by Lucas Flint
The footage rewound and started playing again, except much slower. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary at first, but then Shell said, “Wait. Carl, play that part again.”
The part Shell was talking about was the part where the mysterious woman was reprogramming the bots. Like the rest of the video, it was playing very slowly, but I still didn't see anything strange until Shell said, “Pause right there and zoom in on her right shoulder.”
The video paused and then zoomed in on the mysterious woman's right shoulder, which displayed a startling sight:
A badge with the letters INJ in gold lettering was visible … which were the initials of the Independent Neoheroes for Justice.
Chapter Seven
I couldn't believe it. I looked at the others, who all looked just as shocked as I felt. I looked at the screen again, hoping my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it didn't matter how long I stared at it, because that badge with the INJ's initials did not change.
“Uh oh,” said Stinger, who had just vocalized what the rest of us were thinking. “Please tell me the footage is messed up.”
“Of course it isn't,” said Carl, who didn't sound nearly as shocked as the rest of us. “Before showing you the footage, I digitally removed any and all imperfections so you can have the clearest, most high definition picture around. Blu-Ray's got nothing on this!”
I leaned forward, putting my forehead in my hands. “If this is true, then that means that someone from the INJ somehow broke into the House and tried to kill us.”
“But why?” said Treehugger. “I mean, I know the NHA and the INJ have hardly been the best of friends, but I don't think either of them have tried to kill their youngest members like this.”
“Hardly surprises me,” said Talon, rolling her eyes. “The INJ has always been very morally questionable, if you ask me. Though I must admit that I never believed that they would actually target teenagers like us.”
“Could it be a fake?” said Shell, rubbing his hands together anxiously. “Maybe someone faked an INJ badge and is trying to frame them.”
“Maybe, but I doubt it,” I said. “I doubt the INJ would let anyone run around setting them up like this.”
“What if it's a rogue agent, then?” said Shell. “Maybe some in the INJ just decided to take action in their own hands and take us out, because we're the next generation of the Neohero Alliance, after all.”
“Possibly, but if they were a rogue agent, why would they continue to wear their INJ badge right where everyone could see it?” I said. “I think it is far more likely that the woman is under orders from the INJ's leadership.”
“That's a serious accusation to make, Bolt,” said Stinger. “But then, we can't really know for sure what's going on. Maybe it's a set up, maybe it's a rogue agent, or maybe she was really ordered by the INJ to attack us … who knows? We don't even know her name, much less whatever her motives may be.”
“Agreed,” I said. I looked up at the ceiling again. “Carl, does the Leadership Council know about this?”
“They do now,” said Carl. “I just showed them the INJ badge on the woman's shoulder. And I must say, I didn't know Omega Man knew that many swear words.”
“What's going to happen now?” said Treehugger. She hugged herself “Are we going to fight the INJ?”
“I don't know, but hopefully not,” I said. “I guess we'll just have to see what the Leadership Council says we should do. But I can't imagine that it will be nice, whatever it is that we do.”
“And just before the Neohero Summit, too,” said Stinger. He rubbed his forehead. “I hope Omega Man and the Midnight Menace don't get into a fight because of—”
“Bolt!” Carl suddenly shouted. “Please go to the Council Chamber in HQ to speak with the Leadership Council. They would like to speak with you about this discovery.”
Uh oh. I didn't think I was going to get into trouble, but the Leadership Council rarely summoned me in person like this. Most of the time they spoke to me through Mecha Knight. That they wanted to speak with me in person meant that things were even more serious than I thought.
But I knew better than to say no to any kind of summons from the Council. So I stood up from my chair and said to Carl, “Tell the Leadership Council that I'll be there in five minutes.” I looked at the others. “The rest of you, stay here. I'll be back before you even know it.”
-
It actually took me three minutes to fly from the House to the NHA headquarters located in the center of Hero Island. It was a massive compound, the largest building on the entire Island, and was where most of the NHA's members stayed whenever they were between missions or visiting Hero Island. It was hardly the most appealing or pretty building, but it had been designed to withstand pretty much anything short of a nuclear blast and had all sorts of defenses I didn't even know about.
But none of that mattered to me at the moment. I just flew over to the huge tower rising from the center of the compound, known as the Tower of Heroes, and flew in through the ceiling, which was capable of opening up to the sky to allow flying heroes like myself to fly in. I kept a neutral face as I landed in the center of the Council Chamber, even though deep down my nerves were jangled, because I had only met the entire Leadership Council once before, when I first came to Hero Island, and had only spoken with Mecha Knight on a regular basis since then.
Landing in the center of the Council Chamber, I looked at the chairs—more like thrones, really, mostly because they were much higher than me—upon which sat the seven neoheroes who made up the Leadership Council.
On the far left was Mecha Knight, who nodded when he saw me and I nodded in return, although his helmet, as usual, made it impossible to tell how he felt.
Next to Mecha Knight was a large, almost fat middle-aged man with a pickaxe and dirty skin and even dirtier work clothes: Mr. Miner, who could control the earth and was the creator of Hero Island itself. He was a pretty easygoing guy from what I knew, but I didn't know him that well.
On Mr. Miner's right was a pale-skinned, thin man who wore white robes that almost made him look like a ghost: Beyond Man, who could summon the dead and speak with ghosts. He sat so still that I thought he was dead until I saw him blink once.
And on the far right, I saw a green-skinned, horned alien in strange, blocky armor: Nicknacks, real name N'ckn'ax, the only non-human on the Leadership Council. He was probably the strangest of them all, because he didn't really have much of a 'face' so much as two glowing slits and what looked like an organic vent for a mouth. All I knew for sure about Nicknacks was that he could shape-shift and was the last surviving member of an alien species that was wiped out a long time ago; beyond that, he was an enigma to me and most of the rest of humanity. I also knew he was on the Council because he had helped the NHA fight against the invading Pokacu aliens during the invasion fifteen years ago and had warned of the incoming invasion years before it happened.
To Nicknacks' left was a man wearing a flight suit and a mask that looked like an eagle's face: High Fly, who could fly at super sonic speeds and speak to birds. Unlike the rest, High Fly was reclining in his seat, like he didn't take any of this very seriously.
And to his left was a muscular woman wearing a set of armor that reminded me of Ancient Greece: Lady Amazon, also known as the strongest woman in the world. She had a sword and spear at her side, but I knew that she really didn't need them, seeing as she was strong enough to shatter iron with one blow.
Sitting in the very center of this group was the man, the legend, one of the first and most well-known and popular of all neoheroes, Omega Man himself. He was huge and muscular and wore a blue and red suit that showed off his muscles. He wore a black cape, while a stylized O was emblazoned on his chest. He gave off an aura of experience and power, but I didn't feel afraid him at all. Actually, I felt safe around him, probably because I knew that he was one of the best heroes around.
All seven members of the Leadership Council were present, but I did no
tice an empty eighth throne, just to Mecha Knight's left, that the rest of the Council seemed to be ignoring. That was where Thaumaturge had sat before he went rogue and left the NHA to who-knows-where. I wondered why they hadn't found a replacement for him yet, but maybe they were just too busy focusing on the upcoming Summit to figure out who should be Thaumaturge's replacement right away.
“Bolt,” said Omega Man. His voice was deep and sonorous, but warm, too, which again made me feel safe around him. “We are glad that you arrived so quickly.”
“Yes, sir,” I said. “You saw the footage of that woman with the INJ badge, right?”
“Exactly,” said Omega Man. I noticed Lady Amazon scowled beside him. “It is a disturbing discovery. We are just glad that you and Blizzard weren't killed by the robots; otherwise, that could have made us behave irrationally.”
“Irrationally?” Lady Amazon said. She glared at Omega Man. “John, we have video proof that one of the INJ's agents attempted to kill two of our younger heroes. I say we should attack them now, before the INJ realizes we've discovered their awful act. This is an obvious declaration of war.”
“We're not going to war before the Summit,” said Omega Man, looking at her sharply. “I know how you feel, Lady, but I do not want us to act too hastily. There may be a more reasonable explanation for this.”
“Explanation?” said Lady Amazon in indignation. “There is no explanation for attempting to kill children. If we attack now, they will never see it coming and we can throw the Midnight Menace and his sorry gang of losers into Ultimate Max where they belong.”
Children? Yeah, Blizzard and I were not yet adults, but I didn't think of us as children. But I also knew better than to argue with Lady Amazon whenever she was angry; she had a habit of throwing her spear at people who pissed her off, up to and including her friends and allies.
“We've maintained a steady peace with the INJ for years,” said Omega Man. “And I still consider the Midnight Menace a friend, even if we don't always see eye to eye on everything.”
“A war would lead to much death,” said Beyond Man, his voice soft but still clear. “Not just in the INJ or NHA, either. Innocent civilians would likely get caught in the crossfire. The entire country might collapse as a result.”
“Yeah, but I gotta admit I agree with the lady,” said Mr. Miner. He pushed up the brim of his baseball cap, revealing his small eyes. “I hate anyone who tries to harm kids, especially our kids. I wouldn't mind breaking that fault line and letting California and the INJ drift off to sea.”
“Hey, I'm from California,” said High Fly in annoyance.
“So?” said Mr. Miner.
Omega Man held up a hand before High Fly could respond. “Enough. We can all agree that this development is a very serious affair. If the INJ is indeed behind this, then it is the worst thing they have ever done to us and it would be impossible for us to forgive them.”
“I agree,” said Lady Amazon. “That is why I say we should go to war. Let every man, woman, and child in the world know what happens to those who try to bring harm to those under our protection.”
Omega Man sighed in exasperation and said, “No. I have a much better idea about how to get to the truth of this matter, one that involves Bolt, actually.”
“Are we going to send Bolt to destroy their headquarters?” said Lady Amazon. She looked at me as if she was trying to imagine me destroying the INJ's headquarters.
“No, of course not,” said Omega Man. “Instead, we're going to confirm whether the INJ was involved in this attack or not, rather than jumping to conclusions based on flimsy evidence.”
“How do you propose we do that?” said Lady Amazon sarcastically. “Are we going to go to the Midnight Menace and ask him if he ordered one of his allies to kill the Young Neos?”
“No,” said Omega Man. “While I doubt the Midnight Menace would lie to us, it is possible he won't be entirely honest with us if he is behind this attack. Therefore, we need to send someone into the INJ's headquarters to find out the truth covertly.”
“You mean like a spy?” said Beyond Man. “Or are you going to suggest that we hire someone like Triplet to investigate?”
“Neither,” said Omega Man. He pointed at me. “Instead, we're going to have Bolt visit the INJ's headquarters in California on the pretense that he would like to get to know the New Heroes better in anticipation for the upcoming Summit.”
“Me?” I said in surprise. “Is that why you called me here?”
“Yes,” said Omega Man. “While you are there, you must search for any clues that might point toward the identity or purpose of the woman who tried to kill you and Blizzard. But you must do it covertly, because I do not want the Midnight Menace knowing that we are investigating him and his organization.”
“Why me?” I said. “I don't have any invisibility powers or anything. I can barely tiptoe without making a racket.”
“Because no one would ever suspect you of being a spy,” said Omega Man. “They would just assume that you are visiting in order to learn more about the New Heroes. It would be the perfect cover.”
“But where would I start?” I said. “And what about the rest of the Young Neos? Would they come with me, too?”
“No,” said Omega Man. “The rest of the Young Neos would stay here. The more people we send, the greater odds that someone will find out what you are actually trying to do. One is enough.”
“How long would I be there?” I said.
“I'd say a couple of days or so, which would give you more than enough time to find any clues linking the INJ to the woman,” said Omega Man. “But you must return before the Summit. I would like to have this matter figured out before then, because I do not want to worry that someone in the INJ might try to harm someone here during the Summit itself.”
That made sense, so I said, “Okay, but I'm still not sure where I am supposed to look. I've never been to California and I don't even know where the INJ's headquarters is.”
“We'll figure that out later,” said Omega Man. “For now, I must ask if you will accept this mission or not.”
“But we haven't even voted on it,” Lady Amazon pointed out. “Why are you offering it to him now when we haven't actually agreed on whether we should send him there at all?”
“The Lady has a point,” said Mecha Knight. “While I am in favor of sending Bolt to do this, we must always follow the rules laid out in the Neohero Alliance Constitution. That means that we must have a vote on whether to go ahead with this mission or not.”
“Ah, yes, I forgot,” said Omega Man. “Very well, then. Carl, are you recording the minutes of this meeting?”
“Indeed I am, Omega Man,” said Carl, his voice still cheery.
“All right,” said Omega Man. He looked at the other Council members. “All in favor of sending Bolt to the headquarters of the INJ to investigate the INJ's connection to the robot attack?”
Omega Man, Mecha Knight, High Fly, and Beyond Man raised their hands.
“And against?” said Omega Man.
Lady Amazon and Mr. Miner raised their hands. Then everyone looked at Nicknacks, who had been silent since my arrival. In fact, I had almost forgotten about him he was so quiet.
“Nicknacks?” said Omega Man. “Are you going to offer your input on this decision?”
Nicknacks did not answer. I didn't know the alien very well, but I did know that he had a hard time communicating with us sometimes because English was very different from the language that he spoke back on his home planet. I imagined that he was trying to figure out what words to use to express his thoughts.
Then Nicknacks said, in a strange, somewhat gargled voice, “I would like to abstain from this vote, my friends. Because I do not support either war or spying, I will not take either side in this vote.”
“What do you want to do, then?” said Lady Amazon. “Just let the INJ get away with this?”
“No,” said Nicknacks, shaking his head. “I don't know what we shou
ld do, but I do not believe that either of the proposed solutions will help. It may be wiser to postpone the Summit until we are able to perform a better investigation into the matter.”
“Postpone the Summit?” said High Fly in shock. “We can't do that. We've never had to postpone the Summit before. Besides, if we do that, that will get the INJ suspicious, which might just make things worse.”
“High Fly has a point,” said Omega Man. “Nonetheless, we will respect your decision to abstain, Nicknacks.”
“Thank you, John,” said Nicknacks. “I hope that we are able to figure out the truth, regardless of what course of action we take here in this meeting.”
“Very well, then,” said Omega Man. “We had four yeas and two nays. The yeas have it.” He looked at me again. “Bolt, will you accept this mission? You are free to say no if you want. We have other ways of investigating the INJ, so if you decline, it won't be a great inconvenience for us.”
I thought about that for a moment. I was sure that the woman in the footage was part of some kind of grand conspiracy in the background, some plot that would be dangerous for me or anyone else to investigate if we didn't want to die. Besides, I didn't want to go to California, because then that would mean meeting with Strike and I didn't want to see his face ever again.
On the other hand, if I didn't do this, then I might never find out who almost killed me and Blizzard. Not only that, but that woman might try to kill us again, and she might even succeed or at least seriously injure us, because I doubted she was the kind of person to give up that easily. I was thinking especially of Blizzard, who was still lying unconscious in the House's medical station. We didn't know exactly how Blizzard was going to act once she awakened, but whether she was going to be normal or not, what mattered was that this woman had nearly killed one of my teammates and that was unforgivable. If this would help me find out who this woman was and stop her before she harmed anyone else, then it would be worth it.
