Super Heroes (The New Super Humans #4)

by T. M. Franklin

  “I think it's working,” Chloe said.

  Tru moaned at their feet, her eyes fluttering for a moment before they slowly opened. “What's happening?” she mumbled.

  Chloe shouted at Beck and Wren. “Get Tru and Ethan out of here, and help the others.”

  “But—” Beck started to protest.

  “I'm just going to make sure it works. I'm right behind you.” A shout echoed down the portal. “Go on, keep them back so I can get this done.”

  Wren helped Tru to her feet, looping the girl's arm over her shoulder. They stumbled down the tunnel as Beck picked up Ethan and threw him over his shoulder.

  “You'll be right behind us,” Beck said. An order, not a question.

  “I promise,” Chloe replied, eyes on the containment unit, although she ran her fingers down Ethan's limp arm as Beck passed. The smoke had stopped flowing from Gina, now an empty vessel, and was hovering over the containment unit. The device sucked at the smoke, tendrils dipping down into the glowing opening.

  Beck set off through the portal and Chloe backed toward it as well. She could hear fighting behind her, but had to make sure the Chaos was contained.

  She frowned, then turned and ran down the tunnel toward the Crosswalk.

  Sweat beaded on Dylan's forehead as he fought to keep his shield up. He heard Beck and Wren come through the portal behind him. Saw Ethan laid gently on the floor, Tru stumbling over to stand next to him.

  They were all visible now. There was no point to Maia wasting her power as long as Dylan's shield held.

  She had to save it up for when he weakened too much. And he knew that time was coming.

  “A plan would be good,” Dylan said, every muscle tense and aching.

  He saw Beck lean over to whisper into Maia's ear. She nodded and gripped his wrist, then the two of them vanished. Dylan felt a popping sensation when they passed through his shield. Then almost laughed out loud when two of the WARDEN goons went flying across the room, crashing into the wall and slumping to the floor, unconscious. The others stopped firing, turning in circles as they tried to anticipate where Beck would attack next.

  “Get the one with the taser!” Dylan shouted. He was vaguely aware of Chloe speaking to Dr. Barrett in urgent tones.

  “I don't think it's working!” she said. “The Chaos is stuck to it, maybe? But it's not getting sucked in.”

  Across the room, the guy with the taser jerked to the side and collapsed. Dylan grinned, already feeling his power returning. Gavin James backed up against the far wall, gun raised. The gun went flying and Beck reappeared, his arm around Gavin's throat.

  “It's not enough power,” Dr. Barrett replied. “It won't hold it for long.”

  As if in response, a curl of black smoke twisted through the portal, then retreated.

  “Oh no,” Wren breathed. “It's coming!”

  Chloe could see It through the portal. It spiraled above the containment unit, then tried to move away, sluggish, sucked slowly back by the machine, but even she could tell it was gaining strength.

  “What do we do?” she asked Dr. Barrett.

  He frowned in concentration, then shook his head as if settling on a course of action. “You do nothing,” he said. “I need to go in and increase the power manually. Stand back.”

  “But—” Chloe was confused. “The portal will close behind you.”

  “Someone can reopen it when this is over,” he said. “Now stand back.”

  “But you said there's no one here who can reopen it.”

  “Chloe!” he shouted. “Stand back!” When she blinked at him, stunned, he lowered his voice. “We don't have time for this. The portal will close, but if everything goes as planned, I'll be fine.”

  “If things don't go as planned, you'll be dead!”

  “I'm the only one who can do this,” he hissed. “There's no time!”

  Then, the world froze around them. Chloe saw Wren across the room, brow furrowed in concentration.

  “I'm still a little weak,” she said. “But I'll give you as much as I can.”

  Chloe spared only a moment to take in the room—Beck holding Gavin prisoner, Dylan crouched in front of her, hands outstretched, Tru standing, ribbons of light reaching out from the tips of her fingers. Ethan, still unconscious on the floor.

  Ethan.

  “Just tell me what to do,” she told Dr. Barrett. “I'll go back and fix it while you hold the portal.”

  “It won't work,” he said, stubbornly shaking his head. “It's too technical. I have to be the one.”

  “I'm not stupid!”

  “No one's saying you're stupid!” He clenched his fists in frustration, the portal a yawning void behind him, illuminated now only by the light from the laboratory. “But it's a very delicate procedure and I—” He didn't meet her eyes, and suddenly, Chloe knew what he was doing.

  “It doesn't work,” she said slowly. “You can’t contain It. You have to destroy it.”

  A flash of a vision appeared before her, then disappeared just as quickly. Chloe turned shocked eyes on him. “You're going to sacrifice yourself?”

  “What? No!” Dr. Barrett blustered.

  “Don't lie to me,” Chloe shouted. “I've seen it!”

  Dr. Barrett slumped, and Chloe was vaguely aware of the slightest movement around them. Normal time was returning.

  “It's the only way,” he said finally. “I can increase the power, but to destroy the Chaos, it will also destroy everything around it.”

  “No!”

  “It's the only way.” Dr. Barrett's voice was firm. Determined. “It's me or the world, Chloe. There is no choice. We cannot let the Chaos escape.”

  “I'm losing it,” Wren warned. Bodies moved in slow motion around them, slogging through temporal quicksand.

  “I'm sorry,” Dr. Barrett said quickly. “I tried to do my best. I tried to help.”

  And Chloe was struck with another knowing. An image, like a photograph, appeared before her of a man holding a baby. Only for an instant, then it was gone.

  “You're . . .” Chloe choked on sudden emotion. “Are you my—You're my father?”

  Dr. Barrett’s eyes widened, then he shook his head. “She never wanted you to know,” he said, blinking away his own tears. “She wanted to protect you.”

  “So you left me? Left us?”

  “Guys,” Wren said, breathing heavily. “You need to move it along.”

  “I'm sorry,” Dr. Barrett said. “I'm—I'm sorry.” And with that, he stepped back through the portal, turned on his heel and ran toward the Chaos as time returned to normal. The opening began to collapse, curling in on itself.

  “No, wait!” Chloe shouted. She started after him, but was stopped short, held back by a band across her chest . . . a ribbon of twisting light. She snapped her head toward Tru, who winced.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  “We have to stop him!” She struggled against the bonds.

  “It's too late, Chloe,” Wren said. “Look.”

  Through the shrinking portal—now only about two feet across—Chloe could see Dr. Barrett kneeling over the now open containment unit, frantically twisting wires. The Chaos wrapped around him, smoke slipping along his skin. He sat back, and the machine's hum grew louder, clattering against the surface as it vibrated. He looked back toward them, eyes wide and panicked.

  “Shut it!” he shouted. The containment unit began to glow, and Chloe realized what he was saying. The portal was closing, but not fast enough.

  “How?” she shouted back.

  Dr. Barrett opened his mouth to answer, but a stream of black smoke flooded in, choking him. He fell to the floor, writhing as the Chaos wrapped around him, and the containment unit vibrated wildly.

  “Let me go!” Gavin struggled against Beck across the room. “I can close it.” When Beck continued to hold him fast, he let out an aggravated groan. “If you don't, we're all dead!”

  “Do it!” Wren shouted over the roar of the overloading containm
ent unit.

  Beck released him and he ran to a panel on the far wall and pressed his thumb to the security keypad. The panel flipped open, revealing a key and a black button.

  The containment unit flared, blinding white, and Chloe could see Dr. Barrett arched in pain, howling as the Chaos consumed him.

  “No!” she screamed.

  Gavin twisted the key and slammed his hand on the button, just as the containment unit exploded in a flash of bright, white light, the shockwave bursting through the vortex and knocking Chloe back. She slammed into the far wall, and with a whoosh, the portal slammed shut, cutting off the light and noise and leaving only a stricken, ugly silence.

  Chloe slid to the floor, vaguely aware of the bodies scattered around her before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

  She woke in a hospital bed, but Chloe had no idea where. The room was a pale shade of yellow, dimly lit, with a painting of a bouquet of daffodils propped on the counter to her right, next to a window with the blinds drawn. A sound drew her attention to the other side of the bed, where Miranda sat perched on a chair, watching her warily.

  “How do you feel?” she asked.

  Chloe swallowed and stretched her limbs. She was a little sore, but other than that didn't seem injured. “I'm okay. Where are we? Where are the others?” She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, then a wave of dizziness hit her and she slumped back against the pillows.

  “They're fine,” Miranda said. “Like you. Knocked out. Concussions. But no major injuries.”

  “Ethan?”

  Miranda sighed. She opened her mouth to answer, but the door opened, cutting her off, and Gavin walked in with a man in a white lab coat.

  Chloe stiffened. “What are you doing here?”

  Gavin arched a brow. “I brought you here,” he replied. “And made sure you and the others got medical attention. You're welcome.”

  She huffed, aggravated. “Well, thank you.”

  “Don't hurt yourself,” he said dryly. “This is Dr. Chandler.”

  “How are you feeling, Miss Blake?” the doctor asked, shining a light in her eyes.

  She blinked. “Okay, I guess. Little bit of a headache.”

  “I should think so,” he replied, listening to her heart. “You've got quite a knot there.” He nodded toward her head and she reached up, searching her skull, until she found a rather large bump on the back.

  “What happened to—” she raised her eyebrows at Gavin, cutting her eyes to the doctor.

  Gavin crossed the room and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “You can speak freely,” he said. “You're still at WARDEN. This is our medical facility. Dr. Chandler works for us.”

  The doctor shot her a grin. “I know where all the bodies are buried . . . metaphorically speaking, of course.”

  “Of course.” Chloe leaned forward so he could listen to her lungs and asked Gavin, “Where's Ethan? Is he okay?”

  Gavin glanced at Miranda, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. Chloe's heart sank. “What is it? Tell me.”

  “Ethan's in a coma,” Gavin said. “He seems to be all right, physically. But he's still unconscious.”

  Dr. Chandler straightened and looped his stethoscope over his shoulders. “This is uncharted territory,” he said. “Mr. Reynolds was under the influence of the Chaos for months, not to mention the effect of being bound in that limbo of an existence. His body effectively shut down. It will take time for it to come back online, so to speak.”

  “But he will come back, right?” Chloe asked. Her stomach roiled at the silence that met her question.

  After a long moment, Dr. Chandler replied, “I can find no physical reason why he shouldn't. But only time will tell.”

  “I need to see him.” She started to get out of bed again, but Dr. Chandler stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

  “You will,” he said. “There's no reason for you to be confined to bed, but let me get you something for the headache first. And perhaps, some clothes?” He glanced down at her hospital gown and Chloe flushed.

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  The doctor nodded. “I'll be right back.” He left the room, and they all watched him go. The room fell silent, uncomfortable. Chloe had so many questions, but didn't know where to begin.

  “Did it work?” she finally asked Gavin.

  He pushed away from the wall and grabbed a chair, flipping it around and straddling it. “Apparently so. Well, as far as we can tell,” he replied. “The Chaos appears to have been destroyed. In fact, the interdimensional pocket where it was has vanished as well.”

  “It's just gone?” Miranda asked.

  “That's what our people say,” he said, folding his arms over the back of the chair. “There's no sign of it, or of the portal. We believe it was all destroyed in the explosion, but of course, we'll keep monitoring the situation and searching for any sign of it.

  “Apparently, whatever Stephen did created some kind of dimensional rift. It's a good thing we got the portal closed in time or who knows how much damage might have been done.”

  Chloe sighed. “I guess we're lucky you showed up, after all.”

  “Luck had nothing to do with it,” he replied, glancing at Miranda.

  She shrugged and wouldn't meet Chloe's eyes. “I called him,” she admitted.

  “You did? Why?”

  Miranda threw up her hands. “I was worried when Gina showed up, and then I didn't hear from you guys and I kind of freaked out, okay?” She stepped closer to the bed and grabbed hold of the side rail, her knuckles white. “You guys were in there doing who knows what and I was left on lookout—again—which kind of sucks, by the way. We're definitely going to talk about that in the future. And I knew Gina had a gun, and didn't know what she was going to do—we all know she's insane—So . . .” She took a deep breath and finally met Chloe's gaze, defiantly. “I called for backup.”

  Chloe fought the urge to smile. “You done?”

  “I—” Miranda snapped her mouth shut and nodded.

  Chloe reached out and touched Miranda's hand. “Thank you.” Miranda blinked, then slumped in relief.

  “You're not mad?” she asked, twisting her hand around to grip Chloe's.

  “Mad?” Chloe laughed. “You saved us all! If Gavin hadn't been there to close the portal, well—” She shook her head. “You did the right thing, Miranda. You're the real hero here.”

  Miranda blushed, and Chloe squeezed her hand, just as Dr. Chandler came back into the room. He handed her a couple painkillers, a glass of water, and a set of scrubs.

  “Not glamorous, but they'll get the job done,” he said.

  Chloe ducked into the bathroom to change, her nerves on edge. With every passing moment, her worry about Ethan grew, twisting in her stomach. He had to wake up. He had to. Through all of this she had never even considered the possibility that they would bring him home . . . and lose him anyway.

  She caught sight of herself in the mirror and froze, stunned for a moment at her appearance. Her hair was wild and tangled, her face gray and drawn. There was a crosshatch of scratches on her left cheek that she hadn't even noticed, and her lower lip was swollen. She splashed some water on her face and combed her fingers through her hair. If . . . when Ethan woke up, she didn't want to scare him to death.

  The four of them headed down a long hallway lined with what Chloe assumed were other hospital-type rooms. She wondered where the others were. She'd check on them soon, she would, but she had to see Ethan first. Gavin slid open a glass door, and stood back, waiting for her to enter. Miranda held her hand tightly, a show of support that Chloe was grateful for. She felt a little woozy, and it wasn't because of the concussion.

  Ethan looked like he was sleeping. The first thing Chloe noticed was that he seemed . . . fine. Good. No bruises or cuts or broken bones. He lay with the blankets folded neatly at this waist, his hands at his sides, the only sign of injury the wires attached at his temples and peeking out from his hospital gown.
/>   Chloe approached him slowly and Miranda pulled away.

  “We'll leave you alone,” she said quietly. “I'll run home and bring you some real clothes. Maybe a burger or something.” Chloe nodded and Miranda left, sliding the door closed behind her.

  Chloe sat down in a chair next to the bed, and gently took Ethan’s hand in hers. It was warm, and she lifted it to her face and pressed her lips to his knuckles, breathing in his scent. She smiled. He still smelled the same.

  “I missed you,” she said.

  Chloe lowered the side rail and climbed into the bed, mindful of the wires. She curled up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting her head on his chest. She could feel him breathing, in and out . . . hear his slow, steady heartbeat.

  He was alive. He was here, and he was alive. That was enough for now.

  “Come back to me,” she whispered, and before long, she fell fast asleep.

  Chloe stayed by Ethan's side for the following week, holding his hand, combing his hair . . . talking incessantly. They always said people in comas could hear when they were spoken to, so Chloe wasn't going to risk him not knowing she was there. She told him about the weather, read him books and magazines, watched television with him, offering constant commentary . . . by the end of the week, her voice was raspy and worn and she was sipping hot tea almost constantly.

  Everyone else had recovered well, and they rallied around Ethan and Chloe, showing up to sit with her, or stay with Ethan so she could grab a shower or a bite to eat. She was grateful for their support, but disheartened that Ethan still hadn't woken up. Dr. Chandler popped in several times a day. They drew blood. They ran tests. But could find no reason why he was still unconscious.

  “You want to hear something crazy?” Chloe asked Ethan. She was sitting in the chair, her feet propped upon his bed. She'd lost track of what day it was—Sunday, maybe? Monday? Not that it mattered.

  “Gavin told me that you were able to imprison the Chaos because of something in your DNA,” she told him, tapping her socked feet together. “That’s why Gina couldn’t do it.” She faltered for a moment, remembering Gina’s body lying in the Void, bloody and lifeless.