like one of the tougher healers, but I’m just as soft-hearted as the others are when it comes to people who need help.
“No you won’t,” Sandra says.
“Sure I will,” I say.
“By that point, you won’t get a choice,” she says. “The Hall’s already working on regulating Healer hours, because Aubrey’s just as big a martyr as you’re trying to become. Even supers need a regular break.”
“We’re healers,” I say, “we come with built-in recovery pills.”
“Bull,” she says.
“Love you, too, you walking rock,” I say, patting her arm before head
“Was that Jonas?” she asks.
“Huh? No?” I say. “It’s nothing.” I slip it into my pocket, stepping onto the platform. “Sunny! Is Fauna on the apartments’ roof?”
“He’s in the parking lot with an illusion wall around him. He’s in time-out because he dented the car,” he explains. “The security system should have you in it already.”
“Got it,” I say.
***
I’m a little early, I know, but this is one of the most secure areas on the planet. I look around, hearing the familiar snap of electricity from a rather empty part of the parking lot, and walk over, searching for a rock on the ground. There’s a chirping noise from inside, and I’m positive the ship has seen me. A panel shoots up from the ground as I get near it, and I press my hand to it, watching as the illusion drops, revealing the hybrid ship.
I’ve never actually gotten this close to him before. Almost as soon as he was built, he was taken out to space. I’ve seen Flora around, sure, but like I’d told Sunny, I have a teleportation watch. I don’t exactly NEED to deal with spaceships. If anything, I think it’d make trips to hospitals even more difficult.
My comm blinks, and a text appears as a hologram over it. ‘Hi,’ it says.
“Well, hi to you, too,” I say to the ship as a hole opens in the side, inviting me in. “My name is Alyssa, and you’re going to go on a trip with me as soon as my friend Mr. Harrison shows up,” I tell him, patting the side of the ship. I’m trying to ignore the text I’d gotten earlier, no, not Fauna’s, Rylon’s.
I let out a sigh as the name runs through my mind, leaning against the side of the ship and thinking about the past. Usually I’m too busy working to think about my family, and I’m perfectly happy that way, but my brother’s been texting me ever since he graduated. I can’t keep ignoring it much longer, and I know it. I just…
Fauna’s side lights up, and I blink as another text comes from him. ‘You are… healer?’ And it’s followed by a file depicting all of my work and pictures.
“That’s right,” I say. “You’re a smart boy, aren’t you?” His sides light up and flash dramatically, so I’m almost positive that he’s proud of himself. I place a hand on his side, and then stop, my eyes widening as I see something strange. He’s got an entire biological system. There’s his brain, his brain stem, a very healthy spinal cord—
“Alyssa, forgive me, I didn’t realize I was late,” Andre Harrison says as he parks his car next to us and gets out. He stops, looking at the ship I’m still examining. “Is there a problem?” he asks.
“I…” I say, only to stop and think about it while finishing up the impromptu examination. “Well, honestly, we’re going to have to replace some of those metal parts, aren’t we?” I frown slightly. “He’s about to have a growth spurt. He’s going to be a big boy. That would explain why you tried to eat the car, wouldn’t it? I wonder if you can process it…” That’s actually REALLY cool!
Andre is looking at me with a hint of amusement. “I’ve always wanted to see one of these up close,” he admits, stepping forward.
“This is Andre Harrison, Fauna, he should be in your files,” I tell the ship. “Mr. Harrison, Sunny wants us to take Fauna with us, since he thinks he’s been getting bored, lately. Can we?”
“Well… it isn’t quite the same as going across the galaxy,” Andre says, “but you said he tried to eat a car? Are you certain he won’t try to eat another one?”
“Ah… well…” I say, hesitating. “We can keep an eye on him over the comm,” I decide. “We need to get going, if we’re going to fly, I don’t want to be late.” My phone buzzes, and I see two different texts come up. I look at Fauna, ignoring the other one. “We’re going to have to talk to Jack about that,” I tell him.
“What did he say?”
“That he’s hungry,” I say as I nudge the ship with a foot. “Give me a ramp, would you? I don’t fly, and I’m not about to be hopping in and out when people might see me. I have a reputation to protect!” I walk up the ramp that comes out. Andre follows me in, looking around curiously as I head for the control panel. “I’m bringing up the coordinates, you can read them, right?” I say to the ship as I drop down in the captain’s seat. “Thank you for doing this, Mr. Harrison. I really hate lugging black suits around the world, it makes it harder to blend in.”
The ship brings up a map on the wall, and then, to my horror, posts his next text right next to it. ‘Who’s Rylon?’
I practically feel Andre stiffen behind me, and I give up, groaning. “It’s pretty rude to read other people’s texts, Fauna,” I scold him.
“And has Rylon been texting you?” Andre asks, sitting down on the glowing seat next to mine. He turns, looking at me seriously. This is the man who saved me, well, one of them. He knows exactly what happened in the past, with my brother and the other football players. That’s why I flinch away from looking him in the eye right now, only to sigh.
“Yeah,” I say, “he’s been texting me for a few months now. Nico offered to block him, but what would I do if something happens to my parents? I need to keep that line of communication open. I just don’t exactly WANT to,” I admit.
“Is he threatening you?” he asks.
“Heh, no,” I say, letting out a laugh. “He’s terrified of Aubrey, much less everyone else I hang out with, now. But he’s been asking for things. He wants money. He says that I’m a big-shot Hall member, now, so I should be sending cash home to the family.” Andre just watches me, and I know I have to go on. “I DO send home money, I send it once a week, like clockwork, to Mom’s account. It’s letting her take the time to find a better job and helping with expenses. It’s not like I need money—except I should pay you back—”
“I have no plans whatsoever of you paying me back, Alyssa,” he says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Well, other than I might have you come in and check my workers on a monthly basis, once you’ve graduated. Even D-class capes can have minor health problems.” I reach up, touching his hand and using my powers.
“Even YOU have problems, Mr. Harrison,” I point out. “You’ve been working too hard again! I thought Aubrey warned you about that.” The strain runs through my body and disappears in a few moments. I’m getting faster at my recovery rates. When that’s done, I turn back to the control panel. “Fauna, let’s head out. I want you to turn on any cloaking you’ve got, got it? Last thing we need is for people to see healers coming in an alien spaceship.”
‘Okay, Alyssa,’ comes across the screen and a few signals come up before the ship rises into the air.
A window opens up, showing Nico’s face. He looks mad for all of a second before he sees me and Andre. “Are you heading out for your rounds, then?” he asks.
“Did you think I was going for a joy ride?” I ask, grinning evilly. When I was younger, my parents would have jumped to that assumption without a second’s hesitation. Nico, who’s only known me for a few years, relaxes at the sight of me behind the wheel of a spaceship. One that I’m almost positive has a cannon system that could destroy a planet (not that I’m going to mention that fact to anyone.)
“You can, after work,” he says. “Just make sure he keeps his stealth mode and doesn’t eat any metal that we haven’t prepared. We’re working on adding the growing metal, but we want to make sure it doesn’t cause problems. And stick to the planet, we’re still not sure where Kim’ba is right now. She’s got a grudge and the ability to change into anyone. Seriously, I was hoping to be PAST the whole ‘Checkmate core pieces’ issue by now.”
“So you know he’s about to grow?” I ask.
“We’ve seen a few signs, yeah,” he says. “But it’s nice to have a healer’s input. Is he growing too fast?”
I look around, taking in all the dashboards and the way the living ship is incorporating the metal. “I don’t get the feeling it’s hurting him,” I admit. “But he’s really young, right? He’s going to be a lot bigger than Flora, isn’t he? Was his… um… parent ship bigger than this?” Before he can reply, there’s a flash on the wall. “Oh, we’re here. Fauna, land in that little field over there, okay?” I say. “I need more information before I can tell you anything for sure, so if you could toss together a file, I’d appreciate it,” I admit, getting to my feet. “Fauna, no eating ANYTHING, got it? We’ll get you something to eat when we’re done with our job.”
