The Missing

by Kate O'Hearn

  “And profit you will,” Hyperion said. “But not tonight. I told you, go back and await our command.”

  “Hey,” Tibed said. “You do not command me. We have a deal.”

  Mimic Hyperion rose to his full height. “You are wrong. We do command, and you will obey or you will suffer the same fate as everyone else.” A tendril shot out of Hyperion’s torso and wrapped around Tibed’s neck. The traitor’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor.

  “Do not kill him yet. We still have a use for him,” Theia warned.

  “It would be such a pleasure,” Hyperion responded. Then the tendril pulled back in. “But you are correct. Now is not the time to dispose of this Titan.…” He turned and looked at Astraea. “As for you and these other spawn, on behalf of all of those that you have destroyed, I am going to enjoy this.…”

  As Hyperion approached her with his hand outstretched, Astraea darted away from him. Flapping her tiny wings, she leaped over the sofa and landed beside Belis. She reached for her dagger. “Everyone, run!”

  Across the room, Angitia let out a strangled cry as Theia caught hold of her and Picus. When they both collapsed, Belis responded and rose up hissing. Before Theia could react, the snake was on her and biting her in the leg.

  When Belis turned to attack Hyperion, the Mimic started to run. Charging after Astraea, he cried, “You will die before that thing gets me!”

  A tendril came out of Hyperion’s hand and shot at her. Reacting on instinct, Astraea sliced it away from herself with her dagger. Hyperion stopped and looked at her quizzically. Before he could speak, he started to melt. Soon all that was left of him was a gray puddle.

  “Way to go, Astraea!” Zephyr cried. “That’s two more Mimics down, only a million more to go!”

  Across the room, Belis was lifting Angitia up in his large mouth and carrying her away from the dangerous Mimic residue.

  Cupid entered the room and caught hold of Picus and pulled him away from the danger. He looked around. “What happened in here?”

  “Things didn’t quite go according to the plan,” Astraea said.

  “You could say that.” Zephyr snorted. “Or you could say it all went wrong and Belis turned into a crazed snake when Theia touched Angitia and Picus. He attacked the Mimic and melted her.”

  “Wait,” Cupid cried. “Your snake did that to Theia? Is he dangerous?”

  “No more than Astraea is,” Zephyr said. She threw back her head and cried, “Astraea, the Great Mimic Melter!”

  Astraea shook her head at Zephyr and said to Cupid, “Belis is only dangerous to Mimics, not us. But he’s not my snake. We are helping each other.” She looked down into the Hyperion residue and saw keys and a Solar Stream ring. Pulling a cushion off the sofa, she knocked the keys and ring free, then wiped them off with the curtains.

  “Here.” Astraea handed the keys to Cupid. “Fly these over to the prison. We’ll take care of Picus, Angitia, and Tibed.”

  “Hey, Astraea,” Zephyr called as she crossed the room. “Where’s Tibed? He was right here.”

  Astraea looked over to where Tibed had fallen. “He’s gone! He must have awakened when Belis was attacking Theia and run out of here.”

  “What was Tibed doing here?” Cupid asked.

  “He’s the traitor!” Astraea said. “He’s the one who brought the Mimics here.”

  “Tibed is a traitor?” Cupid cried. “How? Why?”

  “Catch up, Cupid!” Zephyr shot. “Tibed is a traitor and brought the Mimics. Belis is an intelligent snake from a hot jungle world that is filled with monsters that nearly killed us—oh, and he really likes Astraea and Angitia. The Mimics are invading Titus and Xanadu and are imprisoning everyone. Jupiter and the others are hiding on Earth and waiting for us.…” She paused and looked over to Astraea. “Have I missed anything?”

  “Loads,” she said. “But there’s no time.” She looked back at Cupid. “Tibed hates Hyperion and wants to see us all enslaved. But now that we know, there’s nowhere for him to hide. We must let the others know it was him.”

  “We will.” Cupid clutched the keys. “I am going now. Follow me to the prison as fast as you can.” Cupid ran through the doors and leaped up into the sky.

  “Thanks for all your help, Cupid,” Zephyr called after him. “We couldn’t have done it without you!” She looked back at Astraea. “All he cares about is himself and freeing his mother. I bet he heard the Mimics come in and he stayed hidden until it was all over.”

  “Forget him,” Astraea said. “We have to get moving before more Mimics come here.”

  Zephyr stepped up to Astraea. “If you can lift Angitia and Picus onto my back, we can leave here before they arrive.”

  * * *

  By the time Astraea and Zephyr made it back to the monument in the park, there were prisoners emerging from the secret tunnel. Astraea scanned the crowd, but her brothers, grandfather, and great-uncles weren’t out yet.

  Angitia and Picus were awake and still on Zephyr’s back. “Look how many there are!” Picus said. “I can’t see my father yet.”

  “I can’t see my parents, either,” Angitia said.

  “Zeph, would you stay here with these two? I’m going in to see what’s happening. We’ve got to move faster. The Mimics must know about Theia and Hyperion by now. That will lead to here.”

  “I will. You be careful!”

  Astraea smiled back at Zephyr and started to run. She wove her way through the growing crowd. Belis was right behind her. “Belis, please, this time will you stay here? If the Mimics come, these people will be in terrible danger—including Angitia. Please stay and protect them.”

  Belis hesitated but stopped following her. Astraea wondered if it was because she asked him to, or because Angitia was still aboveground. Whatever the reason, she was able to dart into the monument, squeeze around prisoners, and get into the hidden passage.

  Going down the stairs, she saw the long line of prisoners waiting to get out. She recognized some from the cells from her first visit. Seeing her, they thanked her for their freedom.

  “This isn’t over yet,” Astraea called. “When you get above, stay near Belis—the large snake. He will protect you from the Mimics.”

  Making her way through the long tunnel, Astraea was amazed by the number of people that had been taken. Titans and Olympians and humans. They were all together, all helping each other.

  Once inside the prison, Astraea ran down to where her grandparents were being held. She saw Theia directing others. “Grandmother, are you all right?”

  Her grandmother embraced her tightly. “I am so proud of you! Thank you, Astraea. You have saved us.”

  “Not yet,” Astraea said. “Where is Grandfather? I must tell him that Tibed is the traitor.”

  “Oh my,” her grandmother said. “Hyperion and Crius are going through the prison freeing the others.”

  “I’m going to find him,” Astraea said. “Please get everyone out of here as soon as you can. We don’t have long before the Mimics come.”

  Astraea had heard that her sweet grandmother was once a fierce fighter. When Theia heard this, it was as though all the years that had passed since her last battle washed away. Astraea was now facing a formidable warrior.

  “Go,” Theia said. “Go find Hyperion. I’ll get everyone else out of here.”

  As Astraea started to run, she heard her grandmother’s voice ringing out loud and clear, warning everyone of a possible Mimic attack and organizing them to get out.

  Reaching the end of the corridor, Astraea pushed through the door to the wing that had contained all the strange animals, including the Titan-eating rock and the large blue cat. But the moment she arrived, she noticed the change. These cells also contained Titans in the process of getting out through the open doors. She looked at the cell that had contained the deadly rock, but it was now empty.

  Directly across from it was the cell with the two-headed worm, Finan and Nanif. They were still there. As
traea noticed how much they had changed. The last time she’d seen them, their red body had a sheen and was plump. Now it was turning gray and looked dried out.

  “Astraea, you have returned!” the two heads said as one. “Will you free us?”

  Astraea approached the gold bars. “Of course. I need to find my grandfather. He has the keys.”

  “Hyperion went that way,” the two heads said. “But he would not open our door. We begged, but he only opened the cells containing his people. You promised you would free us.”

  “And I am going to keep that promise,” Astraea said. “I will get you home. I just need to find my grandfather.” Out of curiosity, she asked, “What happened to the others in here? That rock that tried to eat me and the big blue cat.”

  Both heads lowered. “The rock creature died of starvation. And the cat, well, it sickens us to say, but those creatures ate it. They have eaten all the animals in here except us. I fear we are next and then perhaps your people.”

  Astraea shook her head. “They will not eat you or anyone else because you are getting out of here. Just give me a moment and I’ll be right back.”

  “Please, don’t forget us…,” Finan and Nanif called.

  “I won’t!” Astraea ran down the corridor, asking the Titans and Olympians she met if they’d seen Hyperion. Each time she was sent farther and farther away. From the outside, the prison seemed big, but on the inside, it was much bigger than she’d imagined and most of the cells had been filled.

  Finally she reached the opposite end of the building and found her grandfather. He was putting the key in a cell door and opening it to release the prisoners.

  “Grandfather!” Astraea called.

  Hyperion turned. “You’re back!” He embraced her tightly. “You did so well.”

  “Not really,” Astraea said. “The Mimics must know about us now because we killed the Mimics that looked like you and Grandmother. They feel it when one of their own dies. So they know. It’s only a matter of time before it leads them here.”

  “Let them come,” Hyperion said. “We are finished. This is the last cell. We’ll get to the surface and head to Earth.”

  “Grandfather, listen to me,” Astraea said. “Tibed is the traitor. We just saw him with the Mimics. He said he was angry at how you and Saturn treated him, and he wants you to suffer. He thinks the Mimics are going to put him in charge. He’s betrayed us all.”

  “That wretched little man,” Hyperion cried. “If he did not like how I treated him before, he is going to be especially unhappy the next time I see him. Come, it is time to go.”

  Astraea held out her hand. “May I have the keys, please? There is one more cell to open.”

  “I am certain I opened all of them.”

  Astraea shook her head. “No, there is one more that holds a creature that looks like a two-headed worm. They are Nanif and Finan. They said they begged you to release them, but you refused.”

  “I had to worry about our kind first,” Hyperion said. “I told them if I had time, I would come back for them.”

  “Last time I was here, they saved my life from another creature that tried to eat me. I promised them I would help them get home. Please, may I have the keys so I can keep that promise?”

  Hyperion handed over the keys. “Of course. One must always keep their word.”

  * * *

  “You came back,” Finan and Nanif said as Astraea ran up to their cell door and inserted the key.

  “I said I would.” She pushed the door open and the two-headed worm slid out. But as they moved, they slowed down.

  “What’s wrong?” Astraea asked.

  “We are too weak,” they said. “It has been too long since we ate or drank anything. We are failing. Leave us, child. Just go.”

  Hyperion came up behind Astraea. “I am sorry if I led you to believe that I would not free you. Please, allow me to carry you.”

  “We would be grateful,” the two heads said.

  Astraea helped drape the long worm around her grandfather, the way Astraea draped a towel over her shoulders after bathing. They joined the long lines of people pouring out of the prison.

  When everyone was at the surface, there were more Titans and Olympians and humans than she’d ever expected. Her eyes landed on Cupid as he supported his mother. Venus was pale and weak looking. But then again, everyone from the cells looked the same. They needed food. But there wasn’t enough back on Earth.

  “Astraea,” Zephyr called as she trotted up. “I didn’t think they would ever stop coming out.” She looked back at the sky. “The sun is rising. I’ve seen Mimics start moving around, and Belis is black. If we’re going, now is the time.”

  Astraea relayed the message to her grandfather. “We should go. The Mimics are waking.”

  Hyperion looked at the weakened prisoners. “I do not like the thought of taking everyone to Earth, but we have no choice.”

  Behind him, his brother, Crius, was carrying Saturn. He was still unconscious and limp in Crius’s arms. Everyone else around them was weak but grateful to be free.

  Darek pushed through the crowds to reach Astraea. He looked at her and Zephyr. “You did it! Now let’s get everyone back to Earth, and then we can really go after the Mimics.”

  32

  JAKE AWOKE TO THE SOUND of squealing brakes and a loud siren. There were two police officers in the front seat of the cruiser. At first confused, Jake remembered what had just happened. The two police in the front weren’t police. There were Mimics on Earth!

  He sat up and looked around. The cruiser was tearing down the streets of Detroit. Despite the snow, there were loads of people out. He realized if one walked into the street, there would be no way the car could stop.

  They turned to the left sharply and he was thrown against the right-side door. When it lurched right, he slid across the back seat and smashed into the left-side door.

  “Stop the car!” Jake screamed.

  The Mimic in the passenger seat turned and looked back at him through the protective metal cage wire that separated the prisoners in the back from the police up front. “Silence, spawn!”

  Nearing panic, Jake searched for a way out of the car. But this was a police cruiser. There were no door handles on the rear doors, and the window glass looked thicker than normal car glass.

  As the cruiser tore down the street, Jake became aware of the people on the pavement. They weren’t looking at the speeding cruiser; instead, they were looking up and pointing—many were holding up their cell phones and taking photos.

  Jake looked out the back window and gasped at the sight of Pegasus and Aurora flying side by side, right behind the vehicle. They were out in public, showing themselves for all the world to see. He started to pound on the back window. “Aurora, Pegasus!”

  Pegasus flapped his wings harder and passed over the top of the car. Jake spun around and gazed out the front windshield. The winged stallion was above them and moving faster down the street. When the road ahead cleared at an intersection, he landed on the street and turned to face the approaching police cruiser.

  Pegasus reared high on his back legs and came slamming down to the ground. The power from the stallion’s strike cracked the road surface, and the shock waves forced the approaching cars to swerve and lose control. One topped the sidewalk and crashed into a building, while others smashed into one another.

  The Mimic driving the police cruiser uttered loud and angry words Jake couldn’t understand. It struggled to keep the vehicle under control as they started to skid. The cruiser hit the curb and then struck a fire hydrant, causing a whoosh of water to come shooting up.

  Despite the crash, the cruiser kept going, tearing along the sidewalk and forcing pedestrians to flee. There were obvious signs of damage caused by the hydrant as the front wheel started to wobble and large chunks of rubber flew into the air. Sparks were flying from the front end, as part of the car’s bumper had broken free and was dragging on the road. Yet with all the damage, the
Mimic managed to steer the cruiser back onto the road and drove it straight at Pegasus.

  “Fly!” Jake shouted at the stallion. “Pegasus, fly!”

  Pegasus reared again and tried to strike the police cruiser. But just before he hit it, the Mimic turned the wheel and they screeched away. Another large chunk of car tire broke free and struck Pegasus in the chest.

  Jake looked out the side window and saw the long black skid mark on the stallion’s white chest. There was rage on Pegasus’s face as he launched into the air again.

  Out the back, Aurora was nearing the car. She swooped close and motioned for Jake to cover his head and get down.

  When he did, he could no longer see what was happening, but he could hear it. Loud pounding started on the roof. Ignoring Aurora’s warning, he peered through the back window and saw Pegasus was now hovering low and kicking the roof with his golden hooves. With each strike, the car bucked and swerved on the snowy road. The flashing lights were soon torn off the cruiser’s roof. On the inside, Jake could see deep dents appearing.

  “You have to let me out before he wrecks the car and kills us!” Jake shouted.

  But the Mimics ignored him and would not stop. The driver maneuvered the vehicle like a Formula One pro. With each blow from the powerful stallion, the Mimic was able to maintain control and keep driving.

  As they turned down another busy street and headed into the heart of the city, more police vehicles joined the chase. With their lights flashing and sirens blaring, things became surreal.

  “Please,” Jake cried. “Let me out before it’s too late!”

  But no matter what he said or did, no matter how much damage the cruiser sustained, the Mimics refused to stop the car.

  Jake looked out again and saw Aurora sweeping close. With her powerful wings, she was able to land on the top of the unstable car. She leaned over the back window and called to Jake, “Cover your eyes!”

  Doing as he was told, Jake covered his eyes. Moments later, there was a loud thud and the sound of cracking. Unable to stop himself, Jake peeked and saw that Aurora had punched the window and it was starting to crack.